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# Set up schedule Triggers in Automation
> Use a Schedule trigger in bitCRM automation to send a message to a customer segment on a recurring schedule, a birthday, or a custom date field.
Use this page when your automation should send a message to a group of customers on a time-based schedule rather than in response to a customer action.
## Overview
The **Schedule** trigger fires based on a repeat cadence you configure for a selected customer segment. Unlike event-based triggers, it is not tied to a customer action — it runs at the time and cadence you set.
Two of the repeat options are anchored to a date on each customer's own profile rather than a fixed calendar date: **Yearly on birthday** uses the customer's date of birth, and **Yearly on custom date** uses a date field from the customer's additional data.
## Before you start
* Open [Automation](https://app.bitbybit.studio/bitcrm/automation-new).
* Click **Create new scenario**.
* Have a customer segment ready to target, or create one first.
* To use **Yearly on custom date**, make sure your customers have at least one additional data field with the **Date** type — either a bitbybit field or one [synced from Shopify](/bitcrm/how-to-use-shopify-customer-metafields). Only date fields appear in the picker.
## Steps
1. Click **Trigger**.
2. Choose **Schedule**.
3. In the **Send to** field, select the customer segment you want to target.
4. In the **Repeat** field, choose the cadence. No option is selected by default — the field shows **Select frequency** until you pick one, and the remaining fields stay hidden until then.
* **Does not repeat** — runs once at the scheduled time
* **Daily** — runs every day, minus any days you exclude
* **Weekly** — runs on the days you pick, every 1 to 4 weeks
* **Monthly** — runs once a month, on a date or on a weekday position
* **Annually** — runs once a year on the configured date
* **Yearly on custom date** — runs each year on a date field from the customer's additional data
* **Yearly on birthday** — runs each year on the customer's date of birth
5. Fill in the fields that appear for your chosen cadence. See [Fields by repeat option](#fields-by-repeat-option) below for the full list.
6. (Optional) For **Yearly on custom date** or **Yearly on birthday**, check **Advanced timing** to send the message relative to the date instead of on the day itself. Under **Timing offset**, set a number from 1 to 31, a unit (days, weeks, or months), and a direction (**before** or **after**).
7. (Optional) Check **Add an end date**, then set an **End date** to stop the schedule after that day.
8. Click **Save**.
9. Add the next step in the scenario.
10. Click **Save automation**.
## Anchor a schedule to a custom date field
Choose **Yearly on custom date** when you want the send date to come from each customer's own profile — a membership renewal date, a policy expiry, or a purchase anniversary — rather than one fixed date for everyone.
1. Set **Repeat** to **Yearly on custom date**.
2. In the **Date field** picker, choose the additional data field to anchor the schedule to. The field shows **Select date field** until you pick one, and is disabled while the list loads.
3. Set **Begin automation on** and **Set send time**, then add an optional timing offset or end date.
Only additional data fields with the **Date** type appear in the **Date field** picker. If the list is empty, add a date field to your customer profiles first, then reopen the trigger.
Date fields [synced from Shopify](/bitcrm/how-to-use-shopify-customer-metafields) appear here too, listed alongside your bitbybit fields.
## Fields by repeat option
| Field | Does not repeat | Daily | Weekly | Monthly | Annually | Yearly on custom date | Yearly on birthday |
| - | :-: | :-: | :-: | :-: | :-: | :-: | :-: |
| **Send to** | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Begin automation on** | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| **Begin schedule on** | — | — | — | — | — | — | ✓ |
| **Set send date** | ✓ | — | — | — | ✓ | — | — |
| **Set send time** | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Exclude days** | — | ✓ | — | — | — | — | — |
| **Repeat every** / **On day** | — | — | ✓ | — | — | — | — |
| **Repeat on** | — | — | — | ✓ | — | — | — |
| **Date field** | — | — | — | — | — | ✓ | — |
| **Advanced timing** / **Timing offset** | — | — | — | — | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Add an end date** | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Notes on individual fields:
* **Set send time** uses 15-minute increments with an **AM**/**PM** selector.
* **Exclude days** (Daily) lets you skip specific weekdays, such as weekends.
* **Repeat every** (Weekly) runs the schedule every 1, 2, 3, or 4 weeks, and **On day** selects which weekdays it sends on.
* **Repeat on** (Monthly) sends either **On date** — a fixed date each month — or **On the** — a weekday position such as the first Monday.
## When to use each option
* Use **Does not repeat** for a one-time scheduled send to a segment.
* Use **Daily**, **Weekly**, or **Monthly** for regular recurring messages such as digests or promotional reminders.
* Use **Annually** for yearly campaigns on a fixed calendar date, such as a store anniversary.
* Use **Yearly on birthday** to send an automated birthday message to each customer on their own birthday. For a faster setup, start from the [prebuilt birthday template](/bitcrm/how-to-use-the-birthday-automation-template) instead.
* Use **Yearly on custom date** when the send date differs per customer and is stored as a date field in their additional data.
## If the Save button stays disabled
The trigger can't be saved while any field fails validation. Check for these messages:
* **Start date can't be in the past** — pick today or a later date.
* **End date must be after the start date** — move the end date later, or clear **Add an end date**.
* **Please leave at least one day to send on** (Daily) — you've excluded all seven days.
* **Please select at least one day** (Weekly) — pick at least one weekday under **On day**.
On **Does not repeat**, **Yearly on custom date**, and **Yearly on birthday**, an end date set before the start date disables **Save** without showing a message. If **Save** is greyed out on these options and no error is visible, check your **End date** first.
## Related
* [Use the prebuilt birthday Automation template](/bitcrm/how-to-use-the-birthday-automation-template)
* [Set up a trigger in automation](/bitcrm/how-to-set-up-a-trigger)
* [Add steps to an automation](/bitcrm/how-to-add-steps-to-an-automation)
* [Create a customer segment](/bitcrm/how-to-create-a-customer-segment)
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