---
description: Messages with one or more recipients that are sent on a recurring schedule
---

# Recurring Messages

### Recurring messages allow you to schedule a message for repeated delivery to any number of conversations.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Conversations** include:

* Direct messages with other users
* Multi-person direct messages (group messages)
* Private channels
* Public channels
{% endhint %}

### Nightowl offers optional timezone settings that do the math behind the scenes to help teams with a global footprint. &#x20;

* **Convert**
  *   Convert delivery time to local timezones for channels and users.

      > Local time for channels is the top timezone among channel members.
* **Postpone**
  * Postpone your message until 9am local time for a recipient if the selected time is in the past for that recipient.

{% hint style="info" %}
#### Using these options can vary the time of delivery for each recipient.
{% endhint %}

### To configure a recurring message:

* Head to the **Nightowl** app home – make sure you are on the `Home` tab.
* Navigate to the `Recurring Messages` section and click :gear:`New` button.

#### Configuration

*   Choose either or both of the timezone settings.

    > These settings are optional.
* Choose a schedule type:
  *   **Weekly**

      > Repeat on specific day(s) every \_ week(s).

      * Select the number of weeks between messages and the weekday(s) on which the message should be delivered.
  * **Custom**
    * Select the day(s), month(s), and weekday(s) on which the message should be delivered.
* Set the delivery hour and minute.
*   Select a [**delivery window**](#delivery-window).

    > This setting is optional.
*   Choose the timezone on which this message should be based.

    > This field will auto-populate with your current timezone.

{% hint style="warning" %}
The interval between recurring messages cannot be greater than **120 days**.
{% endhint %}

After configuring your settings, click `Next` to compose your message.

#### Message

{% hint style="info" %}
Use the :gear:`Edit configuration` button to return to the previous modal.
{% endhint %}

*   Enter one or more conversations to BCC.

    > When more than one conversation is selected, **semicolons** will be used as delimiters to display the recipients after the message is created.
    >
    >
    >
    > E.g. a message to **separately selected** DM recipients @Jack, @Jill, and @Jen will show as`BCC: @Jack; @Jill; @Jen` whereas selecting a **group** DM between you, @Jack, and @Jill in addition to a separately selected DM with @Jen will appear as `BCC: @Jack, @Jill; @Jen`.
* Compose your message.
*   Optionally enable the insertion of recipient mentions.

    > The variable `{@}` will be replaced with a user tag in DMs and `@here` in other conversations.
*   Select whether or not to show the recipient(s) that this message is from **Nightowl**.

    > Default selection can be modified in [**App Settings**](../getting-started/app-settings)
*   Select whether or not to show previews of linked content in messages containing URLs.

    > Default selection can be modified in [**App Settings**](../getting-started/app-settings)

Click `Schedule` to set your recurring message for delivery.

{% hint style="info" %}
Recurring messages will generate the next [**scheduled message**](scheduled-messages) for delivery following initial configuration and after each resulting scheduled message is delivered.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="info" %}
All Nightowl messages are sent from your user.&#x20;

Recipients will **not** be able to tell that you did not send the message.
{% endhint %}

### After creating a recurring message, it can be deleted, modified, or converted to another item type.

* Click :bomb:`Delete` to cancel the recurring schedule remove the message.

{% hint style="warning" %}
The [**scheduled message**](scheduled-messages) generated by the recurring message **will also be deleted**.

The same is true if the recurring message is deleted using one of the overflow menu actions with the `Delete original` option selected.&#x20;
{% endhint %}

* The following actions are available in the overflow (`...`) menu:
  *   :pen\_fountain:`Edit`

      * Edit the recipients, day(s), month(s), and weekday(s), delivery date/time, and/or the message body


  * :mailbox\_with\_mail:`Send now`
    *   &#x20;Send the message [**now**](bcc-messages) and optionally delete the original recurring message

        > The recipient(s) and message body can be edited
  * &#x20;:page\_with\_curl:`Save draft`
    *   &#x20;Save the message as a [**draft**](draft-messages) and optionally delete the original recurring message

        > The recipient(s) and message body can be edited
  * :busts\_in\_silhouette:`Create group`
    *   Create a [**recipient group**](recipient-groups) and optionally delete the original recurring message

        > The recipient(s) can be edited

### Delivery window

The optional delivery window can be used to stagger message delivery so that recipients do not all receive your message simultaneously.  The window begins at the scheduled delivery time. Messages will be spread evenly throughout the window prior to any timezone adjustments.

### **Original timezone** <a href="#original-timezone" id="original-timezone"></a>

When your timezone changes due to travel, recurring messages respect the timezone used when the message was created.  If there is a difference between your current timezone and the timezone used when the message was created, a field titled `Next: (original timezone)` will be shown.  The `Scheduled for` field is always shown in your current timezone.

### Generated scheduled messages

Recurring messages generate scheduled messages at each recurring interval.  These scheduled messages have some important differences to consider relative to scheduled messages created manually.

* Scheduled messages generated by recurring messages will be tagged as :link:`Generated by a Recurring Message`.
* Deleting or editing a scheduled message that was generated by a recurring message will not edit or delete the recurring message.
  * Instead, this will cause the recurring message to proceed to the next interval.
  * I.e. if a recurring message is set to deliver every Friday, editing or deleting **this** Friday's scheduled message will cause the recurring message to create a new scheduled message for **next** Friday.
