> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://compassly.gitbook.io/compassly-docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://compassly.gitbook.io/compassly-docs/core-modules/shifts/shift-management/understand-shift-statuses.md). # Understand Shift Statuses **Page type:** Reference\ **Status:** Draft\ **Owner:** Compassly Documentation Team\ **Last verified:** 2026-07-08\ **Audience:** Super Admin, Admin, Supervisor, Clinician, Basic ## What This Section Covers This material covers the four statuses a shift can be in, how a shift moves between them, and a naming overlap that's easy to get confused by: "Template" status on a scheduled shift is not the same thing as a Shift Template in the Shift Template Library. ## A Note On Terminology Two different things in Shifts are both called "Template," and it's worth separating them before anything else: * A **Shift Template**, built in the Shift Template Library, is a reusable, dateless pattern — a title, a location, and a weekly time block — that you can use to quickly create real shifts. See [Shift Template Library](/compassly-docs/core-modules/shifts/shift-template-library.md). * **Template status** is one of the four statuses a real, dated shift on the calendar can be in. It has nothing to do with the Shift Template Library — it just means the shift exists on the schedule but doesn't have a Service assigned to it yet. This page is about the second one. ## Types Of Shift Status * **Template** — The shift exists on the calendar with a date, start time, and end time, but no Service has been assigned yet. It has no Progress Note section, is not visible to the assigned team member, and is not counted when checking for scheduling overlaps. * **Unpublished** — The shift has a Service assigned, which means it has a Progress Note section, but it still isn't visible to the assigned team member. * **Published (Note Unsigned)** — The shift is visible to the assigned team member. Its Progress Note (Brief Summary and Individual Notes) can be filled in and updated freely, but hasn't been signed yet. * **Published (Note Signed)** — The Progress Note has been signed. The shift and its note are locked and shown read-only, with a Signature block and an Export PDF option, until someone with permission unlocks it again. ## How A Shift Moves Between Statuses * Filling in a Service on a **Template** shift and clicking ***Update*** moves it to **Unpublished** — it does not publish the shift on its own. * Clicking ***Publish*** on a **Template** or **Unpublished** shift moves it to **Published (Note Unsigned)**. * Clicking ***Sign & Publish*** on a **Template** or **Unpublished** shift fills in the Progress Note and publishes and signs it in one step, moving it directly to **Published (Note Signed)**. * Clicking ***Sign*** on a **Published (Note Unsigned)** shift moves it to **Published (Note Signed)**. * Clicking ***Unlock and Edit*** on a **Published (Note Signed)** shift is the only way to move it back a step, returning it to **Published (Note Unsigned)** so it can be edited again. Status only ever moves forward on its own — the only way to go backward is through ***Unlock and Edit***, which requires the "Unlock progress notes" permission. If you don't have that permission, the button won't appear for you at all; ask a team member who has it (typically a Supervisor, Admin, or Super Admin) to unlock the note. See [Unlock and Edit a Signed Progress Note](/compassly-docs/core-modules/shifts/shift-management/unlock-signed-progress-note.md). ## Example Status Progression A Basic-role team member is assigned a shift for Tuesday. When it's created by their Supervisor, it already has a Service attached, so it starts in **Unpublished** status — it exists on the schedule, but the team member can't see it yet. Once the Supervisor clicks ***Publish***, the shift becomes **Published (Note Unsigned)** and now shows up when the team member views their assigned shifts. After working the shift, the team member opens it, fills in the Brief Summary and the Individual Note for their client, and clicks ***Sign***. The shift becomes **Published (Note Signed)** — it's now locked, and someone with the "Unlock progress notes" permission would need to unlock it before any further changes can be made. ## Summary Of Section **Upon reviewing this material, you should be able to:** * Tell the difference between a Shift Template and a shift in Template status * Identify all four shift statuses and what each one means * Predict what button you need to click to move a shift from one status to the next ## Related Guides * [View My Assigned Shifts](/compassly-docs/core-modules/shifts/shift-management/view-my-shifts.md) * [Add and Sign a Progress Note to Your Shift](/compassly-docs/core-modules/shifts/shift-management/add-and-sign-progress-note.md) * [Unlock and Edit a Signed Progress Note](/compassly-docs/core-modules/shifts/shift-management/unlock-signed-progress-note.md) --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. 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