> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://crushsuite.gitbook.io/docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://crushsuite.gitbook.io/docs/clubs/managing-releases/understanding-release-dates.md). # Understanding Release Dates Every release runs on five dates, and getting their order wrong is the most common source of confusion in Clubs. What each date does, the rules enforced, and a worked example. *** #### The five dates
DateWhat it does
Publish DateWhen the release becomes visible to members in their Customer Account. This is the earliest date members can view the release and begin customizing their order (if customization is enabled). Set this a few weeks before the release date to give members time to make changes.
Customization DeadlineThe last day members can modify their order — swap products, change quantities, or update shipping preferences. After this date, orders are locked and members see a read-only view of their selections. Only relevant when customization is enabled.
Signup Cutoff DateThe last day new members can sign up and be included in this release. Members who join after it are flagged as late signups and processed individually. This keeps last-minute signups from disrupting inventory planning.
Inventory Allocation DateThe date inventory is reserved for this release. On this date, CrushSuite checks available stock and holds the required quantities for each member's order. Set this after the customization deadline but before the release date.
Release DateThe date orders are created and members are billed. Subscription contracts are generated, billing attempts are fired, and Shopify orders are created for each member. This is the final step in the release lifecycle.
These descriptions come from the **Learn about release dates** button on the release form, which opens a panel headed **Understanding Release Dates**. Four of the five sit together in that **Release Dates** section. The **Customization Deadline** is in the **Products** section instead, directly under **Allow Customization**. The release's Details card and the late-signup banner call the signup cutoff the **Signup Deadline** — same date. *** #### Ordering rules CrushSuite enforces this order whenever dates are set, on drafts as well as published releases: * **Publish Date** cannot fall after the **Release Date**. * **Customization Deadline** cannot fall before the **Publish Date** or after the **Release Date**. * **Customization Deadline** must fall before the **Inventory Allocation Date** — orders can't be customized once their default box has been reserved. * **Inventory Allocation Date** cannot fall after the **Release Date**. * **Signup Cutoff Date** cannot fall after the **Release Date**. * None of the five dates can be set earlier than today. You'll see `This date cannot be before today.` on the field if you try. The typical timeline runs: **Publish Date → Customization Deadline → Signup Cutoff → Inventory Allocation → Release Date**, with enough room between each for members to customize and for inventory to be confirmed. The only ordering enforced on the **Signup Cutoff Date** is that it falls before the **Release Date** — where you put it relative to the customization deadline is a business decision. Earlier gives new members time to build their order before customization locks; later keeps signups open longer. #### Two minimum gaps * If **Allow Customization** is on, the **Customization Deadline** must be at least **2 days** before the **Release Date**. This applies to drafts too. * The **Release Date** must be at least **2 days** from today. This applies only when you create a release or first publish it — editing an already-published release doesn't re-check it. These minimums give the contract-generation and billing pipeline enough runway. If you hit either error, push the **Release Date** out rather than trying to compress the gap. *** #### A worked example Say you're publishing a quarterly release, dated for October 1: | Date | Value | Why | | ----------------------------- | ------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | **Publish Date** | September 1 | Opens customization a month out. | | **Customization Deadline** | September 24 | One week before release, and comfortably more than 2 days before it. | | **Signup Cutoff Date** | September 20 | Ahead of the customization deadline, so new members can build their order before it locks. | | **Inventory Allocation Date** | September 26 | After customization closes, so allocation reflects real selections. | | **Release Date** | October 1 | Orders are created and billed. | *** #### What happens on each date, and when Every date on a release is a calendar day in the club's **Timezone**, not a moment. CrushSuite checks for work on a schedule, so each stage starts shortly after midnight local time on the day it becomes due: | Trigger | What CrushSuite does | When it runs | | ---------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Day after the **Customization Deadline** | Builds the default order for every member who didn't customize | Checked every 3 hours, so by 3:00 a.m. at the latest | | Day before the **Release Date** | Generates each member's subscription contract for the release | Checked every 30 minutes | | **Release Date** | Starts billing. Shopify creates each member's order as their charge succeeds | Checked every 20 minutes, so billing begins within about 20 minutes of midnight | A club in Oregon with **Timezone** set to `America/Los Angeles` and a release dated September 1 starts billing just after 12:00 a.m. Pacific on September 1. Charges then land through the early morning as Shopify processes them; they don't all post at the same instant. None of this waits for you to be logged in. Confirm the club's **Timezone** before you publish a release; it's read live, so a change applies from the next check. See [Club Settings Reference](https://crushsuite.gitbook.io/docs/clubs/reference/club-settings-reference). *** #### Late signups Someone who joins after the **Signup Cutoff Date** isn't swept into that release's bulk order creation — they're flagged as a **late signup** instead, and you process them individually. See [Managing Release Orders](https://crushsuite.gitbook.io/docs/clubs/managing-releases/managing-release-orders) for where they show up and how to process one. {% hint style="info" %} Ready to put these dates into a release? See [Creating a Release](https://crushsuite.gitbook.io/docs/clubs/managing-releases/creating-a-release). {% endhint %}