# Arrival windows, scheduled times and Match Time rules

*Agentforce Field Service and Operations Consultant Study Guide · Managing Scheduling and Optimization · Last updated October 29, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/agentforce-field-service-consultant/managing-scheduling-and-optimization/arrival-windows-scheduled-times-and-match-time-rules*

Learn what each service appointment DateTime field means and who fills it: Earliest Start Permitted and Due Date, the arrival window, Scheduled Start and End, Actual Start, End and Duration, and Schedule Mode; how optimization reads them; and how Match Time work rules enforce them on each engine.

- Certification: Salesforce Agentforce Field Service and Operations Consultant
- Exam section: Managing Scheduling and Optimization
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/agentforce-field-service-consultant

**Official exam objective:**

> Understand the usage of Agentforce Field Service and Operations for DateTime tracking fields.

## What the exam expects

- Say what each service appointment DateTime field means, who populates it, and which ones customers should see.
- Predict how the optimizer populates and validates Scheduled Start and Scheduled End.
- Decide whether an appointment falls inside an optimization request when it has an arrival window as well as Earliest Start Permitted and Due Date.
- Configure Match Time work rules, including custom date/time fields, Pass Empty Values and the difference between engines.
- Report on how an appointment was scheduled with Schedule Mode.

Key terms:
- **Earliest Start Permitted / Due Date:** the period in which the appointment must be done, typically from the customer's SLA.
- **Arrival window:** Arrival Window Start and End, the period in which the worker is expected to arrive.
- **Scheduled Start / End:** the planned start and end, populated when the appointment is assigned.
- **Match Time rule:** a work rule type that limits scheduling by an appointment's date and time fields.
- **Schedule Mode:** a read-only field recording how the appointment was scheduled.

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Earliest Start Permitted and Due Date | Typically reflect the customer's SLA terms | [Service Appointment Fields](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.fs_appointment_fields.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Arrival window | Typically wider than Scheduled Start and End; may be shared with the customer | [Service Appointment Fields](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.fs_appointment_fields.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Scheduled Start and End | Populated on assignment with the optimizer; End minus Start equals Duration | [Service Appointment Fields](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.fs_appointment_fields.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Actual Duration | Set when Actual Start and End are first added; doesn't re-update | [Service Appointment Fields](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.fs_appointment_fields.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Schedule Mode on the enhanced engine | Drag and Drop, Schedule, Global, In-Day or Resource Optimization | [Service Appointment Fields](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.fs_appointment_fields.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Optimization inclusion | Arrival window replaces Earliest Start Permitted and Due Date when populated | [Scheduled Jobs](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.pfs_set_up_jobs_enhanced.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Duration validation | Global and in-day unschedule appointments whose scheduled length doesn't match Duration | [Scheduled Jobs](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.pfs_set_up_jobs_enhanced.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Unscheduled status | Status changes to None | [Service Appointment Workflow](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.pfs_lifecycle.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Pass Empty Values | Rule ignored when a Service Time Property value is empty | [Match Time Rule](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.pfs_optimization_theory_work_rules_match_time.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Custom date/time fields, legacy engine | Scheduling actions only, not optimization | [Match Time Rule](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.pfs_optimization_theory_work_rules_match_time.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |

## Check yourself

- Why can't a Match Time rule use a custom date/time field as its Service Schedule Time Property?
- Why does an appointment's Scheduled Start depend on earlier appointments?
- Why do arrival windows on every appointment suit one-day time periods in a job?
- Which field holds the ID of the last scheduling or optimization request that updated an appointment?

## Sources

- [Service Appointment Fields for Field Service](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.fs_appointment_fields.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Work Rule Type: Match Time Rule](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.pfs_optimization_theory_work_rules_match_time.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Manage Scheduled Jobs in Field Service](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.pfs_set_up_jobs_enhanced.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Customize the Service Appointment Workflow](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.pfs_lifecycle.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Update a Schedule (Trailhead)](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/field-service-lightning-scheduling-basics/update-a-schedule)
- [Plan with Global Optimization (Trailhead)](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/field-service-lightning-optimization/plan-ahead-with-global-optimization)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 8 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Agentforce Field Service and Operations Consultant pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams