🕒 How to use a scenario schedule in Make#

Make is a great tool for creating automations that can be useful in many different situations. We've already talked about using Make and Green-API integration to create useful automations that simplify routine tasks.
In this article, we will discuss how to set up scheduled scripts and give some examples of useful automations that run at specific times.

Content of the article:

Scenario schedule variants
Setup scenario schedule
Examples of scheduled automations

1. Scenario schedule variants#

Schedules can be used to configure scenarios to run on a specific date or at specific intervals.
Make provides a wide range of options for schedules. Let's have a look at them:

Immediately - available only in automations where a trigger is configured as the first action that activates the script.
At regular intervals - starts automation at specified time intervals specified in the schedule settings. You can configure several different time periods of this schedule. The time period defines the period during which the automation is active, as well as the days of the week and months of the year.
Once - runs the automation once on a specified date.
Every day - this option runs the automation every day at a specified time.
Days of the week - runs automation on selected days of the week and at a specified time.
Days of the month - runs automation every month on the specified days (1 to 31) and the entered time of day.
Specified dates - similar to the previous method, but allows you to select the months of the year in which the schedule is active.
On demand - the automation is started only when it is manually started or when this automation is started from another automation.

If in addition you want there to be a time range in which the activated scenario runs, tick the Show advanced settings checkbox and enter the start and end date in the Start and Stop fields respectively.

Image with turn-on-advanced scheduling settings

Image with additional fields in timetable settings

2. Setup scenario schedule#

Let's create a small automation that will greet the user every morning with a predefined motivational quote.
To do this, we need the "Send Message" module and an authorised instance from Green-API. We have explained in detail how to get started with integration in article about integration setup.
First, create a module for sending messages and select an instance from which we will send messages.

Enter the greeting message and the phone number to which it will be sent.
Message input image

Now let's configure the schedule to run the automation. In our case, we can use Every day if we want to send a message every day or Days of the week to send a message only on the specified days of the week.
We will configure the message to be sent every working day at 9 o'clock.

Image of clicking the clock icon to set up a schedule

Image with schedule setting every day at 9 o'clock

After setting up, you need to switch on the schedule. The switch in the lower left corner of the screen is responsible for this. It must be switched on.
Turn-on schedule image

The automation is now up and running and will send a message every working day.

3. Examples of scheduled automations#

Besides automating basic actions such as sending messages, you can embed more complex functions into scenarios. Below we will look at how to create some useful automation based on schedules.

☀️ Morning Weather Report#

Before going outdoors, it is important to know the weather forecast so that you can choose appropriate clothing. Getting the weather forecast before you go out is not only convenient, but also saves you time searching for information. Let's set up an automatisation that sends you the morning weather forecast.
Make has a built-in Wheather integration, which allows you to get a weather forecast for the selected city for the current moment or a detailed forecast for the next 16 days in one action. We will configure this module to get the weather in Moscow at the moment of request.
To do this, we will select the Get current weather module.
Enter the desired city and its country code in the format ISO 3166 in the City field.

Let's start the automation. We will get detailed weather data, which we will send in private messages shortly.
Image with received weather data

The next step is to send a message with the forecast. Sending simple text messages is provided by the "Send Message" module, which we used earlier.
Let's add the Send Message module after the Weather request module. Enter the number of the recipient of the forecast in it.
Image creating sendmessage module

Image with weather forecast recipient number input

Type the text of the message, integrating the weather data from the previous module into it.
Image with generated text with weather forecast

The automation is complete, the only thing left is to configure the schedule. Any schedule that will launch the process at a certain time of day will be suitable for this task.
We will choose to start the process every day at 9 o'clock.
Image with schedule setup on each weekday at 9 o'clock

Image with schedule setup on each weekday at 9 o'clock

Activate the schedule. Now you will receive the current weather at the appointed time.
Turn-on schedule image

💱 Daily exchange rates#

Exchange rates change all the time and for some people this is an issue that needs attention. Just as we set up automation to get the weather forecast, you can set up a system to get the exchange rate at a certain time each day.
Make has a built-in currency conversion tool called 'Convert an amount between currencies'. It allows you to find out the value of one currency in relation to another. To do this, you need to specify which currency we want to know the value of, and select the currency against which we want to know the value of the first currency.
As an example, let's look at the process of getting the exchange rate between the US Dollar and the Euro. First, let's create a currency conversion module 'Convert an amount between currencies' from the Currency application.

Image of Convert an amount between currencies module creation

Specify the desired currency pair and run the automation once to get the necessary data for further customisation.
Image with completed currency conversion data

Image with completed currency conversion data

The next step in the script is the "Send Message" module. We select this module from the Green-API integration.
Send Message module creation image

Specify the phone number of the person who will receive the exchange rate. In the text of the message we should specify the information about the exchange rate using the data obtained from the module.
Image showing the recipient of the exchange rate and the message with the exchange rate

Image showing the recipient of the exchange rate and the message with the exchange rate

Next, we set up a schedule to automate the sending process. We'll send the message every working day at 13:00.
Image configuring a schedule on every business day at 13 hours

Image configuring a schedule on every business day at 13 hours

Finally, we'll activate the schedule to start the automation.

📨 Scheduled bulk messaging#

Do you want to make the process of sending mass messages even more convenient? In this section we will show you how to automate the sending of messages using a schedule.
Previously, we described the process of creating a mass messaging in Make using Google Sheets and Green-API. Follow this link to see the process. If you don't already have a bulk messaging automation, we recommend that you create one by following our guide.
Once you have selected the bulk messaging automation, you will need to configure a schedule to run the scenario automatically. In our example we will use the 'Days of Month' schedule. Let's configure it.
To get started, click on the clock button by the first automation module.

Clicking the clock icon image on the Google Sheets module.

. Then select the "Days of Month" schedule from the drop-down list.
Image with "Days of Month" schedule selection

Include the first day and set the time to 12 o'clock.
Image with schedule setting at the mailing list

Once the settings are complete, run the schedule. The messaging will now be activated at the times you specified in the automation.

In this article, we have explained in detail how to configure schedules in Make, and given some examples of how to use schedules effectively. However, this is only a small part of what you can do with schedules. You can use them to implement many automations using Green-API integration in Make that will benefit you.

Examples of using the Green API application#

How to make messaging between WhatsApp and Slack

How to make messaging between WhatsApp and Discord

How to use Google Sheets to organise bulk messaging in Make