Hi everyone! I am currently helping a client migrate their workforce management setup from Zendesk to Genesys Cloud. In Zendesk, we used to rely on simple CSV uploads for agent availability, but GC requires a much more structured JSON payload for the WFM Schedule API.
I am trying to import a basic schedule for our Paris-based support team using the POST /api/v2/wfm/schedules endpoint. The schedule is set for next week, and I have mapped the Zendesk availability windows directly to GC intervals. However, I keep hitting a 400 Bad Request error with the message: Invalid timezone format: Europe/Paris is not recognized in the context of the provided schedule constraints.
I have double-checked the timezone ID against the official IANA list, and Europe/Paris is definitely correct. In Zendesk, we just set the user’s timezone globally, and it handled DST automatically. Here is a snippet of my request body:
{
"scheduleId": "schedule_123",
"agentId": "agent_456",
"timezone": "Europe/Paris",
"intervals": [
{
"start": "2023-10-23T08:00:00+02:00",
"end": "2023-10-23T16:00:00+02:00",
"type": "AVAILABLE"
}
]
}
Is there a specific format GC expects for the timezone field in the WFM API that differs from standard ISO 8601? Or do I need to configure the timezone mapping in the Admin console before the API call will accept it? I am using the latest Genesys Cloud REST API documentation. Any help would be amazing!
The 400 Bad Request error when importing schedules via the Genesys Cloud WFM API is almost always a timezone alignment issue, especially when migrating from systems like Zendesk that handle time differently. The Genesys Cloud WFM Schedule API expects all timestamps in the payload to be in the organization’s primary timezone, which is typically UTC.
When you migrate from Zendesk, ensure that your source data is converted to UTC before sending it to the POST /api/v2/wfm/schedules endpoint. The Paris-based team’s local time (CET/CEST) must be adjusted by the appropriate offset (usually +1 or +2 hours depending on daylight saving time). If you send local times without conversion, the API will reject the payload because the start and end times might conflict or fall outside valid business hours in UTC.
Additionally, verify that your JSON payload includes the correct timezoneId for the schedule. For Paris, this should be Europe/Paris. The API uses this ID to validate the schedule against local business rules. If the timezoneId is missing or incorrect, the API might assume UTC, leading to a mismatch.
Here is a snippet of how your JSON payload should look:
{
"name": "Paris Support Schedule",
"timezoneId": "Europe/Paris",
"scheduleType": "AGENT",
"startDate": "2023-10-09T00:00:00.000Z",
"endDate": "2023-10-15T00:00:00.000Z",
"schedule": [
{
"agentId": "agent-uuid",
"shifts": [
{
"start": "2023-10-09T07:00:00.000Z",
"end": "2023-10-09T15:00:00.000Z"
}
]
}
]
}
Ensure that the start and end times in the shifts are in UTC. If you are building an integration, consider using the Genesys Cloud Platform API to fetch the organization’s timezone settings dynamically. This will help you automate the conversion process and avoid manual errors.