Event timers
Show a live countdown in a category or voice channel name, then post an announcement embed when your event, launch or stream starts.
On this page
An event timer renames a category or voice channel with a live countdown, like
⏳ Launch in 3d 4h 10m. When the time arrives, Buddy switches the name to something like
Event live! and can post an embed to tell everyone. It's a simple way to build hype for a
launch, tournament, stream or season start, right at the top of your channel list.
Before you start#
- Create the category or voice channel you want to use first. Voice channels work well because nobody can type in them.
- If it isn't listed on the dashboard, run
/setupin Discord, choose Update Channels and Roles for Website, then refresh the page.
Discord only allows a couple of channel renames every 10 minutes. Buddy respects this by renaming at most 2 times per 10 minutes per server, across all of your event timers. If you run several timers at once, they take turns and each one updates less often.
Set it up#
It's under Automation & alerts in the sidebar.
The Add Event Timer window opens.
Under What to rename, set Apply to to Category or Voice Channel, then pick it from the list.
Under Countdown, enter the Target date and time, a Name template with {time} where the countdown goes, and the Update interval (minutes). Optionally fill in Display units and Largest unit only.
Under When the time is reached, set the Ended name, and optionally an Event message channel and Embed message to announce the start.
Under Repeat and chain (optional), set a Repeat interval (minutes) to restart the timer, or a Next timer ID to start another timer when this one ends.
Click Create Timer. It appears in Your event timers and starts on Buddy's next check (within about a minute).
To change a timer, click the pencil in Your event timers. The Edit Event Timer window also has a Status option to switch it between Active and Paused. Click Update Timer to save. The bin icon deletes a timer.
Settings explained#
| Setting | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Apply to | Rename a Category or a Voice Channel. | Category |
| Category / Voice channel | The channel Buddy renames. | None |
| Target date and time | When the countdown ends. | Empty |
| Name template | The channel name while counting down. {time} is replaced with the countdown. If you leave {time} out, the countdown is added to the end. Names are cut to 100 characters. | Event in {time} |
| Update interval (minutes) | How often Buddy refreshes the name. Your plan sets a minimum: 10 minutes on the free plan, so lower values are raised to 10 when you save. | 5 on Premium; free servers start at 10 |
| Display units | Which units to show, separated by commas: years, months, days, hours, minutes (short forms like d, h, m work too). Leave blank for days, hours and minutes. | Days, hours, minutes |
| Largest unit only | Yes (shorter display) shows only the biggest unit, like 3d instead of 3d 4h 10m. | No (show full countdown) |
| Ended name | The channel name once the countdown is over. | Event live! |
| Event message channel | Where the end-of-countdown embed is posted. Use default (system/first available) picks your server's system channel, or the first channel where Buddy can post. | Use default |
| Embed message | The embed text Buddy posts when the time is reached. Leave empty to only rename the channel. Up to 4096 characters. | Empty |
| Repeat interval (minutes) | After it ends, the timer starts again and counts down this many minutes. Leave blank to run once. | Off |
| Next timer ID | When this timer ends, start the timer with this ID (from the ID column). | Off |
| Delay before next (minutes) | How long the next timer counts down for once it starts. | 0 |
| Status (edit only) | Active or Paused. Paused timers don't update. | Active |
How the countdown looks#
The countdown uses short labels: y (years), mo (months), d (days), h (hours) and
m (minutes). Leading units that are zero are skipped, so with the default units a timer
reads 3d 4h 10m, then 4h 10m on the last day, then 10m in the final hour.
Because Buddy only renames at your update interval, the name can be a few minutes behind the real time, and the switch to your Ended name (plus the embed) happens on the first update after the target time.
Repeating and chaining timers#
- Repeat interval is great for recurring events. Set the target to your first event and the repeat to
10080(one week) and the timer restarts each time it ends. - Next timer ID builds a sequence. When this timer ends, Buddy activates the next timer on the same channel, with its countdown set to the Delay before next value. That timer then uses its own name template, ended name and embed. If a chain is set, Repeat interval is ignored.
Commands#
You can do everything from Discord too. Run /eventtimer (needs Manage Server) and Buddy
opens a private panel that only you can see:
- The list shows every timer with its target, status and end time (in your own timezone). Pick one from the menu to edit it.
- New timer opens a form: the category or voice channel to rename, the end time, the channel name (with
{time}), the name once it ends, and an optional announcement channel. - Each timer's editor has three sections: Countdown (running on/off, target, end time, name, update interval, units), When it ends (end name, announcement channel and text) and Repeat & chain. Every change saves straight away. Delete timer asks you to confirm.
/eventtimer timer:<number>jumps straight to one timer's editor.
/eventtimer [timer] Manage ServerOpen the event timer panel: countdowns that rename a category or voice channel.
Type the end time as YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM in UTC, or paste a Discord timestamp such as
<t:1798740000:F> (sites like hammertime.cyou make one in your timezone). The panel shows
the end time as a Discord timestamp in your own timezone so you can double-check it.
Placeholders#
These work in Embed message (and the embed_message command option):
| Placeholder | Becomes |
|---|---|
{time} | The event time as a full Discord timestamp, shown in each member's own timezone |
{server} | Your server's name |
{members} | Your current member count |
{role:ROLE_ID} | A mention of a role |
{user:USER_ID} | A mention of a member |
{channel:CHANNEL_ID} | A link to a channel |
In Name template, only {time} is replaced (with the countdown).
Examples#
A launch countdown on a voice channel:
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Name template | 🚀 Launch in {time} |
| Ended name | 🚀 We're live! |
| Embed message | {role:123456789012345678} The new season is **live**! Jump in at {channel:123456789012345678}. |
What the channel list shows while it counts down, and the announcement when it ends:
More name templates to copy:
⏳ {time} until Game Night
[{time}] Tournament
🎄 Christmas in {time}Troubleshooting#
The channel name isn't changing#
- Check Buddy has View Channel and Manage Channels on that category or voice channel (channel overrides can block it even if the role has the permission). Failures are recorded on the dashboard Error Log, and Buddy waits longer between retries until it's fixed.
- Make sure the timer's Status is Active.
- Remember the rename limit: at most 2 renames per 10 minutes per server. Several timers in one server slow each other down.
- Your interval may be higher than you typed. On the free plan, dashboard timers update every 10 minutes at the fastest.
The countdown is off by a few hours#
The dashboard sends the Target date and time exactly as you typed it, and Buddy reads it on
its own server clock. If your timezone is different, the end time can be shifted. Run
/eventtimer to see the end time in your timezone. If it's wrong, open the timer, press
Time & name and enter the time in UTC (or paste a Discord timestamp).
The end embed didn't post#
- Embed message must have text. If it's empty, Buddy only renames the channel.
- Buddy needs Send Messages and Embed Links in the Event message channel. If it can't post there, it falls back to the system channel or the first channel it can post in.
The timer shows "Paused" after it ended#
A timer without a repeat or chain finishes and turns itself off. Edit it with a new target time and set Status to Active to use it again.