# Using ShiftPlanner — step by step

No installation, no account, no internet required.

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## 1. Open the app

Find the file `index.html` inside the `src` folder. Double-click it, or drag it
into your browser window (Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari). The app opens like
a normal web page. You can also copy this one file to a USB stick and open it on
another computer — it is the whole program.

## 2. Add your people

1. Click the **`+ Worker`** button in the top bar.
2. Fill in the name, role and **Contracted Hours/Week**.
3. Press **Save**.
4. Repeat for each employee.

The **👥 Workers** tab on the left lists everyone. Click an entry to edit it, or
delete it from the same window.

## 3. Create your shift types

1. Click the **📋** button (templates) in the top bar.
2. Add a template: name, start time, end time, colour, and how many people the
   shift needs.
3. Save it.

You now have reusable shifts such as "Early", "Late" or "Night" and do not have
to retype the times each day.

## 4. Build the month

1. Use the arrows at the top to go to the month you want to plan.
2. Click a day in the calendar to open **Day Details**.
3. Add a shift to that day (either from your templates or as a one-off).
4. Assign the people who should work it — the app shows who is free.
5. Use **Day Note** for anything worth remembering about that date.

To start a day over, use **Clear Day**.

## 5. Let the app draft the rota for you

1. Click **✨ Auto** in the top bar.
2. Choose which workers to include.
3. Choose what "fair" should mean: **Equal Number of Shifts**, **Equal Total
   Hours**, or **Equal Weekend Shifts**.
4. Set your limits: **Max Consecutive Days**, **Min Rest Hours**, **Max
   Workers** per shift.
5. Step through the generator and press **Apply**.

The draft can always be changed by hand afterwards. Nothing is final until you
say so.

## 6. Record holidays and sickness

Open a worker and add a **vacation**, a **sick day**, or a **day off**. The
planner will not schedule that person while the absence is active.

## 7. Check for clashes

The app continuously looks for problems — someone booked twice, too little rest
between shifts, or too many days in a row. A badge appears when something is
wrong. Use **Fix conflicts** to see them and **Clear Day** to reset a day that
has become tangled.

## 8. Save and back up

Your work is saved automatically in this browser on this computer. That is the
only place it is stored — there is no cloud and no server.

Because of that, **back up regularly**:

- **📊** exports the month's rota as a **CSV spreadsheet** — for printing,
  emailing or opening in Excel.
- **📤** exports the **whole plan as a JSON file** — this is your real backup;
  it contains every worker, shift and assignment.
- **📥** loads a JSON backup back in.

If you clear your browser's site data, the plan is gone. Keep a JSON export
somewhere safe.

## 9. Optional: turn on the AI advisor

Only do this if you want the chat panel on the right-hand side.

1. Install Ollama on your computer and start it (default address
   `http://localhost:11434`).
2. Open **⚙️ Settings** and confirm the **AI Endpoint** — normally leave it as
   it is, or type the address given in your Ollama settings if it is different.
3. Pick a model in the panel's **Model** dropdown.
4. Ask a question such as "who is working too many weekends?" and press Enter.

If Ollama is not running, the panel simply says "Not connected (start Ollama)".
Everything else in the app keeps working.

## 10. Make it easier on the eyes

Click **☀** to switch between the light and dark theme. The choice is
remembered.