---
title: "Timing - Auto-Respond Docs"
description: "Timezone, grace period, and the weekly schedule that controls when follow-ups are allowed to send"
source: https://auto-respond.com/docs/messaging-settings/timing/
last_updated: 2026-04-21
---

![Timing documentation guide](https://auto-respond.com/assets/docs/messaging-settings-timing.svg "Timing Documentation")

A visual guide to the Timing documentation, covering the setup, configuration, and workflow details explained on this page. Documentation illustration for Timing.

# Timing

The Timing tab controls **when follow-ups are allowed to send**. It does not affect the welcome message - only follow-ups honor the schedule. You configure three things: the timezone used to interpret everything, a grace period for immediate replies, and the weekly operating schedule for follow-ups.

## Getting here

In Auto-Respond, go to **Sources** → select a source → **Messaging Settings** → **Timing** tab.

ℹ️

Timing doesn’t apply to **Facebook Lead Ads** sources (no follow-ups).

## Options

### Timezone

- **Label:** “Timezone” (autocomplete selector)
- **Default:** (set at the business level; locations typically inherit)
- **What it is:** the IANA timezone used to interpret everything on this tab - schedule hours, timestamps, grace period boundaries.
- **Use this when:** set this to wherever the **business** operates, not where any individual team member lives. All schedule hours are read in this timezone.

### Grace Period (minutes)

- **Label:** “Grace Period (minutes)” (number input)
- **Range:** 0–1440 minutes (0 to 24 hours)
- **Default:** 30
- **What it does:** lets follow-ups go out within X minutes of the **lead’s initial message**, even if that time falls outside the operating schedule. The intent is: always reply promptly to a fresh inquiry - even if it’s off-hours - but once the grace window closes, respect the schedule.
- **When set to 0:** no grace - follow-ups are never sent outside the operating schedule, full stop.
- **When set high (e.g., 120):** follow-ups can continue landing outside scheduled hours for up to that many minutes after the lead first messaged.
- **Use this when:** 30–60 minutes works for most businesses. Go higher (60–120) if your customers routinely message late evening and you want to catch them before they move on. Keep at 0 if you strictly don’t message outside hours.

⚠️

The grace period starts from the **lead’s initial message**, not from when you read it. A long grace period plus a late-night inquiry can push follow-ups into the middle of the night. Watch the math.

### Follow-up Operating Schedule

- **Label:** day-by-day weekly picker

- **Default:** “Any day” 00:00–24:00 (follow-ups allowed at any time, any day)

- **What it is:** a week-at-a-glance picker (Monday–Sunday, plus an “Any day” shortcut) where you set time periods during which follow-ups are allowed to send. A follow-up scheduled outside these windows is held until the next allowed period.

- **Per-day options:**

  - **Off** - no follow-ups on that day (e.g., Sundays).
  - **Full 24 hours** - send any time that day (e.g., 24/7 weekdays).
  - **Custom hours** - one or more time periods, like 08:00–18:00.

- **Multiple time periods per day:** supported - set a morning block and an afternoon block if you have a lunch break or split shift.

- **Use this when:** match it to when someone is genuinely available to handle replies. Schedules that promise coverage you can’t deliver hurt your conversion more than they help.

## How it behaves

- **Welcome messages are not gated by this schedule.** The welcome sends as soon as it’s ready (subject to the Welcome Message Delay on the Conversation Setup tab). Only follow-ups respect the schedule.
- **A scheduled follow-up outside allowed hours is held, not skipped.** It moves to the next allowed window.
- **Grace period overrides the schedule** - but only for the window starting at the lead’s initial message.
- **Timezone applies to everything on this tab.** If a follow-up is set for “09:00” and your timezone is `America/Los_Angeles`, that’s 9 AM Pacific regardless of where your team or leads are located.

## Examples

**A service business open Mon–Fri 8 AM – 6 PM, Saturday 9 AM – 2 PM, closed Sunday:**

- Timezone: your local timezone.

- Grace period: 60 minutes (lets late-evening inquiries get one quick follow-up).

- Schedule:

  - Monday–Friday: 08:00–18:00
  - Saturday: 09:00–14:00
  - Sunday: Off

**24/7 emergency service:**

- Timezone: your local timezone.
- Grace period: 120 minutes (doesn’t matter much when always-on anyway).
- Schedule: Any day, 00:00–24:00.

**Professional services, weekdays only:**

- Timezone: your local timezone.

- Grace period: 30 minutes.

- Schedule:

  - Monday–Friday: 09:00–17:00
  - Saturday & Sunday: Off.

## Troubleshooting

- **Follow-ups are going out after hours:** check the grace period. A long grace can legitimately push messages into evening. Lower it if that’s not what you want.
- **Follow-ups never send on a particular day:** that day is likely set to Off. Check the per-day settings.
- **Wrong hour:** double-check the timezone. Schedule hours are interpreted in the timezone set on this tab, not the reader’s timezone.
- **Lead messaged at noon, first follow-up didn’t send until the next morning:** the scheduled delay probably pushed it outside allowed hours. Shorten the first follow-up’s delay, or widen the schedule.

***

Questions? Email <support@auto-respond.com>.

Last updated: April 21, 2026