# Smart Rules: When does the 'weekly' action trigger?

**URL:** <https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/smart-rules-when-does-the-weekly-action-trigger/87546>\
**Category:** DEVONthink\
**Tags:** dt4, automation\
**Created:** [August 31, 2026, 7:21am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/smart-rules-when-does-the-weekly-action-trigger/87546 "2026-08-31T07:21:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 11\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![brookter](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/brookter/32/4458_2.png) [@brookter](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/brookter)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2026, 7:21am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/smart-rules-when-does-the-weekly-action-trigger/87546/1 "2026-08-31T07:21:48Z")

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Hi,

I want to run a smart rule once a week acting on documents modified during the previous week (using ‘last week’ as the criterion), but I’m not clear when exactly it would be triggered.

The definition of ‘this week’ seems to be connected to the first day of my calendar (which happens to be Monday), but can I assume that the ‘weekly’ trigger will fire at 00:01 hours or there about every Monday? (Or whenever the Mac next wakes up?)

Thanks!

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**Author:** ![cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/cgrunenberg/32/7172_2.png) [@cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/cgrunenberg)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2026, 8:11am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/smart-rules-when-does-the-weekly-action-trigger/87546/2 "2026-08-31T08:11:25Z")

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There’s actually no fixed time or day, weekly triggers every 7\*24 hours (assuming that the computer is always on).

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**Author:** ![brookter](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/brookter/32/4458_2.png) [@brookter](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/brookter)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2026, 8:47am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/smart-rules-when-does-the-weekly-action-trigger/87546/3 "2026-08-31T08:47:57Z")

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Ah, so I can’t even assume it will trigger every Monday, because the 7\*24h period may have started on another day?

OK, thanks for the quick response!

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**Author:** ![cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/cgrunenberg/32/7172_2.png) [@cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/cgrunenberg)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2026, 8:53am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/smart-rules-when-does-the-weekly-action-trigger/87546/4 "2026-08-31T08:53:46Z")

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> [@brookter](#):
>
> Ah, so I can’t even assume it will trigger every Monday, because the 7\*24h period may have started on another day?

No, that’s not possible; it will be triggered as soon as at least 7 × 24 hours have passed.

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**Author:** ![brookter](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/brookter/32/4458_2.png) [@brookter](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/brookter)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2026, 8:55am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/smart-rules-when-does-the-weekly-action-trigger/87546/5 "2026-08-31T08:55:54Z")

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OK… it’s not important enough (for me) to try to find a workaround in AppleScript, though I assume it’s possible.

Thanks again for your quick response…

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**Author:** ![cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/cgrunenberg/32/7172_2.png) [@cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/cgrunenberg)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2026, 9:42am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/smart-rules-when-does-the-weekly-action-trigger/87546/6 "2026-08-31T09:42:47Z")

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You might consider a reminder instead.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![brookter](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/brookter/32/4458_2.png) [@brookter](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/brookter)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2026, 11:57am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/smart-rules-when-does-the-weekly-action-trigger/87546/7 "2026-08-31T11:57:21Z")

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But that doesn’t give me an easy way to trigger the Smart Rule, does it? I suppose I’d have to write an AppleScript to do that – I’ll look into it when I have more time.

Thanks again…

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**Author:** ![cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/cgrunenberg/32/7172_2.png) [@cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/cgrunenberg)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2026, 12:21pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/smart-rules-when-does-the-weekly-action-trigger/87546/8 "2026-08-31T12:21:51Z")

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Reminders can execute scripts which could perform smart rules 😉 But depending on the desired task the smart rule might not even be necessary, e.g. scripts can search on their own and process the results just like smart rules do.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![brookter](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/brookter/32/4458_2.png) [@brookter](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/brookter)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2026, 12:38pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/smart-rules-when-does-the-weekly-action-trigger/87546/9 "2026-08-31T12:38:15Z")

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That was the complexity I was originally trying to avoid… I’ll have a look at when I have more time as it’s not an urgent requirement.

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**Author:** ![troejgaard](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/58956e/32.png) [@troejgaard](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/troejgaard)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2026, 5:16pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/smart-rules-when-does-the-weekly-action-trigger/87546/10 "2026-08-31T17:16:01Z")

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You can set up everything in the smart rule itself (scope, actions) and use a simple reminder script that is just a trigger.

Create whatever document; you just need something to add a reminder to. Maybe a text file explaining the purpose of the smart rule plus an item link to it. Open _Inspectors \> Info \> Annotations & Reminders_. Add a weekly reminder and select the alarm `Execute JavaScript/AppleScript`.

 ![Adding reminder via inspector](https://devontech-discourse.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/original/3X/7/b/7be0093f73d91567adc99841842313ef0c20ad57.png)

Click the `...` button to edit the script. Here is a simple JavaScript. Just add the name of your smart rule:

```javascript
function performreminder(record) {
	var app = Application("DEVONthink");
	app.includeStandardAdditions = true;
	app.performSmartRule({
		name: "My Amazing Smart Rule"
	});
}

```

For a little more detail, here is `performSmartRule` in the scripting dictionary:

 !['performSmartRule' in the scripting dictionary](https://devontech-discourse.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/original/3X/f/d/fdc00e753012f2c9c2dd02963c9524524b500f13.png)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![brookter](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/brookter/32/4458_2.png) [@brookter](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/brookter)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2026, 5:28pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/smart-rules-when-does-the-weekly-action-trigger/87546/11 "2026-08-31T17:28:33Z")

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Thank you – that is really helpful!