Quick setup checklist
Follow these steps to add a scheduled event to an existing campaign.
To add an event, start by opening the campaign you want to update.
- Navigate to the Campaigns tab
- Click the campaign to which you want to add an event
[CAPTURE 1: Campaigns list with a campaign selected]
Screenshot checklist — CAPTURE 1
- Go to Campaigns
- Show: Campaigns list
- Show: One campaign clearly selected or highlighted
- Keep: Page title visible
- Avoid: Sensitive campaign names (blur if needed)
Create a new event from the campaign menu.
- In the campaign view, click the menu icon (upper-right corner)
- Select New Event
[CAPTURE 2: New Event option in campaign menu]
Screenshot checklist — CAPTURE 2
- Campaign view open
- Show: Menu icon
- Show: New Event option visible
- Avoid: Cropping out campaign name context
Before you begin
- A campaign already exists
- The campaign’s contact group contains contacts
- The Date & Time contact field you want to use is correctly configured (Text fields cannot be used)
Select what the event should do when it runs.
- Choose Send a Message, or
- Choose Start a Flow
[CAPTURE 3: Event action selection]
Screenshot checklist — CAPTURE 3
- Event creation screen
- Show: Action options (Send a Message / Start a Flow)
- Keep: Selection clearly visible
The offset determines when the event runs relative to a contact’s Date & Time field.
Configure the timing and how RapidPro should behave if the contact is already in a flow.
Offset components
- Amount: minutes, hours, days, or weeks
- Direction: before or after
- Reference field: Created On (default) or a custom Date & Time field
- Delivery time: the time of day the event will run
- Flow behavior: stop an active flow and send, or skip the event if the contact is in a flow
[CAPTURE 4: Campaign event offset configuration]
Screenshot checklist — CAPTURE 4
- Event configuration screen
- Show: Offset amount (e.g. “15 minutes”)
- Show: Before/After selector
- Show: Contact field dropdown
- Show: Delivery time selector
- Show: Flow handling option (stop or skip)
- Avoid: Real message content
Choose the Date & Time contact field the event will reference.
- Created On is available by default
- Custom fields appear only if their type is Date & Time
[CAPTURE 5: Contact field dropdown showing Date & Time fields]
Screenshot checklist — CAPTURE 5
- Event field selection dropdown open
- Show: “Created On”
- Show: At least one custom Date & Time field
- Avoid: Text-type fields if possible
Note
If your custom field does not appear, update its field type from Text to Date & Time in Contacts → Manage Fields.
Review and save the event to add it to the campaign schedule.
- Review the event configuration
- Save the event
- Once saved, the event is added to the campaign schedule
[CAPTURE 6: Saved campaign event in events list]
Screenshot checklist — CAPTURE 6
- Campaign events list
- Show: Newly created event
- Show: Offset timing
- Show: Event action (message or flow)
- Keep: Clean, readable list
Example use case
To send reminders relative to a custom date (due date, appointment date, renewal date):
create a custom Date & Time contact field, populate it in a flow, then reference it when creating the campaign event.
Learn more in Reference Fields: Creating a Date Type Field for Campaign Events.
Common issues
I don’t see my custom contact field
Cause: The field type is still Text.
Fix: Change the field type to Date & Time in Manage Fields.
My campaign event is not sending
Possible causes:
- The campaign is not active
- The contact does not have a value for the reference field
Fix: Activate the campaign and ensure the Date & Time field is populated for contacts in the campaign’s group.
The event interrupted a flow unexpectedly
Explanation: The event was set to stop active flows.
Fix: Change the event setting to skip the event if the contact is in a flow.