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

# Create a work schedule

> Build a weekly or two-week work schedule: name it, set the repeat, week start and timezone, then set the hours for each day of the week.

Create a schedule in **Settings → Schedules**. A schedule is a repeating pattern
of working days and hours that you build once and reuse for many people.

## When to use it

* You are setting up a new workspace and need a standard week.
* A group works different hours from everyone else, such as a support rota.
* Someone works an alternating two-week rotation.
* You want part-time hours on their own schedule instead of an exception.

## How to create a schedule

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Settings → Schedules">
    Go to **Settings**, then **Schedules**. You need the `schedule.manage`
    capability, which Owner and Admin hold by default.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start a new schedule">
    Click **New schedule** in the left rail, or the **+** button at the top of
    it. A blank schedule opens, pre-filled with Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 17:00.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Name it">
    Type a name in **Name**, such as `Standard week`. The name is required and
    can be up to 80 characters.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose how it repeats">
    Pick **Every week** or **Every 2 weeks** in **Repeats**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the week start and timezone">
    **Week starts on** controls the order the day rows appear – Monday, Sunday or
    Saturday. **Timezone** is the clock the hours are read in.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the hours for each day">
    Switch a day on or off, then set its start and end times. The row shows the
    length of each period, and the pattern header shows the weekly total.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Click **Create**. The schedule appears in the left rail and can now be
    assigned.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Creating a schedule changes nobody's hours on its own. It only takes effect once
  you assign it. See [/schedules/assign-a-schedule](/schedules/assign-a-schedule).
</Note>

## The fields

| Field               | What it does                                                                                                |
| ------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Name**            | The label shown in the rail, the Assignments table and on a person's record. Required, up to 80 characters. |
| **Repeats**         | `Every week` uses one pattern. `Every 2 weeks` uses two – Week A and Week B – that alternate.               |
| **Week starts on**  | Monday, Sunday or Saturday. Changes the order of the day rows and where a rotation week begins.             |
| **Timezone**        | The timezone the start and end times are read in. Defaults to the workspace timezone.                       |
| **Rotation starts** | Only for a two-week schedule. The week that counts as Week A. Everything rotates from there.                |

Above the day rows, a preview strip tells you how the schedule lands. A weekly
schedule reads "Repeats every week." A two-week schedule shows three cards –
Week A, Week B, and Week A again – with the real dates, so you can check the
rotation before saving. Click **Week A** or **Week B** to jump to that pattern.

## Two-week rotations

Choose **Every 2 weeks** and the editor gains two tabs, **Week A pattern** and
**Week B pattern**, each with its own weekly total and date range.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Switch Repeats to Every 2 weeks">
    Week B starts as a copy of Week A, so you only change what differs.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set Rotation starts">
    Pick a date inside the week you want to be Week A. Every later week
    alternates from there, and so does every earlier one.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Edit Week B">
    Open the **Week B** tab and change the days that differ.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Check the preview strip before you save. It names the exact calendar weeks that
  become Week A and Week B, which is much faster than counting weeks yourself.
</Tip>

## Example

Maya Ellis sets up Northwind Studio.

1. She creates `Standard week` – Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 17:00,
   `Europe/London`, repeats every week. The header reads **40h / week**.
2. Support runs a rotation, so she duplicates it, renames the copy
   `Support rota`, switches **Repeats** to **Every 2 weeks**, and sets
   **Rotation starts** to the Monday the rota began.
3. In **Week B** she switches Saturday on with a 10:00 to 14:00 period. Week B
   now reads **44h / week**; Week A stays at 40h.

## Duplicate, rename and delete

The editor header has three controls beside the schedule name.

| Control               | What it does                                                                                         |
| --------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Duplicate**         | Copies the schedule as `{name} (copy)` and selects it. The fastest way to build a variant.           |
| **Delete**            | Moves the schedule to Trash after a confirmation.                                                    |
| **Create** / **Save** | Writes your changes. The button says **Create** for a new schedule and **Save** for an existing one. |

To rename, edit the **Name** field and click **Save**.

Deleting asks you to confirm: *"It moves to Trash and can't be assigned to
anyone new. Existing assignments keep resolving until you change them. You can
restore it from Trash before it's purged."*

<Warning>
  Deleting a schedule does not remove its assignments. People already on it keep
  resolving to it until you move them. Change the assignments first, then delete.
</Warning>

Schedules go to Trash only – there is no archived state. Restore from
[/settings/trash](/settings/trash). See
[/concepts/archive-trash-and-delete](/concepts/archive-trash-and-delete).

## What happens next

* The schedule appears in the left rail with its repeat under the name.
* It becomes selectable in the **Assign a schedule** dialog.
* Nothing changes for anyone until you assign it.

## Permissions

Creating, editing, duplicating and deleting a schedule all need
`schedule.manage`. Owner and Admin hold it by default. Project Manager does not –
they can see schedules but not edit them. You can grant it through a custom role
at [/team/custom-roles](/team/custom-roles).

The Work schedules app must also be switched on in
[/settings/apps](/settings/apps).

## Common questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How many weeks can a rotation be?">
    The editor offers one week or two weeks.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does changing a saved schedule change past weeks?">
    Yes. The schedule is read fresh every time expected hours are worked out, so
    editing the pattern changes how past and future dates resolve. If you only
    want the change from a date onwards, create a second schedule and assign it
    with that start date instead.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can two schedules have the same name?">
    Yes, but do not do it. The Assignments table shows the name only, so two
    schedules called `Standard week` are impossible to tell apart.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why is Save disabled or failing?">
    A schedule needs a name. A working day needs at least one work period. A
    period must end after it starts unless it runs past midnight. Fix the flagged
    row and save again.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Troubleshooting

| Message                                      | What to do                                                                                        |
| -------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| "Give the schedule a name."                  | Fill in **Name** before saving.                                                                   |
| A working day needs at least one period      | Switch the day off, or add a work period.                                                         |
| The period must end after it starts          | Fix the times. If the shift runs past midnight, the row shows an **Ends next day** badge instead. |
| A 24-hour period is not allowed              | Split it into two periods.                                                                        |
| Settings → Schedules shows a no-access panel | You do not hold `schedule.manage`.                                                                |

## Related guides

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Working hours and days off" href="/schedules/working-hours-and-days-off">
    Per-day hours, split shifts and overnight periods.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Assign a schedule" href="/schedules/assign-a-schedule">
    Put people on the schedule you just built.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Schedule timezones" href="/schedules/schedule-timezones">
    Pick the right timezone for a distributed team.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Schedules overview" href="/schedules/overview">
    How schedules, assignments and exceptions fit together.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Schedule settings" href="/settings/schedules">
    The settings page itself.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>