How to Delete a Scheduled Message for a Client

Trash a scheduled message on a client profile in eCourtDate so it never sends. Trashing happens the moment you click, without a confirmation prompt, and you can bring the message back afterward with **Tools** > **Restore**.

### Overview

A scheduled message sits in the queue until its send date and time arrive. When a hearing moves or the information in the message becomes wrong, you can trash the message so it never reaches the client.

- **What it does:** Marks the scheduled message as trashed so it drops out of the **Scheduled Messages** panel and the **Messages** page and is not delivered
- **Why it matters:** Stops outdated or incorrect information from reaching your clients and causing confusion about their obligations
- **Who uses it:** Staff whose role includes the trash_messages permission
- **Expected outcome:** The message stops sending right away, and you can restore it from the message page if you trashed it by mistake

### Prerequisites

Before you trash a scheduled message, make sure you have:

- Access to the client profile in eCourtDate
- A role that includes the trash_messages permission
- An outbound message that is still scheduled, because the card titled **Update Message To** only appears while the message status is scheduled

### How-To Steps

#### Step 1: Find the Client

1. Click the search icon in the top navigation bar to open the **Search** field.
2. Enter the client's name or reference number.
3. Select the client from the results list.

![Searching for clients on dashboard](https://s3.amazonaws.com/ecdassets/images/articles/client-search-bar.png)

#### Step 2: Open the Scheduled Message

1. Confirm the client name shown at the top of the profile is the one you want.
2. Scroll to the **Scheduled Messages** panel on the client profile.
3. Click the message you want to remove, which opens it on the message page.

![Client profile](https://s3.amazonaws.com/ecdassets/images/articles/client-profile-page.png)

![One off message on the client profile](https://s3.amazonaws.com/ecdassets/images/articles/one-off-message.png)

#### Step 3: Trash the Message

1. Check the **To** value, the message content, the **Send Date** and the **Send Time** on the card titled **Update Message To** to confirm you opened the right message.
2. Copy the page URL so you can reopen the message later if you need to restore it.
3. Click **Trash** at the bottom of that card.

The same action sits in the **Tools** dropdown at the top of the page. Click **Tools**, then click **Trash**. The dropdown keeps **Trash** available even after the scheduled time passes, while the button on the card is hidden once that time has passed.

![Edit message form](https://s3.amazonaws.com/ecdassets/images/articles/message-overivew-form.png)

### What to Expect

eCourtDate trashes the message as soon as you click **Trash**. No confirmation dialog appears. A red notification reading "Message trashed" shows in the top right corner for a few seconds, and the **Save** and **Trash** buttons disappear from the card titled **Update Message To**.

Reload the client profile and the message is gone from the **Scheduled Messages** panel. It also drops out of the **Messages** page results, and it is not delivered on its scheduled date. Open the message again by its direct link and a red banner reads "Message was trashed on" followed by the date and time, and the **Tools** dropdown then offers **Restore**.

### Best Practices

- Read the **To** value and the **Send Date** before you click **Trash**, because no confirmation step appears.
- Copy the message URL before you trash it, since the **Messages** page has no filter for trashed messages and the direct link is how you reach the message again.
- Edit the message instead of trashing it when only the wording or the timing is wrong. The card titled **Update Message To** lets you change **From**, **To**, **Subject**, the message body, **Send Date**, **Send Time**, **Channel** and **Language**, then click **Save**.
- Tell the rest of your team when you trash a message for a shared client, since the message leaves the **Scheduled Messages** panel and the **Messages** page.

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Can I undo trashing a scheduled message?**

A: Yes. Reopen the message by its direct link, click **Tools**, then click **Restore**. The **Restore** option shows once the message is trashed or archived.

**Q: Does eCourtDate ask me to confirm before it trashes the message?**

A: No. The message is trashed as soon as you click **Trash**, and the only feedback is the "Message trashed" notification in the top right corner.

**Q: Where does a trashed message show up afterward?**

A: Nowhere in the lists. The **Scheduled Messages** panel and the **Messages** page both drop the message, so open it by its direct link to view or restore it.

**Q: Why is the Trash button missing from the card titled Update Message To?**

A: The card hides **Trash** once the scheduled send time has passed. Click **Tools**, then click **Trash**, which stays available.

### Troubleshooting

**Issue:** The message you want to trash is not in the **Scheduled Messages** panel.

**Symptoms:** You open the client profile and the message is missing, or the panel shows "No scheduled messages".

**Solution:**

1. Click the refresh icon at the top of the **Scheduled Messages** panel to reload the list.
2. Open the filter icon and clear any **Filter By** choice, because **TEXTS**, **EMAILS** and **CALLS** each hide the other channels.
3. Click **Load more** at the bottom of the panel, since it loads ten messages at a time.
4. Confirm the message is still scheduled, because the panel only lists outbound messages that have not sent yet.

**Issue:** You trashed the wrong message.

**Symptoms:** The notification read "Message trashed" and the message is gone from the **Scheduled Messages** panel.

**Solution:**

1. Open the message by its direct link, which is the page URL you were on when you clicked **Trash**.
2. Click **Tools**, then click **Restore**.
3. Reload the client profile and confirm the message is back in the **Scheduled Messages** panel.

**Issue:** The card titled **Update Message To** does not appear on the message page.

**Symptoms:** You open the message and see the message details card, but no fields to edit and no **Trash** button.

**Solution:**

1. Check the **Status** value on the message details card, because the update card only renders while the status is scheduled.
2. Confirm the message is outbound, since an inbound message opens a **Reply to** card instead.
3. Click **Tools**, then click **Trash**, if you still need to trash a message that is no longer scheduled.

> **Important:** If you continue to experience issues after following these troubleshooting steps, sign in to eCourtDate and create a ticket by clicking the ticket button in the bottom right corner of the screen.

### Related Articles

- [How to Send a One-off Message](/how-to-send-a-one-off-message)
- [How to Duplicate a Message](/how-to-duplicate-a-message)
- [How to Search for Outbound Messages Using Filters](/how-to-search-for-outbound-messages-using-filters)
- [Message Troubleshooting for Clients](/message-troubleshooting-for-clients)