Timed messages
Have Buddy post a message in a channel at the same time every day, like daily reminders, rules or check-ins, with optional auto delete.
On this page
Timed messages are posts Buddy sends on its own, at the same time every day. Use them for a daily "drink some water" reminder, a rules recap, a morning check-in or a nightly "the event starts in an hour" ping. Set them up once and Buddy handles the rest.
Before you start#
Timed messages are a Premium feature. Without Premium on the server, the Timed messages page shows a Compare Premium plans button instead of the form, and Buddy stops posting any timed messages you saved earlier until Premium is back.
If the channel you want isn't in the Channel list, run /setup in Discord, choose
Update Channels and Roles for Website, then refresh the dashboard.
Set it up#
It's under Automation & alerts in the sidebar.
In Add a timed message, enter the Time in your own timezone. The dashboard shows which timezone it detected under the field.
Choose the Channel Buddy should post in.
Type your text in Message. You can use the placeholders listed below the box (and on this page).
Set Message type to Regular Message or Embed Message, and pick an Auto delete option if you don't want the posts to pile up.
Click Add timed message. It appears in Your timed messages, with the time shown in your local timezone.
To change one later, click the pencil next to it in Your timed messages, edit it on the When and where and Message cards, then click Save changes. The bin icon deletes it.
How the time works#
Buddy's clock runs on US Central time (America/Chicago). You don't have to do any maths: the dashboard converts the time you type from your browser's timezone to US Central when you save, and converts it back when it shows your list. The note at the top of the form tells you which timezone it detected.
The conversion uses today's date. If your timezone and US Central switch to or from daylight saving time on different dates, a message can post an hour early or late for a few weeks. Open it and click Save changes again after the clocks change to line it back up.
Each timed message posts once per day. If Buddy restarts, it catches up on anything it missed from the last 15 minutes, so a short restart won't skip your post.
Settings explained#
| Setting | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Time | The time of day to post, entered in your local timezone. Posts every day at this time. | Empty |
| Channel | Where the message is posted. Must be a channel in this server. | None |
| Message | The text Buddy posts. Supports placeholders (below). | Empty |
| Message type | Regular Message posts plain text. Embed Message puts the text in an embed using your server's embed color from Bot settings, with a timestamp. | Regular Message |
| Auto delete | Disable keeps every post. Delete Message after 1 / 5 / 10 Minute removes each post after that long. Delete the previous post when this message reposts keeps only the newest copy in the channel. | Disable |
For a daily reminder, choose Delete the previous post when this message reposts. Each day's post replaces yesterday's, so the channel always has exactly one copy.
Placeholders#
| Placeholder | Becomes |
|---|---|
{server} | Your server's name |
{members} | Your current member count |
{role:ROLE_ID} | A mention of a role, e.g. {role:123456789012345678} |
{user:USER_ID} | A mention of a member, e.g. {user:123456789012345678} |
{channel:CHANNEL_ID} | A link to a channel, e.g. {channel:123456789012345678} |
To get an ID, turn on Developer Mode in Discord (User Settings > Advanced), then right-click the role, member or channel and choose Copy ID.
Role and member mentions in a timed message notify those people every day. Use a role members can opt into rather than a big role everyone has.
Examples#
A daily check-in, as an Embed Message:
☀️ Good morning, {server}! We're {members} strong today.
Share what you're working on in {channel:123456789012345678}.What members see each morning:
An event reminder that pings an opt-in role, as a Regular Message with Delete Message after 10 Minute:
{role:123456789012345678} Game night starts in one hour! Grab a seat in the lobby.Premium#
The whole feature needs Premium. If Premium lapses, your timed messages stay saved but Buddy skips them until Premium is active again. See Premium for plans.
Troubleshooting#
It doesn't post#
- Make sure the server still has Premium. Without it, timed messages are skipped.
- Check Buddy can View Channel and Send Messages in the channel. For Embed Message, it also needs Embed Links. A missing Send Messages permission is recorded on the dashboard Error Log.
- If you deleted and recreated the channel, edit the timed message and pick the new channel.
- Give it a minute. Buddy checks timed messages once a minute, so a post can land up to a minute after the set time.
It posts at the wrong time#
The time is converted from the timezone your browser reports. If you saved it from a device set to a different timezone (or before a daylight saving change), open the message, re-enter the Time and click Save changes.
The channel I want isn't in the list#
New channels show up after you run /setup and choose Update Channels and Roles for
Website in Discord. Refresh the dashboard afterwards.
Old posts aren't being deleted#
Auto delete timers run on Buddy's side. If Buddy restarts while a "delete after" timer is waiting, that one post stays. Delete the previous post when this message reposts doesn't have this problem, because Buddy remembers the last post and removes it the next day.