Rotations
A recurring volunteer schedule you set up once a season
Food pantry shifts every Tuesday and Thursday. Snack duty every Saturday. Nursery every Sunday. Choose the weekdays and the date range, and SlotSheet creates the whole rota at once.
Free for 3 open sheets. No ads, and no account needed for the people signing up.
Recurring schedules are where most sign-up tools make organisers do the most clicking: the same slot copied twenty times, each with a new date. Miss one and that week has no cover.
SlotSheet’s repeating schedule generator (Organiser and School / league plans) takes a label, the weekdays, a start and end date, and a time. It produces every slot in one step, up to 40 at a time.
How it works
- 1
Describe the pattern
For example: “Pantry shift”, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4:00–6:00, from Jan 6 to Mar 26, 3 volunteers each.
- 2
Generate the slots
SlotSheet creates each dated slot and shows you the list before saving. Edit any one, such as a holiday week with fewer people.
- 3
Share one link for the season
Volunteers claim the weeks they can do. Turn on “one sign-up per email” early in the season if you want everyone to get a turn.
- 4
Reminders every week
Each volunteer gets an email before their shift (24, 36, or 48 hours, your choice on paid plans), and cancellations go to the waitlist.
What the sheet looks like
| Pattern | Dates | Per shift | Slots created |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pantry shift · Tue & Thu 4:00–6:00 | Jan 6 – Mar 26 | 3 | 24 |
| Saturday sort · 9:00–11:00 | Jan 10 – Mar 28 | 5 | 12 |
| Drivers · Fri 1:00 | Jan 9 – Mar 27 | 2 | 12 |
When a rota beats a one-off sheet
If the same job happens at least every other week, a single season-long sheet is easier for everyone than a new sheet each month. Volunteers can plan ahead, and you see the gaps weeks in advance instead of the night before.
Keep seasons to roughly three months. It matches school terms and sports seasons, and it gives volunteers a natural point to step back or sign up again.
Spreading the load
- Start with “one sign-up per email” on, then turn it off halfway through the season to fill remaining gaps.
- Put backup slots on critical weeks (holidays, exam weeks) with a smaller capacity.
- Export the CSV at the end of the season to thank everyone and count volunteer hours.
Make yours in a couple of minutes
Sign in with your email, add your slots, and share one link.
Questions
How do I make a recurring volunteer schedule?
On an Organiser or School / league plan, open the repeating schedule tool in a sheet, choose the weekdays, date range, time, and headcount, and SlotSheet generates every slot. Share the link and volunteers claim weeks.
Is the recurring schedule feature free?
Repeating schedules are part of the Organiser plan ($5/month or $39/year) and the School / league plan ($15/month). On the free plan you can add each date by hand.
How many weeks can I generate at once?
Up to 40 slots per run. Run it again to add more, for example a second weekday or the next term.
Can I skip holidays?
Yes. Delete or edit individual slots after generating them.
Do reminders go out every week?
Yes. Each dated slot sends its own reminder to the people on it, and paid plans choose 24, 36, or 48 hours before.