Use on-call schedules to map your coverage needs and determine who will be notified when an incident is triggered. When an incident impacts a service, notifications are sent to the user on the service’s associated escalation policy.

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Required User Permissions

Users with the following roles can create, edit, and delete on-call schedules:

• User
• Manager base roles and team roles
  • Manager team roles can only manage schedules associated with their team.
• Admin/Global Admin
• Account Owner

Create a Basic Schedule

A basic shift-based schedule consists of at least one rotation. However, you should have multiple rotations to ensure there are no gaps in the schedule. Each rotation defines the time window during which a user is on call. You can use multiple rotations to create different schedule arrangements and view your on-call coverage at a glance.

Note: Free plans are limited to one schedule.

To create a shift-based schedule in the web app:

1. Navigate to People Schedules.
2. Click + Create Shift-Based Schedule.
3. In the Schedule Name field, enter a unique name.
   • (Optional) Enter a Description to provide context.
4. Under Template Options, select Custom.
   • Note: You can also choose a pre-defined template (such as Weekly Handoff, Workday / Weekend, or Follow the Sun) to pre-populate your schedule settings.
5. Click Continue.
6. Click + Create Rotation to configure the rotation.
   1. Add a Rotation name. Give it a descriptive name that you can clearly identify from the schedule.
   2. Review the Timezone for the region. The time zone is set to the account-level time zone by default. Use the dropdown to change to the desired time zone.
   3. Select a Rotation type. You can set it to Hourly_Daily, Weekly, or Monthly. This value determines how frequently users change on-call responsibilities.
   4. Set the Active days of the week. You can select specific days or a range that starts and ends on specific days and times.
      1. If you selected specific days under Active Days of the Week, select the Active Times of Day.
   5. Select a Handoff time to determine specifically when responsibilities must rotate.
   6. Select when the Rotation starts / ends. You can start the rotation immediately or choose a start date.
   7. Click the Members tab to add individual users or Teams to the rotation.

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      Adding Users

      You can add all users, except Limited and Full Stakeholders, to schedules. If someone does not appear in the dropdown, Admin users or higher can add users to the account.

7. Click Create Rotation.
8. Repeat Step 6 for additional rotations.
9. Click Save Schedule.

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Connect a Schedule to a Service

Important: You must connect the schedule to a service via an escalation policy. After associating a schedule with an escalation policy, on-call users are notified about incidents on any service(s) that use the escalation policy.

Once you have created an escalation policy, follow the instructions in Connect a Schedule to a Service via Escalation Policy.

Editing Schedules

Please review our Edit Schedules article for more information.

Shifts and Overrides

Within Edit Schedules, you can find content on manual adjustments such as:

• Custom Shifts: Create one-off changes to an existing rotation that differ from the recurring pattern.
• Overrides: View, create, or delete manual one-time adjustments (e.g., for vacations or shift swaps).

Need help deciding? Learn when to pick an override versus a custom shift based on whether you are replacing an existing responder or adding extra coverage to your schedule.

Schedule Settings Overview

To access a rotation's configuration settings:

1. For the desired schedule, select and click Edit.

Rotation name

When naming your rotation, choose a clear, descriptive name that helps users easily identify it in the schedule. A good naming convention helps distinguish between multiple rotations, especially when managing complex or overlapping shifts.

For example: Support - Weekday AM (PST)

Timezone

When you create a new schedule, it is set to the account-level time zone by default. Follow the instructions in Change the Schedule-Level Time Zone if you want your schedule to have a different time zone than the account.

Rotation types

Rotation types determine how frequently users change on-call responsibilities.

• You can set it to Hourly, Daily, Weekly, or Monthly.
• For example, Hourly is useful for 8-hour shift coverage, while a Monthly rotation may be better for lower-urgency situations where a single individual can be on call for longer periods of time.

Schedule restrictions

When creating a rotation, you can set the following:

• Active days of the week: This option creates uniform shifts for every day of the week and determines the days the rotation is active. You can select either specific days when a user is on call or a range that begins on one day at a specific time and ends on another day at a specific time.
• Active times of day: This defines the window during which a responder is on call. You can set the time window for specific days here.
  Note: If you select Day range in Active days of the week, this field stays hidden.

Shift assignment type

Set the option to Handoff and rotate to next member to set a Handoff time when on-call responsibilities rotate between users. You can configure this rotation to occur at a set frequency.

If you select All members are on-call for each shift, all users assigned to the rotation will be on call simultaneously.

Rotation start and end

• Rotation starts defines when the rotation must begin — either immediately or at a specific date and time in the future.
• Rotation ends specifies when the rotation must conclude. You can configure it to continue indefinitely or specify an exact end date and time.

FAQ

Can I create an open schedule with unassigned rotations/shifts?

Can I create a future schedule to prepare for team changes or new hires?