> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.dscout.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.dscout.com/diary-studies/manage-a-diary-study/how-do-i-open-activities-in-diary-missions.md).

# How do I open activities in diary missions

When building your mission, you have the option of opening activities (formerly known as "parts") to scouts automatically or manually. This setting cannot be changed once your mission is launched.

![](/files/6d238855f78ed6846e1cbd7b27aa8c26c7f531d7)

## Manual Missions

![](/files/9f8117c713060791e11ba48ce7fd826a79faa301)

If you choose to run a manual mission, you will control when subsequent activities are opened for your scouts, so it’s important to monitor the progress of your scouts in the Manage page, and open new activities for them when appropriate. *When you launch a manual mission, only the first activity is published and opened.*

To publish a subsequent activity, navigate to the setup page, select the "questions" tab and click the green Publish button on the top right corner of the screen. Then, navigate to the Manage page to open that activity for them.

Activities must be opened consecutively, and all scouts will see all activities in your mission! This means that if, for example, you open Activity 4 for a group of scouts, Activities 2 and 3 will necessarily be opened for them as well.

**You may edit activities that have been published, so long as they have not been opened to scouts yet.** If you edit an activity that has been published, you will simply need to publish it again to be able to open it to scouts.

![](/files/8487ac1812423b6875fd2adfef409a940f2275ca)

If you’ve set a [due date](/diary-studies/manage-a-diary-study/activity-due-dates-and-reminders.md) for your activity, you’ll be able to override this date when opening parts in a Manual mission. *Once the activity has been opened for scouts, the due date will be locked and you’ll no longer be able to edit it.*

To override a due date when opening an activity, click the checkbox next to the activity or activities that you’re opening + update the dates in the Open Activities modal. Due dates will not change for any scouts that already have access to the activity.

Scouts can still submit entries after the due date passes, but the activity will show as “due” in the app. You’ll still need to manually [close scouts](/recruit-participants/working-with-participants/close-or-re-open-a-participant.md) who have missed deadlines if you don’t wish to offer them an extension.

![](/files/391af79dad4aaa8d5cdfa74fb325f123dc937f92)

## Automatic Missions

If you choose to run an automatic mission, as soon as scouts complete the required number of minimum entries for an activity, the next activity will automatically open for them. In other words, *as soon as you launch an automatic mission, all its activities are published & opened to scouts.*

You *cannot* override any activity due dates for scouts after you launch an automatic mission.


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