> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.seshy.lol/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Session Management: Full ERLC Session Lifecycle in Discord

> Manage ERLC SSU startups and SSD shutdowns with branded embeds, community voting, live player counts, session scheduling, and analytics — all in Discord.

Seshy's Session module handles the complete lifecycle of every ERLC session directly inside Discord — from the moment a startup is called to the final shutdown announcement. Instead of manually posting server codes, pinging roles, and tracking who showed up, you run a single slash command and Seshy takes care of everything: branded embeds, live player counts, role notifications, and a full record of every session your community has ever run.

## Overview

The Session module automates every stage of an ERLC session. When you start an SSU, Seshy posts a fully branded embed to your configured session channel, pulls the live player count from your ER:LC Private Server, pings the right roles, and keeps the embed updated as players join and leave. When you end with an SSD, the shutdown embed goes out automatically. For communities that want a more democratic approach, the voting system lets members decide when to start — no staff member required to flip the switch.

## Starting a Session

<Steps>
  <Step title="Run /ssu to start a Server Startup">
    Type `/ssu` in any channel Seshy has access to. Seshy immediately begins the session and posts a branded SSU embed to your configured session channel, including the server code, a live player count pulled from ER:LC, and pings for all configured session roles.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Watch the embed update in real time">
    The session embed stays live. As players join or leave your ER:LC Private Server, Seshy updates the player count automatically — no manual refreshes, no separate status bot required.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run /ssd to end the session">
    When the session is over, type `/ssd`. Seshy posts a branded shutdown embed to the session channel, recording the session end time and final player count. The SSU embed is marked as closed.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Session Voting

Give your community a voice in when sessions start. Instead of waiting for a staff member to call an SSU, anyone with permission can kick off a vote — and when enough members back it, the session starts automatically.

<Tip>
  SSU voting has changed how many communities run sessions by handing the decision to the community itself. Directors at servers like Seattle Metro PD RP report it cut manual session coordination work dramatically.
</Tip>

Run `/ssu_vote` to open a community vote in your session channel. Members react or click to cast their vote. Once the response count hits the threshold you configured in `/settings`, Seshy starts the SSU automatically and sends a notification to everyone who voted, so nobody misses the launch.

Configure the vote threshold in `/settings` → **Session Management** → **Vote Threshold**. Set it as low or high as suits your community size.

## Session Scheduling

Schedule sessions before they happen so your community always knows what's coming. Set a date and time through `/settings` → **Session Management** → **Scheduling**, and Seshy will:

* Post a countdown announcement to your session channel when the scheduled time approaches
* Automatically trigger the SSU at the exact time you set
* Ping all configured session roles so members are ready before the server opens

Recurring schedules are supported — set a weekly session cadence once and Seshy handles every announcement going forward.

## Session Branding

Every session embed Seshy posts reflects your community's identity. Configure custom branding per session type so your SSU, SSD, and vote embeds each look distinct and on-brand.

Customize the following in `/settings` → **Custom Branding**:

| Setting             | What it controls                                     |
| ------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| Embed color         | Accent color on the left edge of every session embed |
| Banner image        | Large image displayed at the top of the embed        |
| Footer text         | Custom text shown at the bottom of every embed       |
| Session type labels | Display names for SSU, SSD, and vote embeds          |

Different branding can be applied to SSU embeds, SSD embeds, and vote embeds independently — so a startup and shutdown can each have their own look.

## Session Analytics

Seshy tracks every session your community runs and surfaces that data over time. Review analytics to understand how often sessions run, how long they last, how many players attend, and how engaged your community is with the vote system.

Metrics tracked include:

* **Session frequency** — how many sessions run per day, week, and month
* **Session duration** — average and per-session length from SSU to SSD
* **Attendance** — player counts at start, peak, and end of each session
* **Vote participation** — how many members voted per vote session and the pass rate over time

Use this data to identify your busiest days, fine-tune your schedule, and give your community concrete evidence of server activity.

## Available Commands

| Command     | Description                                                                 |
| ----------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `/ssu`      | Start an SSU (Server Startup) session and post the branded startup embed    |
| `/ssd`      | Start an SSD (Server Shutdown) session and post the branded shutdown embed  |
| `/ssu_vote` | Open a community vote to let members collectively decide to start a session |

## Configuration

Before running your first session, configure the following in `/settings` → **Session Management**:

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Session Channel" icon="hashtag">
    Set the Discord channel where Seshy posts all session embeds — SSU announcements, SSD closures, and vote polls. Keep this separate from general chat so session history stays clean and easy to review.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Ping Roles" icon="bell">
    Choose which roles Seshy pings for each session type. Configure separate ping roles for SSU, SSD, and vote events so members can opt in to the notifications they actually want.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Vote Threshold" icon="check-to-slot">
    Set the minimum number of votes required to auto-start a session from `/ssu_vote`. Tune this to match your community size — a small server might set it to 5, while a 300-member server might require 20.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Session Branding" icon="palette">
    Configure custom embed colors, banner images, and footer text per session type. Access this under `/settings` → **Custom Branding** → **Sessions**.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>