The Date Rule widget in Smartflows allows administrators to configure custom call flows for specific calendar days known as special dates. This can include holidays, temporary closures, or any other important dates when your business may have modified operations.
For example, you can route inbound calls to an overseas office during public holidays or play a seasonal greeting for callers during festive periods.
NOTE:
Use the Date Rule widget to configure call flows for specific dates. To define ongoing schedules based on certain hours or days of the week, use the Time Rule widget instead.
Create a special date
Before using the Date Rule widget, you must first define your special dates in the Admin Dashboard.
Steps
Go to Call Settings > Special dates. Here, you’ll see a list of existing special dates, each displaying its name and the calendar dates it covers.
Click Create special date button on the top-right corner of the screen.
Enter a name for your special date.
Select one or more calendar dates to include.
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Click Create to save.
NOTE:
By default, a special date covers the full day. You can define a specific time range by unchecking the **All day** checkbox. Both single dates and date ranges (with a start and end date) are supported.
Once created, your new special date will appear in the list and can be edited at any time from Call Settings > Special dates.
Link your special date to a number
After creating a special date, you can apply it to a number in your Smartflows call flow editor.
Steps:
Go to Aircall Dashboard > Numbers.
Select the number you want to configure and open the Call distribution tab.
Click Edit to access the call flow editor.
Add a new Date rule widget to the call flow.
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In the widget settings, select:
A title for the rule.
The timezone (by default, this is based on the number’s prefix).
The special date you created in the previous step.
Once configured, all call flow actions following this widget will apply to the selected special date. For example, you can route calls to voicemail during a public holiday.
After saving your call flow, return to Call Settings > Special dates. When you open your special date, the associated number will appear under Numbers using the special date.
Once you’ve saved your call flow, if you return the Call Settings > Special dates tab and click on your special date, this number will appear under the section Numbers using the special date.
Widget behavior
When the Date Rule widget is in place, the expected behavior will be the following one: by default, calls will go through the “Business As Usual” exit of the widget. Once reaching a defined special date, calls will then go through the special day exit of the widget.
Use multiple special dates in one flow
If your business has several different special date scenarios (for example, company holidays, monthly team meetings, and one-off events), you can handle all of them in a single call flow.
You can do this by adding multiple Date Rule widgets to the same call distribution Smartflow, each linked to a different special date.
A typical setup might look like:
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First Date Rule widget
Special date: Company holiday
Special-date path: Play a holiday greeting and send calls to voicemail
Business As Usual path: Continue to the next Date Rule widget
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Second Date Rule widget
Special date: Monthly company meeting
Special-date path: Play a message explaining the meeting and route to alternate coverage
Business As Usual path: Continue to the next Date Rule widget
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Third Date Rule widget
Special date: Team training or other event
Special-date path: Play a custom message or redirect to another team
Business As Usual path: Continue to your standard routing (for example a Time Rule or direct ring to a team)
In practice, this means:
On a day that matches one of your special dates, the call will follow the corresponding Date Rule’s special-date path.
On all other days, calls will continue through the Business As Usual paths until they reach your normal routing logic.
This approach lets you build more complex routing while keeping each scenario clearly separated and easy to maintain.
Additional information
A single special date object can be reused across multiple numbers or widgets. Any updates to that special date will automatically apply to all call flows using it.
If a special date has passed, it may continue to display as upcoming for up to 12 hours due to timezone differences. After this period, it will be correctly shown as a past date.
You can update the calendar dates within an existing special date to reuse it for recurring holidays or annual events.