Table of contents
What is a fallback playlist?
A fallback playlist is your screen network's safety net. If a screen has no other content scheduled — no active playlists, no triggers firing — it will automatically play the fallback playlist instead of going blank.
Fallback playlists use the same playlist system you're already familiar with, but with a few important differences: they don't require screen selection or scheduling, and they apply automatically to all screens in a space.
👆 Note: Fallback playlists are admin-only. The feature is only visible to users with admin permissions — both on the Playlists page and in the Settings page. If you don't see the fallback option, check with your account admin.
How fallback playlists differ from regular playlists
Property | Regular playlist | Fallback playlist |
Who can manage it | Any user with publish access | Admins only |
Screen assignment | Specific screens or groups | All screens in the space, automatically |
Scheduling step | Available | Hidden — plays whenever nothing else is scheduled |
Screens step | Available | Hidden — not required |
Status labels | Published / Draft | Active / Draft |
Max active at once | Unlimited | One per space |
Finding your fallback playlists
Fallback playlists are kept separate from your regular playlists. To access them, go to the Playlists page and click Fallback playlists in the view switcher at the top. This option is only shown to admins.
You can create as many fallback playlists as you like, but only one can be active at a time. Having multiple lets you keep different fallbacks ready — for example a seasonal loop, a brand video, or an emergency notice — and switch between them as needed.
Every fallback playlist shows an All screens indicator on its card and in the sidebar. If a new screen is added to your space, it is automatically included.
How to create a fallback playlist
Go to the Playlists page and select Fallback playlists from the view switcher.
Click + Create Fallback.
Add your content in the Content step. You can preview it as normal to see how it will look on screen. The Screens and Schedule steps are not shown — fallbacks always apply to all screens in your space with no schedule required. Your playlist will be created with the default name "New Fallback Playlist" — rename it to something meaningful before saving.
When you're ready, choose Save and set active to make it live immediately, or Save to keep it as a draft.
💡 Tip: You don't have to activate a fallback right away. Save it as a draft, review it, and activate it when it's ready — from either the playlist card or the settings modal.
What's different in the fallback playlist editor
The fallback playlist editor looks almost identical to the regular playlist editor, with two steps removed. Since fallback playlists always target all screens in your space and have no schedule, neither the Screens nor the Schedule step is shown.
Regular playlist steps:
Content
Screens
Schedule
Settings
Fallback playlist steps:
Content
Settings
Activating a fallback playlist
Only one fallback playlist can be active per space at a time. You can activate — or switch — your fallback at any point, including from a draft you've already saved. There are two ways to do it.
From the playlist card
In the Fallback playlists view, use the options menu on any playlist card to set it as active. The previously active fallback will automatically move to Draft.
From the settings modal
Open any fallback playlist, go to Settings, and toggle Active on all screens on or off.
⚠️ Heads up: Activating a new fallback immediately deactivates the current one. There's no overlap or grace period, so make sure your new fallback content is ready before switching.
Managing fallback playlists across spaces
Account admins with access to multiple spaces can manage fallback playlists across the whole account from the Settings page. Look for the Fallback playlist section, which lists all your spaces and shows which fallback playlist (if any) is currently active in each.
From here you can:
See at a glance which spaces have an active fallback and which don't
Switch the active fallback for a space directly from the dropdown
Use the Manage link to go to that space's fallback playlist page
Use the View link to jump straight to a specific fallback playlist
💡 Note: Fallback playlists are configured per space. A fallback set up in one space applies only to screens in that space. Each space can have its own independent active fallback.
Status labels & visual indicators
Fallback playlists use Active and Draft labels instead of the "Published / Draft" terminology used by regular playlists. This reflects that a fallback is more of an on/off switch than a traditional publishing action.
Active — the fallback is live. It will play on all screens in the space whenever no other content is scheduled. Shown with a green background and green badge.
Draft — the fallback exists but is not currently active. It can be activated at any time.
An All screens indicator appears on every fallback playlist card and in the sidebar. This count updates automatically as screens are added to or removed from your space.
Need more help?
If you have any questions about fallback playlists or run into any issues, get in touch with the Fugo support team via the chat icon in the bottom right corner of the CMS, email us at support@fugo.ai or visit our Help Center.