When a Bot Runs Growth+This feature requires the Growth+ plan or higher
Every bot has one line under its name that says when it runs, for example "Every day at 8:00am". Dash sets it from your sentence, and you can change it any time:
- Open the bot and click Change when.
- Under It runs, pick one of the four choices below and fill in the fields beside it.
- Click Done, or Save when it runs on a bot that is already saved.
All times use your business time zone, set in Settings > Localization. A bot has to be switched on to run by itself.
When You Ask
The bot only runs when you press Run it now on its page. Use it for a job you do now and then, like a stock check before a busy weekend.
On a Schedule
Pick On a schedule, then How often:
| How often | What you set | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Every 15 minutes / Every 30 minutes | Nothing else | Checking for new forms |
| Every hour / Every 4 hours | Nothing else | Checking for late pickups |
| Every day | At - the time | Tomorrow's list every evening at 6:00pm |
| Every week | At and On - the day | Last week's numbers every Monday at 8:00am |
| Every month | At and On day - 1 to 28 | A stock count on the 1st |
| On chosen days | Which days and At | Mondays and Fridays at 8:00am |
| Every year | Month, Day and At | A season reminder every April 10 |
| Once on a date | On - the date - and At | A one-off reminder before an event |
A bot set to Once on a date runs on that date and then switches itself off.
Only some items
A bot on a schedule can be kept to some of your items. Under Only for these items, tick the items or experiences it is for. When the sentence you type names an item, Dash ticks it for you.
The bot then shows an Only bookings for step at the top, and the line under its steps names who it would message right now, with their booking numbers. It never messages a booking for anything else.
When your sentence also says which day, the step says it too, and the bot keeps to it. "The night before" reads Only bookings for Beginner Class tomorrow. "The evening after a group lesson" reads Only people who came to Group Lesson today, once it has ended: people who cancelled or did not show are left out. The line under the steps names exactly those people.
If a bot is still running when its next time comes around, that run is skipped so the two cannot overlap. If your shop was offline and a daily run was missed by hours, it waits for the next day rather than running in the middle of the night.
To send every customer a message a day or two before their booking, use Settings > Customer messages. It is built in and already knows each booking's time.
When Something Happens
Pick When something happens, then choose what under When this happens:
| Group | Choices |
|---|---|
| Bookings | A booking comes in · A booking changes · Gear goes out · Someone checks in · Gear comes back · A booking finishes · A booking is cancelled · An experience is booked |
| Money | A payment lands · A refund goes out |
| Customers | A new customer is added |
| Forms | A waiver or form comes back · A survey comes back |
| Workshop | Something goes into the workshop · A repair is finished |
| Staff | A shift is added |
| Front desk | Dash hands a call to you · Someone asks about booking and does not book · A call is missed · A call finishes |
The bot knows which booking or customer set it off, so its steps can say "the booking that just came in".
Only the bookings you mean
For a booking choice, you can narrow it down. Leave a field empty and it covers every booking.
- Only for these items - tick the items or experiences it is for.
- At least this many people - for example, only parties of 6 or more.
- Where it was booked - Online, In the shop, By phone, or Through a booking site.
The bot shows this as an Only if step at the top. It is checked before Dash starts, so a booking that does not match costs nothing. A bot that messages customers sends one message per booking, however many times the booking changes.
When the Weather Turns
Pick When the weather turns, then under Which rule:
- Any weather rule you have on - it runs whenever one of your rules is broken by the forecast.
- Only the ones I pick - tick the rules it watches.
You do not need to leave the bot to make a rule. Under New rule, pick what to watch, type the number it goes over, and click Add rule. The rule is saved with your other weather rules, and the line under the bot's name names it, for example "When wind speed over 30 mph is forecast".
Making a rule here needs permission to manage weather rules. More about weather rules
Choosing When It Runs
| You want | Choose |
|---|---|
| "Send me tomorrow's list every evening" | On a schedule - Every day at 6:00pm |
| "Email customers about overdue gear" | On a schedule - Every day at 9:00am |
| "Text big groups when they book online" | When something happens - A booking comes in, at least 6 people, Online |
| "Run the stock report when I ask" | When you ask |
| "Remind me on Mondays and Thursdays" | On a schedule - On chosen days |
| "Follow up on bad survey scores" | When something happens - A survey comes back |
| "Tell me who is booked when the wind picks up" | When the weather turns |
A bot that runs and finds nothing to do records Nothing to do and uses no AI at all.