Templates
Free Shift Schedule Templates
Pick a template, edit it in the browser, and print — or download the file to work offline. No sign-up.
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Edit online
Rotating pattern templates
What is in each shift schedule template
The free weekly and monthly Excel templates are pre-built the way most teams actually run a roster: a row per employee, a column per day, a shift key that everyone understands, and a Total Hours column that adds up automatically from the codes you type.
Both templates use drop-downs in each day cell, so entries stay consistent — no more guessing whether "M" means morning or Monday. Shift codes match the shift key printed on every sheet: M for morning, D for day, E for evening, N for night, and O for off.
If you would rather fill a sheet in by hand, the printable PDF gives you a clean blank grid — one page, no formulas, ready for the break-room wall.
Weekly vs. monthly: which template should you use?
Choose the weekly template when the scheduling horizon is a single week — you are assigning who works which shifts for the next seven days, and you need a sheet people can read at a glance. It is the right tool for restaurants, retail stores, and small teams that re-plan every week.
Choose the monthly template when you need to plan further ahead — around holidays, known time-off requests, and rotating patterns that repeat over two or more weeks. The 31-day grid makes coverage gaps visible before they become a problem.
Many teams use both: the monthly template as the forward-planning layer, and the weekly template (or the online maker) for the final, detailed week. Planning in the browser first, then exporting a CSV for the spreadsheet, gives you the best of both worlds.
How to edit the Excel templates
Open the file in Excel, LibreOffice, or Google Sheets. Replace the example employee names with your team, then click a day cell and pick a shift code from the drop-down — or type it directly. The Total Hours column updates as you go, so you can see each person's hours at a glance without doing any math yourself.
When the week or month is finished, print directly from the spreadsheet, or save a copy for your records. If you keep the same shift key week after week, staff stop translating codes and start reading the schedule on sight.
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Frequently asked questions
Are the templates free?
Yes — every template is free to edit online or download, with no account or sign-up.
What formats are available?
Editable Excel (.xlsx) for weekly and monthly, plus a printable PDF. You can also export any online schedule as CSV.
Do the Excel templates total hours automatically?
Yes. Type a shift code (M, D, E, N, O) in each day cell and the Total Hours column adds up automatically using the built-in shift key.
Can I use the templates in Google Sheets?
Yes. Upload the .xlsx file to Google Sheets — the layout, drop-downs, and totals carry over without changes.
What is the difference between the weekly and monthly template?
The weekly template is a 7-day grid, one row per employee, ideal for a single week you print and post. The monthly template is a 31-day roster for planning coverage, holidays, and time-off requests further ahead.
Do I need Excel to use a schedule template?
No. You can build and print a schedule entirely in the browser with the online maker. The Excel templates exist for teams that prefer to work in a spreadsheet.