# Scheduled Notifications

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***](https://help.adalo.com/actions/notifications/request-notification-permission-in-your-app) 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**](https://help.adalo.com/actions/notifications/trigger-push-notifications), Scheduled notifications can be reeived by the person who created them.

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### 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](https://help.adalo.com/integrations/the-adalo-api/push-notifications)
* [Trigger Notifications in your Adalo App](https://help.adalo.com/actions/notifications/trigger-push-notifications)

### Help

If you need additional help with this article, ask in the [Adalo Community Forum](https://forum.adalo.com/). Include a link to this article so others can reference the same setup.