Setting Up Automatic Restarts for your Server

The Schedules tab in your SimpleGameHosting panel can be used to automatically restart your server at any time you choose. This guide will walk you through how to set that up.

Regular restarts are a good way to help keep your server running smoothly. They can clear out unused resources and reduce the chances of lag or unexpected crashes.

❓Not sure how Schedules work? Check out this guide for a quick introduction!

Step 1: Log In to Your Game Panel

To get started, head over to the SimpleGameHosting Panel and log in. Once you're in, select the server you want to set up scheduled backups for.

Step 2: Create a New Restart Schedule 

Once you’re logged into the SimpleGameHosting Panel, click on your server, then go to the Settings tab in the left-hand menu. From there, select Schedules.

This is where you can create and manage automated tasks for your server. While there are many possible uses for schedules, this guide will focus on setting up one specifically for creating server restarts.

💡Note: If you're interested in setting up other types of scheduled tasks, feel free to check out our detailed guide here.

Creating the Schedule

⚠️Important: The time you set here is based off of Eastern Standard Time. Be sure to convert your times into this so that the schedule works at the right time!

1. On the Schedules tab, click the Create Schedule button. A pop-up will appear where you can configure the schedule. Here’s what each field does:

• Schedule Name - This can be anything you want. It’s just for your reference.
• Time Interval - This controls how often the task will run. The "Cheatsheet" toggle is helpful for getting started, but you can also refer to crontab.guru for more detailed customization.
• Only When Server is Online - Enable this if you want the schedule to run only when the server is turned on. For backups, you may want to turn this off to ensure the task runs no matter what.
• Schedule Enabled - This toggle simply activates or deactivates the schedule.

2. Once you’ve set everything the way you want it, click Create Schedule. You’ll now see your new schedule listed in the Schedules tab. The example shown below is set to run once every 6 hours.

💡Tip: The best time to schedule restarts is when few or no players are online.

Step 3: Warn Players Before Restarting (Optional)

Before setting up the restart task, it’s a good idea to send a warning message to all players on the server. This gives everyone time to finish what they’re doing or move to a safe area before the server shuts down.

You can do this by creating a “Send Command” task just before your restart task. Here’s how to set it up:

1. Click on your newly created schedule from the list to open it.

2. In the top-right corner, click the New Task button.

3. In the pop-up window, configure the following:

• Action: Select Send Command from the dropdown
• Payload: Type your warning message. Make sure to start the message with say so it broadcasts to all players
  • Example: say Warning! The server will restart in 5 minutes!
• Continue On Failure: Toggle this on to make sure other tasks in the schedule still run if this one fails

4. Click Create Task to save it.

Now your server will send out a warning before every scheduled restart, helping players avoid any surprises or lost progress.

Step 4: Create a Restart Task for Your Schedule

Now that your schedule is set up, you’ll need to add a task that tells the server to restart at a certain time and/or date.

1. Click on your new schedule from the list to open it.

2. In the top-right corner, click the New Task button.

3. In the pop-up window, set the following options:

• Action: Select Send power action from the dropdown menu
• Payload: Select Restart the server from the dropdown menu.
• Continue On Failure: Toggle this on so that if this task fails, any future tasks in the schedule can still run (if applicable)
• Time Offset (optional): If you’re planning to include a warning message before your scheduled restart, we recommend setting a Time Offset on the restart task. This option delays the restart by a specific number of seconds, giving players time to prepare after seeing the message.
  • For example, setting the offset to 300 seconds (5 minutes) works well for most cases.
  • To use this effectively, be sure to create the Send Command task first, followed by the restart task with the offset applied.

4. Click Create Task to save it.

Now your server will automatically send a warning before each scheduled restart, giving players a heads-up and helping prevent any unexpected disconnects or lost progress.

Below is an example of a complete restart schedule that runs every 6 hours, including a warning message sent 5 minutes before each restart:

Testing Your Restart Schedule

If you want to make sure everything is working as expected, click the Run Now button in the schedule view. This will trigger the task immediately.

If you need help, don't hesitate to reach out to our support team by submitting a Support Ticket or contacting us directly via LiveChat!