Creating an Empty (Manual) Schedule

Create a blank schedule and add every shift by hand. The Empty schedule type gives you complete control over when and where each employee works.

What Is This?

The Empty schedule type creates a schedule with no pre-generated shifts. Instead of automatically distributing shifts, it gives you a blank canvas. You then manually add each shift for each employee, choosing the exact dates, times, and settings for every entry.

This type is ideal when your scheduling needs are highly irregular, when shift requirements change frequently, or when you simply prefer to build the schedule yourself from scratch.

Prerequisites

#	Prerequisite	Details
1	Active Shifton account	You must have a registered company account
2	Admin, Owner, or Manager role	You need permissions to create schedules
3	A project with assigned employees	The schedule must be linked to a project that has employees
4	Shift templates (recommended)	Pre-defined shift configurations make manual entry faster

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Basic Information

Navigate to the Schedules page and click + Create schedule.

Complete the basic information fields:

Field	Description
Schedule name	A descriptive title (e.g., “Event Staff — Custom”)
Color	Choose a color to identify this schedule
Project	Select the project this schedule belongs to
Date range (From / To)	Set the start and end dates (max 3 months)
Pay rate	Configure the pay rate for shifts in this schedule
Permissions	Set what employees can do (swap shifts, drop shifts, etc.)

Click Next to proceed.

Step 2: Select Empty Type

On the schedule type selection screen, choose Empty (manual distribution).

No additional configuration is needed — this type creates a blank schedule.

Click Create.

Step 3: Manually Add Shifts

Navigate to the Schedule page to view the blank calendar grid.

For each employee row, click the context menu (three dots) or click on a day cell.

Select Add shift to employee.

In the shift form, fill in:

Field	Description
Date	The date for the shift
Shift template	Optionally select a pre-defined template to auto-fill times
From / To time	The start and end time of the shift
Break	Break duration in minutes
Location	Optionally assign a work location
Note	Add any relevant comments

Click Add a shift to save.

Repeat for each employee and each day.

Tips for Efficient Manual Scheduling

Use shift templates

to avoid entering the same time and break settings repeatedly.

Use the Duplicate Shifts action

to copy shifts from one period to another.

Use Bulk Shift Actions

to apply changes to multiple shifts at once.

Access Permissions

Role	View Schedule	Create Empty Schedule	Add Shifts Manually	Delete Schedule
Owner	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Admin	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Manager	Yes (assigned projects)	Yes (assigned projects)	Yes (assigned projects)	Yes (assigned projects)
Employee	Yes (own shifts only)	No	No (unless permitted)	No

FAQ

Q: Why would I choose an Empty schedule over an automatic type?
A: Choose Empty when your scheduling needs are unpredictable, when each employee has unique hours, or when you want full manual control over every shift assignment.

Q: Is there a faster way to populate an Empty schedule?
A: Yes. Use shift templates to pre-fill common time settings, Duplicate Shifts to copy patterns, and Bulk Shift Actions to edit multiple shifts at once.

Q: Can I convert an Empty schedule to an automatic type later?
A: No. The schedule type is set at creation and cannot be changed. You would need to create a new schedule with the desired automatic type.

Q: Can employees add their own shifts to an Empty schedule?
A: Only if the “Create own shifts” permission is enabled in the schedule settings. See the article on schedule settings and permissions for details.

Possible Issues and Solutions

Issue	Possible Cause	Solution
Adding shifts is slow and tedious	Adding each shift individually without templates	Create shift templates for your most common shift configurations
Forgot to add shifts for some employees	Manual process is prone to human error	Review the schedule grid carefully and use filters to check each employee
Cannot add a shift to an employee	The employee is not assigned to the project	Assign the employee to the project first
Shifts disappear after page refresh	The shift was not saved before navigating away	Always click “Add a shift” to save before leaving the form
Too many shifts to manage manually	Large team with many employees	Consider using an automatic schedule type (Basic, Preset, etc.) for bulk generation