Most Commonly Asked Questions From Motion Customers
TL;DR:
This section aims to provide answers to the most commonly asked questions about the app. Whether you're just getting started or need guidance on specific features, you'll find clear and helpful information here.
From account setup and task management to troubleshooting and advanced features, our goal is to make your experience with UseMotion as smooth and productive as possible.
If you can't find what you're looking for or need additional assistance, don't hesitate to reach out to our support team via the in-app chat or via email at support@usemotion.com!
Account and Login FAQ
1. I forgot my password. How do I reset it?
If you’ve forgotten your password, go to the login page and click “Forgot Your Password?” Enter the email address associated with your account, and you’ll receive an email with a link to reset your password. To access the login page click [here].
2. Why is it saying I don’t have permission when connecting my calendar for the first time?
If you're seeing a permission error when trying to connect your calendar, it's likely that your organization's admin needs to grant permission for third-party applications to integrate with Motion.
For Google calendars, you can follow the steps outlined here: Google OAuth Instructions.
For Microsoft calendars:
Log in to your Motion account.
Click on "Continue with Microsoft."
In the pop-up that appears, tick the box for "Consent on behalf of your organization."
Click "Accept," and Motion should now be accessible for your organization.
3. Can I change my email address?
Yes! Just reach out to our support team via the in-app chat or via email at support@usemotion.com and provide the new email address that you’d like to use!
4. Why didn’t I receive the set up email?
If you haven't received the email, it's likely that you've entered an incorrect address, or it may have been routed to your "Junk" or "Spam" folders. Please check there to see if it's been filtered.
If you still can't find it, no worries! You can easily set up your account on a computer browser by:
Visiting the Motion website at https://www.usemotion.com/ on any desktop browser.
Click the “Try Motion for Free” button to begin the registration process.
Choose your preferred login method: Google, Microsoft, Apple, or sign up using your email and password.
Select the plan that fits your needs: Individual or Team Trial. The Team Trial is ideal for collaborative work.
Choose your subscription: "annual" or "monthly" plan, and provide your billing information. A $1 card hold is placed to verify your account, but it will be released in a couple of days.
Calendar Displays FAQ
1. How can I re-add the calendar I accidentally deleted from Motion?
You can restore the deleted calendar by removing and reconnecting the "primary" calendar account.
However, if the deleted calendar is your main calendar, even if you have other calendars connected to Motion, all of them will be disconnected. You’ll be prompted to reconnect your calendars. Alternatively, feel free to contact support, and we'll be happy to assist you further.
2. I can see my completed tasks in Motion, but why can't I see them on my Google/Outlook calendar?
Motion only syncs auto-scheduled tasks to your main calendar. Completed tasks won’t be synced to Google/Outlook calendars.
3. Why are tasks from the next stage of my project being scheduled even though I haven’t finished the current stage?
We call these tasks in future stages "ghost tasks". They are displayed on your calendar so that instead of only showing tasks in Stage 1, you can model how the project will work across all stages (from Stage 1 through Stage X).
4. How do I hide tasks in future stages?
It’s simple! Just click the ‘Display options’ button at the top of your calendar and toggle off the ‘Hide tasks in future stages’ option. When the toggle is blue, it's enabled; when it’s grey, it’s disabled.
By hiding tasks in future stages you are effectively removing their visibility from the calendar. So while it may appear there is blank space on your calendar, keep in mind, these tasks still exist and occupy space on your calendar. These future tasks just won't be visible until the toggle is turned back off.
5. I unselected/unchecked my teammate's calendar in the Calendar List, but why is it showing up again?
Please reach out to our support team for further assistance. Our team will be happy to help!
Calendar Syncing FAQ
1. Can I sync multiple calendars with the same email?
No, Motion only supports linking one unique email address at a time.
2. Why aren’t my tasks syncing to iCloud?
Tasks from Motion only sync to Google or Microsoft Outlook calendars. iCloud currently does not support task synchronization, so tasks will not appear in your iCloud calendar.
3. Do I need to add my calendar to 'My Calendars' for syncing?
No, Motion automatically syncs all connected calendars, even if they aren’t listed under 'My Calendars.'
4. What happens if I delete an event from Motion?
Deleting an event in Motion also deletes it from your external calendar (Google, Apple, Outlook) as part of bi-directional sync.
5. Why is there a delay in my iCloud events appearing in Motion?
You may experience a delay of up to 10 minutes when syncing with iCloud calendars. Don’t worry if you don’t see an event you added in iCloud right away — it will show up within that time frame.
6. I was invited to a meeting. Can I change the event details?
If you're a guest in the meeting, you would not be able to change the event. Changes to the event (e.g., time, title, or attendees) can only be made by the host or the event organizer.
7. "How can I remove my main calendar from an old account and use it with my new account? It's saying it's being used on another account."
This happens because our system only allows one email to be designated as a main calendar on one Motion account at a time. If you no longer have access to your old account, our Support team can handle this for you! Please send us a message via chat or email at support@usemotion.com for assistance.
8. Can I add travel time to recurring events?
Currently, travel time is only supported for one-off events. Additionally, travel time is only available for Google and Outlook calendars.
Task Scheduling FAQ
1. How do I make sure certain tasks are scheduled during a specific time block?
Schedules in Motion control when tasks are placed on your calendar. If you're managing both work and personal tasks, create separate schedules for each (e.g., 9 AM - 5 PM for work, 6 PM - 8 PM for personal). Assign tasks to their corresponding schedule to ensure they are automatically placed within the designated time block.
2. Why aren’t tasks scheduling on a day when there’s plenty of open time? They are just stuck at the top of the calendar and say ‘Could not fit.’
If tasks are stuck at the top of the calendar with a "Could not fit" status, it's because they can't be scheduled within the rolling auto-scheduling window due to conflicting events or task priorities.
Fix:
Check for any busy all-day events and switch them to "Free."
Adjust the embedded schedule to create more available time for tasks.
3. Motion scheduled one of my tasks outside the assigned schedule - what’s going on?
This usually happens if the task has a hard deadline enabled. When a hard deadline is set, Motion prioritizes completing the task on time, even if it means scheduling it outside your normal working hours or assigned schedule. This ensures that the task meets its deadline, but it can override typical scheduling rules. To prevent this, check the task settings and disable the hard deadline if flexibility is allowed.
4. How can I set it up so that my tasks are scheduled in a certain order?
To schedule tasks in a specific order, use blockers to create dependencies between tasks. For example, setting Task A as a blocker for Task B ensures Task A is always scheduled first. This way, Motion respects the sequence while optimizing for available time.
Learn more about blockers [here].
5. I created a 10-hour task, but I don’t want it to schedule the whole thing at once. What’s the best way to approach this?
Use the chunk feature to break the task into smaller, manageable pieces. Set the desired minimum chunk duration, and Motion will automatically split and schedule the task in segments based on your availability and schedule.
6. How do I set up a task that needs to happen every week?
To create a recurring task, select the "Recurring" option (🔄) when setting up the task, and choose the desired frequency (e.g., daily, weekly). Motion will automatically schedule the task at the specified interval, ensuring it follows your chosen recurrence or cadence.
7. How can I schedule lunch at the same exact time every day?
To ensure lunch is scheduled at the same time each day without being affected by other tasks, create a recurring event (not a task) at your desired time, such as 12:00 PM every weekday. Unlike tasks, events are static and won’t be rescheduled by Motion’s algorithm, keeping your lunch break fixed and consistent.
8. Why are tasks being scheduled at the same time as meetings on my calendar?
It is likely due to the source calendar not being referenced for conflicts. To fix this, you can edit My Calendars and add the calendar to this list. Going forward, tasks will be scheduled around this calendar's events. Additionally, this may be caused by the status of the event being set to free instead of busy. Learn more about free vs busy [here].
Working With Others (Team Subscriptions) FAQ
1. How can I switch from an individual to a team subscription?
Switching to a team subscription is simple! Just click the "Save 41% with team plan" button in Motion's interface. You can make this change at any time during your individual subscription without needing assistance from customer service.
2. Are the workspaces I created privately on my individual subscription publicly available to my team?
No, the workspaces you created privately on your individual subscription will remain private. Team members will only have access to workspaces they’ve been added to.
3. Are the tasks I created privately on my individual subscription publicly available to my team?
No, your privately created tasks will not be visible to your team members. You need to move them to a shared workspace for your teammates to see. Until then, they will remain in your "My Tasks (Private)" workspace.
4. I added a member, but they can’t access their account. Help!
There are a couple of things you can try:
Ensure they are joining using a computer browser: Onboarding via a mobile browser is not currently supported.
Re-add the member: In the Team Settings tab, try removing the member and re-adding them.
If these steps don't resolve the issue, please reach out to our support team via chat or email us at support@usemotion.com for further assistance.
5. Why am I seeing an error that the person I’m trying to add to my team is “not eligible to be invited”?
Motion only allows one unique email per account, and the member with the email address you're trying to add is already part of an existing team. You can contact support for further review and assistance.
6. Can I see all my teammates' tasks in a team subscription?
Teammates can create tasks in both private and shared workspaces. You can only see tasks that have been added to public workspaces. However, you can use the “Team Schedules” view in the workspace view to see your teammates' tasks across workspaces.
7. How many members can I add to my team?
We have team bucket sizing to accommodate any team size. If you require more than 10+ seats, please reach out to support for assistance or book a demo for the Enterprise plan. To learn more about team sizing click [here].
8. How do I view my teammates’ calendars?
Toggle on their calendars in the "Frequently Met With" section to view your teammates calendar events. Their calendars must first be shared with you; otherwise, your teammates' calendars will not appear in the FMW calendar list.
9. How do I schedule a meeting with my coworkers, ensuring it works with their schedules?
There are two ways to do this:
Search Teammates: In the Calendar tab, enter their emails in the text box to display their schedule on your Motion calendar. Pick a time that works best for everyone! This is recommended for internal meetings.
Booking Link: Schedule meetings with colleagues and external guests by adding their emails to the "Attendance requirements" in the booking link settings. The booking link will display the availability of both you and your colleagues.
10. Can I assign a task to multiple people?
Unfortunately, this feature is not available at the moment.
Booking Links
1. Why is my booking page showing blocked times as available?
To fix this, add the calendar to the 'Attendance Requirements' field in your booking settings.
2. Can booking links sync with my team members' calendars?
Yes, simply toggle on your teammates calendar display by selecting their calendar checkbox under freequently met with. Once you select 'create one time link' it will keep you teammates calednar events available on your calendar display, allowing you to select a time that works best for everyone.
3. Can people book over my free Motion tasks?
Absolutely! Free tasks are algorithmically considered less critical than busy ones, so they can be moved. For example, a free task might be rescheduled to a later time slot, ensuring you still meet deadlines. For more information on free tasks click [here].
4. Can people book over my busy Motion tasks?
Sorry, but no. Busy tasks are nearing their deadlines, and allowing someone to book over them could risk missing the deadline. Your booking link will only consider busy tasks if you have synced them externally to your main calendar.
5. Can people book over my fixed Motion tasks?
No, fixed tasks are locked into specific time slots. These will not appear in your availability. However, you will need to have your 'show tasks on external calendar: tasks that are at risk of missing deadline are marked as busy" setting on for this to be in effect. For more information on external task display click [here].
6. Can I have multiple booking links?
Yes, you can have multiple booking links for different purposes or different types of meetings.
7. How can I embed my booking link on my website or lead magnet form?
To embed your booking link on your website, click the "Booking Links" button, select the three dots next to your preferred booking link, and click "Embed on Website." To add it to a lead magnet form, check your platform’s documentation on embedding custom HTML or JavaScript code.
8. Why am I getting an “Issue loading booking page” error?
This usually occurs when the base URL in your Booking Settings doesn’t match the link you're using. After updating your base URL, ensure you share the correct link with your guests. If the issue persists, contact Motion Support.
9. Can I customize the booking page (changing the color, header, etc)?
Unfortunately, customization options for the booking page are limited at this time. However, stay tuned for future updates!
10. Why is my booking link not showing availability for a particular day?
A busy all-day event might be the cause. Check your booking template to see which calendars in Attendance Requirements have an all-day event, then change the event's availability status to "Free."
Billing FAQ
1. What are your accepted payment methods?
We accept debit cards, credit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay as forms of payment. To ensure seamless integration, please make sure Apple Pay is properly configured on your device and use the Safari browser. For Google Pay, we recommend using the Chrome browser for optimal compatibility and functionality.
ℹ️ Please note that prepaid cards are not supported at this time (e.g. MasterCard Prepaid, Visa Prepaid, American Express Prepaid, CashApp, etc.
2. What is this $1 charge? I thought this was a ‘free’ trial?
When you sign up for a free trial, a temporary $1 hold is placed on your card to verify the card information. This transaction is temporary and should be removed from your card within 1-2 business days.
3. Do you charge “Sales Tax”?
Sales tax is determined based on your country and state. In some cases, sales tax may be triggered when certain sales thresholds are crossed in your state. This may result in tax charges appearing on recent transactions, even if they were not included in the past. Motion does not retain any of the sales tax ourselves.
4. How do I change my payment method or update my card on file?
Go to Settings by clicking on the gear (⚙️) icon.
Under the ‘Account’ section, click ‘Billing’.
Click on ‘Change payment method’.
Enter the new card details and click ‘Save’. 💳
5. What happens to the payment on my individual subscription if I switch to Teams? Do I need to pay twice?
When you convert your individual subscription to a team subscription, any unused portion of your individual subscription will be credited toward the team upgrade.
6. Can I customize team packages?
We have a bucket pricing model and, unfortunately, do not currently provide customized packages for smaller teams, such as 2-person teams.
7. I’m trying to add a member, why do I see that I am going to be charged?
Adding new members to your team will result in additional charges. For example, if you currently have 3 members and want to grant a new employee access, your plan will be upgraded to 5 seats. You will be billed automatically for the subscription as soon as you invite them. This can either be an annual fee of $144 per seat per year or a monthly fee of $20 per seat. 💳
If you add an additional member during a paid cycle, you can expect a prorated charge.
If you're replacing a member, the billing UI may display a charge, but you won’t actually incur one. This is just a default behavior and isn’t dynamically linked to the number of seats you've already purchased.
8. I just removed a member, why am I still being billed for the same number of seats?
You are charged based on the number of seats in the current billing period. Any reduction in the number of seats will be reflected in your upcoming billing cycle.
9. I want to upgrade to the annual plan, how do I do this?
Tired of monthly bills? You can easily upgrade to the annual plan by clicking on “Manage Plan” > “Switch to Annual Plan”.
10. Do I have the option to switch to a monthly plan?
If you've just purchased your subscription but actually wanted to be on a monthly plan, our Support team can process that for you! Reach out to us via chat or email us at support@usemotion.com. For more information on contacting support click [here].
Integrations FAQ
1. Will there be native integrations for third-party apps like Notion, ClickUp, Google Sheets, and others?
Currently, there are no plans for native integrations with third-party apps like Notion, ClickUp, or Google Sheets. However, you can still integrate these apps using Zapier or API for seamless task management and automation.
2. Can I integrate Motion with Akiflow?
Unfortunately, Akiflow cannot be set as the trigger app, similar to Motion. As a result, Akiflow and Motion cannot be integrated via Zapier.
3. Can Motion automatically detect and flag task-like emails for me?
No, the email must be sent from any email address that’s under your “Accounts” section and forwarded to tasks@usemotion.com without any other recipients.
4. Can Motion parse through attachments (e.g., Excel Files, PDFs, Flight Booking Files, etc.)?
No, Motion cannot read or parse text from attachments or files within the email thread. It focuses solely on the actual email body and its content. Attachments such as Excel files, PDFs, or flight booking files are not processed by Motion for task creation.
5. Can I CC, BCC, or add other recipients to the email?
No, any emails sent to tasks@usemotion.com with any other recipients (CC, BCCed or otherwise) would result in failed task creation.
6. How long should it take for my tasks to appear?
Email to task creation is usually swift, and you can expect your tasks to show up in about 30 seconds or less.
Additional Topics
1. Can I provide feedback, suggestions, or a feature request?
Yes, send your feedback/suggestions or feature requests by clicking on the question mark icon (❓) on the upper left corner of your Motion app, ‘Send us a message’ > ‘Request a feature’. Our team thoroughly reviews all feedback suggestions and requests that are submitted for further consideration and potential implementation.
2. Is there a referral program?
Yes! Individual Motion users can invite people via the ”Referral Page” to try out Motion for 2 weeks. You receive $100 in credit for each referred user who subscribes to an individual plan.
3. Does Motion offer 1:1 demos or tutorials?
We don’t offer 1:1 demos, but you can access tutorials in your web app by clicking on the ‘Get Started’ section on the left side of the ‘Calendar’ view and by just picking a topic.
4. Where can I find release notes or updates?
Aside from blog posts for newly released feature updates, you should receive product updates to your email address!
5. Is there an option for other languages aside from English?
At the moment, the app doesn’t have any other option aside from English!
6. I accidentally deleted an important task. Can you help me retrieve it?
Unfortunately, once tasks, events, projects, workspaces, etc., are deleted in Motion, they are permanently removed from our system and cannot be restored.
7. How do I delete a label?
To delete a label in Motion, navigate to Settings and select the appropriate workspace from the left sidebar. Once you’ve selected the workspace, find the label you wish to delete and click the trash bin icon next to it. This action will permanently remove the label from your workspace, as well as from any tasks where the label has already been applied
8. How do I edit a template?
Editing a template is simple in Motion. First, go to Settings and choose the workspace from the left sidebar. Then, locate the template you wish to edit within the correct tab. Once you’ve found it, click the pencil icon next to the template to make your desired changes.
9. Can I rename or delete task statuses?
Yes, you can rename or delete task statuses in Motion. Simply, head to Settings and select the workspace from the left sidebar. Within Statuses tab, you’ll be able to rename or remove any status. Additionally, you can choose to turn off auto-scheduling for all statuses except To Do, Canceled, and Completed.
10. Why can’t I archive an auto-scheduled task?
Auto-scheduled tasks are actively planned to be completed and require action. Dormant tasks or those that aren't auto-scheduled are considered inactive and are eligible for archiving.
11. Can I turn off the auto-archiving feature?
No, you cannot turn off the auto-archiving feature at this time.
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