Help Center

What are Templates?

Templates are reusable roster patterns that you can create once and apply to multiple weeks. They help you schedule shifts faster by setting up common staffing arrangements that repeat regularly.

Two Template Views

Templates can be created in two different views depending on your scheduling needs.

Position View

Position View works best for businesses with set positions that need to be filled, where coverage is more important than who specifically fills the role. For example, a hospital that needs a nurse on duty 24/7 would use this view because what matters is having someone qualified in the role at all times. In this view, you create rows for positions like "Nurse" or "Doctor" and then assign employees to fill those positions on specific days.

Employee View

Employee View is designed for businesses where you schedule based on who's available rather than specific roles. A clinic with 5 doctors who can each cover shifts interchangeably would benefit from this approach. Here, you create rows for individual employees and assign positions to them on the days they work.

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Ctrl + S: Save your changes
• Ctrl + C: Copy selected cell (Employee view)
• Ctrl + V: Paste copied cell (Employee view)
• Escape: Cancel current action, clear selections, disable active tools
• Shift + Scroll: Scroll the table horizontally

Step-by-Step Creation

To create a new template, click the + icon in the templates tab header at the top of the page. A "Create New Template" modal will appear where you can enter a template name (such as "Weekly Schedule" or "Weekend Roster") and set the number of days for the template. You can always change the number of days later, so don't worry about getting it perfect initially. Click "Create" to save your new template.

First Time Setup

When you first create a template and click the + button in the table area, you'll be asked to choose between Position View (for scheduling by role/position) or Employee View (for scheduling by person). This choice determines the layout and workflow for that template, though you can change it later if needed.

Template Name Best Practices

Use descriptive names that clearly identify the template's purpose. Instead of generic names like "Template 1", opt for something like "Mon-Fri Standard" that tells you exactly what the schedule covers. Including the pattern length helps too, such as "14-Day Rotation". You might also mention the team ("Surgery Department Schedule") or reference seasonal variations ("Summer Staffing Pattern").

Choosing the Right Number of Days

A 7-day template works well for standard weekly patterns, while 14 days suits two-week rotations. For monthly patterns, consider 21-28 days, and you can use any custom number needed for your specific rotation. Don't worry about getting it perfect initially since you can add or remove days later using the +/- buttons in the day header.

Template Context Menu

Right-click on any template name in the header tabs to access management options.

Duplicate Template

Duplicating creates an exact copy of the template including all shifts, areas, and settings. Simply right-click the template name you want to copy and select "Duplicate". The copy appears as a new tab with "(Copy)" added to the name, which you can then rename as needed. This is particularly useful when you want to create variations of an existing template without starting from scratch, such as creating both "Summer Schedule" and "Winter Schedule" from the same base.

Rename Template

To rename a template, right-click the template name and select "Rename". Enter the new name in the modal that appears and click "Rename" to save.

Delete Template

Right-click the template name and select "Delete", then confirm the deletion. Be careful with this action as deleted templates cannot be recovered, so make sure you don't need it before deleting.

Switch View (Position ↔ Employee)

This option only appears when right-clicking the currently active template tab. Click on the template you want to switch, then right-click that same tab and select "Switch to Employee View" or "Switch to Position View". Confirm the switch, keeping in mind that you may lose some data in the conversion.

Switching views can cause data loss because the two views structure information differently. When converting from Position to Employee view, multiple employees in one cell will be split into separate cells. Going from Employee to Position view, multiple positions per day may not convert perfectly. Consider saving a duplicate before switching if you want to preserve the original.

Understanding Areas

Areas help organize your template by grouping related positions or employees together, appearing as separate sections in the table. For a medical facility, you might have separate areas for "Nurses", "Doctors", and "Admin Staff". A restaurant could use "Front of House", "Kitchen", and "Management", while retail might organize by "Sales Floor", "Stockroom", and "Customer Service".

Creating a New Area

To create a new area, click the + button outside the table (below all existing areas). A new blank area section appears, and you can click on "Area" to select which area this represents. Then add rows to the area using the + button inside that area.

Creating a New Row

There are two ways to add rows to your template. The first method uses the + button found inside each area, directly below the last row. Clicking it adds a blank row to that area, and you can then assign an employee (in Position view) or position (in Employee view) to the row.

The second method duplicates an existing row. Right-click on an employee name or position in the sidebar and select "Duplicate Row". An exact copy appears below the original, which you can then modify as needed. Duplicating is faster when creating multiple rows with similar shift patterns.

Managing Days (Columns)

To add days to your template, find the + button at the right end of the day header. Each click adds one day at the end (Day 8, Day 9, and so on). To remove days, use the - button at the right end of the day header. Be aware that removing a day also removes all shifts scheduled for that day.

Selecting Items

When you click on a position name or employee name in the sidebar, a modal appears showing all available options. Select the one you want and click to confirm. If the modal is empty, you'll need to create positions, employees, and areas first in the Management section. For areas, clicking on the area label in the table lets you select from available areas, and all rows in that area will be reassigned to the new area.

Reordering Rows

To reorder rows, click and hold on a row in the employee/position sidebar, then drag up or down while holding. Release when the row is in the desired position, and the table instantly updates to reflect the new order. Remember to save (Ctrl+S) after reordering to preserve the changes.

Understanding Shift Cells

Each cell in the template represents one shift. A complete shift needs a position or employee assignment, an area designation, and both start and end times.

Method 1: Individual Cell Editing

This approach works best for setting unique times for specific shifts. Click on the time section of a cell (the top half shows start time, bottom shows end time) to open a time picker modal. Select your start and end times, then click "Set Time" to save.

Method 2: Time Tool (Batch Editing)

The Time Tool is ideal for setting the same time across multiple shifts quickly. Click the clock icon in the sidebar tools section and set your desired start and end times in the modal. After clicking "Set Template Time", your cursor will have a clock icon attached. Click any cells to apply that time to them, and press Escape when you're done to exit time tool mode. This approach is much faster than setting times individually when you have many shifts with the same hours.

Method 3: Set Row Time (Entire Row)

When an employee or position works the same hours all week, this method saves significant time. Right-click on the employee name or position in the sidebar and select "Set Row Time". Choose your start and end times, and all cells in that row update at once.

Time Format

Times are displayed in 12-hour format (such as 9:00 am or 5:30 pm) and stored with your location's timezone. The system fully supports overnight shifts that end after midnight.

Editing and Removing Times

Click on any existing time to open the time picker and modify it. The new time replaces the old one immediately. To remove times from cells without removing the employee/position assignment, use the Eraser Tool described in the "Removing Data" section.

What are Shift Requests?

Shift requests (also called "open shifts") are shifts that any qualified employee can claim through the mobile app. They appear with a magnifying glass icon. When you create an open shift with a position, area, and time, all employees qualified for that position and area see it in the app. The first employee to accept gets the shift, and it's automatically assigned to them in the roster.

Position View: Creating Shift Requests

In Position View, click the magnifying glass tool in the sidebar tools to change your cursor to show a search icon. Click on any cell that has an area assigned, a position assigned, and a time set. The cell will display a magnifying glass icon indicating it's an open shift. Press Escape to exit shift request mode. Note that the cell must have all three elements (area, position, and time) before you can make it a shift request.

Employee View: Creating Shift Requests

In Employee View, shift requests work differently since rows represent employees rather than positions. Click the magnifying glass button in the Shift Requests section of the sidebar, then click on a Day header (such as "Day 1" or "Day 2"). A modal appears where you can select an area, select a position, and set start and end times. Click "Add Shift Request" and a magnifying glass icon appears in that day's header.

Managing Shift Requests in Employee View

To edit or remove existing shift requests, click on the magnifying glass icon in the day header. A modal shows all shift requests for that day. You can click "Remove" next to any request to delete it, or click "Add Another" to create additional requests for the same day.

When Shift Requests Become Visible

Shift requests don't appear in the employee app until you save the template, apply the template to a live roster week, and publish the roster. Only then can employees see and claim the open shifts.

Removing Shift Requests

In Position View, use the eraser tool and click on the cell, or click the magnifying glass again to remove the shift request. In Employee View, click the day header icon and remove individual requests from the modal.

Using the Eraser Tool

The eraser tool lets you quickly remove data from cells without deleting entire rows or columns. Click the eraser icon in the sidebar tools section to activate it. Your cursor changes to show an eraser icon, and the eraser button highlights to show it's active.

What you erase depends on where you click. Clicking on the time section (top half of the cell) removes the start and end times while keeping the employee/position assignment. Clicking on the main cell area (bottom half) removes the employee or position (depending on your view) and removes any shift request icons, while keeping the row structure intact.

To deactivate the eraser, click the eraser icon again, press Escape, or click another tool.

Deleting Entire Rows

To remove a complete row rather than just cell contents, right-click on the employee name or position in the sidebar and select "Delete Row". Confirm the deletion, and the row along with all its shifts will be removed.

Deleting Areas

Right-click on the area name and select "Delete Area". This removes all rows in that area, so use it carefully.

Undo Limitations

There is no undo feature in the template editor, so save before making major deletions. Consider duplicating the template first if you're experimenting with significant changes, and always double-check before deleting entire areas or rows.

What is Day Blocking?

Day blocking marks specific days where no shifts should be scheduled. This is useful for regular closure days like Sundays, holidays or special events, days when a specific department is closed, or maintenance and renovation periods.

Using the Block Tool

Click the block/prohibition icon in the sidebar tools to change your cursor to show a block icon. Click on any day header (such as "Day 1") to block that entire day, and it will show a blocked/crossed-out appearance. Press Escape to exit block mode.

When a day is blocked, it's visually marked and existing shifts remain visible but are marked as blocked. The data is preserved for AI roster suggestions. When applied to a live roster, shifts on blocked days are not created.

Unblocking Days

To unblock a day, activate the block tool again and click on the blocked day header. The block is removed and the day returns to normal.

Future AI Integration

The block day feature is designed to work with future AI roster creation tools. The AI will skip blocked days when generating schedules, learn from your blocking patterns, and suggest alternative staffing on surrounding days.

Blocked Days vs. Empty Days

A blocked day is intentionally marked as non-working with data preserved, while an empty day simply hasn't been filled in yet and will be included in rosters. Always block days you never want scheduled rather than just leaving them empty.

How Position View Works

In Position View, rows represent positions such as Nurse, Doctor, or Receptionist. The sidebar shows a list of employees you can assign, and cells show which employee fills each position on each day.

Adding Employees to Shifts

The first method is clicking from the sidebar. Click an employee's name in the sidebar, and they "attach" to your cursor. Click any cell to place that employee, and continue clicking cells to assign the same employee to multiple shifts. Click another employee or press Escape to stop.

The second method uses the right-click context menu. Right-click on any cell, and the menu shows all employees who can work that position/area combination. Click an employee to assign them. The context menu only shows qualified employees, making it easier to find the right person.

Swapping Employees

To swap employees between cells, click and hold on an employee's name in a cell, then drag to another cell. You'll see a drag preview as you move. Release to swap the employees between cells. This is useful for quickly reorganizing schedules without removing and re-adding employees.

Highlighting Employee Shifts

To see all shifts for a specific employee across the template, make sure no tools are active (press Escape if needed) and click on an employee's name in the sidebar. All cells containing that employee highlight in their color. Click the employee again or press Escape to clear highlighting.

Bulk Employee Changes

While an employee is highlighted, you can right-click anywhere in the table and select a different employee from the context menu. All highlighted shifts switch to the new employee at once. This is particularly useful when an employee goes on leave and you need to reassign all their shifts to someone else.

Employee Sidebar Information

Under each employee's name, you'll see daily hours worked displayed as numbers (like "8h" or "4h"). Colors match the employee's assigned color for easy identification, and totals help prevent over-scheduling.

Employee Colors

Toggle the "Employee Colors" switch in the sidebar to control cell coloring. When enabled, each employee's cells show in their assigned color. When disabled, all cells use standard styling. Colors make it easier to visually scan the schedule and see patterns.

Multiple Employees in One Cell

You can assign multiple employees to the same position/time slot. Click an employee and place them in a cell, then click another employee and click the same cell again. Both employees now appear in that cell, stacking vertically.

How Employee View Works

In Employee View, rows represent employees while the sidebar shows a list of positions you can assign. Cells show which position or positions each employee works each day.

Adding Positions to Employees

The first method uses the sidebar. Click a position in the sidebar position list, and it "attaches" to your cursor. Click on a cell to add the position to that employee's day. Click the same cell again to add a second position (for employees working multiple roles), or click a cell that already has a different position to replace it.

The second method uses the right-click context menu. Right-click on any cell and select "Add Position", then choose from the list of available positions.

Swapping Positions

There are two types of position dragging. When you drag a position to an empty cell (indicated by a dashed border), the position is added there while the original position remains in the source cell. When you drag a position to another position badge (dashed border appears around the target position), the two positions swap places.

Copying and Pasting Cells

To copy a cell, click on it to select it (it will highlight), then press Ctrl+C or right-click and select Copy. The cell data is copied to the clipboard. To paste, click on the destination cell and press Ctrl+V or right-click and select Paste. All positions and times from the copied cell are pasted. This is perfect for quickly replicating a complex day with multiple positions and times to other days.

Fill Down (Copy to Column)

To copy one cell to all cells below it in the same column, right-click on the cell you want to copy and select "Fill Down". Every cell in that column gets the same positions and times. This works well when an employee works the same position every Monday, for example.

Apply to Days (Copy to Row)

To copy one cell to all days in that employee's row, right-click on the cell and select "Apply to Days". Every day in that row gets the same positions and times. This is ideal when an employee works the same schedule every day.

Multiple Positions in One Cell

Employees can be assigned multiple positions on the same day. Each position appears as a separate colored badge in the cell, and each can have different times displayed next to the badge. For example, a nurse who also covers reception might have both "Nurse (9am-1pm)" and "Reception (2pm-5pm)" on the same day.

Removing Positions

To remove an individual position, use the eraser tool and click the position badge. To remove all positions in a cell, use the eraser on the cell itself or right-click and select Clear Cell.

Horizontal Scrolling

For templates with many days, you'll need to scroll horizontally to see all columns. There are several ways to do this.

The drag scroll method involves clicking and holding on the day header (the row showing "Day 1", "Day 2", etc.), then moving your mouse left or right while holding. The entire table scrolls horizontally, and you release to stop scrolling.

Alternatively, hold the Shift key and scroll your mouse wheel up or down. The table scrolls horizontally instead of vertically.

If you're using a trackpad, a two-finger horizontal swipe works naturally without any key combinations.

Vertical Scrolling

Standard mouse wheel or trackpad scrolling moves up and down through rows.

Sidebar Scrolling

If you have many employees or positions, the sidebar scrolls independently. Hover over the sidebar and use the mouse wheel to scroll the list while the table stays in place.

Quick Navigation Tips

To find an employee or position, use the search box at the top of the sidebar. To jump to the top or bottom, click in the sidebar and press the Home or End keys. To view specific sections, use the area filter dropdown to show only certain areas.

Search Box

To quickly find employees or positions, click in the search box at the top of the sidebar and start typing a name. The list filters in real-time to show matches, and you can clear the search to show all items again. In Position View, the search looks at employee first and last names. In Employee View, it searches position names.

Sort Dropdown

The sort dropdown changes the order of items in the sidebar. You can sort alphabetically by first name (A-Z or Z-A) for Position view or position name for Employee view. Other options include sorting by most hours (employees/positions with most scheduled hours first), least hours, or recently added (newest first). Your sort preference is automatically saved.

Area/Position Filter

In Position View, you can show all positions to display all employees regardless of position, or select a specific position to show only employees qualified for that position. In Employee View, you can show all areas to display all positions, or select a specific area to show only positions in that area.

Combining Filters

You can use search, filter, and sort together. Select an area/position filter to narrow down, choose a sort order, then type in the search box to find specific items. For example, you could filter to "Nursing" positions, sort by "Most Hours", then search for "Sarah" to quickly find which nurses named Sarah have the most scheduled hours.

Resetting Filters

Clear the search box and select "Show All" from the filter dropdown. The sort order persists until you change it.

When to Save

Save your template after making any changes, including adding or removing rows, areas, or days; assigning employees or positions; setting or changing shift times; creating shift requests; reordering rows; or blocking days.

How to Save

Press Ctrl+S for a quick keyboard save, or click the green save icon in the bottom right corner. A success notification appears when saved, any unsaved changes indicator disappears, and the button briefly shows a success state.

Unsaved Changes Warning

If you try to leave the page or switch templates with unsaved changes, a modal appears with three options. "Save & Continue" saves your work and proceeds with the action. "Continue Without Saving" discards changes and proceeds. Clicking the X returns to editing without saving or navigating.

Auto-Save

There is no auto-save feature, so you must manually save to preserve your work. Press Ctrl+S after completing each major section or change to prevent losing work if your browser crashes or closes unexpectedly.

What Gets Saved

When you save a template, everything is preserved: the template name and day count, all areas and their order, all rows and their order, all employee/position assignments, all shift times, shift requests (open shifts), blocked days, and the view mode (Position or Employee).

Using Templates in Rosters

After saving a template, you can apply it to actual roster weeks. Go to the Rosters page and navigate to the week you want to schedule. Click "Apply Template" and select your saved template. The template shifts are copied into the live roster, and you can then publish the roster for employees to see.

Templates vs. Rosters

Templates are reusable patterns that aren't tied to specific dates and can't be seen by employees. Rosters are actual schedules for specific weeks that are published to employees and include real dates. Think of templates as stencils and rosters as the final painting.

Can't Find Employees/Positions in Dropdowns

If modals or context menus are empty when trying to assign employees or positions, you need to set up the data first. Go to Management, then Employees, and make sure employees exist. Navigate to the Assignments tab to create positions and areas, then assign employees to the positions and areas they're qualified for. Refresh the Templates page to reload the data.

Can't Make Shift Request (Position View)

If clicking with the shift request tool doesn't add the magnifying glass icon, the cell is missing required information. Ensure the cell has an area assigned (click the area label and select one), a position assigned (this exists from the row), and a time set (both start and end times).

Context Menu Shows No Employees

If right-clicking a cell shows an empty employee list, no employees are qualified for that position/area combination. Check that the position and area are correct, then go to Management, Employees, and the Assignments tab. Assign the needed employees to that position and area, then refresh the Templates page.

Drag and Drop Not Working

If you can't drag to swap employees or reorder rows, make sure you're clicking and holding rather than just clicking. Start the drag from the employee/position name in the sidebar for row reordering, or from the cell content for swapping. Watch for the drag preview to appear. If the feature seems completely broken, try refreshing the page.

Changes Not Saving

If changes disappear after refreshing, you likely forgot to save or the save failed. Always press Ctrl+S or click the save button after making changes, and wait for the success notification before leaving the page. Check your internet connection and try saving again if you didn't see a confirmation.

Wrong View Showing After Template Switch

If you expected Position View but see Employee View (or vice versa), remember that each template has its own view mode saved. Check which template is active by looking at the highlighted tab. If you want to change the view, right-click the active tab and select "Switch to [Other] View", but note that this may cause data loss so consider duplicating first.

Copy/Paste Not Working (Employee View)

If Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V don't copy cells, make sure you're in Employee View (the sidebar title should say "Positions"). Click to select a cell first so it highlights, then press Ctrl+C to copy. Click the destination cell and press Ctrl+V. You can also use the right-click context menu as an alternative.

Fill Down Fills Wrong Data

Fill Down copies whatever cell you right-clicked on. Make sure you right-click the exact cell you want to copy before selecting Fill Down.

Employees Not Showing Hours in Sidebar

If no daily hours appear under employee names in Position View, check that you're in Position View (the sidebar title should say "Employees") and that you've assigned times to shifts. Try refreshing the page if the feature should be working.

Can't Delete Row or Area

If the delete option is grayed out or missing, you may need at least one row or area in the template. Make sure you're right-clicking in the correct location (the name in the sidebar), and try refreshing the page.

Eraser Tool Stuck Active

If you can't click normally and everything gets erased, click the eraser tool button again to deactivate it, press the Escape key, click another tool, or refresh the page as a last resort.

Template Disappeared

If a template is missing from the tabs, it may have been deleted (check if you have delete permissions), you might have the wrong location selected (templates are location-specific), or there could be a browser cache issue (try refreshing with Ctrl+Shift+R).

Shift Times Show in Wrong Format

Times are displayed in 12-hour format with am/pm. If you're seeing 24-hour format, there may be a display bug. Try refreshing the page. Times are stored correctly even if display appears wrong.

If you're still having issues, contact support with the template name and ID, what you were trying to do, what happened instead, screenshots if possible, and the browser and version you're using.

General Tips

Save frequently by pressing Ctrl+S regularly to avoid losing work. Duplicate templates before experimenting so you can make a copy before trying major changes. Name templates clearly because future you will thank you for descriptive names. Use areas to organize and group related positions or employees for easier management. Start simple by building one week perfectly before creating complex rotation patterns.

Efficiency Shortcuts

The Time Tool works best when many shifts have the same hours, so set it once and click rapidly. Set Row Time is perfect for employees who work consistent hours. Fill Down and Apply to Days let you set a pattern once and copy everywhere. Duplicate Template helps you create seasonal variations faster. Right-click context menus are often faster than sidebar clicking.

Choosing the Right View

Use Position View when you have fixed roles that must be filled, when coverage is more important than who specifically works, when you have standardized shift requirements, or for settings like hospitals, 24/7 operations, and retail stores.

Use Employee View when you schedule specific people rather than roles, when employees work multiple positions frequently, when you have flexible or project-based work, or for settings like small offices, professional services, and consulting.

Template Organization Strategies

One strategy is creating multiple variations with separate templates for different scenarios: "Normal Week" for standard operations, "Busy Season" for extra staffing, "Holiday Week" for reduced hours, and "Weekend Only" for just Saturday and Sunday.

Another approach uses building blocks, creating partial templates that can be combined. You might have a "Weekday Pattern" for Monday through Friday and a "Weekend Pattern" for Saturday and Sunday, then apply both to the same week on the Rosters page.

For complex rotations, create a template for the full cycle (14, 21, or 28 days) and apply it starting on different weeks. Staff automatically rotate through the pattern.

Avoiding Common Mistakes

Don't forget to save, as unsaved work is lost on page refresh. Don't delete templates you might need later; duplicate and archive instead. Don't create too many days initially; start with your standard week and expand as needed. Don't mix Position and Employee views frequently; pick one that fits your workflow. Don't forget to assign areas, as they're required for shift requests and filtering.

Quality Checks Before Applying to Roster

Before using a template on a live roster, verify that all shifts have start and end times, all shifts have positions assigned, all shifts have areas assigned, shift requests have all required fields, there are no accidental duplicate shifts, employees aren't over-scheduled (check sidebar hours in Position view), and the template is saved with no unsaved changes warning.

Maintenance and Updates

Review templates quarterly and update based on what's working. Archive old templates by renaming them with an "OLD -" prefix rather than deleting. Document changes by using template names to track versions like "V2" or "Updated Dec 2024". Get team feedback by asking staff which patterns work best.

Integration with Other Features

Check the Employee Availability calendar before assigning shifts. Review Time-Off Requests to avoid assigning shifts during approved leave. Use the Skills Matrix to ensure employees are qualified for assigned positions. Monitor Labor Budgets using the employee hours display to stay within budget.