🔔 Notification Rules vs ⚡ Auto-Schedule Rules

The bot uses a two-level filtering system to manage rides efficiently.

🔔 Notification Rules — First Filter (Broad)

Purpose: Filter out low-quality rides and send alerts for potential opportunities

How they work:

Apply to all rides in Search Area (Schedule Area + 5-mile buffer)
Block obviously bad rides from being considered
Send Telegram notifications for rides that pass
Work 24/7, regardless of your schedule

Geographic scope: Schedule Area + 5 miles in all directions

Why the extra 5 miles?

The buffer lets you see rides slightly outside your main area that might still be worthwhile. If you consistently see good rides in the extended area, consider expanding your Schedule Area.

Best practice: Keep rules simple and broad

Example:

price >= $20

Result: Telegram notification for every ride ≥$20 within Search Area. You review and manually book if interested.

Mental model: "Show me everything that's not obviously garbage"

⚡ Auto-Schedule Rules — Second Filter (Strict)

Purpose: Automatically book rides you definitely want

How they work:

Apply only to rides that passed notification rules
Automatically reserve rides matching strict criteria
Only book rides starting during your scheduled hours
Check for scheduling conflicts with existing rides:
- Verifies sufficient time to reach pickup from previous ride (using real-time traffic)
- Verifies sufficient time to reach next ride after current one finishes
Check 24/7 but respect your weekly schedule

Geographic scope: Schedule Area only (no buffer)

Time scope: Only auto-books rides starting during configured time slots unless the rule is enforced

Best practice: Be strict and specific

Example:

price >= $30 AND hourly_rate >= $40 AND mile_rate >= $1.5

Result: Bot automatically books qualifying rides within Schedule Area that start during your scheduled hours. You get a confirmation notification after booking.

Mental model: "Only book rides I'm 100% sure I want"

⚡ Speed Advantage: Auto-Schedule vs Manual

Auto-scheduling dramatically increases your chances of getting competitive rides.

Manual Booking Flow

Bot detects ride
Generates and sends Telegram notification
You receive notification
You read details and decide
You click "Reserve"
Bot processes your request
Bot attempts to book

Total time: 5-30+ seconds (ride may be taken by another driver)

Auto-Schedule Flow

Bot detects ride
Checks auto-schedule rules (instant)
Books ride immediately via optimized algorithm
Sends confirmation

Total time: <1 second

Real-World Impact

For competitive rides (high pay, short distance, convenient location), multiple drivers compete simultaneously. Auto-scheduling provides a significant competitive advantage by:

Eliminating human response delay (5-30 seconds saved)
Using optimized booking algorithm
Working 24/7 even when you're unavailable

tip

High-value rides like $50 with $60/hr rate get claimed fast. Auto-scheduling ensures you grab them before other drivers.

How the Two-Level Filter Works

New Ride Appears
    ↓
[First Filter: Notification Rules]
    ↓
Matches Notification Rule?
    ├─ No → IGNORE (filtered out)
    └─ Yes → Continue
         ↓
    [Second Filter: Auto-Schedule Rules]
         ↓
    Matches Auto-Schedule Rule?
         ├─ No → Check if in Search Area
         │        ├─ No → IGNORE
         │        └─ Yes → 📱 SEND NOTIFICATION (manual booking)
         └─ Yes → Check location & time
                   ├─ Outside Schedule Area → 📱 SEND NOTIFICATION
                   ├─ Outside time slots (unless enforced) → 📱 SEND NOTIFICATION
                   └─ In Schedule Area & time slots → Check conflicts
                        ├─ Not enough time from previous ride → 📱 SEND NOTIFICATION
                        ├─ Not enough time to next ride → 📱 SEND NOTIFICATION
                        └─ No conflicts → 🟢 AUTO-BOOK + notification

Key points:

Notification Rules = Broad first filter (removes garbage)
Auto-Schedule Rules = Strict second filter (auto-books great rides)
Search Area = Schedule Area + 5-mile buffer (notifications only)
Schedule Area = Strict boundary (auto-scheduling only)
Time slots = Only checked for auto-scheduling (unless auto-schedule rule is enforced)

Example Setup

Notification Rule (broad):

price >= $20

Geographic: Search Area (Schedule Area + 5 miles)
Filters rides under $20
Notifies about everything ≥$20 in extended area

Auto-Schedule Rule (strict):

price >= $30 AND hourly_rate >= $40

Geographic: Schedule Area only
Time: Only during configured time slots (unless auto-schedule rule is enforced)
Auto-books best rides from the ≥$20 set
Leaves borderline rides for manual review

Example Scenarios

Ride Details	Notification Filter	Auto-Schedule Filter	Result
$35, $45/hr, in Schedule Area, during hours	✅ Pass	✅ Pass	🟢 Auto-booked + notification
$25, $38/hr, in Schedule Area, during hours	✅ Pass	❌ Fail (price or rate too low)	📱 Notification - manual decision
$35, $45/hr, in Schedule Area, outside hours	✅ Pass	❌ Fail (outside time slots)	📱 Notification - manual decision
$35, $45/hr, 3 miles outside Schedule Area	✅ Pass (in buffer)	❌ Fail (outside area)	📱 Notification - manual decision
$18, $60/hr	❌ Fail	N/A (never checked)	🚫 Blocked - no notification

Key Differences

Feature	Notification Rules	Auto-Schedule Rules
Purpose	Remove garbage rides	Auto-book great rides
Geographic Scope	Search Area (Schedule Area + 5mi)	Schedule Area only
Time Scope	Checks all rides regardless of start time	Checks all rides but only auto-books those starting during scheduled time slots (unless enforced)
Strictness	Broad, permissive	Strict, specific
Action	Send notification	Automatically reserve
Applied To	All rides in Search Area	Only rides passing notification rules
Your Decision	Required (manual review)	Not needed (auto-booked)
Recommendation	Keep simple (e.g., `price >= $20`)	Be specific (e.g., `price >= $30 AND hourly_rate >= $40`)

⚠️ Critical: Rule Processing Order

Auto-schedule rules are ONLY checked if a notification rule matches first.

This is why notification rules must be broader (less strict) than auto-schedule rules.

✅ Correct Setup

Notification Rule: price >= $20  (broader)
Auto-Schedule Rule: price >= $30 AND hourly_rate >= $40  (stricter)

What happens:

$18 ride → ❌ Blocked (filtered by notification rule)
$25 ride → ✅ Notification sent, ❌ not auto-scheduled
$35 ride with $45/hr → ✅ Notification sent, ✅ auto-scheduled

❌ Incorrect Setup

Notification Rule: price >= $30 AND hourly_rate >= $40  (too strict!)
Auto-Schedule Rule: price >= $20  (broader - will NEVER trigger!)

Problem: Rides $20-$29 fail the notification rule first, so auto-schedule rule never gets checked.

Rule Order Matters

Always ensure notification rules are broader than auto-schedule rules. Otherwise, auto-schedule rules won't work as expected.

🔔 Notification Rules — First Filter (Broad)​

⚡ Auto-Schedule Rules — Second Filter (Strict)​

⚡ Speed Advantage: Auto-Schedule vs Manual​

Manual Booking Flow​

Auto-Schedule Flow​

Real-World Impact​

How the Two-Level Filter Works​

Example Setup​

Example Scenarios​

Key Differences​

⚠️ Critical: Rule Processing Order​

✅ Correct Setup​

❌ Incorrect Setup​