Shift Rota to Calendar (ICS) Converter
Turn your work rota into calendar events. Pick your name, tell it what each shift code means, and download your shifts as a calendar file.
or click to choose one
No file handy? Try it with the sample rota (.xlsx).
How to get your rota into your calendar
- Save the rota from your work email or shared drive. Excel .xlsx files and CSV files both work.
- Drop it into the box above and pick your name.
- Enter the start and end time for each shift code the first time you use it.
- Check the preview, download the .ics file and add it to your calendar.
Rota layouts it understands
Names down the side, dates across the top
The most common layout for wards, care homes, restaurants and shops. Each cell holds a shift code or the hours.
| Name | Mon 2/11 | Tue 3/11 | Wed 4/11 | Thu 5/11 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ana Lopez | LD | LD | OFF | N |
| Ben Carter | 7-15 | 7-15 | 7-15 | LD |
The dates can be real dates or just day numbers (1, 2, 3...) with the month chosen in step 2. Extra rows above, like a title or a row of weekday names, are fine.
One row per shift
Exports from scheduling apps often list each shift on its own row, with columns for date, start, end and sometimes the person's name. Choose "One row per shift" and, if there is a name column, pick your name.
Shift codes and times
- Times in the cell like
7-15,07:00-19:30or7a-3pare read directly.7-3with no am or pm is read as 7am to 3pm. - Letter codes like D, E, L, LD or N need their times entered once in the Shift codes table.
- Days off such as OFF, RD, AL and Sick are left out.
- Night shifts that finish the next morning are handled automatically.
Adding your shifts to a calendar
iPhone
Email the .ics file to yourself or save it to Files, open it and tap Add All. A separate "Work" calendar keeps shifts apart from personal plans.
Google Calendar and Android
On a computer, open Google Calendar, click the gear icon, choose Settings > Import & export, select the file and click Import. The shifts then show on your Android phone.
Outlook
In Outlook on the web, choose Add calendar > Upload from file.
When the rota changes
Rotas change often. The cleanest way to update is to keep shifts in their own calendar, delete that calendar's events for the period, and import the new file. Shifts that didn't change keep the same event ID, so most apps skip them if you import over the top, but a changed shift appears as a new event alongside the old one.
Sample file
The sample rota is a two-week ward rota for four staff with long days, nights, early shifts, days off and annual leave. Drop it in the box above, pick a name and try entering times for LD and N.
Frequently asked questions
- Is my rota uploaded anywhere?
- No. The conversion runs in your web browser. The rota, including your colleagues' names, never leaves your computer.
- What do I do with codes like D, LD or N?
- Every rota uses its own codes, so the converter lists the codes it finds and asks for the start and end time of each one. You only enter them once: they are remembered on this computer for next month's rota.
- Do night shifts work?
- Yes. When a shift ends at or before the time it starts, such as 19:00 to 07:30, it is treated as ending the next morning.
- Which codes count as days off?
- OFF, X, RD (rest day), AL (annual leave), Leave, Hol, Sick, PH and BH (public and bank holidays) and a dash are all treated as days off and left out of the calendar. Any other code needs times.
- My rota only has day numbers across the top, not full dates.
- Choose the month of the first day in step 2. When the numbers start again at 1, the converter moves on to the next month.
- Can I use an old .xls file?
- Not directly. Open it in Excel or Google Sheets and save it as .xlsx or CSV first, then drop that file in.