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Scheduled Jobs

Scheduled Jobs allow you to automate bulk product updates at specific times or dates. This powerful feature enables you to plan price changes, inventory updates, and other modifications in advance, ensuring your store stays current without manual intervention.

What are Scheduled Jobs?​

Scheduled Jobs are bulk editing tasks that run automatically at predetermined times. You can schedule any combination of filters and modifications to execute once at a future date and time.

Benefits​

  • Automate Routine Tasks - Set up price changes, inventory updates, and more
  • Perfect Timing - Launch sales exactly when planned
  • Reduce Manual Work - No need to remember to make changes manually
  • Consistency - Ensure changes happen reliably at the right time

Creating Scheduled Jobs​

Step 1: Set Up Your Bulk Edit​

  1. Configure your filters to select target products
  2. Set up your modifications (price changes, tag updates, etc.)
  3. Use the preview to verify your changes
  4. Ensure everything is configured correctly

Step 2: Schedule the Job​

  1. Click "Schedule Job" instead of "Apply Changes"
  2. Choose your scheduling option:
    • One-time - Run once at a specific date and time
    • Recurring - Run repeatedly on a schedule (see Recurring Jobs)
  3. Set the execution date and time
  4. Choose your timezone
  5. Add a job name and description

Step 3: Review and Confirm​

  1. Review the job summary:
    • Selected products count
    • Modifications to be applied
    • Scheduled execution time
  2. Click "Schedule Job" to confirm

Scheduling Options​

One-Time Jobs​

Perfect for specific events or planned changes:

Sale Launch

Schedule: December 1, 2024 at 12:00 AM EST
Filters: Product Type = "Winter Clothing"
Changes: 
  - Compare At Price = price
  - Price = price * 0.7  // 30% off
  - Tags += "winter-sale"

Product Launch

Schedule: January 15, 2025 at 9:00 AM PST
Filters: Tags CONTAINS "new-product-launch"
Changes:
  - Status = "Active"
  - Tags += "available-now"
  - Tags -= "coming-soon"

End of Sale

Schedule: December 31, 2024 at 11:59 PM EST
Filters: Tags CONTAINS "winter-sale"
Changes:
  - Price = compare_at_price  // Restore original price
  - Compare At Price = null
  - Tags -= "winter-sale"

Time Zone Considerations​

  • Always specify the correct timezone
  • Consider your customers' locations for sales timing
  • Account for daylight saving time changes
  • Use UTC for international coordination

Managing Scheduled Jobs​

Viewing Scheduled Jobs​

Access your scheduled jobs from the "Jobs" menu:

  • See all upcoming scheduled jobs
  • View job details and execution times
  • Check job status and progress
  • Filter by date range or job type

Job Status Types​

  • Scheduled - Waiting to execute at the specified time
  • Running - Currently executing the bulk changes
  • Completed - Successfully finished execution
  • Failed - Encountered errors during execution
  • Cancelled - Manually cancelled before execution

Modifying Scheduled Jobs​

Before execution, you can:

  1. Edit Job Details - Change name, description, or notes
  2. Reschedule - Modify the execution date and time
  3. Update Modifications - Change what fields will be updated
  4. Adjust Filters - Modify which products are selected
  5. Cancel Job - Remove the job entirely

Job Notifications​

Stay informed about your scheduled jobs:

  • Email notifications when jobs complete
  • Alerts for failed jobs requiring attention
  • Summary reports of changes made
  • Error notifications with details

Common Use Cases​

Seasonal Sales​

Black Friday Sale

Start Job:
  Schedule: November 29, 2024 at 12:00 AM
  Changes: Apply 40% discount to all products
  
End Job:
  Schedule: November 29, 2024 at 11:59 PM
  Changes: Remove sale pricing

Holiday Inventory Prep

Schedule: November 1, 2024 at 6:00 AM
Filters: Product Type IN ["Gifts", "Holiday Decor"]
Changes:
  - Status = "Active"
  - Tags += "holiday-ready"
  - Inventory tracking = "Enabled"

Product Lifecycle Management​

New Collection Launch

Schedule: First Monday of each month at 9:00 AM
Filters: Tags CONTAINS "next-month-launch"
Changes:
  - Status = "Active"
  - Tags += "new-arrival"
  - Tags -= "next-month-launch"

Seasonal Product Retirement

Schedule: March 31, 2025 at 11:59 PM
Filters: Product Type = "Winter Clothing"
Changes:
  - Status = "Draft"
  - Tags += "off-season"

Pricing Updates​

Supplier Price Changes

Schedule: First day of each quarter at 12:00 AM
Filters: Vendor = "Supplier ABC"
Changes: Import new pricing from CSV

Currency Adjustments

Schedule: Weekly on Sundays at 2:00 AM
Changes: Update prices based on exchange rates

Best Practices​

Planning Ahead​

  • Schedule important changes well in advance
  • Test your filters and modifications before scheduling
  • Consider the impact on customers and staff
  • Plan for different time zones if serving global customers

Testing​

  • Always test with a small subset first
  • Use preview mode to verify changes
  • Schedule test jobs during low-traffic periods
  • Have a rollback plan for critical changes

Coordination​

  • Communicate scheduled changes to your team
  • Coordinate with marketing campaigns
  • Consider inventory levels and fulfillment capacity
  • Plan for customer service impact

Monitoring​

  • Check job completion status regularly
  • Review error reports promptly
  • Monitor website performance after large changes
  • Track customer response to automated changes

Error Handling​

Common Issues​

  • Products no longer match filters - Product data changed since scheduling
  • Validation errors - Invalid data in modifications
  • System maintenance - Shopify or app maintenance windows
  • Rate limiting - Too many API calls at once

Recovery Options​

  • Automatic retry - Jobs retry failed operations automatically
  • Partial completion - Successful changes are kept, failed items reported
  • Manual intervention - Review and fix errors, then reschedule
  • Rollback - Use job history to reverse changes if needed

Prevention​

  • Use stable filter criteria that won't change
  • Validate data before scheduling
  • Schedule during low-traffic periods
  • Monitor Shopify status pages for maintenance

Security and Permissions​

Access Control​

  • Only authorized users can create scheduled jobs
  • Team members can view but not modify others' jobs
  • Admin approval required for high-impact changes
  • Audit trail of all scheduled job activities

Safety Features​

  • Confirmation required for destructive changes
  • Automatic backups before major modifications
  • Rate limiting to prevent system overload
  • Validation checks before execution

Troubleshooting​

Job Not Running​

  • Check if the scheduled time has passed
  • Verify timezone settings are correct
  • Ensure the job wasn't cancelled
  • Check for system maintenance windows

Unexpected Results​

  • Review the job history for details
  • Check if product data changed since scheduling
  • Verify filter criteria are still valid
  • Look for validation errors in the job log

Performance Issues​

  • Break large jobs into smaller batches
  • Schedule during off-peak hours
  • Use more specific filters to reduce scope
  • Contact support for optimization help

Next Steps​