Nested Playlist

A nested playlist is simply a playlist placed inside another playlist. When the outer playlist reaches that spot, the inner playlist's content plays right there — as if its items belonged to the outer one.

Think of it as a reusable building block. You create a block of content once, drop it into as many playlists as you like, and whenever you update the block, every playlist that uses it stays up to date — no need to re-edit each one by hand.

Is this available to me? Nested playlists are part of a higher plan. If the Playlists tab is greyed out when you're adding content, the feature isn't switched on for your account yet — just ask your administrator.

Why people use nested playlists

Here are the most common reasons to reach for nesting:

• Reuse the same content in many places. A "Company News" or "Safety Messages" block that you maintain once and drop into several screens.
• Let different teams own different blocks. Marketing keeps the "Promotions" block fresh, the venue manager keeps "Local Info" current, and the screen's main playlist just pulls in both. Everyone edits their own part without stepping on anyone else's.
• Build a bigger lineup from smaller pieces. Chain themed blocks together (Morning → Lunch → Evening) inside one playlist.
• Play a whole block only at certain times. Want a block to appear only during lunch, only on weekends, or only between 9am and 5pm? Nest it and give that one nested item a schedule. The entire block follows those rules.
• Trigger a whole block on an event. Nesting is great when you want an entire playlist to kick in based on something happening — for example an AI detection (a person approaches, a certain object is recognised), the current weather, the time of day, or another trigger. Instead of attaching conditions to lots of individual items, you attach them once to the nested block and the whole block reacts together.

If a piece of content only ever lives in one playlist, you don't need nesting — just add it directly.

How it works, in plain terms

1. You add one playlist into another as a single item (it appears as a "playlist" entry rather than a normal media item).
2. When the main playlist reaches that item, it plays the nested playlist's content in place, then carries on with the rest.
3. The nested playlist is linked, not copied. Whatever it contains at the moment it plays is what shows on screen — so editing the block updates every screen that uses it.
4. You can nest several levels deep (a playlist inside a playlist inside a playlist), and you never have to worry about a playlist accidentally referencing itself — the system handles that safely.

A nested playlist plays its whole current content each time the main playlist reaches it.

Adding a nested playlist

1. Open the playlist you want to add to in the Playlist editor.
2. In the content picker, switch to the Playlists tab.
3. Find the playlist you want to embed and add it.

It shows up as a single item that stands for the whole nested playlist. You can drag it to reorder it, give it timing or trigger rules, and mix it freely with normal items (media, scenes, apps).

A few things worth knowing:

• SyncPlay playlists can't be nested. Only regular playlists appear in the Playlists tab.
• Position matters. The block plays wherever you place it.
• You can add more than one. A playlist can pull in several blocks, in any order, alongside its own items.

Playing a block only at certain times

This is one of the handiest things nesting unlocks. Because a nested playlist is a single item in its parent, you can put one timing rule on it and the whole block follows that rule.

For example:

• A "Happy Hour" block that only plays 4pm–6pm.
• A "Weekend Specials" block that only appears on Saturdays and Sundays.
• A "Morning Briefing" block scheduled for the start of the day.

Just nest the block, then add a schedule to that nested item. There's no need to schedule each individual slide inside the block — the whole block turns on and off together.

Triggering a block on an event

Nesting also shines when you want an entire playlist to react to something rather than play on a fixed timer. Set the trigger or condition once, on the nested item, and the whole block responds as a unit.

Common examples:

• AI detection. Show a "Welcome / Promo" block when a person is detected near the screen, or play a specific block when a particular object is recognised.
• Weather. Play a "Hot Day" block when it's warm out, or a "Rainy Day" block when it's wet.
• Time or context. Swap in a different block depending on the moment.

Rather than tagging dozens of individual items with the same condition, you wrap them in a nested playlist and apply the condition once. Cleaner to set up, and easy to change later.

A great combo: nesting a self-updating (tag-based) block

Nesting pairs really well with tag-based playlists. A tag-based playlist keeps itself filled with the right content automatically; nesting lets you reuse that self-updating block anywhere.

The payoff is a screen that updates itself two ways at once:

• the tag-based block fills with the right content on its own, and
• every playlist that includes it shows that content without anyone re-editing it.

Example — one "Promos" block on many screens

You run three store screens. This week's promos should appear on all of them, but each store also has its own local content.

1. Create a tag Promo and a tag-based playlist "Promos" that sources the Promo tag, with Auto-publish on.
2. Create one playlist per store — "Store A Screen", "Store B Screen", "Store C Screen" — and in each, add the Promos block plus that store's own local items.
3. Publish each store playlist to its screen once.

From then on, tagging a new image Promo flows it into the Promos block, and all three screens refresh automatically. You maintain promos in one place; three screens stay current.

Example — compose a day from themed blocks

1. Create tag-based playlists "Morning", "Lunch", and "Evening", each sourcing its own tag.
2. Create a "Daily Lineup" playlist and nest all three, in order. Give each nested block a schedule so Morning plays in the morning, and so on.
3. Publish Daily Lineup to your screens.

Staff just tag content morning / lunch / evening; the right block fills up and the screens stay in sync — no one edits the lineup again.

When does the screen update?

When a tag-based block changes and Auto-publish is on, the system finds every screen showing that block — even when it's nested a few levels deep — and refreshes them for you. If Auto-publish isn't on, just re-publish the main playlist yourself.

Tips and good practices

• Keep each block single-purpose. One block, one idea ("News", "Promos", "Lunch menu"). Small, focused blocks are the easiest to reuse.
• Name blocks and screens differently. Screens like "Store A Screen", blocks like "Promos" / "Company News" — it keeps the Playlists tab easy to scan.
• Mix fixed and dynamic. Keep a permanent intro as a normal item and let nested blocks fill the rest.
• Re-publish after editing a block unless it's a tag-based block with Auto-publish on — otherwise your changes reach the screen only once the main playlist is published again.
• Flatter is friendlier. Nesting can go several levels deep, but simpler structures are easier to understand.

Frequently asked questions

Does nesting copy the playlist or link to it? It links. The block's current content is what plays, so editing it once changes it everywhere.

Can I put the same block in more than one playlist? Yes — that's the whole point. Use it in as many playlists as you like.

Can I make a block play only at certain times? Yes. Add a schedule to the nested item and the entire block follows it.

Can I trigger a whole block on an event like AI detection or weather? Yes. Apply the trigger or condition to the nested item, and the whole block reacts together.

What if a playlist ends up referencing itself? Nothing breaks. The system notices and stops safely, so it never plays forever.

Can I nest tag-based playlists? Yes, and it's one of the most useful patterns — a self-updating block you can drop onto many screens.

Will my screens update when I change a nested block? Yes, once the main playlist on the screen is published again. With a tag-based block that has Auto-publish on, that happens automatically; otherwise, publish the main playlist yourself.

Can I nest a SyncPlay playlist? No. SyncPlay playlists aren't available for nesting.

The Playlists tab is greyed out — why? Nested playlists are a plan feature. If it's switched off, the tab is unavailable — ask your administrator about enabling it.