---
title: How to Schedule Digital Signage Content by Time of Day
description: Set up dayparting in Loopvew — a playlist for each part of the day, scheduled to its time window, with a fallback so screens are never blank.
type: howto
date: 2026-09-13
authors:
  - Loopvew Team
category: Content
visual: schedule
tags: [scheduling, dayparting, playlists, menu boards]
totalTime: PT15M
requirements:
  - A paired Loopvew screen with the correct time zone set.
  - Content for each part of the day, such as breakfast and lunch menus.
steps:
  - name: Map your dayparts
    text: Write down each time window and what should play in it, for example breakfast from opening to 11:00, lunch from 11:00 to 16:00.
  - name: Build a playlist per daypart
    text: Create one playlist for each time window with the content for that part of the day.
  - name: Schedule each playlist
    text: Assign each playlist to the screen or group with its start and end time and the days it should run.
  - name: Cover the gaps
    text: Schedule a fallback playlist, such as a brand loop with opening hours, across any time not covered by a daypart, so the screen is never blank.
  - name: Verify the switch
    text: Check the screen at the switch-over time, or use a remote screenshot, to confirm the right playlist is live.
faq:
  - question: What is dayparting?
    answer: Dayparting means showing different content at different times of day, such as a breakfast menu in the morning and a lunch menu from 11:00. Schedules switch playlists automatically.
  - question: Why did my schedule switch at the wrong time?
    answer: The most common cause is an incorrect time zone on the screen. Check the time zone set when the screen was registered, and the device clock.
---

Dayparting shows different content at different times of day — breakfast in the morning, lunch at noon, a closing-time reminder in the evening — without anyone touching a screen. Here's how to set it up in Loopvew.

## Step 1 — Map your dayparts

Write the schedule down first:

| Daypart | Time | Playlist |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Breakfast | Opening–11:00 | Breakfast menu |
| Lunch | 11:00–16:00 | Lunch menu |
| Evening | 16:00–closing | Dinner menu + tomorrow's offer |
| After hours | Closing–opening | Screen off or brand loop |

Also note any day-of-week differences, such as a weekend brunch.

## Step 2 — Build a playlist per daypart

Create one playlist for each row in your table. Keep structures consistent — if the lunch menu has three slides, the breakfast menu should follow the same layout, so the switch feels seamless.

## Step 3 — Schedule each playlist

Assign each playlist to the screen — or to a [group](/guides/playlists-and-scheduling) of screens — with its start time, end time and the days it runs. Schedules use the time zone set on each screen, so locations in different time zones switch at their own local time.

## Step 4 — Cover the gaps

Gaps happen: an early opening, a late close, a forgotten holiday. Schedule a **fallback playlist** — brand content, opening hours, a welcome message — across any time your dayparts don't cover, so the screen is never blank.

## Step 5 — Verify the switch

At the first switch-over, check the screen in person or take a remote screenshot from the CMS to confirm the right playlist went live. See [manage screens remotely](/how-to/manage-screens-remotely).

## Troubleshooting

- **Switched at the wrong time:** check the screen's time zone and the device clock.
- **Old content still showing:** confirm the screen is online and has synced; cached content plays until new content downloads.
- **Blank screen:** check that every hour of the day is covered by a daypart or your fallback playlist.

## Ideas beyond menus

- Commuter-hour offers on weekday mornings.
- Staff shift messages that change with each shift.
- Event promotions that run only in the week before the event.
- Screens scheduled off overnight to save power.

Read the full [playlists and scheduling guide](/guides/playlists-and-scheduling) for more patterns.