What does each export contain?
The single-roster ICS export contains ON-site blocks as all-day events. The overlap planner exports shared OFF breaks. These files describe calendar dates rather than shift hours, flight times or reminders.
An ICS file is an importable calendar file, not a live subscription. If your employer changes the roster, an earlier import will not update itself. Generate a replacement only after checking the new anchor and rotation.
Import an ICS file
- Generate the roster and check its first two changeovers.
- Select Export ICS, or Export shared ICS in the overlap planner.
- Save the downloaded .ics file.
- Use your calendar application’s import/open-calendar-file option and select that file.
- Choose a separate calendar for the roster when your application supports it.
- Check the first and last imported events against the planner.
Calendar interfaces differ between applications and device versions. A phone may open the file directly; a desktop application may offer a dedicated import command. If the phone does not offer an import option, try the desktop calendar application.
Avoid duplicates and check end dates
Repeated imports can create duplicate entries, depending on the calendar application. A separate roster calendar makes it easier to remove an old forecast before importing a replacement. Check the resulting calendar rather than assuming the application will merge events.
All-day ICS events use an exclusive end date. A break shown as 11–14 January in the planner ends at 15 January in the file, meaning the last included day is 14 January. That is the calendar file convention, not an extra day off.
Share a plan
Share link copies the settings needed to rebuild the plan. If copying is unavailable, use the displayed link or your browser address after generating the roster. Open it in another tab to confirm that the dates and blocks restore correctly.
Anyone with the link can read the plan. Overlap links include optional labels, so use initials or nicknames. A shared link is not password protected and does not automatically change when you generate a different roster. See the Privacy page for the differences between the planners’ shared addresses.
Save a readable PDF
- Select Print / PDF after generating the plan.
- Choose A4 paper and portrait orientation in the print dialog.
- Enable background colours if you want the ON/OFF colours, and disable browser headers/footers if they crowd the sheet.
- Check every month in the preview, including a final partial month in rolling view.
- Save as PDF, reopen the saved file and check the last roster date.
If your browser produces another page, check its paper size, margins and scaling in the preview. The overlap planner and single-roster planner have separate print outputs; check the one you actually intend to share.