How to Restart Your GMOD Server on a Schedule

Restarting your GMod server regularly is a good way to keep performance smooth, clear out memory buildup, and apply updates or changes. Instead of doing it manually every time, you can set up automatic restarts at specific times, like once a day during off-hours.

Nexus Hosting includes a built-in scheduler that makes this easy. 

Step 1: Log in 

Log in to your Nexus Hosting Account.

Step 2: Select the Server

Once on the dashboard, find and select the intended Garry’s Mod server. 

Step 3: Create a New Schedule

Select the Schedules icon from the sidebar. You’ll see any scheduled events you’ve set up here. 

Click Create schedule to start a new one.

Step 4: Configure Your Schedule

Give your schedule a clear name (for example, “Automatic Server Restarts”).

Next, configure how often it should run using the Cron job syntax:

• A cron job consists of five fields (minute, hour, day of month, month, and day of week).
• For instance, 0 3 * * * means “run at 3:00 AM every day,” while */5 * * * * means “run every 5 minutes.”
• If you need help, toggle SHOW CHEATSHEET for examples. You can also read more about the Cron job scheduling format here. 

A good default is to run backups once a day during off-peak hours when the fewest players are online. For example, 4:00 AM (server time) is often a quiet period. The corresponding cron schedule would be 0 4 * * *.

When you’ve set your cron schedule and reviewed the toggles, click Create schedule.

Step 5: Add a Server Message Task to Run Before Restart (Optional But Recommended)

Your new schedule now appears in the list. Select it, then click New Task.

Select the Send command action. Then add a payload using the command say followed by a warning message to your players. Copy and paste the line multiple times if you want to spam the chat a bit, to ensure everyone sees the warning. 

Click Save Changes when you are done.

You want to do this before you create the restart task, because the schedule runs the tasks in order. 

Step 6: Add the Restart Task

Within the same schedule, click New Task again. From the ACTION dropdown, choose Send Power Action. Then select Restart the server from the Payload drop-down menu. 

If you want to give players a heads-up before the server restarts, you can add a time offset in seconds. For example, if the offset is set to 120 seconds, the server will wait two minutes after the previous task (the server message) before restarting. 

Click Create Task once you’re done.

Step 7: Confirm It’s Working

All set! You can click Run Now to test the schedule. It should immediately broadcast the message and then restart the server after your chosen offset time. The next scheduled run time is displayed under the schedule name (verify this to make sure your cron job is set up right).

Updated on: 29/07/2025