This instructio useful, in case if you do not using "Automate via CRON addon" for this plugin.
Imagine a situation, where you are sending email reminders for contacts before 1 day to specific event (or check in day).
Step #1
Usually your rules condition have to be like this:
check_in = TODAY + 1 DAY
or in case, if your event also have some times, you have to use such 2 conditions:
check_in > TODAY + 1 DAY
check_in <= TODAY + 2 DAYS - 1 SECOND
Step #2
For creating email-reminders from your contacts, you have to insert shortcode for creation of such email-reminders into page A:
[email-reminders-rule id=4 max_count=1500 is_silent=1]
Please check more here https://oplugins.com/faq/email-reminders-how-to-set-up-run-rule-automatically-to-create-reminders/
Step #3
Also you need to inserted the shortcode, for sending these newly created email reminders into the page B:
[email-reminders-send status='init' max_count=100 keyword='United States|Canada|Mexico']
Please check more here https://oplugins.com/faq/email-reminders-how-to-set-up-automatic-sending-of-reminders/
Now when someone visit the page A (with shortcode for creation of email reminders), plugin will run rule (starting from contact ID that you have defined during creation of that rule (usually contact ID = 0), and process 1500 contacts (it's number that you have defined in the shortcode with parameter max_count=1500, e.g. [email-reminders-rule id=4 max_count=1500 is_silent=1]).
If you have more than 1500 contacts (for example 14700), then when someone opens this page A for another time, the system will start to run rule from last processed contact (in our case it's contact with ID = 1500) and process the next 1500 contacts. During this time the plugin processed 3000 contacts. It means that for processing all 14700 contacts, page A has to be opened 10 times - for execution shortcode [email-reminders-rule id=4 max_count=1500 is_silent=1] for 10 times.
Why do we not process all contacts during one step ?
Imagine a situation, if you are having 1 000 000 contacts or more, so in this case, your server just does not process such a big amount of data during one time, and you will have a timeout error. That's why such an option for setting the number of contacts to process gives us great flexibility and scalability for a huge number of contacts to process. This is also useful in situations, where the execution was interrupted for some reason, and the next time you start with the last processed contact lists.
Now back to our subject.
Probably some visitors opened page A during 10 times, and we have processed all our contacts with this shortcode [email-reminders-rule id=4 max_count=1500 is_silent=1]. It means that the plugin has stopped at 14700 contact ID.
Probably during today was created several email reminders. And another shortcode at page B was sent all such email reminders, that is to remind customers before 1 day to specific event.
Such a rule will have status FINISHED at the Rules listing page.
But what will be during tomorrow with such a rule?
Nothing. Because we are having status of this rule as finished and we have processed all our contacts.
Probably during tomorrow, we need to start this rule again from the beginning of the contact list. In other words we need to set contact ID to 0 for such a rule, and check all our contacts again about creation of email reminders that will be sent for 1 day before the event (but during tomorrow, and etc...)
And because of all this in version 1.0.2 you are having the ability to define when specific rule will be EXPIRED.
During creation or editing of the rule, you can define "Expire period" and start time when this period is starting.
So in our example we need to define the expiration period as 1 day.
And during tomorrow system will reset contact ID to 0 and will start processing our contacts from beginning.
It means that during each next day we will process all contacts and create relative correct email reminders for specific dates.
