While Idle Auto-Stop is great for catching unplanned downtime, Automated Scheduling allows you to take full control of your server's uptime. By ensuring your server is only active when your community is actually playing, you can significantly reduce your hourly credit consumption.

Why Use Scheduling?

Because Fern uses a pay-as-you-go hourly billing model, any minute your server is offline is a minute you aren't spending credits. Scheduling is perfect for:

Private Groups: Shutting down at 2 AM and starting back up at 4 PM when everyone gets home from work or school.
Event Servers: Making sure the server is live exactly when a tournament starts.
Trial Runs: Testing a new modpack for just a few hours a day.

How to Set Up a Schedule

You can manage your server's routine directly from the dashboard:

Open your server in Mission Control.
Select the Schedule tab from the sidebar.
Click Add Rule.
Choose an Action (START or STOP).
Select the Days of the Week and the Local Time.
Click Save Rule.

[!TIP] Make sure your Timezone is correctly set at the top of the Schedule page to ensure your rules trigger at the right moment!

Best Practices for Saving $

The "Late Night" Stop: Set a recurring STOP rule for 3:00 AM every day. Even if someone forgets to log off, the server will ensure it doesn't run through the night.
Weekend Buffers: People play more on Saturdays. You might want a later STOP rule for weekends and an earlier one for weekdays.
Combine with Auto-Stop: You don't have to choose one or the other! Use Scheduling for your "guaranteed off" times and Idle Auto-Stop as a safety net for during the day.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if players are still online when a STOP rule triggers?

The server will trigger a graceful shutdown. Players will be disconnected, and the server will save the world state before turning off. We recommend letting your players know about the schedule in advance!

Does it cost anything to use Scheduling?

Not at all. Scheduling is a free tool provided to all Fern users to help manage their credit balance more efficiently.

Looking for more ways to stay on budget? Check out our guide on Tracking Your Spending with the Ledger.