Shift Schedule CSV Template Guide

A clean CSV is the easiest way to turn a spreadsheet roster into a shift schedule generator input.

CSV files work well for shift scheduling because they are simple, portable, and easy to create from Excel or Google Sheets. The Shift Assignment Generator uses three small CSV formats: employees, shifts, and skipped dates.

Employee CSV

Only name is required. The other columns help the generator avoid bad assignments and balance the schedule.

name,role,maxShifts,preferredShifts,unavailableDates,preferredDates,fixedAssignments
Emily Johnson,Lead,6,Morning,2026-06-03,2026-06-01|2026-06-05,
Michael Smith,Support,6,Afternoon,,2026-06-02,2026-06-04:Morning

Shift CSV

Use one row per shift type. peopleNeeded controls how many employees are assigned to that shift on each active date.

shiftName,startTime,endTime,peopleNeeded
Morning,09:00,13:00,2
Afternoon,13:00,17:00,1
Evening,17:00,21:00,1

Skipped dates CSV

Use this file for stat holidays, closed dates, maintenance days, or any date inside the range that should not receive shifts.

date,reason
2026-07-01,Stat holiday
2026-07-04,Closed

Formatting tips

Use ISO dates like 2026-06-03. For multiple dates or shift preferences, separate values with pipes, such as Morning|Evening or 2026-06-03|2026-06-04. Fixed assignments use YYYY-MM-DD:Shift Name.

How to export from Excel or Google Sheets

In Excel, choose Save As and select CSV. In Google Sheets, choose File, Download, and Comma Separated Values. Then upload the CSV into the generator or paste the text directly into the tool.