Summary
When the Distributed Evenly over Time Frame option is enabled under a group’s Sendout Options tab, and a sendout is scheduled to begin within that timeframe, the sendout may continue into the following day. This does not occur if the sendout is scheduled to begin before the timeframe starts.
Why This Happens
When this option is enabled:
Engage calculates the number of available hours in the defined timeframe.
It divides the total number of contacts by the number of hours to determine how many contacts should be sent per hour.
The sendout begins as soon as the scheduled start time is reached and continues at the defined rate until the end of the timeframe.
If the sendout is scheduled to start within the timeframe:
The system starts sending immediately.
The sendout stops at the end of the defined timeframe, even if not all contacts have been sent.
Any remaining contacts will be sent on the following day, beginning at the start of the same timeframe.
Note: While a sendout is active, the associated group remains locked for sending. Imports into the group are not allowed unless the send is manually stopped.
Example Scenarios
Timeframe Configuration:
Timeframe: 09:00 to 21:00 (12 hours)
Audience size: 1,200 contacts
Send rate: 100 contacts per hour (1,200 ÷ 12)
1 Send Starts Before the Timeframe (08:30)
The sendout is scheduled for 08:30, before the start of the group’s timeframe.
Because this is before the timeframe, the sendout will not begin until 09:00.
From 09:00, 100 contacts are sent per hour.
The sendout completes at 21:00, with all 1,200 contacts delivered on the same day.
2 Send Starts Within the Timeframe (15:00)
Day 1:
The sendout begins immediately at 15:00.
Only 6 hours remain in the timeframe (15:00 to 21:00).
At 100 contacts per hour, only 600 contacts will be sent by 21:00.
The remaining 600 contacts will not be sent on Day 1.
Day 2:
At 09:00, the sendout resumes automatically.
The remaining 600 contacts are sent at 100 per hour.
The sendout completes at 15:00.
Knowledge Base ID: hce4x