---
title: "Customizing Schedule Categories for Unassigned Shifts in Ontraccr"
url: "https://help.ontraccr.com/en/article/customizing-schedule-categories-for-unassigned-shifts-in-ontraccr"
language: "en"
last_updated: "2025-06-08T16:26:41.404Z"
---

# Customizing Schedule Categories for Unassigned Shifts in Ontraccr

## 📄 **Customizing Schedule Categories for Unassigned Shifts in Ontraccr**  
 

Ontraccr’s **Schedule Categories** feature allows you to organize and label **unassigned field shifts** using color-coded categories. This is especially useful for prioritizing, grouping, or planning future assignments at a glance.

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## 🧭 **Where to Access Schedule Category Customization**

1.  Go to **Settings**.
2.  Click **Customization**.
3.  Select **Schedule** from the customization list.

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## 🧰 **What You Can Customize**

Each Schedule Category includes:

-   A **name** (e.g., “High Priority”, “Waiting for Approval”, “Night Shift”)
-   A **color**, used in the scheduling UI to visually distinguish unassigned shifts

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## 🛠️ **How to Create or Edit a Schedule Category**

1.  In the **Schedule customization** screen, click **Add (+)**.
2.  Enter the **category name** (e.g., “Standby Crews”).
3.  Click the **color selector box**, choose a color, and hit **Save**.
4.  To update a category later:
    -   Click the **Edit icon (✏️)** beside the category
    -   Modify the name or color and save again

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## 📅 **How to Use Schedule Categories**

Once created, categories appear in the **Field Schedule** panel:

1.  Go to **Scheduling > Field Schedule**
2.  Expand the **Unassigned Shifts** menu on the left-hand side
3.  You’ll see your custom categories listed
4.  When adding a new shift, you can assign it to one of these categories

This helps dispatchers organize unassigned labor by priority, function, or workstream.

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## 💡 **Real-World Example**

A company using unassigned scheduling might create:

| Category | Color | Purpose |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **High Priority** | Red | Urgent shifts that must be filled |
| **Pending Review** | Yellow | Awaiting final sign-off |
| **Next Week Prep** | Blue | Early prep for future work |

Each category helps give instant context in the scheduler.

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## ✅ **Tips and Edge Cases**

-   **Only Affects Unassigned Shifts**: These categories don’t apply to assigned shifts.
-   **Use Clear Names**: Categories appear in the scheduling sidebar—choose short, descriptive names.
-   **Can Be Changed Anytime**: You can rename or recolor categories later without affecting past scheduling data.