Why Auto-Scheduling Needs Boundary Guardrails
With no timemap, PlanMyCal can use free time any day from about 9 AM to 9 PM. A timemap lets you name preferred hours for a kind of work, such as weekday mornings for deep work.
Timemaps name preferred windows for different kinds of work. Checked days and hours are preferred. Unchecked days stay eligible, and a block can run about 30 minutes past the window end when that time is free.
“True productivity is not cramming work into every empty minute. It is matching the right task to the right energy window.”
Step 1: The Three Essential Timemap Archetypes
Most high performers thrive by dividing their weekly availability into three core Timemap profiles:
Deep Focus (Morning Peak)
Reserve 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM on Tuesday through Thursday for uninterrupted cognitive work like coding, writing, strategic architecture, or financial modeling.
Admin & Operations (Afternoon Lull)
Designate 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM for quick tasks, reviews, inbox zero, follow-up messages, and routine maintenance.
Personal & Health Boundaries
Prefer stopping around 7 PM on weekdays, and leave Saturday and Sunday unchecked when you want fewer evening and weekend placements. Unchecked days can still receive tasks.
Step 2: Configuring Timemaps in PlanMyCal
Setting up a custom Timemap in PlanMyCal takes under 60 seconds:
- Click Timemaps in the left sidebar navigation.
- Click "+ New Timemap" and give it a descriptive name (e.g., "Deep Work").
- Check the preferred days (for example Monday through Friday). Unchecked days can still receive tasks.
- Set your start and end hours (e.g., 09:00 to 13:00).
- Save. Hours are whole hours only, and the dialog has no color picker.
Step 3: Assigning Tasks to Timemaps with Smart Shortcuts
Once your Timemaps are created, assigning them to tasks is seamless. You can select the Timemap in the edit form or use the @ shortcut:
The @ token must match the timemap name exactly, ignoring letter case. A timemap named Deep Work is @"Deep Work", not @DeepWork. @Admin matches a timemap named Admin. Checked hours are preferred. Unchecked days can still receive the task, and a block can run about 30 minutes past the window end.
Draft Q4 marketing strategy =90m/45m !p0 @"Deep Work" ^Friday
Review contract revisions =30m @Admin ~tomorrow 3pmStep 4: When a Task Does Not Fit
If a task cannot fit before its deadline, it shows up under Scheduling Issues.
From that dialog you can edit the task, mark it done, or dismiss the issue, then click Schedule to Calendar. Notify me about scheduling issues is optional and off by default. PlanMyCal does not offer expand-timemap or delegate actions there. A fitted block can still run about 30 minutes past the window end, and unchecked days remain eligible.
- ✓Timemaps set preferred hours. Unchecked days can still receive tasks, and a block can run about 30 minutes past the window end.
- ✓Segmenting your day into Deep Focus and Admin windows prevents mental fatigue.
- ✓Smart Add can assign a timemap with the @ token when the name matches exactly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a task belong to multiple Timemaps?
Tasks can be assigned to one primary Timemap at a time to ensure clear scheduling boundaries. If you don’t assign a Timemap, there is no Working Hours setting. PlanMyCal uses a built-in window of about 9 AM to 9 PM on any day.
What if an existing calendar meeting is scheduled inside my Deep Work Timemap?
Existing calendar meetings always take precedence. PlanMyCal looks for the remaining free time and prefers the Deep Work hours around the meeting. Unchecked days can still receive the task, and a block can run about 30 minutes past the window end.