--- title: "Generate a Schedule" slug: "generate-a-schedule" updated: 2026-06-05T10:46:15Z published: 2026-06-05T10:46:15Z canonical: "help.dialpad.com/generate-a-schedule" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.dialpad.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Generate a Schedule Use Generate to automatically create a schedule for your team based on forecasted demand, agent availability, time off, and activity plans. Review the draft schedule, make any needed changes, and publish it when ready. Let’s dive into the details. > [!NOTE] > Who can use this > > Dialpad WFM is available to all Dialpad users and as a standalone product. > > You must be a WFM Admin to Generate a Schedule. ## Things to note Make sure the following are set up: | **Agent working hours** | Verify each agent has: - Assigned team - Correct skills - Contracted hours - [Schedule settings and working hours](https://help.dialpad.com/docs/configure-agent-working-hours) | | --- | --- | | **Queues and activities** | Ensure that queues and activities: - Are configured correctly - Have updated parameters - Are linked to the correct activities | | **Forecast** | Confirm a forecast exists for the scheduling period. | | **Time off** | Sync approved time off before generating schedules. | | **Activity plan** | Assign an activity plan to the team. If it's the team's first generated schedule, Dialpad WFM can suggest one for you. | ## Access your schedule Go to **Schedule** in Dialpad WFM to view and manage team schedules. ### Views #### Shifts view - Review and edit agent schedules - Check coverage - Use Auto-fill for individual agents #### Activities view - See how activities and breaks are scheduled within shifts ### Modes | **Draft** | Admin-only workspace for creating and editing schedules. | | --- | --- | | **Published** | Schedule visible to agents and used for reporting. | ### Filters and time zones Use filters to view schedules by date, team, agent, or skill. You can also change the schedule time zone using the time zone picker in the top-right corner. ## Generate a Schedule To generate a schedule, go to Schedule tab in Dialpad WFM. 1. Select **Generate** > Choose a team 2. Choose a date range (1 day to 12 weeks). 3. Select an activity plan 4. Select Generate draft ![Schedule generation interface showing date range and team selection options.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/0f28ad44-2863-4372-a27e-c6728808d742/Images/Documentation/generate-schedule.png) Dialpad WFM creates a draft schedule based on: - Forecast demand - Agent skills - Contracted hours - Schedule settings - Approved time off - Activity plans Draft schedules are only visible to admins until published. > [!TIP] > Tip > > Enable **Publish** new schedule during generation to publish the schedule when it's created automatically. ## Review the draft schedule Before publishing, review the schedule to ensure coverage and agent assignments are correct. Check that: - Coverage meets forecasted demand - Agents are scheduled correctly - Activities and breaks are placed as expected - Time off is respected - Contracted hours are met Make any necessary changes to shifts, activities, or breaks before publishing. ### **Auto-schedule individual agents** Use auto-schedule to update a single agent's schedule without regenerating the entire team schedule. Auto-schedule can add shifts, fill missing contracted hours, and create shifts based on the agent's schedule settings. ![Weekly schedule showing shifts for various employees with highlighted scheduling options.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/0f28ad44-2863-4372-a27e-c6728808d742/Images/Documentation/auto-fill-wfm(1)(1).png) Use Auto-schedule to create or adjust the schedule for a single agent without regenerating the entire team schedule. ## Regenerate a schedule If you update any scheduling settings after generating a draft schedule, you'll need to generate the schedule again. Common reasons to regenerate include: - Forecast changes - Agent updates (team, skills, contracted hours, or working hours) - New or updated time off - Activity plan changes > [!NOTE] > Note > > Generate does not automatically update existing draft schedules when changes are made. When you regenerate a schedule for the same team and date range: - Previously generated shifts are replaced with new ones. - Manually added or edited shifts may create conflicts, allowing you to choose whether to keep your changes or use the newly generated shifts. Schedules are not automatically generated for future dates. Generate and publish new schedules as needed. ## Publish the schedule Once you've reviewed the draft: 1. Select **Publish** 2. Publish all schedules or select a specific date range![Publish schedule interface showing agents and date range options with a publish button.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/0f28ad44-2863-4372-a27e-c6728808d742/Images/Documentation/publish-schedule.png) After publishing: - Agents can view their schedules - Adherence reporting uses the published schedule - Future edits require republishing > [!NOTE] > Note > > Use [Shift Plans](https://help.dialpad.com/docs/create-a-shift-plan) instead of Generate if you need fixed or rotating schedules, multi-week rotations, overnight shifts, or complete control over shift assignments. Activities and breaks must be added separately when using Shift Plans. ## Frequently asked questions ### Do I need working days configured? No. Generate can use contracted hours alone, but working days provide more accurate scheduling. See [**Configure agent working hours**](https://help.dialpad.com/docs/configure-agent-working-hours) article for more details. ### Can I edit generated schedules? Yes. You can make manual changes before publishing. ### What happens when I regenerate a schedule? Previously generated shifts are replaced. If you've manually edited a shift, you'll be prompted to choose whether to keep your changes or use the new generated shift. ### Why can't I generate for a team? You may not have the required View and Edit permissions for that team.