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Copying & Pasting Shifts for Schedule Creation

Updated over a week ago

Overview

This article explains how to use the copy and paste tools in Shiftlab to simplify and accelerate schedule building. The copy feature allows you to duplicate individual shifts or entire weeks, reducing repetitive data entry and improving scheduling efficiency.

When to Use This

Use copy and paste when:

  • You want to duplicate an existing shift for another day or employee.

  • You need to replicate similar schedules across the week.

  • You want to copy a full week’s schedule into the next week.

  • You aim to reduce manual scheduling time.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Copy an Individual Shift

  1. Hover over the shift you want to copy.

  2. When the Copy Icon (black paper icon) appears, select it.

  3. A confirmation message will appear in the top-right corner indicating “Shift Copied.”

2. Paste an Individual Shift

  1. Hover over an open shift slot for any employee.

  2. A Paste Box will appear.

  3. Select the Paste button to place the copied shift into that slot.

3. Copy an Entire Week of Shifts

  1. Navigate to the schedule for the week you want to copy.

  2. Select the Green Copy Button at the top of the schedule.

  3. Confirm the action.

    • All shifts for the upcoming week will be overwritten with the copied week.

  4. Shiftlab will automatically take you to the newly copied week.

Key Details & Definitions

  • Copy Icon: The black paper symbol that appears when hovering over a shift, used to duplicate that shift.

  • Paste Box: A gray box that appears when hovering over an empty shift slot, used to paste a previously copied shift.

  • Weekly Copy: A full-week duplication that overwrites the next week’s schedule.

  • Shift Copied Notification: A confirmation message indicating that a shift is ready to paste.

Troubleshooting & FAQs

I do not see the copy icon when hovering over a shift. What should I check?
Ensure you have editing permissions for the schedule.

Why is Shiftlab overwriting next week’s schedule?
Using the weekly copy function replaces the entire next week’s shifts. Confirm before copying.

Can I undo a weekly copy?
There is no automatic undo. Make manual adjustments as needed.

Why can’t I paste a shift?
The target slot may not allow the shift due to role, availability, or compliance settings.

Related Articles

  • Editing Shifts

  • Building a Schedule

  • Using Auto-Build for Faster Scheduling

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