---
title: "Publishing schedule and calendar"
description: "Choose automatic run frequency, publishing time and timezone, or schedule a reviewed draft. Learn where to see used ideas and check pipeline activity."
group: Features
order: 5
updated: "2026-11-01"
features: ["schedule", "calendar", "pipeline"]
---
# Publishing schedule and calendar

## How do I choose when articles publish?

Open **Settings**, then **Pipeline Settings**, to set **Run Frequency**, **Publish Time** and **Timezone** for automatic runs. Choose **Save Pipeline Settings**. For an individual draft, use **Approve & Publish** and choose the suggested slot, **Publish right now** or a custom time. Your monthly article allowance still applies.

## When to use it

Use pipeline settings for your regular writing schedule. Use the approval dialog when you want to choose the time for a specific draft. Open **Ideas**, then **Used**, to see the dated topic history, and pipeline **Activity** to inspect runs.

## Steps

1. Open **Settings**, then **Pipeline Settings**. Turn **Auto-pipeline** on if you want automatic runs. You can only change the schedule fields below it while it is on.
   ![Pipeline Settings card with the Auto-pipeline switch turned on](/docs-images/features/publishing-schedule/1.webp)
2. Check **Posts Per Day**, **Run Frequency**, **Publish Time** and **Timezone**. Choose whether to enable **Publish without approval**, then choose **Save Pipeline Settings**.
   ![Pipeline Settings card with posts per day, run frequency, publish time, timezone and the Save Pipeline Settings button](/docs-images/features/publishing-schedule/2.webp)
3. For a draft you have read, open **Articles**, then **To review**, and choose **Approve & Publish**.
   <!-- screenshot: Review queue with Approve and Publish on an eligible draft -->
4. Choose **Schedule for** the suggested slot, **Publish right now**, or **Pick a custom time** and **Schedule**. Check the time and timezone shown before you confirm.
   <!-- screenshot: Approve and Publish dialog with suggested slot and custom time controls -->
5. Check **Published** for article status. For run details, open the **Content pipeline** card in **Settings**, then **Activity**. For topic history, open **Ideas**, then **Used**.
   ![Pipeline Activity with a completed run expanded to show each stage and how long it took](/docs-images/features/publishing-schedule/5.webp)

## Settings

| Option | What it changes |
| --- | --- |
| **Auto-pipeline** | Turns automatic runs on or off. Articles you start yourself from **New article** still run when it is off. |
| **Posts Per Day** | Sets the number of articles requested for scheduled publishing, from 1 to 5. It does not increase your monthly allowance. |
| **Run Frequency** | Sets the gap between automatic runs. |
| **Publish Time** | Sets the scheduled time in the selected timezone. |
| **Timezone** | Sets which local time the schedule uses: Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific, London or UTC. |
| **Publish without approval** | Publishes new articles without waiting for your approval. |
| **Schedule for** | Uses the next available slot based on the blog's schedule and existing scheduled or published posts. |
| **Publish right now** | Requests immediate publication instead of waiting for the next slot. |
| **Pick a custom time** | Sets a future time for this article. |

In **Activity**, **Research and writing** is the stage where PostSprout researches the topic and writes the article. **Image checked** means the featured image passed its check.

## Plan limits

As of November 2026, the initial cadence is every 3 days for Sprout and daily for Grove and Greenhouse, based on one article per run. You can choose a different available frequency. Account article limits still apply across the blogs covered by your plan. See [Plans and billing](/docs/plans-and-billing/plans).

Trial and no-plan accounts see trial guidance in Settings instead of a paid monthly plan allowance. Check **Plan & Billing** for your current status.

## Common problems and fixes

If the time looks wrong, check **Timezone** as well as **Publish Time**. A scheduled article goes live at its time, so check **Published** after that.

If automatic runs have stopped, check **Auto-pipeline**, the plan allowance and pipeline **Activity**. If an upgrade asks which cadence to use, read both choices before keeping your schedule or switching to the offered one.

## Related pages

[Articles and the editor](/docs/features/articles) · [Ideas](/docs/features/ideas) · [Images and product images](/docs/features/images) · [Notifications](/docs/features/notifications) · [Plans and billing](/docs/plans-and-billing/plans) · [How PostSprout works](/docs/start-here/how-it-works)