---
title: "5.11 Contact Reminders & Follow-up Tasks"
description: "Lets you schedule a follow-up tied to a specific contact. There are three kinds:"
url: "https://peikly.com/docs/contact-reminders-follow-up-tasks/"
updated: "2026-10-07"
category: "Contacts & CRM"
tags:
  - Manual sync
---

# 5.11 Contact Reminders & Follow-up Tasks

## What This Feature Does

Lets you schedule a follow-up tied to a specific contact. There are three kinds:

- **Reminder** — a note-to-self. When it's due, you get a notification that links straight to the contact's WhatsApp chat. Nothing is sent.
- **WhatsApp follow-up** — schedules an approved WhatsApp **template message** to this contact at the chosen time.
- **Email follow-up** — schedules an **email template** to this contact at the chosen time.

All three appear on the [Scheduler](/docs/scheduler/) calendar as well, under the **Follow-up** group.

## When to Use

- Use a **Reminder** for "check in with this customer in 3 days".
- Use a **WhatsApp/Email follow-up** to queue the actual message now so it goes out later without you having to remember.
- Do not use this to message many contacts — use a campaign for that: **WhatsApp** → **Campaigns** ([9.4](/docs/whatsapp-campaigns/)) or **Email** → **Campaigns** ([10.5](/docs/email-campaigns/)).

## Prerequisites

- CompanyAdmin or TenantUser with **Scheduler** access.
- For a **WhatsApp follow-up**: WhatsApp templates access and at least one approved template. The contact needs a WhatsApp number (or you can type one in).
- For an **Email follow-up**: Email templates access and at least one enabled reply-to mailbox in the tenant. The contact needs an email address (or you can type one in).

## Where to Find It

The **Reminders & Tasks** button sits next to the **Notes** button — on the contact **Profile** header and in the **WhatsApp Chat** conversation header (contact-linked conversations only). It is highlighted with a count badge when the contact has open (pending) reminders.

## Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Click **Reminders & Tasks** to open the panel. It lists this contact's existing reminders and follow-ups with their status.
2. Click **New**.
3. Choose the **Type**: Reminder, WhatsApp, or Email.
4. Set **When** — pick a quick preset (**Tomorrow**, **In 3 days**, **In 1 week**) or choose an exact date and time. Times are in **your** local time zone.
5. Enter a **Title** (what this follow-up is for).
6. Then, depending on type:
   - **Reminder** — optionally add a **Note**.
   - **WhatsApp / Email** — choose the **Template**. If it has dynamic parameters, fill them in; the **Preview** on the right shows the finished message as you type, with any still-empty parameter highlighted.
7. Set the **Reminder** (optional — it is on by default):
   - Leave **Mute** unchecked to be notified before the task is due; tick it to silence this task's reminder.
   - Choose how far ahead to be reminded: **At the time**, **10 minutes before** (default), **30 minutes before**, **2 hours before**, **12 hours before**, **1 day before**, or **2 days before**.
8. Click **Save**.

**Update or cancel**

- Each pending item shows a **bell** toggle and a lead-time dropdown — click the bell to mute/un-mute the reminder, or change the dropdown to move it earlier or later. Changes save immediately.
- Each pending item also has a trash icon — click it and confirm to cancel it.
- Completed and failed items stay in the list for reference and cannot be edited.

## The Pre-Reminder

For every pending task that is **not muted**, the platform raises a notification the chosen lead time before it is due (only while the task is still pending — a completed or cancelled task never reminds you). The bell in the top bar updates and a toast appears without a page reload, linking to the contact's chat (or the Scheduler for a task with no contact). Rescheduling a task re-arms its reminder for the new time.

## What Happens After

- The item is added to this contact's list and to the Scheduler calendar.
- When it's due, the platform runs it:
  - **Reminder** → you get a notification linking to the contact's chat.
  - **WhatsApp/Email follow-up** → the template is sent to the contact (the recipient is taken from the contact's WhatsApp number / email address unless you typed one in). The sent WhatsApp message also appears in the chat thread.
- A follow-up that fails (for example, the template was archived, or the contact has no number) is marked **Failed** in the list; open the Scheduler for the failure reason.

## Errors, Messages, and Common Fixes

| Message | Why It Happens | How to Fix |
| --- | --- | --- |
| *Choose a template* | You picked WhatsApp/Email but didn't select a template | Select an approved template from the dropdown |
| *Provide a valid value for…* | A required template parameter is still empty | Fill every highlighted spot in the preview |
| The saved time is not what you entered | Your user profile has no time zone set and the server assumed a different one | The panel now submits your browser's time zone, so re-saving fixes it; setting a time zone in **Settings → Profile** also prevents it |
| Follow-up shows **Failed** | The contact has no WhatsApp number/email and none was typed, or the template is no longer approved | Add the channel value to the contact (or edit and type one), or choose a different template, then reschedule from the Scheduler |
| **Reminders & Tasks** button missing in chat | Conversation not linked to a contact | **Save as contact** first |

## Best Practices

- Use the browser preset buttons for speed; only open the date picker when you need an exact time.
- Prefer a **Reminder** when you want to decide what to say later, and a **WhatsApp/Email follow-up** when the message is already clear — queuing it now guarantees it goes out.