---
title: "Creating Shifts in the Field Schedule"
url: "https://help.ontraccr.com/en/article/creating-shifts-in-the-field-schedule"
language: "en"
last_updated: "2025-06-26T17:17:30.329Z"
---

# Creating Shifts in the Field Schedule

## 🛠️ **Creating Shifts in the Field Schedule (Manual, Form-Based, Gantt Dispatch)**  
 

### 📘 Article Purpose

This article walks you through **every method for creating shifts** in the Field Schedule, including manual entry, using forms, and dispatching from a Gantt schedule.

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## ✍️ **Method 1: Manually Creating a Shift in the Field Schedule**

You can manually create a shift in any view (Day, Week, User views, etc).

### Option 1: Use the **Add (+)** Button

1.  Click the **\+ Add** button at the top of the Field Schedule.
2.  This opens the **“Schedule a Shift”** slider.
3.  Manually enter all required and optional shift details (see shift fields in the next article).
4.  Click **Submit** to publish, or **Save as Draft** to hold it for later assignment.

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### Option 2: Use **Click-and-Drag on the Calendar**

1.  **Click and drag** over a time block under a specific user.
2.  A shift slider appears with:
    -   The **user pre-selected**
    -   The **date and time** auto-filled based on what you dragged
3.  Fill in the rest of the shift details.
4.  Submit or Save as Draft.

✅ Why use this method: It’s faster if you already know who and when the shift is for.

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## 📋 **Method 2: Creating a Shift via Form Submission**

Shifts can also be created using a **form with a Dispatch Block**.

### How It Works:

1.  The form is submitted from:
    -   A board card
    -   The web app
    -   The mobile app
2.  A **Dispatch Workflow Block** is included in the form’s automation.
3.  The Dispatch Block reads the form’s details (or a “Shift Table” field) and **automatically creates a shift** in the Field Schedule.

### ✅ Why Use This?

-   Ideal for **Service Dispatch workflows**
-   Triggers **automated clock-in/out actions**
-   Sends real-time client emails (e.g., “We’ve arrived onsite”)
-   Launches related safety or job forms automatically

🧠 Example: A technician fills out a dispatch form →

That creates a shift + triggers an email + launches a safety checklist when they clock in.

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## 📦 **Method 3: Dispatching from the Gantt Schedule**

This method lets you convert a planned Gantt task into a shift.

### How It Works:

1.  Go to your **Gantt Schedule** (Project or Master).
2.  **Double-click** any task.
3.  In the task slider, click **Dispatch** in the top-right.
4.  This opens the **Field Schedule shift slider** with:
    -   Title, users, dates, project, etc. auto-filled from the Gantt task
5.  You can make edits, then **Submit** or **Save as Draft**.

✅ This method is best for long-term planned work that now needs to be scheduled in the field.

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## 📝 **Summary Table**

| Method | Best For | Pros |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Manual (Add or Drag) | One-off, quick shifts | Flexible and visual |
| Form (Dispatch Block) | Service or mobile workflows | Fully automated + client notifications |
| Gantt Dispatch | Scheduled project tasks | Pulls in planned work with minimal reentry |