Recurring Events Made Simple in Zawly

One of the biggest time-savers in any family calendar app is the ability to create recurring events. Instead of adding the same school run or work shift every week, set it once and Zawly repeats it for you automatically.

Why Recurring Events Matter for Families

The average family has 15-20 regular weekly commitments. Adding each one manually every week would take hours. With recurring event functionality:

• Add it once, see it forever
• Modify one event to update the entire series
• Exclude specific dates when routines are broken (holidays, sickness)
• Save hours of administration every single month

Event Recurrence Options in Zawly

When creating an event, you can choose from several recurrence patterns to match your family's rhythm:

| Recurrence | Example Use Case | |------------|-------------------| | Daily | Taking medication, walking the dog, daily chores | | Weekly | School runs, work shifts, weekly sports training | | Bi-weekly | Fortnightly paydays, alternating weekend activities | | Tri-weekly | Things that happen every 3 weeks (less common but supported) | | Quad-weekly | Monthly but aligned to weekly patterns | | Monthly | Bills, subscriptions, monthly family meetings | | Yearly | Birthdays, anniversaries, annual appointments |

How to Set Up a Recurring Event

1. Go to Calendar and click on a date.
2. Fill in the event title and time (e.g., "School Pickup — 3:15 PM").
3. Under Recurrence, select how often the event repeats.
4. Optionally set an end date if you only want it to repeat for a season (e.g., a 6-week sports session).
5. Click Save — Zawly adds all occurrences to everyone's calendar instantly.

Excluding Specific Dates

Life doesn't always follow the routine. If a recurring event doesn't happen on a specific date (like a bank holiday or sick day), you can exclude that date without deleting the entire series:

1. Click on the occurrence you want to skip.
2. Choose Edit This Event.
3. Select Delete This Occurrence Only.
4. The rest of the series remains intact.

Viewing Recurring Events

On the calendar, recurring events are shown for every occurrence. Each family member sees the full schedule, making it easy to know who needs to be where.

Recurring events are marked with a small repeat icon, so you can tell at a glance what's a one-off and what's part of a series.

Editing an Entire Recurring Series

Need to change the time for a regular activity?

1. Click on any occurrence of the recurring event.
2. Choose Edit Recurring Event.
3. Make your changes (time, title, notes, recurrence pattern).
4. Click Save — every occurrence updates automatically.

Best Practices for Recurring Events

1. Name Events Clearly

Instead of "School", use "School Drop-off — 8:15 AM" or "School Pickup — 3:15 PM". This helps family members quickly understand what's happening.

2. Use Notes for Extra Detail

Add notes like "Bring swimming kit", "Conference Room B", or "Pick up Sam too". These notes appear on every occurrence.

3. Don't Over-Recur

Not everything needs to be recurring. One-off events (like a birthday party or a one-time appointment) should be added as single events to keep your calendar clean.

4. Review Quarterly

Every 3 months, scroll through your recurring events and ask:

• Is this still happening?
• Are the times still correct?
• Should we add or remove anything?

Common Recurring Event Patterns

The School Term Pattern

• Weekly: School runs (5 days a week during term)
• Monthly: Parent-teacher meetings, school trips
• Yearly: Term start dates, school holidays

The Work Schedule Pattern

• Weekly: Regular work shifts
• Bi-weekly: Rotating schedules (week A/week B)
• Monthly: Payday, expense claim deadlines

The Kids' Activities Pattern

• Weekly: Swimming (Tuesday), Football (Saturday), Music (Thursday)
• Monthly: Beavers/Cubs/Scouts meetings
• Termly: School productions, sports day

Troubleshooting Recurring Events

"My recurring event isn't showing on all dates"

• Check the recurrence pattern — you might have selected "Weekly" when you meant "Daily"
• Verify the start date is correct
• Make sure there's no end date that's already passed

"I deleted one occurrence but they all disappeared"

• You likely clicked "Delete Series" instead of "Delete This Occurrence"
• Check the trash on your calendar — some calendar apps handle this differently

"The times are wrong for some occurrences"

• Edit the series and update the time — it should apply to all future occurrences
• If one specific occurrence has the wrong time, edit just that event

Combining Recurring Events with Expense Tracking

Many recurring events have associated costs. While Zawly handles the calendar side, don't forget to track the expenses too:

• Weekly swimming = monthly swimming expense entry
• Monthly music lessons = monthly expense (or add each week individually)
• Termly school trips = one-off expense when the bill arrives

Head to Expenses after setting up your calendar to track the costs associated with your regular activities.

• Getting started with Zawly
• Using the shared calendar
• Tracking household expenses

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I have different recurrence patterns for the same activity? A: You'll need to create separate events. For example, "Swimming — Tuesdays" and "Swimming — Thursdays" would be two events, each with weekly recurrence.

Q: What happens if I move house and my routines change? A: Edit your recurring events to update times and locations. You can also delete series that no longer apply and create new ones for your new routine.

Q: Can I see a list of all my recurring events? A: Currently, the best way is to scan your calendar month-by-month. Each recurring event shows on every applicable date, making them easy to spot.

Q: Is there a limit to how many recurring events I can have? A: No. Zawly can handle as many recurring events as your family needs.

Q: Do other family members get notified when I add a recurring event? A: The event appears on their calendar immediately. Zawly doesn't send notification emails for every event addition — the calendar itself keeps everyone in sync.