Skip to main content

Spread tweets over time

  • November 29, 2021
  • 3 replies
  • 27 views
S
Forum|alt.badge.img+4

I want to use automation to send a tweet when a date field is a day after today. But I don’t want all records that match that condition to trigger sending the tweet at exactly the same time.

The actual time could be any random time during the day or spread out at fixed intervals. The important thing is that they go out on the correct date but don’t go out at exactly the same time as there can be any number of them and that would be poor form on Twitter. :grinning_face_with_sweat:

My thinking is that I can have two conditions, one for the date and another that matches the current time with a sequenced or randomly generated timeslot. But I cannot quite work out how to do that second part…

Any ideas?

3 replies

ScottWorld
Forum|alt.badge.img+35
  • ScottWorld
  • Genius
  • November 30, 2021

Personally, I would just use Integromat to stagger the tweets at fixed intervals.

You can use Integromat’s sleep tool to wait up to 5 minutes in between each tweet. If you wanted to wait longer than 5 minutes in between each tweet, that is also possible as well, but you would do it using the approach outlined in this article under the “Sleep” heading:

Hannah_Wiginton
S
Forum|alt.badge.img+4
  • Stu_Smith
  • Author
  • Known Participant
  • November 30, 2021

Personally, I would just use Integromat to stagger the tweets at fixed intervals.

You can use Integromat’s sleep tool to wait up to 5 minutes in between each tweet. If you wanted to wait longer than 5 minutes in between each tweet, that is also possible as well, but you would do it using the approach outlined in this article under the “Sleep” heading:


Ace. Thanks/ Will check it out…

I managed to set something up by comparing the current minute value with values derived from an autonumber column and that actually worked to a degree. Then Twitter blocked the app after five tweets. Guess it thought I was spamming!

So that will be my next problem to solve.

S
Forum|alt.badge.img+4
  • Stu_Smith
  • Author
  • Known Participant
  • November 30, 2021

Right. I worked out a very roundabout solution!

Created a formula field with MINUTE(NOW()) to approximately show the current time in the hour.

Created a formula field to show the remainder when dividing a record’s autonumber by 60.

Set up the trigger to tweet when the date is tomorrow AND the two fields above match.

Because NOW() isn’t 100% precise this is resulting in a fairy random spread of tweets throughout the day so far.

For a while it refused to connect to Twitter but all seems fine again now.

Still open to working out something a little less random. :slightly_smiling_face:

Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement