AUTONOMOUS DIGITAL SIGNAGE — celebrating employee birthdays, recognizing top performers, surfacing today's weather forecast, and counting down to the next company holiday — all without anyone lifting a finger?
With Revel Digital's Data Tables and the Custom Prompt + Action type in Scheduled Tasks, that vision is a reality today. Together, these two features form a powerful content automation engine — one that keeps your screens dynamic, timely, and relevant around the clock, without requiring constant manual input from your team.
The Challenge: Keeping Signage Content Fresh
Great digital signage is living content. But keeping it fresh is traditionally a labor-intensive process — someone has to remember to update the birthday shoutout, pull the latest BI stats, write the holiday greeting, and get it published before anyone notices it's stale.
Most organizations manage this with manual content calendars, reminders, and a lot of last-minute scrambling. The result? Screens that feel outdated, miss moments that matter, and ultimately fail to engage the audience they're meant to reach.
Revel Digital's combination of Data Tables and Scheduled Tasks with AI changes the equation entirely.
How It Works: The Building Blocks
Data Tables: Your Structured Content Store
Data Tables in Revel Digital provide a spreadsheet-like interface for managing structured data directly within your CMS. Tables are stored in the cloud and are available to all templates and devices in your account — with real-time updates pushed to connected player devices within seconds of any change. No republishing required.
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| The Data Tables section of the Revel Digital CMS, showing a list of existing tables with row counts and last-modified dates. |
Relevant column types for content automation include:
- String — employee names, recognition messages, event titles
- Date — birthdays, hire dates, event dates (YYYY-MM-DD format)
- Boolean — toggle flags such as “published” or “approved”
- Select — department, category, or status dropdowns
- Rich Text — formatted content ready to display on screen
- Media — linked assets from your Media Library for visual content
Tables also support CSV import/export, REST and GraphQL API integration, version history with rollback, and row-level filtering with AND/OR logic — giving you full control over the data that powers your screens.
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| Configuring a Data Table with String, Date, Select, and Boolean columns to store employee birthday and recognition data. |
Scheduled Tasks (found under Tools > Scheduled Tasks in the CMS) let you automate recurring operations across your signage network using a configurable cron-based schedule. Tasks can target all devices or a specific subset, and run on any schedule you define — hourly, daily, weekly, or on a custom cron expression.
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The Scheduled Tasks dashboard showing task names, types, schedules, last run times, and enable/disable controls.
Unlike the standard AI Analysis types that deliver insights via email, the Custom Prompt + Action type can take real, automated actions: creating or updating content, managing playlists, triggering schedule changes, and more — all driven by your prompt and your data.
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| Creating a new Scheduled Task in the CMS with AI Analysis selected as the task type and Custom Prompt + Action chosen from the Analysis Type dropdown. |
What You Can Automate
The following scenarios can all be powered by a Data Table as the data source and a Custom Prompt + Action Scheduled Task as the automation engine:
| Use Case | Data Table Source | Scheduled Task (Custom Prompt + Action) |
|---|---|---|
| Employee Birthdays | Employee table with name, birthday, department | Daily — find today's birthdays, generate greeting, publish to screens |
| Work Anniversaries | HR table with name, hire date, role | Weekly — scan for upcoming milestones, create recognition content |
| Peer Recognition | Nominations table with nominee, message, approved flag | Daily — publish approved nominations to lobby/common-area displays |
| Upcoming Holidays | Holiday table with name, date, description | Weekly — generate countdown or themed content for the coming week |
| Current Weather | Weather data (fetched by AI or via API-synced table) | Hourly or daily — generate contextual messaging based on forecast |
| New Hire Spotlights | Onboarding table with new employee details | Triggered on new records — publish welcome content to screens |
| Sales Leaderboards | CRM-synced Data Table with rep names and metrics | Daily — generate ranked leaderboard content from latest data |
| Menu / Pricing Updates | Product or menu Data Table | On schedule or on-demand — refresh displayed pricing and availability |
A Closer Look: Three Automation Scenarios
Scenario 1: Employee Birthday & Anniversary Recognition
Data Table setup:
An employee table with columns for name (String), department (Select), birthday (Date), and hire date (Date).
Scheduled Task:
A daily Custom Prompt + Action task runs each morning. The prompt instructs the AI to query the employee table for any birthday or anniversary matches for the current date, generate a personalized on-screen message for each match, and publish it to the appropriate playlist. Content expires automatically at end of day.
The result: no one has to remember. Nothing slips through. Every employee gets their moment, every time.
Scenario 2: Peer-to-Peer Recognition Programs
Data Table setup:
A nominations table fed by a web form or HR platform integration, with columns for nominee name, department, recognition message, nominator, and an approved (Boolean) flag.
Scheduled Task:
A daily Custom Prompt + Action task scans for approved, unpublished nominations, crafts a polished recognition post using the nomination details, and schedules it for the next available content slot on lobby and common-area playlists.
The result: recognition happens in real time, without involving your content team in every post.
Scenario 3: Weather-Aware & Holiday Content
Data Table setup:
A holiday and events table with upcoming dates, names, and messaging themes. Weather data can be maintained in a separate table updated via API, or the AI prompt can be written to fetch and reason about current conditions directly.
Scheduled Task:
An hourly or daily Custom Prompt + Action task generates contextually relevant content — a rainy-day promotion for a retail location, a pre-holiday countdown for an office lobby, a weather briefing for a school or transit display. The AI writes copy that feels natural and on-brand, and publishes it to the right playlists automatically.
The result: screens that respond to the real world in real time, without any manual publishing step.
Why This Matters for Your Organization
- No more stale content. Scheduled Tasks ensure screens are always showing something relevant and timely — not a holiday graphic that's six weeks past.
- Fewer manual touchpoints. Your content team can focus on strategy and creative work rather than repetitive publishing tasks.
- Consistent brand voice. AI-generated content follows your tone and style guidelines, so every birthday message, weather update, or recognition post sounds like it came from the same author.
- Scalability. Whether you manage 5 screens or 500, the same automation rules apply. Content scales with your organization without adding headcount.
- Meaningful employee experiences. Timely recognition and personalized moments on digital displays reinforce culture and engagement in ways that generic static content simply cannot.
Getting Started
Setting up your first automated content workflow takes just a few steps:
- Create your Data Table — Navigate to Data Tables in the CMS. Define columns relevant to your use case: employee names, birthdays, recognition messages, event dates, or any other structured data you want to drive your screens.
- Populate your table — Add rows manually, bulk-import via CSV, or connect an external system through the REST or GraphQL API for continuous data sync.
- Create a Scheduled Task — Go to Tools > Scheduled Tasks and click New Task. Choose AI Analysis as the task type, then select Custom Prompt + Action.
- Write your prompt — Describe exactly what you want the AI to do: which table to read, what logic to apply (e.g., “find rows where the birthday column matches today's date”), and what action to take (e.g., “generate a personalized greeting and publish it to the Lobby playlist”).
- Set your schedule — Use the visual cron editor to define how often the task runs. Daily tasks are ideal for birthdays and recognition; hourly works well for weather-based content.
- Enable and test — Save the task, then use the Run Now button to verify it works as expected before relying on the schedule. Your screens stay fresh from that point forward, automatically.
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| The visual cron editor inside a Scheduled Task, showing a daily schedule set to run at 6:00 AM. |
Example Custom Prompts to Get You Started
The Custom Prompt + Action task is only as powerful as the prompt you give it. Here are ready-to-use examples for each major use case — copy, adapt, and make them your own.
Employee Birthdays
Runs daily. Data Table: employee records with name, department, and birthday (Date column).
Check the Employees Data Table for any rows where the birthday column matches today's date. For each match, create a new media item using a friendly, upbeat tone that celebrates the employee by name and mentions their department. Use the headline "Happy Birthday, [Name]!" and include a warm one-sentence message. Publish the generated content to the "Lobby" and "Break Room" playlists. Set the content to expire at midnight tonight.
Work Anniversaries
Runs weekly (Monday mornings). Data Table: employee records with name, role, department, and hire date (Date column).
Review the Employees Data Table and find any rows where the hire date anniversary falls within the next 7 days. Calculate how many years each employee has been with the company. For each match, generate a recognition message that acknowledges the milestone — for example "5 Years Strong!" or "Celebrating 10 Years with Us!" — and includes the employee's name and role. Publish each message to the "All Displays" playlist and schedule it to show on the actual anniversary date.
Peer-to-Peer Recognition
Runs daily. Data Table: nominations with nominee name, department, message, nominator name, and an approved (Boolean) column.
Query the Recognition Nominations Data Table for rows where approved is true and the content has not yet been published to screens. For each unpublished nomination, generate a visually engaging recognition announcement that includes the nominee's name, their department, and the recognition message provided by their nominator. Keep the tone warm and celebratory. Publish each announcement to the "Lobby" playlist and then update the row's published field to true so it is not posted again.
Upcoming Holidays
Runs weekly (Monday mornings). Data Table: holidays with name, date, and optional theme or messaging notes.
Look up any holidays in the Company Holidays Data Table that fall within the next 14 days. For each upcoming holiday, generate a countdown message that includes the holiday name and number of days remaining — for example "Thanksgiving is in 5 days — enjoy the time with family!" Keep the tone friendly and inclusive. Publish the content to all playlists and schedule it to expire on the holiday date.
Weather-Aware Promotions
Runs daily or hourly. No Data Table required — the AI fetches current weather conditions directly in the prompt.
Get the current weather conditions and today's forecast for [your city]. Based on the conditions, generate a short, relevant on-screen message for a retail environment. If it is cold or snowing, write something warm and inviting that encourages customers to come inside and browse. If it is sunny and warm, write an upbeat message that ties the good weather to the in-store experience. Keep the copy to two sentences maximum. Publish to the "Storefront" playlist and set it to expire in 4 hours.
New Hire Spotlight
Runs daily. Data Table: onboarding records with name, role, department, start date, and a welcomed (Boolean) column.
Check the New Hires Data Table for any employees whose start date is today or within the past 3 days and whose welcomed column is false. For each match, create a warm welcome announcement that includes their name, role, and department — for example "Please join us in welcoming Sarah Chen, our new Marketing Coordinator!" Publish the announcement to the "Lobby" and "All Floors" playlists for 3 days, then update the welcomed column to true so the message is not repeated.
Tip: The more specific your prompt, the better the output. Include column names exactly as they appear in your Data Table, name the playlist you want to target, and specify any expiration or scheduling behavior you need. You can always use the Run Now button to test a task immediately and verify the results before enabling it on a recurring schedule.
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| Playlist autonomously populated with images based on employee birthdays data table. |
Pro Tip: Combine multiple Scheduled Tasks for a fully autonomous content calendar. One task handles employee recognition, another generates weather-aware promotions, and a third creates holiday countdowns. Each task runs independently on its own schedule, but together they ensure your screens always have something fresh and relevant — no content manager required.
The Future of Signage Is Autonomous
Digital signage has always been about delivering the right message at the right time. Scheduled Tasks with Custom Prompt + Action and Data Tables simply automate the judgment required to do that well — pulling from your structured data, reasoning about context, generating content, and taking action without human intervention.
For organizations that want screens that actually work hard — not just display static slides — this combination is a game-changer. It turns your digital signage infrastructure into a living, breathing communication layer that responds to your world in real time.
Ready to see it in action? Log into the Revel Digital CMS to explore Data Tables and Scheduled Tasks, or reach out to our team for a guided walkthrough.
