Shift Templates
Learn how to create, clone, delete, modify and apply shift templates in order to speed up your employee scheduling process
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Written by Celayix Support
Updated over a week ago

Shift templates allow the user to save a selection of shifts which can be pasted and repeated in the future. This tool is very useful for those who expect to have repeated schedules with minimal changes.

Pasting a Shift template in Schedule in Schedule Xpress

Shift templates increase your consistency and more importantly, reduce the amount of time you spend creating your schedule.


In this article, we're going explore the following for Shift Templates in Schedule Xpress:

Create a best-fit schedule

Creating your Shift template

Shift templates in Settings


Create a best-fit schedule

If you're looking to create a Shift template, then your first step is to create a schedule that best fits the needs of your company and it's employees.

Although we'd recommend doing this by the week as it gives you a more focused view, you can create a template for up to a month.

Creating your schedule in Schedule in Schedule Xpress

Once your best-fit schedule has been created, you can look at creating a template.


Create shift template in your Schedule

There are two ways that a template can be created.

The first option is the simplest. From the Schedule, you can click Shift Tools > Create shift template.

Create shift template in Shift Tools in Schedule Xpress

Note: This is a second option to create a Shift template. Rather than creating shift in your Schedule and highlighting them to create a template, you'll add shifts to build this Shift template.

Create templates in Shift templates in Settings in Schedule Xpress

So, let's look at how you can use the first option to create a template straight from your Schedule.


Highlighting your shifts

Once your schedule is in place, you'll need to highlight all the shifts that you want to be associated with the Shift template.

You can use the Select all shifts to highlight all the shifts that can be seen in your Schedule, or use the 3 dots selector to highlight specific columns or rows. Alternatively, you can check the shifts one by one or drag to select a range of shifts.

Selecting your shifts in Schedule in Schedule Xpress

Once the shifts are highlighted, click Shift Tools > Create shift template.

Shift Tools > Create shift template

Name your Shift template

The next step is to name your template and give a description.

Naming your Shift template in Schedule Xpress

Giving a description is a way of adding more information and also deciphering one template from another in the event that they have similar names.


Apply shift template

Before applying a Shift template, you should locate the date range you're looking to paste the template in to.

Note: If there's no shifts, you can press the Apply shift template in the center of the screen. It's also important to note that even if there are shifts, you can still paste the template.

Apply shift template in Shift Tools in Schedule Xpress

Apply template from

The Apply template from is fundamental in the placement of your schedule in the given date period.

Note: It will always default to the starting date of the current date range shown on your screen. For example, if you're showing the week from Sep 4 - Sep 10, the default day to paste your template will be Sep 4.

Apply template from in Apply shift template in Schedule Xpress

For example, if your template runs from Sunday through to Saturday, you'll need to ensure that the Apply template from is set to the date of Sunday.

Important: If you don't choose the correct day to start the template on, it will be default paste into the first day in your date range.

Choosing a date to Apply template from in Apply shift template in Schedule Xpress

Selecting your Shift template

If you know the name of your Shift template, you can type it in the search bar.

Selecting your Shift template in Apply shift template in Schedule Xpress

Alternatively, you can scroll to find it in the list.

Check marking your Shift template in Apply shift template in Schedule Xpress

Before applying the Shift template, ensure you checkmark it.

Check marking your Shift template in Apply shift template in Schedule Xpress

Show more and Show less

You can use the Show more and Show less options to expand and collapse the Shift template data. When expanded, the data will show:

  • Number of scheduled hours

  • Number of shift records

  • How many days the schedule spans across

  • When the template was last modified and who by

Show more and Show less for a Shift template in Schedule Xpress

Now let's look at Applying your Shift template.


Applying your Shift template

Once you press Apply, you'll noticed that your Schedule is pasted in. The next step is to Save your template.

Applying your Shift template in Schedule Xpress

Making changes to your template in Schedule

If you want to make changes to your template, you can add, update, or delete shifts and then create a new shift template.

Making changes to your template in Schedule in Schedule Xpress

Saving your template

Press on the Save disk to paste your template.

Saving your template to Schedule in Schedule Xpress

The template will then be pasted in.


Warnings and Errors

If your template contains a lot of shifts, it's likely that you'll receive warnings and errors.

Warnings and Errors for shifts when pasting template in Schedule Xpress

We recommend that you use your dynamic filters as the best way to handle them.


Apply & Repeat

You also have the option to Apply & Repeat.

Apply & Repeat in Apply shift template in Schedule Xpress

The Paste copies section allows you to paste copies for shifts using the employee, or setting the shifts to open.

The Repeat section allows you to repeat shifts in the template the same day or every number of days, based on the parameters you set.

Apply & Repeat in Apply shift template in Schedule Xpress

Back to your pasted template.


Your Shift template

You'll now see that your Shift template has been pasted.

Your pasted Shift template in Schedule Xpress

Let's now look at how you can edit that template.


Shift templates in Settings

You can view and edit Shift templates by going to Settings > Branch features > Shift templates.

Shift templates in Settings in Branch features in Schedule Xpress

Inside the Shift templates module, you can Modify, Create, Clone and Delete a Shift template.

Modifying a template

Once you've created a Shift template, you can make amendments at any time through modifying your template.

Modifying a shift template in Settings in Shift templates in Schedule Xpress

Here, you can select the template you want to modify, and click Modify template to either add a shift, update a shift or delete a shift.

Modify template in Settings in Shift templates in Schedule Xpress

Create, Clone and Delete a template

You also have options to Create a template, Clone a template or Delete a template.

Create a template, Clone a template and Delete a template in Settings in Shift templates in Schedule Xpress

You can create a template by adding shifts to build it. You can also Clone or Delete an existing template.

For more information on Shift templates, please Contact Support now!

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