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Manual Scheduling

Take direct control of your schedule with drag-and-drop and manual placement

Manual Scheduling

While Samvise's scheduler is powerful, you sometimes want direct control over when tasks happen. Manual scheduling lets you override automatic scheduling and place work exactly where you want it.

When to Use Manual Scheduling

Time-Specific Tasks

  • Must happen at a specific time
  • Coordination with others
  • Fixed appointments or calls

Personal Preference

  • You know the best time for this task
  • Want to batch similar tasks together
  • Prefer working on something at a certain time of day

The Scheduler Couldn't Place It

  • No open slot in the task's time window
  • Calendar too full to fit it automatically

Manual Scheduling Methods

Drag and Drop on the Calendar

The fastest way to take control:

  1. Switch to Calendar view
  2. Drag a block to the date and time you want
  3. The block locks automatically, so the scheduler keeps it where you put it

Via Chat

Tell the AI specifically when to schedule:

  • "Schedule write report tomorrow at 2 PM"
  • "Put the client call on Thursday at 10 AM"
  • "Move my meeting prep to Monday morning at 9"

The block is placed exactly as specified and locked.

Editing Scheduled Blocks

Moving Blocks

In Calendar view, click and drag a block to a new date or time. The change syncs to Google Calendar and the block is locked so it stays put.

Resizing Blocks

Drag the edge of a block to make it longer or shorter. Blocks must stay at least 15 minutes long.

Deleting Blocks

Deleting a block removes that work session — the task stays on your list and can be rescheduled.

Locking Blocks

Locked blocks are never moved by the scheduler:

Why Lock Blocks

  • Fixed appointments that must stay at a specific time
  • Manually placed sessions you don't want moved
  • Work coordinated with others

How Locking Works

Automatic Locking

  • Manually placed and moved blocks lock automatically

Manual Locking

  • Use the lock action on any block to pin it in place; locked blocks show a lock indicator

Unlocking Blocks

Unlock a block to let the scheduler move it again. Useful when:

  • The task is no longer time-sensitive
  • You want the scheduler to re-optimize around new constraints

Manual Scheduling Best Practices

Lock When Necessary

Only lock blocks that truly must stay fixed. Don't lock everything — the scheduler can't help if nothing is allowed to move.

Leave Room for the Scheduler

Balance manual and automatic:

  • Manually place the genuinely time-sensitive work
  • Let the scheduler handle the rest

Review Daily

Check your locked blocks periodically — do they still make sense? Can any be unlocked?

Plan Buffer Time

When manually scheduling, leave gaps between sessions for context switching. (You can also enable an automatic buffer in Settings > Scheduling.)

Fixing Scheduling Mistakes

When a block lands somewhere you don't like:

  1. Drag it to the right spot — it locks there
  2. Fix the root cause — wrong time window? wrong priority? unrealistic due date?
  3. Unlock it once the underlying inputs are right, and let the scheduler handle it again

Common Issues

Block won't resize

  • Check the block isn't locked in a way that conflicts, and that the new size is at least 15 minutes

Manual placement keeps getting moved

  • Verify the block is locked (manually placed blocks lock automatically; blocks you only created but never touched can be moved)

Next Steps

Learn about: