Scheduled Maintenance Template

Jan 19, 2026 | by OpenStatus | [maintenance]

Use this template for planned maintenance, infrastructure upgrades, or scheduled downtime. Proactive communication builds trust and reduces support burden.

When to Use This Template

Database upgrades
Infrastructure migrations
Security patch deployments
Third-party provider maintenance
Performance optimization work

Template Messages

Scheduled (Advance Notice)

We have scheduled maintenance for [System Name] on [Date] at [Time] [Timezone].

Expected Duration: [Duration] Expected Impact: [Impact Description]

We will provide updates throughout the maintenance window.

In Progress

Scheduled maintenance is currently in progress. We expect to complete within the planned window.

Current Status: [Brief status] Expected Completion: [Time]

Completed

The scheduled maintenance has been completed successfully. All systems are operating normally.

Thank you for your patience during this maintenance window.

Real-World Examples

Stripe: Payment Method Maintenance

Context: Scheduled maintenance for TWINT payment method Approach: Clear scheduling with transparency disclaimers

Sample messaging:

TWINT has an upcoming scheduled maintenance.

Note: Stripe retrieves payment method planned maintenance information
from payment method partners and the information may not be complete,
accurate, or up to date.

What worked:

Clear about the service affected (TWINT)
Set expectations about information accuracy
Consistent disclaimer across all maintenance notices

Multi-stage updates:

Scheduled: "TWINT has upcoming scheduled maintenance on [date]"
In Progress: "Maintenance is currently in progress"
Completed: "The scheduled maintenance has been completed"

Notion: Planned Maintenance Communication

Approach: Clear timing with minimal service impact

Sample structure:

Scheduled Maintenance
Time: Jan 20, 2026 | 2:00 AM - 4:00 AM PST
Impact: Brief connectivity interruptions expected
Status: Scheduled

We'll be performing database maintenance during this window.
Most features will remain available, but you may experience
brief disruptions.

Planning Your Maintenance Communication

1 Week Before

📅 Scheduled Maintenance Notice

We'll be performing infrastructure upgrades on [date] at [time].

What: Database migration to improve performance
When: January 25, 2026 at 02:00 UTC
Duration: Approximately 2 hours
Impact: Read-only mode during migration

Add to calendar: [iCal link]

24 Hours Before

⏰ Reminder: Maintenance Tomorrow

This is a reminder that we'll be performing scheduled maintenance
tomorrow, January 25 at 02:00 UTC (approximately 2 hours).

During this time, the service will be in read-only mode. You'll be
able to view data but won't be able to make changes.

We recommend completing any urgent work before maintenance begins.

1 Hour Before

🔧 Maintenance Starting Soon

Scheduled maintenance begins in 1 hour (02:00 UTC).

Quick reminders:
- Service will be in read-only mode
- Expected duration: 2 hours
- We'll provide hourly updates

If you have any questions, please contact support before maintenance begins.

At Start

🚧 Maintenance In Progress

Scheduled maintenance has started. The service is now in read-only mode.

Progress: Database backup completed ✓
Next: Begin migration
Expected completion: 04:00 UTC

Hourly Updates

📊 Maintenance Progress Update (Hour 1)

Migration is progressing as planned.

Completed:
✓ Database backup
✓ Schema updates
✓ Data migration (65%)

In progress:
⏳ Data migration (ongoing)

Still on track for 04:00 UTC completion.

At Completion

✅ Maintenance Complete

Scheduled maintenance has been completed successfully!

The service is now fully operational and out of read-only mode.
All features are available.

Thank you for your patience. You should notice improved performance
with our upgraded infrastructure.

If Extended

⚠️ Maintenance Extended

We're making excellent progress, but the maintenance will take longer
than expected.

New estimated completion: 05:00 UTC (1 hour extension)
Reason: Data migration taking longer due to dataset size

The service remains in read-only mode. We'll provide another update
in 30 minutes.

Advance Notice Best Practices

Minimum Notice Periods

Minor maintenance (< 30 min, no downtime): 48 hours notice
Standard maintenance (1-4 hours, read-only): 1 week notice
Major maintenance (> 4 hours, full downtime): 2+ weeks notice

What to Include

✅ Always include:

Exact date and time (with timezone)
Expected duration
Impact description
What users can/can't do
Who to contact with questions

✅ Nice to have:

Reason for maintenance
Expected benefits
Calendar file (.ics)
Status page link
Estimated completion time

❌ Avoid:

Vague timing ("sometime next week")
Unclear impact ("may affect some users")
No duration estimate
Technical jargon without explanation

Impact Level Communication

No Downtime

Maintenance Window: January 25, 02:00-04:00 UTC
Impact: None - We'll be performing rolling updates with no service interruption
Action Required: None

Read-Only Mode

Maintenance Window: January 25, 02:00-04:00 UTC
Impact: Service will be in read-only mode
What you CAN do: View all data, run reports, access historical information
What you CAN'T do: Create, update, or delete records
Action Required: Complete any urgent changes before maintenance

Full Downtime

Maintenance Window: January 25, 02:00-04:00 UTC
Impact: Service will be completely unavailable
What to expect: You won't be able to access the service at all
Action Required: Plan accordingly, download any needed data beforehand
Alternative: [If you have a status page or alternative access method]

Partial Service Impact

Maintenance Window: January 25, 02:00-04:00 UTC
Impact: Partial service degradation

Available:
✓ Login and authentication
✓ Data viewing
✓ API read endpoints

Unavailable:
✗ File uploads
✗ Report generation
✗ Data exports
✗ Webhook delivery

Timezone Considerations

Always include multiple timezones for global audiences:

Maintenance scheduled for:
- 02:00 UTC
- 6:00 PM PST (Jan 24)
- 9:00 PM EST (Jan 24)
- 11:00 AM JST (Jan 25)

Check your timezone: [worldtimebuddy.com link]

Or use relative time:

Maintenance begins in 24 hours.
Check your local time: January 25, 02:00 UTC

Third-Party Maintenance

When a provider schedules maintenance:

Our payment provider, Stripe, has scheduled maintenance for [date].

Impact: Payment processing may be temporarily unavailable
Duration: Approximately 30 minutes
Workaround: We'll queue any failed payments and automatically retry

This maintenance is being performed by our payment provider. For more
information, visit: [provider status page]

Emergency Maintenance

Sometimes maintenance can't wait:

🚨 Emergency Maintenance Required

We've identified a critical issue that requires immediate maintenance.

Starting: Now (15:00 UTC)
Expected duration: 30 minutes
Impact: Service will be unavailable

We apologize for the short notice. This maintenance is necessary to
prevent potential data issues.

Updates every 10 minutes.

Benefits Communication

Help users understand the "why":

This maintenance will deliver:
✓ 3x faster query performance
✓ 99.99% uptime SLA (up from 99.9%)
✓ Support for 10x more concurrent users
✓ Reduced latency for API calls

We appreciate your patience as we improve the service.

FAQ to Include

Consider adding to your maintenance notice:

Q: Can I use the service during maintenance? A: The service will be in read-only mode. You can view data but not make changes.

Q: What if I'm in the middle of something? A: We recommend saving your work before maintenance begins. Any unsaved changes may be lost.

Q: Will my data be safe? A: Yes, we perform full backups before all maintenance. Your data is secure.

Q: What if maintenance takes longer? A: We'll provide updates every hour and notify you of any time extensions.

Q: Can you reschedule? A: This timing was chosen for minimal impact. Please contact support if you have urgent concerns.

Network Connectivity Issues Template

Security Incident Response Template