How to Automatically Trigger a Focus Session
There are three ways to start a Focus Session automatically: via a calendar event, via an automation or via a distraction time limit.
From a calendar event
Add one of these hashtags to the title or description of any calendar event:
- #focustime
- #focus
- #focussession
A Focus Session starts automatically when the event begins and runs for the event's duration. Requires a connected Google or Outlook calendar. Connect your calendar at Account Settings → Calendar Integrations.
💡 This is the simplest automation. Create an event for "Deep Work" on your calendar each morning, add the hashtag, and your sessions run themselves.
From an alert
Go to Goals & Automations → Automation tab → + New Automation. Set your threshold, enable Desktop notifications, then check Start a Focus Session and choose your session length.
The session fires automatically the moment the automation threshold is crossed. Common setups:
- Start a 30-minute session after spending 30 minutes on Personal/Distracting sites
- Start a 1-hour session after 2 hours of total logged time each morning
- Start a session after using a specific app for too long
Desktop notifications must be enabled for automation-triggered Focus Sessions to begin, and your OS needs to allow notifications from RescueTime. Check your OS notification settings if sessions aren't starting.
From a distraction time limit
Go to Account Settings → Focus Settings and enable Automatic session for distraction limits. Set a threshold; the default is 30 minutes. When your Personal or Distracting time exceeds that limit in a day, a Focus Session starts automatically.
This is a set-and-forget option. You configure it once and it runs every day without needing to create a separate alert.
💡 The distraction limit is a global setting that fires every day. If you want something more targeted, like different thresholds on different days or scoped to specific activities, use an automation instead.