ScheduledAnnouncer: Automatic Announcements for Minecraft Servers

Why Your Minecraft Server Needs Automated Announcements

Running a Minecraft server is about more than just keeping the blocks ticking. You need to communicate with your players—sharing rules, events, or just a friendly reminder that creepers are not pets. Doing this manually every few minutes quickly becomes a chore. That is where a lightweight, reliable announcement plugin steps in, and the ScheduledAnnouncer plugin has been a go-to tool for server admins who want to set it and forget it.

What Is the ScheduledAnnouncer Plugin?

ScheduledAnnouncer is a straightforward Bukkit plugin that does exactly what its name suggests: it automatically broadcasts messages to all players based on a schedule you define. There are no bloated features or confusing menus. You load it onto your server, tweak a simple configuration file, and your announcements start rolling. Whether you run a survival, creative, or minigame server, keeping your community informed has never been easier.

Key Features at a Glance

• Sends scheduled broadcasts to every player online, ensuring nobody misses important info.
• Easy configuration via the config.yml file or directly in-game using the /announce command.
• Full support for Minecraft color codes (&1 through &9, &a through &f) and newlines with &n, so your messages look polished.
• Can execute commands inside announcements—for example, automatically setting the time to day with /time day embedded in a message.
• Works with the latest Bukkit permissions system, giving you fine control over who can manage announcements and who sees them.
• Optional random or sequential announcement order, plus a customizable prefix and MOTD (Message of the Day) support.

Setting Up ScheduledAnnouncer on Your Server

Getting the plugin running takes only a couple of minutes. You will need a Spigot, Paper, or any Bukkit-compatible server. The first step is to download the latest release of ScheduledAnnouncer. Once you have the JAR file, place it into your server’s plugins/ directory and restart or reload the server. The plugin will generate a default configuration automatically. For server admins who prefer a streamlined approach, the foxygame.net launcher provides a convenient, flexible, and modern Minecraft launcher where you can download mods and plugins right from the menu, making the installation of tools like ScheduledAnnouncer even simpler. After that, you are ready to start customizing.

Installation Steps

• Download the latest release of the plugin from its official source.
• Upload the JAR file into your server’s plugins/ folder.
• Restart or reload your server to let the plugin generate the default configuration.
• Optionally, watch a video tutorial for visual guidance (search for BrandonHopkins’ walkthrough).

Configuring the Plugin to Match Your Needs

All the magic happens inside the config.yml file. Open it with a text editor and you will see a clean, commented structure. The first section lets you enable or disable announcements entirely with a simple true/false flag. You can choose between random and sequential message order, set the interval in seconds, and define a prefix that appears before every broadcast—like &c[Announcement] to give it a red tint. The messages list is where you add your lines, each supporting color codes and newlines. You can even embed commands: for instance, a line like &aDaylight incoming!&n/time day will announce the text and then run the command to change the time. The plugin also handles the MOTD, which you can toggle on or off and customize separately.

Understanding the config.yml

Here is a quick breakdown of the most important settings:

• enabled: Set to false to temporarily silence all announcements without deleting your list.
• random: True shuffles the order; false plays them sequentially.
• prefix: The text prepended to every broadcast. Use color codes freely.
• interval: Time in seconds between announcements. Keep it reasonable to avoid spam.
• messages: The heart of the plugin—each line is one announcement. Add as many as you like.
• motdEnabled and motd: Control the server’s Message of the Day that appears in the multiplayer list.

Command Reference for Server Administrators

ScheduledAnnouncer includes a full set of in-game commands, so you do not need to edit files and reload every time. All commands start with /announce and require the appropriate permission node. Here are the most useful ones:

• /announce add <message> – Adds a new announcement to the list (permission: announcer.add).
• /announce broadcast [<index>] – Immediately sends an existing announcement or a specific one by index (permission: announcer.broadcast).
• /announce delete <index> – Removes the announcement at that index (permission: announcer.delete).
• /announce enable [true|false] – Toggles the announcer on or off (permission: announcer.moderate).
• /announce interval <seconds> – Changes the time between announcements; omit the seconds to see the current interval (permission: announcer.moderate).
• /announce list – Displays all announcements with their indices (permission: announcer.moderate).
• /announce random [true|false] – Switches between random and sequential modes (permission: announcer.moderate).
• /announce setmotd [motd] – Updates the MOTD; leave the motd blank to see the current one (permission: announcer.moderate).
• /announce say [message] – Broadcasts a one-time message without saving it to the config (permission: announcer.moderate).
• /announce reload – Reloads the configuration file (permission: announcer.admin).
• /announce prefix <prefix> – Sets a new prefix, complete with color codes (permission: announcer.moderate).

Permissions and Who Sees Announcements

By default, every player on your server will see the announcements. The plugin uses a simple permission node, announcer.receiver, which is granted to all players automatically. If you want to restrict who sees broadcasts, you can revoke this permission from certain groups using a permissions manager like LuckPerms. All administrative commands are protected behind separate nodes, so you can give moderators access to manage announcements without handing over full admin rights.

Conclusion: Keep Your Players Informed Effortlessly

ScheduledAnnouncer proves that sometimes the simplest tools are the most effective. It strips away complexity and delivers exactly what a busy server owner needs: automated, customizable, and colorful announcements that run in the background. With its support for commands inside messages, you can even create interactive alerts that change the game environment. Whether you are reminding players about upcoming events, sharing rules, or just adding a bit of personality to your server, this plugin handles it all with minimal overhead. Install it, spend five minutes setting up your messages, and let it do the talking while you focus on building the best Minecraft world possible.