The Draft Schedule Workflow
AdministratorsScheduling
Build, review, and publish schedules before staff sees them.
What Are Draft Appointments?
Drafts are appointments that:
- Exist in the system
- Are NOT visible to staff
- Can be edited freely
- Get published all at once
Why Use Drafts?
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| Plan ahead | Build next week's schedule without confusion |
| Review before publishing | Catch conflicts and gaps |
| Batch changes | Make adjustments before anyone sees |
| Coordinate coverage | Ensure all shifts filled |
Creating Draft Appointments
Method 1: Individual Drafts
- Create appointment normally
- Toggle Save as Draft
- Click Create
Method 2: Draft Mode Session
- Go to Schedule
- Click Enter Draft Mode
- All appointments you create are drafts
- Click Exit Draft Mode when done
Viewing Drafts
In Schedule View
Drafts appear with:
- Dashed border
- "Draft" badge
- Different color (usually gray)
Filter by Status
- Go to Schedule
- Click Filters
- Toggle Show Drafts Only
Reviewing Drafts
Before publishing, check:
Coverage Review
- Go to Schedule → Week View
- Look for:
- Empty time slots
- Clients without visits
- Overloaded staff
Conflict Check
System automatically flags:
- Double-booked staff
- Overlapping client appointments
- Outside working hours
- Exceeds unit allocations
Workload Balance
- View Staff Summary
- See hours per team member
- Balance workload across team
Editing Drafts
Drafts can be freely edited:
Individual Edit
- Click on draft appointment
- Make changes
- Save
Bulk Edit
- Select multiple drafts
- Click Bulk Edit
- Change common fields:
- Time
- Team member
- Service type
- Apply changes
Delete Drafts
- Select draft(s)
- Click Delete
- No notification sent (not published yet)
Publishing Drafts
When ready to make visible to staff:
Publish All Drafts
- Go to Schedule
- Click Review Drafts
- See summary:
- Total drafts
- Conflicts (if any)
- Date range
- Click Publish All
- Confirm
Publish Selected
- Select specific drafts
- Click Publish Selected
- Only those become visible
Publish by Date Range
- Click Publish Drafts
- Choose date range
- Only drafts in range publish
What Happens When Published
| Action | Result |
|---|---|
| Staff notification | Push notification of new schedule |
| Calendar update | Appointments appear in their app |
| Status change | Draft → Scheduled |
| Edit restrictions | Normal editing rules apply |
Draft Schedule Workflow
Recommended weekly process:
Friday:
1. Enter Draft Mode
2. Create next week's appointments
3. Review for conflicts
4. Balance workloads
Monday Morning:
5. Final review
6. Publish all drafts
7. Staff sees new schedule
Unpublishing (Reverting)
Made a mistake? Within 1 hour:
- Go to Schedule
- Find published appointment
- Click Unpublish
- Returns to draft status
Note: Staff may have already seen it. Send message if needed.
Tips
- Build drafts on Friday — Publish Monday morning
- Review conflicts first — System shows warnings
- Balance workloads — Check hours per staff
- Communicate changes — Use announcements for schedule notes
Related Articles
- Creating Appointments — Basic appointment creation
- Copying Weekly Schedules — Duplicate entire weeks
- Unassigned Appointments — Fill open shifts
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