Create a work schedule or duty roster online
Stop rebuilding the same spreadsheet every month. This free shift schedule maker fills open dates using your staffing needs, availability rules, and preferred rotation. Use it for daily staff coverage, on-call duties, volunteer schedules, cleaning rotations, or recurring office tasks.
No signup, installation, spreadsheet formulas, or macros are required. Review your schedule in a monthly calendar or a staff-by-date grid, then export an editable Excel file or a printable PDF.
Choose a schedule template
Chore rotation
Rotate cleaning, phone coverage, opening duties, or trash and recycling tasks. Choose the weekdays you need and cycle through your team in order.
On-call roster
Assign daily on-call coverage, leave days between assignments, and spread weekend duties across the team. Review coverage needs before sharing the roster.
Volunteer schedule
Plan PTA volunteer duties, school drop-off help, or neighborhood tasks. Share a PNG in a group text or print a PDF for the team.
Staff schedule
Plan who covers each date, with different staffing levels on weekdays and weekends. This tool assigns people to dates; it does not schedule shift times or track hours.
Example: build a four-person on-call schedule
- Choose On-call. The template sets one person per day, no consecutive assignments, and balanced weekend coverage.
- Add your team. Paste four names using Paste a team list. If Jordan cannot work Wednesdays, open the rules button next to their name and select Wed. Set an assignment limit there if needed.
- Enter time off. In Staff grid, click Taylor’s cell for the 6th twice to mark it OFF. In Calendar view, click the date and select Taylor under Time off.
- Click Auto-assign. The tool fills open spots while following your rules. Days with unfilled spots are highlighted; click one to see which rules ruled people out.
- Review and export. Check each person’s totals, make any manual changes, and save as Excel, PDF, or PNG.
Sample staff grid: the first week
| Name | 1 Mon | 2 Tue | 3 Wed | 4 Thu | 5 Fri | 6 Sat | 7 Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex | ● | ● | |||||
| Jordan | ● | ● | |||||
| Casey | ● | ● | |||||
| Taylor | ● | OFF |
● = assigned, OFF = time off. Jordan is not assigned on Wednesday, Taylor is off on the 6th, and nobody works consecutive days.
Scheduling features
Three assignment modes
Rotate in list order, balance assignment totals in list order, or use balanced random assignments. Random mode tries multiple schedules and picks one with fewer unfilled spots and less workload imbalance.
Availability rules
Set staffing by weekday, individual time off, unavailable weekdays, assignment limits for the date range, and up to six days between assignments. Balanced modes can also spread weekend duties more evenly.
Manual adjustments
Enter fixed assignments and time off first. Auto-assign preserves those entries and fills the remaining spots. Mark any date as closed to exclude it.
Calendar and staff grid
Switch between a monthly calendar and a grid with one row per person. Highlight unfilled days, inspect the reasons, and undo recent changes with Ctrl+Z or Command+Z.
Excel, PDF, and PNG
Excel includes Daily Schedule, Staff Grid, and Summary sheets. PDF uses one landscape US Letter page per month. PNG combines the months into one image. Your custom schedule title appears in each export.
Local saves and backups
Names and schedules stay in your browser. Use three local save slots for backups, or export a JSON file to keep a copy or move your schedule to another device.
How to make a shift schedule
- Select a date range. Choose the first and last month, for up to 24 months at a time.
- Add your team. Enter names one at a time or paste a column from Excel. Choose colors to help identify each person.
- Set your rules. Choose an assignment mode, minimum days between assignments, and daily staffing levels. A template can fill these settings for you.
- Enter fixed assignments and time off. Click a date in Calendar view or a cell in Staff grid.
- Run Auto-assign. Review the result. To try a different arrangement, click Undo and run it again.
- Review and download. Adjust unfilled dates or uneven workloads, then save your schedule as Excel, PDF, or PNG.
Frequently asked questions
Is this shift schedule maker free?
Yes. All features are free, and you do not need an account or an installation. Open the page in your browser to get started.
Where are names and schedules saved?
Your entries are saved automatically in this browser using local storage. Names and schedules are not sent to a server. Clearing browser data also clears your saved work, so export a JSON backup for schedules you want to keep.
Can I edit the schedule in Excel?
Yes. The Excel (.xlsx) download includes three sheets: Daily Schedule, Staff Grid, and Summary. You can edit the file in Excel without setting up formulas or macros.
Why does the schedule show unfilled spots?
A day may need more people than your rules allow. Check time off, unavailable weekdays, assignment limits, and minimum days between assignments. You can adjust the rules and run Auto-assign again, or click a highlighted date to make a manual change.
Can it schedule morning, evening, and overnight shifts?
This tool assigns people to dates. It does not manage shift times, shift lengths, or multiple shift types within a day. Create a separate schedule for each shift type if needed.
Does the assignment limit apply to each month?
The limit applies to the entire selected date range. For a three-month schedule, it is a three-month total. Select one month at a time if you need a separate monthly limit.
Can I continue on another device?
Yes. Open Save & Load, export a JSON backup, and import that file on the other device to continue editing.
Does the tool use a holiday calendar?
No. There is no country-specific holiday calendar. Staffing rules use weekdays and weekends only. To close on a holiday or another date, click the date and choose Mark day as closed (×). You can also enter assignments or time off manually for that date.