Schedule content by time, day and date

Schedule rules decide which playlist a screen plays at a given time. Use them for dayparting (a breakfast menu until 11:00, then lunch), for weekdays only, or for a promotion that runs between two dates.

How scheduling works

• The playlist you pick for a zone in the screen's settings is the everyday choice. It plays whenever no other rule applies.
• A schedule rule says: in this zone, play this playlist on these dates, days and times.
• When several rules match at the same moment, the one with the highest Priority number wins. If priorities are equal, the newest rule wins.
• A rule marked Default / fallback only plays when no other rule matches.

Steps: switch menus at a set time

Example: the screen plays "Lunch menu" all day, but "Breakfast menu" from 6:00 to 11:00.

1. In Screens, click the screen. Set its Main zone to "Lunch menu" and click Publish.
2. Click Scheduling next to What's playing. The Schedule rules window opens.
3. Under Zone, keep main. Under Content, keep One playlist, and under Playlist, choose "Breakfast menu".
4. Set Priority to 1 so the rule beats the everyday playlist.
5. Set Start time to 06:00 and End time to 11:00.
6. Leave the days empty for every day, or click the days you want, such as Mon to Fri.
7. Click Add rule. The rule appears in the table at the top and is saved straight away; there is nothing to publish.

Steps: run a promotion between two dates

1. Open the screen, click Scheduling and choose the promotion playlist.
2. Set Priority to 1 or higher.
3. Pick a Start date and an End date. The rule starts at the beginning of the start date and ends at the end of the end date.
4. Click Add rule. After the end date, the screen goes back to its everyday playlist by itself.

Can a time window run past midnight?

Yes, for schedule rules. A rule from 22:00 to 06:00 plays overnight. (Slide conditions, described below, can't cross midnight.)

Which time zone do the times use?

Schedule times follow the CastWize server's clock. There is no time zone setting per screen yet. After you add your first timed rule, check that the screen switches when you expect. If it is off by some hours, email [email protected].

How quickly does the screen switch?

Players check in about every 15 seconds, so a rule takes effect shortly after its start time. If the new playlist has large videos the player hasn't downloaded yet, it shows them once they are downloaded.

Can I schedule many screens at once?

Yes. In Groups, a group can have its own schedule rules for all of its screens. A rule set on one screen always beats the group's rule for that screen, so you can make an exception for one location.

Can I schedule a single slide instead of a whole playlist?

Yes. In the playlist, select the slide, click Edit slide and open the Conditions tab. Set a start and end date, start and end times, or days of the week, then click Save. Outside those times the slide is skipped. Here the start time must be earlier than the end time. You can also choose a Required screen tag so the slide only shows on screens with that tag.

What if nothing is scheduled?

If a zone has only timed rules and none of them matches right now, that zone is empty. Keep an everyday playlist on the zone, or add a Default / fallback rule, so the screen is never blank. See Troubleshooting.