Setting Scheduling Preferences

The Scheduling Preferences section allows you to define custom rules that guide how Workmate selects and proposes meeting times.

These preferences act as natural-language instructions that Workmate considers when coordinating meetings. They help the assistant better understand how you prefer your calendar to be managed.

For example, you might want meetings grouped, avoid scheduling late in the day, or prioritize certain participants.

Workmate interprets these preferences alongside your:

• Work Hours

• Exceptions

• Preferred Meeting Times

• Busy Calendars

• Meeting Types and Code Words

to determine the most appropriate time slots.

How Scheduling Preferences Work

When Workmate is coordinating a meeting, it evaluates multiple factors before proposing times.

Scheduling Preferences act as guidelines that influence this decision process.

For example, if you add a preference such as:

“Schedule meetings back-to-back when possible to create longer blocks of free time.”

Workmate will attempt to group meetings together rather than spreading them across the day.

These preferences do not replace your availability settings, but they help Workmate prioritize certain scheduling behaviors when multiple options are possible.

Examples of Scheduling Preferences

You can write preferences in plain language. Workmate will interpret these instructions when selecting and proposing meeting times. Make sure to be as specific as possible when adding these scheduling preferences.

Examples include:

• Schedule meetings back-to-back when possible to create longer blocks of free time for focused work

• Prioritize mornings for external meetings

• When meeting with will@example.com, always offer times before 4 PM ET

• Add a 30-minute travel buffer before and after in-person meetings

• Avoid scheduling meetings during lunch hours (12 PM–1 PM local time)

• Offer times across multiple days rather than only one day when possible

Because these instructions are written in natural language, you can customize them to reflect how you prefer your calendar to be managed.

Adding a Scheduling Preference

To add a preference:

1. Navigate to Assistant → Scheduling Preferences

2. Type your rule into the text field

3. Click Add

You can create multiple preferences, and Workmate will consider all of them when coordinating meetings.

How Preferences Interact with Other Scheduling Rules

Scheduling Preferences work together with your other scheduling settings.

When Workmate chooses meeting times, it considers:

1. Work Hours – when meetings can be scheduled

2. Exceptions – days you are unavailable or traveling

3. Preferred Meeting Times – time windows you prefer

4. Busy Calendars – conflicts across your connected calendars

5. Meeting Types and Code Words – specific meeting configurations

6. Scheduling Preferences – behavioral rules that guide time selection

These preferences help Workmate schedule meetings in a way that better reflects your personal workflow.

When Scheduling Preferences Are Most Useful

Scheduling Preferences are particularly helpful when you want Workmate to follow specific scheduling patterns, such as:

• Keeping mornings free for focused work

• Avoiding late-day meetings

• Prioritizing certain people or meeting types

• Grouping meetings to reduce calendar fragmentation

By defining these preferences, you can shape how your assistant manages your calendar without needing to manually adjust each meeting.