Automated Rust Server Announcements: Setting Up Info Messages and Welcome Kits

Admins cannot be online 24/7. New players will join at 3 AM when nobody is there to explain the rules, the kit system, or where to go for support. Automated announcements bridge the gap between admin availability and player needs.

The Announce Plugin

Notify (by Bombardir) is the most widely used announcement plugin for Rust. Configure timed rotating messages in oxide/config/Notify.json:

{
  "Messages": [
    {
      "Message": "🎮 Welcome to [Server Name]! This is a TRIO MAX server. Use /kit starter for your starting pack.",
      "Interval": 600,
      "Type": "Chat"
    },
    {
      "Message": "📋 Server Rules: trio max | no racism | wipes every Thursday | discord.gg/yourserver",
      "Interval": 900,
      "Type": "Chat"
    },
    {
      "Message": "💡 Tip: Use /home to teleport to your sleeping bag. First set: /sethome [name]",
      "Interval": 1200,
      "Type": "Chat"
    },
    {
      "Message": "🗺️ Next wipe: Thursday 14:00 GMT. Blueprint wipe: Monthly. Vote for extensions in Discord!",
      "Interval": 1800,
      "Type": "Chat"
    }
  ]
}

Welcome Messages on Player Connect

The Welcome plugin triggers a private message to each player on connection:

{
  "WelcomeMessage": [
    "Welcome to [Server Name], {player.name}!",
    "This is a TRIO MAX | 2x Gather | Weekly Wipe server.",
    "Type /kit starter for your starting pack.",
    "Rules and community: discord.gg/yourserver",
    "Enjoy your raid! 🔥"
  ]
}

Players who receive a personalised welcome feel acknowledged. High-activity servers (50+ players) that added welcome messages saw measurably higher first-session retention.

Automated Wipe Countdowns

Use the Wipe Info plugin or configure server-side countdowns in announcements:

{
  "Message": "⏰ Wipe in {time_until_wipe}. Make it count!",
  "Interval": 3600
}

Countdown visibility keeps player urgency high during the last 48 hours of a wipe — your most active period.

RCON-Based Scheduling

For more complex scheduling (spawn-time announcements, raid-hour reminders), use an RCON automation script on a VPS cron job:

# Cron: every Friday 8 PM
0 20 * * 5 /usr/local/bin/rcon_send.sh "📢 Raid hours are now OPEN. PvP enabled in all contested zones!"

Space-Node's Rust hosting includes panel-based RCON access so you can run commands and observe announcements in real-time from any browser.

Host your Rust server with full plugin support on Space-Node