Trigger Automation by Exact Time of the Day
Canny AI
Merged in a post:
Time-Controlled Email Automations = Game Changer
Tommy Martin
SmartSuite’s Gmail integration is so close to unlocking huge automation potential. But one key piece is missing: control over when emails are sent.
Right now, we can trigger automations based on dates (e.g. “X days before project date”), but emails always sent at midnight—which isn’t practical or professional.
WHY THIS MATTERS
In many service-based and event-driven businesses, timing matters. Getting an email at 1:00am looks sloppy. Getting it at 8:00am looks polished.
SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS:
Option 1: Add a better dynamic “Time Now” field
A time field that updates automatically (say every 15 minutes) would let us set triggers like:
“If date is in the next 1 day AND time is after 8:00am → send email.”
Option 2: Let us set global send windows
Just like we set working hours, let us define when SmartSuite is allowed to send emails—e.g. only between 8:00am and 8:00pm. Simple, clean, and flexible.
Option 3: Delay Step with Time Window
Allow a “Wait Until Time” step inside automations. For example:
Wait until 8:00am before sending the email.
This would give precise control, without needing external hacks.
Option 4: Add a "Send Window" Setting to Email Actions
Let us set a time window directly in the email step, like:
Only send this email between 8:00am–6:00pm. (Or at an exact time)
If the automation runs outside that window, it could delay the email until the next valid send time.
WHY CURRENT WORKAROUNDS ARE NOT ENOUGH
Technically, I could use the “At a scheduled time 8:00am daily” trigger to run a “Find Records” step that only sends the email if certain criteria are met. But when you have dozens of different email workflows, that means running every single one, every day, just to check if a condition is true.
That quickly becomes messy, inefficient, and hard to manage at scale.
Real-world examples:
- A home services company wants to email the assigned technician at 8:00am on job day. Not at midnight.
- A school wants to send reminders to parents the morning of a field trip—not at midnight.
- A wedding photographer wants to send a post-wedding day thank you email the morning after, not at midnight.
Isaac Gutierrez
Merged in a post:
Trigger automation at specific time on specific date
D
David C
I'd love to send out text messages or emails that are 24 hours or 6 hours (or whatever) prior to an event for clients to remind them of specific details. We can trigger based off of dates but not times (at least I don't think you can).
Jon Darbyshire
Hiya David C, thanks for this post! I have a few more questions for you:
- What types of events would you like to send reminders for?
- Do you prefer text messages, emails, or both for the reminders?
- Is there a specific time frame before the event when you would like the reminders to be sent?
D
David C
Hey Jon Darbyshire,
- Scheduled meetings, one-time events, weekly meetings. It could also be due times and dates for students, employees, etc. Late, early and on-time payments as well.
- I prefer text messages for small reminders but emails for more significant information. Text messages would be a nudge.
- I would like to determine the time of the text message like if the time of the event is at 8am, that we can send the text or trigger the automation 12 hours prior to the event or 6 hours, etc.
Also, text messages could be used as last minute information for teams to bring something to a meeting or event, or accomplish something by a specific time.
Jon Darbyshire
Great to hear your perspective, We Have A Tender! I have a few more questions for you:
- Could you provide more details on the type of email content you would like to send at this specific time?
- Is there a specific reason for choosing 8:37 AM as the trigger time for the automation?
- Would you like this automation to occur every day or on specific days of the week?
W
We Have A Tender
Jon Darbyshire Hi John, I am specifically thinking about this scenario:
Schedule an Email Automation
-> When Due Date Arrives at exact time 8:37 -> trigger the email automation
Currently Nate Montgomery @ SmartSuite teached us a good workaround with the "At Scheduled Time" trigger. However this add lots of extra steps and friction compared with a Trigger for Automation by Exact Time of the Day