> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getthread.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Scheduling and work schedules for Auto-dispatch

> Turn on scheduling in Auto-assign so Thread books time on a tech's Planner when it routes a thread, and define work schedules for accurate availability.

Scheduling extends Auto-assign so it doesn't just pick who owns a thread, it also books time on that person's Planner to work the service request. Work schedules define each tech's working hours and time zone, giving Auto-assign the availability signal it needs. Together they let Thread route and schedule work automatically.

<Note>
  **Auto-assign scheduling** and **Work schedules** are rolling out to workspaces. Contact your Thread representative to enable them.
</Note>

## Scheduling in Auto-assign

When scheduling is turned on inside an Auto-dispatch profile, Auto-assign checks three things before routing a thread:

* The tech is marked **available** in Inbox.
* The tech has **capacity**, meaning they're below the max number of active threads set on the profile.
* The tech has an **open slot** in Planner.

All three have to be true for Auto-assign to route and schedule the thread.

If scheduling is turned off, Auto-assign still assigns threads based on availability and capacity, it just won't book a Planner time.

<Tip>
  Connect Outlook to Thread to let Auto-dispatch see each member's true availability. See [Planner and Outlook calendar integration](/inbox/planner-outlook-calendar-integration).
</Tip>

## Managing availability

Once Auto-assign is set up and turned on, availability can be managed by the tech themselves or by an admin, through the Team Home page. See [Team Home](/inbox/team-home).

## Work schedules

Work schedules let you set each tech's working hours and time zone. This is the foundation for scheduling in Auto-assign, it tells Thread when a tech is actually available to take on work. For setup steps, see [Create and manage work schedules](/inbox/create-and-manage-work-schedules).

## Getting started

<iframe width="100%" height="420" src="https://www.loom.com/embed/125c21491a8142209e9424751581b820" frameBorder="0" allowFullScreen />

### Related walkthroughs

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Auto-assign setup" icon="video" href="https://www.loom.com/share/9c5aaf013f2a48ab877eadcb6ac594b4">
    Configure an Auto-assign profile end to end.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Next thread setup" icon="video" href="https://www.loom.com/share/12fcae1df47d4d3dbf2fe438843b8d58">
    Set up Next thread dispatch as an alternative to Auto-assign.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Inbox Teams" icon="video" href="https://www.loom.com/share/aec03b2a88344a319103c35f6dbf1981">
    Organize members into teams that Auto-dispatch can route to.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Outlook integration" icon="calendar" href="/inbox/planner-outlook-calendar-integration">
    Connect Outlook so Planner reflects real availability.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How does Auto-assign pick the best match?">
    Auto-assign looks at the number of active threads each tech is working (active threads are defined in the Auto-dispatch profile) and schedules the person with the fewest active threads first.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How long does a scheduled thread take to show up in Planner?">
    As soon as Auto-dispatch runs, it assigns the thread and adds a plan to it. If you don't see it happen in real time, refresh the page and check the ticket for an internal note confirming that Auto-assign ran.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can Auto-dispatch schedule into the future?">
    Yes. Auto-assign schedules mainly based on capacity, so it will keep scheduling as far out as the tech has capacity available.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Will scheduling work if no work schedules are set up?">
    No. A work schedule has to be set up for a tech before Auto-dispatch can assign and schedule threads to them.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do I have to use scheduling for Auto-assign to work?">
    No. Scheduling is optional. With it off, Auto-assign just assigns threads to the tech with the most capacity.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens if scheduling fails?">
    If scheduling fails, Thread still assigns the thread to the tech with the most capacity and adds an internal note flagging that scheduling didn't go through:

    > Auto-dispatch assigned this thread to \[name] but could not schedule it: the Planner booking failed. Add time on their planner manually.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>


## Related topics

- [What is Thread?](/get-started/what-is-thread-an-overview.md)
- [Set your availability for auto-dispatch](/inbox/available-for-dispatch.md)
- [Auto-dispatch profiles](/inbox/auto-dispatch-profiles.md)