What Is the Automation Scheduler?
The Sphot scheduler is a cron-based system that triggers the production pipeline automatically — without you pressing "Create". You set the frequency, connect your footage source, and Sphot handles the rest.
This guide walks you through setting up your first schedule from scratch.
Step 1: Connect Your Footage Source
Before scheduling anything, make sure your Google Drive is connected and a footage folder is selected.
- Go to Settings → Integrations → Google Drive
- Authorise Sphot to access your Drive
- Select the folder where you'll drop footage
Any new video file you add to this folder will be available to the scheduler. You don't need to manually upload — just drop files into Drive from any device.
Step 2: Create a Schedule
Navigate to Dashboard → Schedule → New Schedule.
You'll see 6 preset cadences:
| Cadence | Triggers | |---|---| | Daily | Once per day at your chosen time | | 2× Daily | Morning and evening | | Weekdays | Monday–Friday only | | Every 6 hours | 4 times per day | | Every 2 hours | Active hours only | | Custom | Set your own cron expression |
For most solo creators, Daily is the right starting point. Agencies running multiple accounts typically use 2× Daily.
Step 3: Configure the Schedule
Set these options for your new schedule:
Publish time — when the finished Reel should be published to Instagram. Sphot starts production early enough to be ready by your target time.
Production mode — which pipeline style to use:
- Auto: the system selects the best mode for the footage
- Montage: fast-cut, music-driven edit
- Narrative: story-structure with voiceover
- Cinematic: slow-paced, colour-graded, ambient
Approval required — on by default. The pipeline will halt at the approval gate and notify you. Turn off to enable fully zero-touch publishing.
Fallback behaviour — what happens if no new footage is found when the schedule triggers. Options: skip this run, or use the most recent footage.
Step 4: Set Posting Time Strategically
Instagram engagement peaks differ by niche, but a good default for Indian creators:
- Fitness/Lifestyle: 7–9 AM
- Food/Travel: 12–2 PM
- Tech/Education: 7–10 PM
- Entertainment: 8–11 PM
Sphot shows average engagement heatmaps in your analytics if you've been posting for 2+ weeks.
Step 5: Run Your First Scheduled Production
Once saved, the schedule will trigger at the next configured time. You can also trigger it manually:
- Open the schedule
- Click Run now
- Watch the pipeline progress in real time on the dashboard
You'll receive a push notification (mobile) or in-app notification when the Reel reaches the approval gate.
Tips for a Smooth First Run
Drop footage before the trigger time. The scheduler scans the Drive folder when it fires. If your folder is empty, the run is skipped (depending on fallback setting).
Keep footage in 9:16 or 1080×1920. Portrait footage processes fastest and skips the reframe stage.
Check your Brand Kit first. The pipeline uses your Brand Kit to apply logos, colours, and fonts. An empty Brand Kit produces a clean but unbranded Reel.
Leave auto-approve off for the first week. Review the first 5–10 Reels to calibrate your expectations before going fully hands-off.
Monitoring Active Schedules
Active schedules appear on your Dashboard under the Schedule tab. Each shows:
- Next trigger time
- Last successful run
- Current status (idle / running / approval pending)
- Total Reels produced
You can pause, edit, or delete a schedule at any time without losing production history.