Build a schedule: time blocks, priority and recurrence

A schedule is made of time blocks. Each block says what to play, on which dates, and between which times. This article covers every field on a block, and how the display decides which block wins when two of them overlap.

Add a block

Open the schedule and click the + button at the top left of the calendar. The block form opens.

Every field on a schedule time block.

The fields

Content

Pick a content type, either Playlist or Media item, then the item itself.

A playlist loops for as long as the block is active. A single media item repeats the same way. An image stays on screen, and a video loops.

Start date and end date

Start date is required. It's the first date the block can be active.

End date is optional, and must be on or after the start date.

Leaving the end date empty does not mean "runs forever." A block with no end date and no recurrence plays on its start date only. To make a block run indefinitely, add a recurrence rule.

Start time and end time

The window within each day, in 24-hour HH:MM.

The end time is exclusive. A block ending at 12:00 and another starting at 12:00 hand over cleanly, with no overlap and no gap.

All day

Turn this on instead of setting times, for a block that covers the entire day.

You must set either times or all-day. Leaving both empty gives the error "Start and end times are required unless all day is selected."

Priority

Priority determines which block plays when two or more blocks overlap. The block with the lowest number wins — priority 1 plays before priority 2.

You choose the priority from a dropdown. If your schedule has three blocks, the options are 1, 2, and 3. Changing one block's priority automatically adjusts the others to keep them in order.

Recurrence

Recurrence sets which days, inside the date range, the block actually plays on.

Setting recurrence to None does not mean "every day" — the block will only play once, on its start date. If you want a block to keep running, choose Daily or another repeat option.

The Custom option lets you create your own repeat pattern — for example, every 2 weeks, on specific days of the week, or on a particular day of the month. You can also set it to end after a certain number of occurrences or on a specific date.

How the display decides what to play

The display evaluates which block should be playing every second — this is separate from the 5-minute content update polling described in How updates reach your displays.

At each check it works out the current date and time in the display's own timezone, then finds every block that is active right now:

1. The start date is today or earlier.

2. The end date is today or later, if one is set.

3. Unless the block is all-day, the current time is at or after the start time and before the end time.

Of all the active blocks, the one with the lowest priority number wins. Exactly one block plays. Blocks never stack, merge or alternate.

If no block is active, the screen shows "Display has no running playlists."

Get the timezone right

This is the most common cause of a schedule running at the wrong time. Schedules use the timezone set on the display record in Builder — not your local timezone.

The timezone setting on a display record in Builder — update this before setting up a schedule.

For example, if your display is in Sydney and you schedule a block for 09:00, it will play at 09:00 Sydney time — as long as the display's timezone is set correctly.

New displays default to America/New_York. If your display is in a different timezone, make sure to update this setting in Builder before setting up a schedule.

Patterns that work well

A fallback playlist that fills every gap. Create an all-day block with a general-purpose playlist (like your logo or a welcome screen), set its recurrence to Daily, and give it the lowest priority (highest number). This block will play whenever no other block is active — keeping your screens from ever showing the "no running playlists" message.

Make sure the recurrence is set to Daily, not None — otherwise it will only play for one day and stop.

Opening hours. Schedule your main playlist from 09:00 to 17:00 at a higher priority. Outside those hours, the fallback playlist takes over automatically.

A limited-time promotion. Create a block with a start and end date for the campaign and give it a high priority (low number) so it overrides your regular content. When the campaign ends, it stops automatically.

Different content on different days. Set up one block per day using the Weekly on {day} recurrence — for example, one for Monday, another for Tuesday. This is easier to maintain than creating blocks for individual calendar dates.

Edit or delete a block

Click any block on the calendar to reopen and edit it. Changes will appear on the display within five minutes.

If you delete a block that's currently playing, the display will switch to the next active block based on priority. If no other block is active, it will show the "Display has no running playlists" message.

FAQ

Can two blocks play at once?

No. Only one block plays at a time — the one with the lowest priority number wins.

Why did my block stop after one day?

The recurrence is likely set to None with no end date, which means it only plays on the start date. Change it to Daily to keep it running.

Why is my schedule running at the wrong time?

Check the display's timezone in Builder. Schedules use the display's own timezone, and new displays default to America/New_York.

Next steps

• Assign content to a display
• Display status: what the badges mean
• On-screen messages explained