Overview
Use the Schedules feature in Polar Analytics to automate and customize reports sent directly to your email or Slack.
This guide walks you through the full process of creating schedules in Polar, from deciding when you need one to configuring the details and maintaining it over time.
In this article, you’ll learn:
When to use schedules
How to create a schedule step by step
How to choose the right frequency and timing
Best practices for managing schedules as your needs evolve
Section 1: When to Create a Schedule
Common reasons to create a schedule
You review dashboards at the same time each day or week
You want reports ready before meetings or standups
Multiple people rely on the same up-to-date metrics
If your workflows depend on predictable, reliable data updates, schedules are essential.
Before you create a schedule, consider:
How often your source data updates
When your team needs access to fresh data
Whether updates need to run during or outside business hours
Answering these questions first will help you configure your schedule correctly.
Section 2: How to Create a Schedule in Polar
Creating a schedule in Polar is quick and flexible.
Step-by-step: Creating a schedule
Navigate to the Schedules section in Polar
Click Create schedule
Select a frequency (hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly)
Set the start time for the schedule
Save the schedule
Customize your report to match your needs:
Report Name: Give your Schedule a clear name.
By default the Schedule title is used as the e-mail subject
Content: Select up to 10 different Key Indicator Sections or Custom Reports to include.
Optional: Select the speech bubble icon next to a section to include a description or additional context for your team.
Date Period: Choose from pre-set ranges (e.g., yesterday, last week) or relative time frames.
For Custom Reports, set granularity (e.g., Entire Range, By Day, By Week).
Note: Custom Reports with locked date ranges or granularity ignore these settings.
Comparison: For Key Indicator Sections choose to add comparisons for the previous period or year.
Views: Apply saved Views to filter data.
Frequency & Timezone: Set how often and at what time reports should be sent, adjusting for your preferred timezone.
Delivery Method:
Email: Add recipients (even those without Polar accounts).
Select Show details to customize the email subject and body.
Slack: Connect Slack in Settings before enabling this option.
Once saved, the schedule will run automatically based on the settings you selected.
💡 Tip: Schedules run based on your workspace’s time zone, so make sure the timing matches your business hours.
Section 3: Configuring Schedule Frequency and Timing
Choosing the right frequency and timing is one of the most important parts of creating a schedule.
Available schedule frequencies
Hourly: Best for time-sensitive monitoring
Daily: Ideal for most operational and performance reporting
Weekly: Useful for trend analysis and team reviews
Monthly: Common for financial and executive reporting
Best practices for timing
Schedule runs after your data sources finish updating
Run daily schedules early in the morning so dashboards are ready for the day
Avoid overlapping schedules that could slow performance
📌 Example:
If your data source finishes processing at 6am, schedule your refresh for 7am to ensure complete data.
Unlike the default daily report (which goes to all account users), Schedules let you fully customize delivery and recipients. If you'd like to disable the default report, you can toggle the report option off within your settings.
Section 4: Editing, Pausing, and Managing Schedules
Once a schedule is created, you can manage it as your needs change.
How to manage existing schedules
Edit: Update frequency, timing, or scope if requirements change
Pause: Temporarily stop a schedule without deleting it
Delete: Remove schedules that are no longer needed
These options make it easy to adjust schedules as your reporting evolves.
When to update schedules
You add or remove data sources
Your reporting cadence changes
Your team grows or workflows shift
Regularly reviewing schedules helps keep your workspace clean and efficient.
Section 5: Connecting to Slack
To receive reports in Slack, follow these steps:
Navigate to Settings in Polar Analytics.
Locate the Slack Integration option and connect your Slack account.
Once connected, you can enable a default report to be delivered to your Slack workspace.
This setup allows you to receive Schedules directly in your Slack channels for seamless collaboration.
Expected Behavior
When sending a Custom Report to Slack, Polar will display the top 10 rows of data by default.
To show fewer rows, use the Show Top Rows feature to adjust how many rows are included in the report. See this article for more information on setting this up.
This setup ensures your Slack reports remain concise and tailored to your preferences, making it easy to collaborate and access key data at a glance.
Section 6: Best Practices for Using Schedules
To get the most value from schedules in Polar, follow these best practices:
Start simple: Daily schedules work for most teams
Avoid over-scheduling: More frequent refreshes don’t always add value
Standardize schedules: Shared schedules create trust in the data
Review periodically: Ensure schedules still align with business needs
✅ Recommended setup for most teams:
One daily schedule running early in the morning.
Schedules FAQs
Can I change the Slack channel associated with my Schedules?
Can I change the Slack channel associated with my Schedules?
In order to change the Slack channel where your schedules are sent, uninstall Slack in your settings, and then install it again with the new Slack domain.
Can I add Targets to Schedules?
Can I add Targets to Schedules?
At this time, Targets are only available within your Key Indicators tab, and can't be added to automated Schedules.
Can I receive charts and graphs in a Schedule?
Can I receive charts and graphs in a Schedule?
At this time we are not able to send charts or graphs in Schedules.
Can I receive the schedule as a pdf or other file type?
Can I receive the schedule as a pdf or other file type?
At this time we are unable to send Schedules as a .pdf or other file type. However, you can export any Custom Reports as a .csv file from the Custom Reports tab by selecting the three dots (⋮) next to the Reports name and Download
Can I show more than the ten rows of data in Slack?
Can I show more than the ten rows of data in Slack?
At this time, Polar can only display the top 10 rows of data when sending a Custom Report to a Slack channel. If you would like to see more data you can send the report via email instead of through Slack.
Conclusion
Schedules are a core part of using Polar effectively. By creating and managing schedules thoughtfully, you ensure your data is always ready when decisions need to be made—without extra manual work.
Key takeaways
Schedules automate data refreshes and updates
Creating a schedule takes just a few steps
The right frequency and timing improve data reliability
Regular maintenance keeps schedules effective over time