# How Auto-Scheduling Works: Behind the Scenes

Auto-Scheduling uses task metadata and calendar availability to decide where work should go. The system evaluates:

1. **Inputs** → Task parameters (duration, start date, deadline, priority, effort) plus user schedules and existing calendar events.
2. **Logic** → Motion’s optimization engine scans for open time blocks and places tasks in the most efficient order.
   1. Prioritizes deadlines and high-priority tasks first.
   2. Splits long tasks into chunks if needed.
   3. Respects breaks, working schedules, and external events.
3. **Output** → Tasks appear on the calendar as scheduled blocks with ETAs for completion.

## System Behavior

**Dynamic adjustment**

* Tasks reschedule automatically if new meetings or conflicts arise.
* If a deadline is at risk, Motion pushes the task earlier or flags it with an alert.

**When a task can’t fit**

* Motion flags the task with a warning.
* The task remains unscheduled until you adjust its parameters (duration, deadline, or priority).

**When a task is past due**

* Motion reschedules the task into the next available slot.
* Past-due tasks are surfaced visually (e.g., overdue indicator) so they aren’t overlooked.

**Deadlines and ETAs**

* Every task has an ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) showing when it will be completed.
* ETAs act as “beacons,” warning you if tasks are likely to miss their deadlines.

**Cross-project scheduling**

* Auto-Scheduling weighs tasks across all projects in the workspace.
* Higher-priority or sooner-deadline tasks across projects are given scheduling precedence.

## Edge Cases & Limits

Auto-Scheduling follows strict rules for task placement. Certain scenarios may cause tasks to behave differently or not appear on the calendar at all.

<table><thead><tr><th width="250.77734375">Scenario</th><th>Behavior</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Tasks with no duration</strong></td><td>Cannot be scheduled. A duration must be provided before Motion can place the task.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Tasks with no deadline or priority</strong></td><td>Won't be scheduled. Motion will not place it on your calendar</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Tasks with start dates in the future</strong></td><td>Motion will not schedule them until the start date arrives, even if earlier time is free.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Chunking limits</strong></td><td>Long tasks are split into smaller blocks, but splits respect a <strong>minimum block size</strong> (e.g., Motion won’t split into blocks too small to be useful).</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Conflicting constraints</strong></td><td>If deadlines, durations, or priorities cannot be met with available time, the task is flagged as unschedulable (State = Could not fit).</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Tasks keep moving</strong></td><td>Motion automatically reschedules tasks if higher-priority work or new events appear, which can make some tasks shift multiple times.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>External calendar conflicts</strong></td><td>Events from connected calendars always override task blocks. Motion reschedules around these events.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Cross-workspace tasks</strong></td><td>Tasks cannot be scheduled across different workspaces. All scheduling logic applies applies across all workspaces where the task was created.</td></tr></tbody></table>

## **Troubleshooting**

| Issue                                    | Likely Cause                                                                                                            | How to Fix                                                                                                   |
| ---------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Task doesn’t appear on the calendar**  | Missing duration, start date set in the future, conflicting constraints, no deadline or auto-scheduling is turned off.  | Add a duration, check start date, add a deadline, turn auto-scheduling on.                                   |
| **Task keeps moving**                    | New meetings or higher-priority tasks are rescheduled ahead of it.                                                      | Adjust task priority or deadline, or lock the task manually if the time is critical.                         |
| **Task split into unexpected chunks**    | Duration is larger than available calendar blocks.                                                                      | Adjust chunk size by editing duration or splitting the task manually.                                        |
| **Deadline missed**                      | Too many higher-priority tasks ahead, or insufficient working hours.                                                    | Extend working schedules, adjust task priority, or redistribute workload.                                    |
| **Task doesn’t respect personal events** | The event is not on your My Calendar (e.g., belongs to a “Frequently Met With” calendar), or it’s not marked as “busy.” | Ensure the event is on your calendar, marked as **busy**, and that external calendars are syncing correctly. |
| **Recurring tasks not scheduling**       | Recurrence set without valid parameters (e.g., no duration).                                                            | Add valid duration and deadlines to each recurrence instance.                                                |


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