Scheduled Messages

FluentCase allows you to schedule emails to be sent automatically at a future date and time, similar to Gmail’s scheduled send feature.

Scheduling an Email

From Compose Window

1. Click Messages → Compose
2. Fill in the email:
   • To: Recipient email address(es)
   • Subject: Email subject line
   • Body: Email content
3. Add attachments if needed
4. Click the Schedule button (clock icon) instead of Send
5. Select a date and time:
   • Tomorrow morning (8:00 AM)
   • Tomorrow afternoon (1:00 PM)
   • Monday morning (8:00 AM)
   • Custom date and time (choose specific date/time)
6. Click Schedule Send
7. Email is saved and will send automatically at the scheduled time

From Draft

1. Open an existing draft
2. Click Schedule button
3. Select date and time
4. Click Schedule Send

From Matter

1. Open a matter
2. Click Messages tab
3. Click Compose
4. Email is automatically associated with the matter
5. Follow steps above to schedule

Scheduling Options

Quick Schedule Options

• Tomorrow at 8:00 AM - Next business day morning
• Tomorrow at 1:00 PM - Next business day afternoon
• Monday at 8:00 AM - Next Monday morning
• In 1 hour - One hour from now
• In 4 hours - Four hours from now

Custom Date and Time

1. Click Custom
2. Select date from calendar
3. Select time (hour and minute)
4. Choose AM or PM
5. Click Schedule

Time Zone: All times are in your local time zone (set in user preferences).

Viewing Scheduled Messages

Scheduled Messages Folder

1. Go to Messages
2. Click Scheduled folder
3. View all scheduled messages
4. See scheduled send time for each message

Scheduled Message Details

Click on a scheduled message to view:

• Recipients - Who will receive the email
• Subject - Email subject line
• Body - Email content
• Attachments - Attached files
• Scheduled Time - When it will send
• Associated Matter - Linked matter (if any)

Editing Scheduled Messages

Before Scheduled Time

You can edit a scheduled message before it sends:

1. Open the scheduled message
2. Click Edit
3. Make changes to:
   • Recipients
   • Subject
   • Body
   • Attachments
   • Scheduled time
4. Click Update Schedule

Note: You can only edit messages that haven’t been sent yet.

Canceling Scheduled Messages

Cancel Before Sending

1. Go to Messages → Scheduled
2. Open the scheduled message
3. Click Cancel Scheduled Send
4. Confirm cancellation
5. Message returns to Drafts folder

Important: You must cancel before the scheduled send time. Once sent, the message cannot be recalled.

Bulk Cancel

To cancel multiple scheduled messages:

1. Go to Messages → Scheduled
2. Select messages (checkboxes)
3. Click Actions → Cancel Scheduled
4. Confirm cancellation

How Scheduled Sending Works

Processing

1. Scheduled Time Arrives - System checks for due messages every minute
2. Validation - Verifies email account is still connected
3. Sending - Message is sent via your Gmail or Outlook account
4. Confirmation - Message moves to Sent folder
5. Activity - Activity is created in associated matter

Send Time Accuracy

• Messages are sent within 1-2 minutes of scheduled time
• System checks every minute for due messages
• Slight delays possible during high-volume periods

Email Account Requirements

• Gmail or Outlook must be connected
• OAuth token must be valid (not expired)
• Account must have sending permissions

If your email account is disconnected:

• Scheduled messages will fail to send
• You’ll receive a notification
• Messages remain in Scheduled folder
• Reconnect account and reschedule

Use Cases

Time Zone Management

Scenario: You’re in California (PST), client is in New York (EST)

1. Compose email at 5:00 PM PST (8:00 PM EST)
2. Schedule for 9:00 AM PST (12:00 PM EST)
3. Email arrives during client’s business hours

Follow-Up Reminders

Scenario: Send follow-up if no response received

1. Send initial email immediately
2. Compose follow-up email
3. Schedule for 3 days later
4. If client responds, cancel scheduled follow-up
5. If no response, follow-up sends automatically

Weekly Status Updates

Scenario: Send weekly updates to clients

1. Compose status update email
2. Schedule for Friday at 4:00 PM
3. Repeat weekly
4. Maintain consistent communication

Court Deadline Reminders

Scenario: Remind client of upcoming court date

1. Compose reminder email
2. Schedule for 2 days before court date
3. Email sends automatically
4. Client receives timely reminder

After-Hours Composing

Scenario: Working late, don’t want to email clients at night

1. Compose emails in the evening
2. Schedule for next morning (8:00 AM)
3. Maintain work-life boundaries
4. Emails send during business hours

Best Practices

Timing

• Business Hours - Schedule for 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM recipient’s time
• Avoid Weekends - Schedule for Monday if composing on Friday
• Time Zones - Consider recipient’s time zone
• Urgency - Don’t schedule urgent matters

Content

• Review Before Scheduling - Proofread carefully
• Check Attachments - Ensure all files are attached
• Verify Recipients - Double-check email addresses
• Update if Needed - Edit scheduled messages if circumstances change

Organization

• Use Drafts - Save as draft first, schedule later
• Associate with Matters - Link to relevant matter
• Add Notes - Include internal notes about why scheduled
• Monitor Scheduled Folder - Review scheduled messages regularly

Cancellation

• Cancel if Resolved - Cancel follow-ups if issue is resolved
• Update if Needed - Edit rather than cancel and recreate
• Check Before Deadline - Review scheduled messages before they send

Limitations

Maximum Schedule Time

• Maximum: 90 days in the future
• Minimum: 1 minute in the future

Scheduled Message Limits

• No limit on number of scheduled messages
• Rate limits apply when messages send (per email provider)

Email Provider Limits

Gmail:

• 500 emails per day (Google Workspace)
• 100 emails per day (free Gmail)

Outlook:

• 300 emails per day (Microsoft 365)
• 100 emails per day (Outlook.com)

If you exceed limits, messages will fail to send.

Troubleshooting

Scheduled Message Didn’t Send

Possible causes:

1. Email account disconnected - Reconnect in Settings
2. OAuth token expired - Re-authorize email account
3. Recipient email invalid - Check email address
4. Daily send limit reached - Wait 24 hours
5. System error - Contact support

Solution:

1. Check Scheduled folder for failed messages
2. Review error message
3. Fix the issue
4. Reschedule the message

Can’t Schedule Message

Possible causes:

1. No email account connected - Connect Gmail or Outlook
2. Draft not saved - Save draft first
3. Invalid date/time - Choose future date/time
4. Browser issue - Refresh page

Solution:

1. Ensure email account is connected
2. Save draft before scheduling
3. Choose valid future date/time
4. Try different browser if issue persists

Scheduled Time Not Available

Possible causes:

1. Time in the past - Choose future time
2. Too far in future - Maximum 90 days
3. Invalid time - Check time format

Solution:

1. Choose a time at least 1 minute in the future
2. Schedule within 90 days
3. Use valid time format (12-hour or 24-hour)

Notifications

Send Confirmation

When a scheduled message sends:

• Email notification - Confirmation email (if enabled)
• Activity created - Activity in associated matter
• Sent folder - Message appears in Sent folder

Failure Notification

If a scheduled message fails:

• Email alert - Notification of failure
• Error message - Explanation of why it failed
• Scheduled folder - Message remains in Scheduled folder