> 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-template-library/understand-shift-templates.md). # Understand Shift Templates **Page type:** Reference\ **Status:** Draft\ **Owner:** Compassly Documentation Team\ **Last verified:** 2026-07-08\ **Audience:** Super Admin, Admin, Supervisor ## What This Section Covers This material explains what a Shift Template actually is, how it's different from a real shift on the schedule, and how a template gets turned into one. ## 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**, covered on this page, is what you build here in the Shift Template Library. * **Template status** is one of the four statuses a real, dated shift can be in on the schedule — it just means the shift doesn't have a Service assigned yet. See [Understand Shift Statuses](/compassly-docs/core-modules/shifts/shift-management/understand-shift-statuses.md). ## What A Shift Template Is A Shift Template has no calendar date at all. It exists in an **abstract week** — Monday through Sunday, with no year, month, or day attached — made up of a title, a location, and one or more time blocks placed on that abstract week. A template never has a Service, is never checked for scheduling overlaps, and never shows up on anyone's calendar directly. It exists purely to be reused. A template's time blocks can optionally carry a Team Member and/or Client, but neither is required — a template can be entirely unassigned, ready to be applied wherever it's needed. ## How A Template Becomes A Real Shift A template only affects the schedule once someone uses it, in one of two ways: * **Apply a Shift Template to the Schedule** takes an entire template and stamps its time blocks onto a specific real week (or repeating weeks), creating real, dated shifts. See [Apply a Shift Template to the Schedule](/compassly-docs/core-modules/shifts/shift-management/apply-shift-template.md). * **Choosing "Template" as a starting point when adding a shift** in Shift Management pre-fills a new shift's fields from a template you pick, which you can then adjust before saving. Either way, the resulting shift is an independent record from that point on — editing the template afterward does not change any shift that was already created from it, and editing that shift does not change the template. ## Why Templates Don't Have A Service A real shift needs a Service to move past **Template** status, because a Service is what triggers scheduling overlap checks and billing-related calculations like Units. A Shift Template is never checked for overlaps and is never billed — it's just a pattern — so it has no place for a Service at all. Any Service assignment happens after a template is turned into a real shift. ## Summary Of Section **Upon reviewing this material, you should be able to:** * Explain what a Shift Template is and how it differs from a shift in Template status * Describe the two ways a template turns into a real shift * Explain why a Shift Template has no Service field ## Related Guides * [Add a New Shift Template](/compassly-docs/core-modules/shifts/shift-template-library/add-new-shift-template.md) * [Apply a Shift Template to the Schedule](/compassly-docs/core-modules/shifts/shift-management/apply-shift-template.md) * [Understand Shift Statuses](/compassly-docs/core-modules/shifts/shift-management/understand-shift-statuses.md) --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. 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