Scheduled Notifications

Allow your app to send a push messages to users at a future date and time, even if the app is not open.

This guide covers how to set up scheduled push notifications for your app. Scheduled notifications allow you to send notifications at a future date and time, rather than immediately. Common use cases include appointment reminders, event countdowns, task deadlines, booking confirmations, and more.

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Skill Level: Advanced

Before You Begin

• Have a good understanding of creating Collections and setting up database relationships.

• The user must have the app installed on Native iOS, Android, or as a PWA.

• You must have Notification Permissions configured within your Adalo App.

• Sending notifications of any type requires a logged-in user flow.

• The Adalo Previewer will not receive scheduled notifications.

• The user must have been active in the app within the last 2 weeks to receive the notification.

• Unlike Trigger Notifications, Scheduled notifications can be reeived by the person who created them.

Common Scheduled Notification Use Cases

Before diving into setup, here are examples of how scheduled notifications work across different app types:

Appointment/Event Reminders

• Coach booking app: Send reminders 3 days before, 1 day before, or 1 hour before an appointment

• Restaurant reservation app: Remind users of their reservation 24 hours in advance

• Medical clinic: Send appointment confirmations and reminders at various intervals

Task Management

• Task app: Send a reminder on the due date of a task

• Project management: Send deadline warnings 3 days before deadline, then 1 day before

E-commerce & Bookings

• Order confirmation: Send automatic confirmation when order is placed, with follow-up reminders

• Travel booking: Send reminders the day before flight, day before hotel check-in

• Marketplace: Notify seller of pending shipment deadlines

Event Countdowns

• Special event app: Send daily countdown starting 1 week before event ("6 days to go", "5 days to go", etc.)

• Course/Class: Send reminder series (1 week before class, 3 days before, 1 day before, 1 hour before)

Subscriptions & Recurring

• Subscription app: Send renewal reminders before payment is due

• Recurring booking: Send reminders for regular appointments (weekly therapy, monthly salon visit)

Best Practices

• Always use "No Formatting" for dates – This is the #1 cause of scheduling issues. Always scroll to the bottom of the date format dropdown.

• Provide users with a way to cancel or reschedule notifications

• Avoid scheduling large volumes of notifications at the exact same time

• Store Job ID immediately – You need it for future management. Capture right after scheduling.

• Use date math with negative values – For notifications before an event:

  • -1 = 1 day

  • -3 = 3 days

  • -7 = 1 week

• Include relevant context in messages – Tell users what they're being reminded about and when. Include names, dates, times, etc.

• Test before launching – Verify notifications work with real data before rolling out to users.

• Consider timezone implications – If your app serves multiple regions, test how timezone differences affect scheduling.

• Make notifications optional – Let users control when/if they receive notifications. Don't force them.

• Choose meaningful defaults – If you auto-create notifications, pick timing that makes sense for your app.

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Learn More

• Push Notifications

• Trigger Notifications in your Adalo App

Help

If you need additional help with this article, ask in the Adalo Community Forum. Include a link to this article so others can reference the same setup.