Recurring Reminders

Recurring reminders are repeating notifications that fire automatically on a schedule. They’re designed for tasks and activities that happen regularly, helping you maintain consistent routines and never miss periodic responsibilities.

What Are Recurring Reminders?

A recurring reminder is a notification that:

• Repeats automatically based on a defined schedule
• Continues until you pause or delete it
• Can have daily, weekly, monthly, or custom intervals
• Maintains the same task description for each occurrence
• Tracks completion status for each instance

Recurring reminders save you from creating the same reminder repeatedly and ensure consistency in regular tasks.

Difference Between One-Time and Recurring

Understanding when to use each type helps you organize tasks more effectively:

One-Time Reminders

• Fire once at a specific date and time
• Auto-complete after notification is sent
• Best for: Unique events, deadlines, single tasks
• Example: “Submit report by Friday 5pm”

Recurring Reminders

• Fire repeatedly on a schedule
• Continue indefinitely until paused or deleted
• Best for: Regular routines, periodic tasks, ongoing habits
• Example: “Team standup every weekday at 9am”

Key Difference: Recurring reminders save time by automating repetitive tasks without manual recreation.

Supported Recurrence Patterns

Smart Reminders supports a wide variety of recurrence patterns to match your workflow.

Daily Recurrence

Reminders that repeat every day or every N days.

Patterns:

• Every day
• Every 2 days
• Every 3 days
• Every weekday (Monday-Friday)

Weekly Recurrence

Reminders that repeat on specific days of the week.

Patterns:

• Every week on specific day(s)
• Every 2 weeks
• Multiple days per week
• Specific weekdays only

Monthly Recurrence

Reminders that repeat on specific dates or weekdays within months.

Patterns:

• Specific date each month (e.g., 15th of every month)
• Specific weekday occurrence (e.g., first Monday)
• Last day of month
• Every N months

Yearly Recurrence

Reminders that repeat annually on specific dates.

Patterns:

• Same date every year
• Specific month and day
• Anniversary reminders

Weekday-Only Recurrence

Reminders that skip weekends automatically.

Pattern:

• Every weekday (Monday through Friday)
• Ideal for work-related tasks

Custom Intervals

Create custom recurrence patterns for unique needs.

Patterns:

• Every N hours
• Every N days
• Every N weeks
• Every N months
• Specific combinations

Detailed Examples

Here are real-world examples showing different recurrence patterns:

Example 1: Daily Standup Meeting

Command:

remind us to join daily standup every weekday at 9am

What happens:

• Reminder fires Monday through Friday
• Time: 9:00 AM each day
• Skips weekends automatically
• Continues indefinitely

Use case: Daily team meetings, morning routines, regular check-ins.

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Example 2: Weekly Team Review

Command:

remind the team to submit weekly reports every Friday at 4pm

What happens:

• Reminder fires every Friday
• Time: 4:00 PM
• Weekly recurrence
• Team-wide notification

Use case: Weekly reporting, end-of-week tasks, regular submissions.

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Example 3: Bi-Weekly One-on-One

Command:

remind me to schedule 1-on-1 with manager every 2 weeks on Tuesday at 10am

What happens:

• Reminder fires every other Tuesday
• Time: 10:00 AM
• Bi-weekly pattern
• Personal reminder

Use case: Bi-weekly meetings, alternating week tasks, spaced activities.

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Example 4: Monthly Invoice Submission

Command:

remind me to submit invoices on the 1st of every month at 9am

What happens:

• Reminder fires on the 1st day of each month
• Time: 9:00 AM
• Monthly recurrence
• Date-specific pattern

Use case: Monthly billing, recurring payments, end-of-month tasks.

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Example 5: Quarterly Business Review

Command:

remind us to prepare quarterly review every 3 months on the 15th at 2pm

What happens:

• Reminder fires every 3 months
• Specific date: 15th
• Time: 2:00 PM
• Quarterly interval

Use case: Quarterly planning, seasonal reviews, periodic assessments.

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Example 6: Daily Backup Task

Command:

remind me to run system backup every day at 11pm

What happens:

• Reminder fires daily
• Time: 11:00 PM
• Seven days a week
• Daily routine

Use case: Daily maintenance, backup tasks, end-of-day routines.

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Example 7: First Monday of Month

Command:

remind the team about all-hands meeting on the first Monday of every month at 3pm

What happens:

• Reminder fires on the first Monday only
• Each month
• Time: 3:00 PM
• Weekday-specific monthly pattern

Use case: Monthly meetings on specific weekdays, recurring monthly events.

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Example 8: Multiple Days Per Week

Command:

remind me to go to gym every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 6am

What happens:

• Reminder fires three times per week
• Specific days: Monday, Wednesday, Friday
• Time: 6:00 AM
• Multiple-day weekly pattern

Use case: Exercise routines, part-time schedules, alternating day tasks.

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Example 9: Custom Interval Hours

Command:

remind me to check server status every 4 hours

What happens:

• Reminder fires every 4 hours
• Continuous around the clock
• Custom hourly interval
• Automatic repetition

Use case: Monitoring tasks, regular checks, maintenance windows.

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Example 10: Annual Review

Command:

remind me to review annual goals on January 1st at 10am every year

What happens:

• Reminder fires once per year
• Date: January 1st
• Time: 10:00 AM
• Yearly recurrence

Use case: Annual planning, yearly reviews, anniversary reminders.

Creating Recurring Reminders

Via Natural Language

Use natural language commands in Teams chat or web interface:

remind [who] to [task] [recurrence pattern] at [time]

Examples of recurrence phrases:

• every day
• every Monday
• every weekday
• every 2 weeks
• on the 15th of every month
• every 3 months

Via Dashboard Form

Using the web or Teams dashboard:

1. Click Create Reminder
2. Enter task description
3. Select Recurring option
4. Choose recurrence pattern from dropdown
5. Set time
6. Click Create

Via Bot Commands

In Teams chat with Smart Reminders bot:

@Smart Reminders remind me to [task] [recurrence pattern]

The bot confirms the recurrence schedule before creating.

Recurrence Options Detail

Daily Options

• Every Day: Fires 7 days a week
• Every N Days: Specify interval (e.g., every 3 days)
• Weekdays Only: Monday through Friday only

Weekly Options

• Every Week: Same day each week
• Multiple Days: Select multiple days (e.g., Mon, Wed, Fri)
• Every N Weeks: Bi-weekly, tri-weekly, etc.

Monthly Options

• Specific Date: Same date each month (15th, 28th, etc.)
• First/Last Weekday: First Monday, last Friday, etc.
• Every N Months: Quarterly, semi-annual, etc.

Advanced Patterns

For complex patterns, use the web dashboard’s advanced recurrence builder:

• Combine multiple conditions
• Set end dates for recurrence
• Skip specific dates
• Adjust for holidays

Managing Recurring Reminders

Viewing Upcoming Occurrences

See the next scheduled occurrences:

list recurring

This shows all recurring reminders with their next fire time.

Pausing Recurrence

Temporarily stop a recurring reminder:

pause reminder [reminder_id]

Paused reminders don’t fire but remain in your list.

Resuming Recurrence

Restart a paused recurring reminder:

resume reminder [reminder_id]

The reminder resumes its regular schedule.

Editing Recurrence Pattern

To change the recurrence pattern:

1. Pause the existing reminder
2. Create a new recurring reminder with the updated pattern
3. Delete the old paused reminder

Or use the web dashboard to edit directly.

Completing Individual Instances

Each occurrence can be marked complete:

complete reminder [reminder_id]

This marks the current instance as done but doesn’t affect future occurrences.

Recurrence End Dates

Indefinite Recurrence

By default, recurring reminders continue indefinitely until manually stopped.

Setting an End Date

You can specify when a recurring reminder should stop:

Command:

remind me to attend webinar every Tuesday at 2pm until March 30

What happens:

• Reminder fires every Tuesday
• Stops after March 30
• No manual deletion needed

Use case: Limited-time recurring events, temporary schedules.

Occurrence Count Limit

Alternatively, specify a number of occurrences:

Command:

remind me to do code review every Monday at 10am for 8 weeks

The reminder stops after 8 occurrences.

Timezone Considerations

Recurring reminders handle timezones intelligently:

• Your Timezone: Reminders fire in your configured timezone
• Daylight Saving: Automatically adjusts for DST changes
• Time Consistency: Maintains the same local time across DST transitions
• Team Reminders: Each member receives notifications in their timezone

Example: A 9am recurring reminder stays at 9am your local time, even after DST changes.

Best Practices

Choose the Right Pattern

Match the recurrence pattern to the actual frequency of your task:

• Daily tasks → Use daily or weekday recurrence
• Weekly meetings → Use weekly recurrence
• Monthly reports → Use monthly date-based recurrence

Use Descriptive Task Names

Since recurring reminders repeat, make descriptions clear:

Good: Weekly team standup
Better: Weekly engineering team standup - attendance required

Set Realistic Times

Choose times when you can actually act on the reminder:

• Avoid times when you’re typically in other meetings
• Consider timezone differences for team reminders
• Schedule with buffer time before deadlines

Review Periodically

Regularly review your recurring reminders:

• Pause or delete obsolete reminders
• Update descriptions as needed
• Adjust times if schedules change

Limitations

Free Plan Limits

Free accounts have limits on active recurring reminders. See Subscription & Limits for details.

Maximum Recurrence Frequency

Minimum interval is 1 hour to prevent notification overload.

Future Scheduling Limit

Recurring reminders can schedule occurrences up to 1 year in advance.

Next Steps

Now that you understand recurring reminders:

1. Learn how to Manage Reminders effectively
2. Explore all App Features
3. Check Subscription & Limits for your account

Start using recurring reminders today to automate your regular tasks and build consistent habits!