The reliable way to automate announcements in 7 Days to Die is to schedule a console command, not to edit a configuration file. In a hosting control panel, create a task whose type is Console/RCON Command, enter say "Your message here", save it, and apply the task. At the scheduled time, the panel sends that command to the live game console so connected players see the message. If your host does not expose command scheduling, a server manager such as CSMM can run recurring commands and timed messages on a self-hosted server.
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This guide covers the provider-panel workflow, a self-hosted-manager fallback, restart-warning schedules, access settings, version pitfalls, testing, and recovery when a scheduled say command appears to do nothing.
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A scheduled announcement is a live console action. The scheduler waits until a specified time or interval, then submits a command to the running 7 Days to Die server. The command is interpreted exactly as if an administrator had entered it in the server console or through an authorized remote-console connection.
For a broadcast, the command is:
say "Your_Message_Here"
The quotation marks are important when the message contains spaces. Replace the text between them with the announcement you want players to see. For example:
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say "Server restart in 30 minutes"say "Blood Moon begins at 22:00"say "Save completed. Please avoid logging out for two minutes"
A scheduler that merely edits serverconfig.xml cannot broadcast a chat message. The task must execute a console or remote-console command against the active server process.
Choose the scheduling method
Your first decision is where the task will run. The best option depends on who controls the machine and whether a command scheduler is already available.
| Option | Best for | What it provides | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hosting-panel scheduled task | Players renting a managed server | Fast setup in the provider’s control panel; the documented task type sends a console command at a chosen time | Only available when the host exposes a Console/RCON scheduler |
| CSMM or another server manager | Self-hosters and administrators who need recurring automation | Interval-based commands, timed messages, world-saving jobs, and a web management layer | You install, secure, update, and monitor an additional service |
| Manual console entry | One-off announcements | No scheduler or extra software required | Nothing repeats automatically, so warnings are easy to miss |
The hosting-panel workflow and CSMM capabilities are documented by Hyper Layer’s hosting guide and the CSMM project README, respectively. The advantages and drawbacks in the table are practical consequences of where each option runs and what it automates.
Seven-day setup plan
You can complete a basic setup in one session, but this seven-day sequence gives you time to validate access, timing, and player-visible behavior before relying on it for restarts.
Day 1: Identify the server environment
- Decide whether the server is managed by a game-server provider or runs on hardware you administer.
- For a managed server, sign in to the provider’s game panel and look for Scheduled Tasks, Scheduler, Automations, or a similar section.
- For a self-hosted server, decide whether you will use the built-in console/Telnet access or install a manager such as CSMM.
- Confirm that the tool can execute a command against the running game server. A generic operating-system cron job is not enough unless it invokes a tool that actually connects to the server console.
If the panel has no task scheduler and you do not want to maintain another service, you can still send messages manually, but recurring restart warnings will require an administrator to be present.
Day 2: Confirm the game version and configuration model
Before changing settings, check the server’s actual game version. The 7 Days to Die Wiki’s V3.3.0 configuration reference states that a V3.3.0 server reads 69 properties from serverconfig.xml. The same reference notes that 30 older properties were removed in V3.0 and that many gameplay controls now come from SandboxCode or runtime preferences.
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This matters because a setting copied from an old tutorial may be ignored even though the XML remains syntactically valid. Scheduled messaging itself is a console operation, but connection settings and administrative interfaces still depend on the live version and configuration model.
Day 3: Check console access and credentials
Inspect the active configuration for the administration entries documented by the settings reference:
TelnetEnabled— whether remote Telnet administration is enabled.TelnetPort— the port on which that interface listens.TelnetPassword— the credential required for the connection.TerminalWindowEnabled— whether a local terminal window is available on the host.
A provider may abstract these values behind its panel, while a self-hosted installation may require you to set and protect them yourself. Record the connection details in a password manager, not in a public configuration snippet. If you change a setting, restart the server only during a maintenance window and verify that the new value is active afterward.
Day 4: Create a short test task
- Open the provider’s scheduled-task page.
- Create a new task and change the task type from the default to Console/RCON Command. Hyper Layer’s documentation specifically calls for this task type.
- In the command field, enter
say "Scheduled message test". - Choose a time or interval only a few minutes in the future. A short test lets you observe the result without waiting for a maintenance window.
- Save the task and use the panel’s Apply, Enable, or equivalent action. Saving a draft without applying it will not execute the command.
Keep at least one player connected during the test. The expected result is a normal server chat announcement visible to every connected player, not a change to an XML file.
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If the scheduled test does not appear, run the same command manually from the local terminal or authorized remote console:
say "Manual console test"
A manual success proves that the command syntax and server permissions are valid; a scheduled failure then points to the task type, task state, timing, or scheduler connection. A manual failure points to console access, credentials, the server process, or command syntax.
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Day 6: Build the production schedule
For a planned restart, a practical warning sequence is 30, 15, 10, 5, and 1 minute before shutdown. These intervals are an editorial operating example, not a cadence prescribed by Hyper Layer or CSMM. Adjust them to the length of your restart, the number of players, and how much warning your community expects.
Create one task for each warning or use a scheduler that supports a relative offset from the restart event. Keep the wording consistent so players can recognize an official notice. Include the expected action and time, for example say "Restart in 10 minutes. Finish underground work and log out safely".
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- Watch at least one complete warning cycle.
- Confirm that each message appears once, in the intended order, and at the intended time zone.
- Check that a restart or save task does not run at the same moment as a message task unless that overlap is intentional.
- Write down the scheduler location, task names, command text, time zone, and the person responsible for changing them.
- Keep a disabled test task available for future troubleshooting, but do not leave duplicate production tasks enabled.
Provider-panel setup, step by step
Panel labels vary, but the sequence is consistent across hosts that support the documented workflow.
- Log in to the game-server control panel.
- Select the specific 7 Days to Die instance, not a general account-level scheduler.
- Open Scheduled Tasks or Scheduler.
- Choose Console/RCON Command as the task type. Do not leave a file, backup, or generic command type selected.
- Paste the command, including quotation marks:
say "Server restart in 10 minutes". - Set the execution time, recurrence, and panel time zone. If the panel offers a server-local and account-local time zone, use the one you have documented and test it.
- Save the task, then click the panel’s apply or enable control.
- Remain connected as a player when the task fires and confirm that the announcement is visible.
Hyper Layer’s hosting documentation, updated June 17, 2026, describes this exact Console/RCON selection and says that applying the task causes the command to execute in the game console at the scheduled time.
Self-hosted automation with CSMM
When a provider does not expose scheduled console commands, CSMM is a documented fallback for self-hosters. Its project README describes a web-based 7 Days to Die server manager with “Server automation – Run any command in any time interval you want” and “Timed server messages.”
Installation details depend on your operating system, deployment method, and the CSMM release you choose, so use the project’s current installation instructions rather than copying a command from an unrelated version. The operational setup is the same:
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- Install the manager on a machine that can reach the game server.
- Configure the server connection and its administrative credentials.
- Verify that the manager can send a harmless command, such as
say "CSMM connection test". - Create a timed-message rule with the exact text and interval you need.
- Enable the rule and monitor the manager logs and in-game output.
Because CSMM is self-managed, include it in your backup, update, firewall, and monitoring plans. A manager that is offline, disconnected, or blocked by a firewall cannot deliver announcements even when its schedule is correct.
Writing messages that players can act on
The say command sends text; it does not explain what players should do. Make each message operationally useful.
- State the event: “Server restart” or “Blood Moon begins.”
- State the remaining time: “in 15 minutes.”
- State the action: “Finish quests and log out safely.”
- Keep one announcement to one purpose: long paragraphs are difficult to read in a busy chat window.
- Use plain punctuation: avoid untested symbols or line-break escapes that your panel may alter.
Examples:
say "Restart in 30 minutes. Please finish missions and move vehicles to a safe location."say "Restart in 5 minutes. Log out before the server closes."say "Server is restarting now. Reconnect after the maintenance notice clears."
Test the exact wording in your server before enabling a recurring schedule. Some panels trim leading spaces, convert quotation marks, or reject characters outside their input rules.
Scheduling restart warnings without creating conflicts
A warning task and a restart task are separate operations. The warnings must run before the restart, while the restart itself should be controlled by the panel, manager, or operating procedure that actually stops and starts the server.
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- Determine the restart time in the scheduler’s time zone.
- Create the warning tasks at the chosen offsets.
- Create or verify the restart action independently.
- Leave enough time between the final warning and shutdown for players to save, move to safety, and disconnect.
- After one complete cycle, inspect the task history for duplicate executions or missed runs.
Do not assume that a message task can restart the server simply because it can run say. A broadcast command and a process-control action have different permissions and failure modes.
What belongs in serverconfig.xml—and what does not
The official configuration documentation describes serverconfig.xml as the file used to adjust server settings. It is not a message queue. Editing it does not send a chat line to connected players, and a generic scheduled edit will not be interpreted as a live console command.
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Use the file for properties that your installed version actually reads, including the administration-interface settings relevant to remote access. For V3.3.0, the current reference says the server reads 69 properties. Because 30 older properties were removed in V3.0 and many gameplay controls moved to SandboxCode or runtime preferences, always compare an old tutorial with the current reference before changing a property.
If you edit the file while the server is running, the process may continue using its already-loaded values. Schedule configuration changes for a controlled restart and keep a backup of the last known-good file.
Security and access-control checklist
Scheduled commands are administrative actions. Treat the scheduler and its credentials as part of your server’s security boundary.
- Use a long, unique Telnet or remote-console password.
- Do not publish the password in a community chat, support ticket, or public repository.
- Restrict the administration port with a firewall or private network where practical.
- Give management software only the permissions it needs.
- Review panel and manager accounts, removing former administrators.
- Check logs for repeated failed connections or unexpected commands.
- Back up the scheduler configuration before changing a large set of tasks.
The settings reference identifies TelnetEnabled, TelnetPort, and TelnetPassword as the relevant remote-access properties. A task can be perfectly configured and still fail if the interface is disabled, the port is wrong, or the password no longer matches.
Troubleshooting: why a scheduled say command does nothing
No message appears, but the task shows as completed
- Confirm the task type is Console/RCON Command, not a file, backup, or operating-system task.
- Check that the command begins with
sayand that the message is enclosed in quotation marks. - Confirm that you saved and applied or enabled the task after editing it.
- Check whether anyone was connected when it fired. A message sent with no players online may not be visible later.
- Run the same command manually. If manual execution fails, troubleshoot console access before changing the schedule.
The task never runs
- Verify the task is enabled rather than saved as a draft.
- Check the scheduler’s time zone, daylight-saving behavior, and recurrence end date.
- Inspect task history or manager logs for a connection error.
- Make sure the server process was running at the scheduled time.
- Look for a second task that disabled, replaced, or duplicated the first one.
Remote-console connection fails
- Inspect
TelnetEnabled,TelnetPort, andTelnetPasswordin the live configuration. - Confirm that a firewall, host security group, or NAT rule allows the manager or provider panel to reach the port.
- Check that the password contains no accidental whitespace and that the manager is using the current value.
- Restart during a maintenance window if the server requires a restart to load changed access settings.
An XML change has no effect
First confirm the game version. The V3.3.0 reference warns that older properties may no longer be read and says many gameplay controls are represented through SandboxCode or runtime preferences. A property removed in V3.0 will not become active merely because it remains in an old configuration file. Restore the last known-good backup if necessary, then use the current version’s settings reference.
Messages arrive at the wrong time
- Compare the panel’s displayed time zone with the server host’s time zone.
- Schedule a one-time test five minutes ahead and record the actual delivery time.
- Check whether a daylight-saving transition occurred between task creation and execution.
- For recurring tasks, confirm that the interval is measured from the previous run rather than from a calendar boundary.
Operating the system after launch
Once the messages work, treat them like a small production service:
- Keep a written inventory of task names, commands, schedules, and owners.
- Test after game updates, provider migrations, firewall changes, or manager upgrades.
- Disable temporary announcements when their event ends; stale warnings reduce player trust.
- Review logs after every planned restart.
- Keep a manual-console procedure available for emergencies.
When a host lacks a scheduler, ask support specifically whether its panel can run a Console/RCON Command on a schedule. If the answer is no, use a maintained server manager with interval automation rather than trying to turn serverconfig.xml into a messaging system.
Source and version notes
Hyper Layer’s hosting documentation, last updated June 17, 2026, documents selecting Console/RCON Command, entering the say command, saving, and applying the scheduled task. The CSMM project README viewed October 14, 2026, documents arbitrary command intervals and timed server messages. The 7 Days to Die Wiki configuration reference, re-checked October 10, 2026, states that a V3.3.0 server reads 69 properties and records the removal of 30 older properties in V3.0. The official configuration documentation identifies serverconfig.xml as the server-settings file.
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