# Signage schedules and zones

Schedules decide which playlist plays when, by time of day, day of the week and dates. Admins can also group locations into zones and send one playlist to all of them.

For: Admins, Managers · On: Web · [Help Center](https://www.mays.app/help) › [Food safety & signage](https://www.mays.app/help/food-safety-devices) · Last updated October 12, 2026 · Mays Team

Schedules decide which playlist plays when, by time of day, day of the week and dates. Admins can also group locations into zones and send one playlist to all of them.

**Who:** admins, and managers for their own locations, on the web. Only admins use zones. You need a [digital signage](https://www.mays.app/help/food-safety-devices/digital-signage-overview) subscription.

## How a screen decides what to play

1. **A schedule that's on right now** for the screen, its whole location, or a zone its location is in. If more than one is on, the highest **Priority** wins. On a tie, a schedule for one screen beats one for the whole location, which beats a zone's. After that, the most recently created one wins.
2. **The screen's own playlist**, chosen on the Screens page.
3. **The location default playlist.**
4. Nothing: the screen shows *No content scheduled*.

Times follow the location's time zone.

## Create a schedule

1. Pick the location in the location switcher, then go to **Signage → Schedules**.
2. Click **New schedule**.
3. **Target**: **Whole location**, **One screen** (then pick the **Screen**), or, for admins, **Zone (group of locations)** (then pick the **Zone**).
4. **Playlist**: the one to play.
5. **From** and **Until**: the time of day. It starts as all day, 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM.
6. **Start date** and **End date** (optional): the first and last day it runs.
7. **Days**: click the days it plays. Leave them all off for every day.
8. **Priority**: a higher number wins when schedules overlap. It starts at 0.
9. Click **Create schedule**.

![The New schedule window: Target Whole location (North), Playlist Lunch board, From 11:00 AM, Until 03:00 PM, empty start and end dates, Days Mon to Fri selected, Priority 0, and Create schedule](https://mays-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/site/help__signage-schedules-and-zones__01-new-schedule.1ef83e8745.png)

The **Schedules** page lists each schedule with its playlist, target, times, days, dates and priority. To change one, delete it (**⋮ → Delete**) and create it again.

![Signage → Schedules: Fall promo for Zone · Florida stores, 12am to 11:59pm every day, Oct 1, 2026 to Oct 31, 2026, priority 5; and Lunch board for Location · North, 11am to 3pm, Mon to Fri, always, priority 0](https://mays-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/site/help__signage-schedules-and-zones__02-schedules-list.8598c7aae6.png)

## An example

| What you set up | What the North screens play |
| --- | --- |
| **Breakfast board** is North's location default | Breakfast, whenever nothing else is on |
| **Lunch board** for the whole location, 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Monday to Friday, priority 0 | Lunch on weekday lunchtimes |
| **Fall promo** for the *Florida stores* zone, October 1 to 31, all day, priority 5 | The promo all day in October, even at lunchtime, because 5 beats 0 |

## Zones

A zone is a group of locations, such as all your Florida stores. A schedule for a zone plays on every screen at every location in it.

1. Go to **Signage → Zones** (admins only). Open it from the sidebar.
2. Click **New zone**, type a **Zone name**, and click **Create zone**.
3. Use **+ Add location…** to add each location. **×** next to a location takes it out.

![Signage → Zones: the Florida stores zone with North and South](https://mays-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/site/help__signage-schedules-and-zones__03-zones.580717962d.png)

- Rename a zone by clicking its name. The bin deletes it, and its schedules stop.
- A zone schedule needs an **All locations** playlist. See [Signage media and playlists](https://www.mays.app/help/food-safety-devices/signage-media-and-playlists).
- It plays only at locations in the zone that have a signage subscription and a paired screen.

## Check what a screen is playing

On **Signage → Screens**, click **Preview** on the screen. **Scheduled to play now** shows the playlist it should be playing and its items.

![The Preview window for Front counter menu board: Live screen with No screenshot yet — click Capture now, and Scheduled to play now: Playlist Breakfast board, 2 items, Breakfast menu.png and Smoothies promo.png](https://mays-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/site/help__signage-schedules-and-zones__04-preview.d0bd96ddd0.png)

## Good to know

- **Overnight:** set **From** later than **Until**, such as 10:00 PM to 2:00 AM, and it runs past midnight. After midnight it's the next day, so if you picked days, tick that one too.
- **Managers don't see zone schedules** in their list, but zone schedules still play on their locations' screens.
- **Open Zones from the sidebar.** Opening its address directly, or reloading the page, takes you back to Screens.
- **Screens pick up a new schedule** within about 10 seconds.

## Related articles

- Food safety & signage: [Digital signage](https://www.mays.app/help/food-safety-devices/digital-signage-overview) — Digital signage turns the TVs in your stores into menu boards. Upload images and videos, put them in playlists and choose when each one plays, on every screen at your locations.
- Food safety & signage: [Signage media and playlists](https://www.mays.app/help/food-safety-devices/signage-media-and-playlists) — Upload the images and videos your screens show, then put them into playlists: the order they play in and how long each image stays on the screen.
- Food safety & signage: [Pair a TV with Mays Player](https://www.mays.app/help/food-safety-devices/pair-a-signage-screen) — Put Mays on a TV: open the Mays Player app or a web browser on the TV, then enter the 6-character code it shows under Signage → Screens → Add screen.

## Still need help?

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Canonical: https://www.mays.app/help/food-safety-devices/signage-schedules-and-zones