Hi all,
If I have a topic set as a banner will setting the auto close date/time also make the banner disappear, or does that always require admin intervention to un-banner-ise it?
Thanks in advance.
AI-generated summary
A discussion about automatically removing a banner at a specific time is underway. RobMeade asks if setting an auto close date/time will remove a banner, and cpradio believes it will remain a banner.
RobMeade considers manually removing banners at midnight inconvenient and wonders if suggesting an automatic removal feature would be valuable. DeanMarkTaylor proposes a workaround by scheduling a command to remove the banner at the desired time.
However, codinghorror suggests including the expiration time in the banner text. RobMeade finds this solution less desirable, preferring a cleaner experience for users.
RobMeade also explains their use case for banners and how they usually make these posts unlisted. codinghorror asks tshenry to test the effect of setting a delete timer on a bannered topic. The test reveals that the banner is removed once the topic’s delete timer has run out.
tshenry notes that the topic will be deleted due to the timer function, so it’s essential to use a topic that is safe to delete. RobMeade thanks the team, but no longer needs the solution as they are no longer part of the community.
Fairly certain it will remain a banner.
Hi @cpradio,
Thanks for the response, appreciated.
That was my feeling. I take it there isn’t anything else which automatically stops the banners?
We typically use them for announcements relating to a promotion, so they have a valid reason for being removed, I have been doing it manually, but when an offer ends at midnight it means I have to stay up! 
If there isn’t anything like this at the moment, do you think it would be worth putting it forwards as a suggestion? No point if you don’t feel it has value.
You could always schedule a command similar to the following to be executed:
- at the right time
- on a computer that doesn’t fall to sleep
- with a good internet connection
curl -X PUT -d api_key=YOUR_API_KEY_GOES_HERE -d api_username=API_USERNAME_HERE http://discourse.example.com/t/YOUR_TOPIC_ID_GOES_HERE/remove-banner
Why not just put the text “this offer ends at midnight UTC” in the banner text?
Yes, could do that, already have those details bar the UTC etc. Just feels like as there is already automation around the closing of topics, that if they have been pinned or set as a banner, an option to unpin/remove banner would make sense too.
Bit of a cleaner/tidier experience for the users not still seeing things which are no longer valid (fully appreciating I could just stay up and remove it when it expires).
I tend to also make the posts which are for banners unlisted, e.g. its just an announcement that we want to show across the top of the screen, not necessarily as a specific topic in the list, which gets shuffled down through the “Latest Topics” view really quickly anyway. Can only set it as a banner if it is listed though, so harder to set a banner without displaying the topic (briefly) first.
Again, maybe just the way I’m using it but thought I’d mention it.
Thanks as always for the responses 
I wonder what happens if you set a delete timer on a topic that has been bannered? Can you test that @tshenry?
Just tested and the banner is removed once the topic’s delete timer has run out.
There you go @RobMeade all things are now possible through the magic of Discourse! 
Are you saying the banner will be removed but the topic will not be deleted?
The topic will be deleted due to the function of the timer, so it is important to note that you would want to use a topic that is safe to delete.
Thanks Jeff and team.
I’m actually no longer part of the community for which all of my questions, bug reports and support requests related to. I do appreciate the efforts though.
Hope everyone is well and thanks again.