Soon’s AI powered Shift Plan Generator helps you quickly create the structure of your weekly schedule. Instead of manually building shifts, roles, staffing requirements, breaks, and locations, you can generate a complete shift framework and refine it from there.
You can start from a simple description, an uploaded schedule file, or both. Soon analyzes the information and creates a structured weekly setup with events, times, roles, and staffing needs that you can review and adjust.
The Shift Plan Generator is designed to help you define how work is structured, not who works when. Once the framework is clear, assigning people becomes fast and reliable using Soon’s auto fill tools.
⚡ At a Glance
What it does: Creates a weekly shift framework using AI, based on a description, an uploaded schedule file, or both.
What you get: A structured set of events or shifts with times, roles, staffing requirements, breaks, self-scheduling settings, and locations when relevant.
How it works: Input a text description, upload an existing schedule (Excel/CSV), or use both.
What it does not do: It does not assign people to shifts (assign user manually or use Auto-fill for that after the structure is built).
Where to find it: Open your Schedule Board > Click Week Templates (bottom right corner) > Select Generate Shift Plan.
Available on All Plans: The Shift Plan Generator feature is accessible across all Soon plans.
Permissions: Only admins with Can Edit access to a schedule board can generate a using AI.
What the Shift Plan Generator is
The Shift Plan Generator is a schedule structuring tool. It helps you define the foundation of your schedule, including:
• which shifts exist
• when they happen
• which roles are needed
• how many people are required per role
• whether unpaid breaks apply when relevant
• whether roles/shifts are open to self-scheduling
• where the event takes place, when location adds clarity
It does not assign people to shifts. Assignment happens later, once the structure is clear.
Why the Shift Plan Generator exists
Scheduling usually starts with structure, not people.
Before assigning anyone, you need clarity on what work needs to be covered, when it happens, and how many people are required. The Shift Plan Generator exists to reduce manual setup work and help you move faster at this stage.
It allows you to import existing schedules, test different shift frameworks, and refine business requirements before committing to assignments. This separation leads to clearer schedules and fewer changes later.
Key benefits
Create a shift framework in minutes; Generate a complete weekly setup without manually creating every event.
Import what you already use; Convert schedules from Excel, Google Sheets, or other scheduling tools directly into Soon.
Test different shift setups; Experiment with opening hours, overlapping shifts, and staffing requirements before deciding what works best.
Separate structure from assignment; Define events and requirements first, then assign people once the structure feels right.
How to access the Shift Plan Generator
Automatic opening for new weeks
If a week has no events and your team has no custom week templates, Soon automatically opens the Generate Shift Plan mode. This helps new teams get started without friction.
Manual access
You can always access it manually:
• open the schedule board
• click Week Templates
• click the title in the header of the modal
• select Generate Shift Plan
The Shift Plan Generator is one of several modes inside the Week Templates modal.
How to generate a shift plan
You can provide input in multiple ways. All options are optional and can be combined.
Describe your schedule
Use the description field to explain how your schedule works. This is useful when you do not have a file to upload or when your setup needs extra context.
You can describe things like operating hours, types of shifts or events, recurring patterns, unpaid breaks, or self-scheduling rules.
Examples prompts:
"Generate a 24/7 on-call schedule for a 25-person IT support team. Team members can self-schedule into shifts. Ensure there is 1 manager per shift, with a maximum of 4 shifts per day."
"Create a weekly shift schedule for a support team open 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM, 7 days a week, with 30 staff members."
Tip: You can use the preset buttons like Add morning shift or Try example to quickly test example prompts for inspiration. These examples can be easily modified to suit your needs.
Upload an existing schedule
If you already have a schedule, uploading it is usually the fastest way to get started.
For best results:
• export one full week of your current schedule
• prefer csv or xlsx files, as these are the most precise and reliable
If you plan in Excel or Google Sheets, simply export your schedule. If you use another scheduling tool, export a week's worth of data from it and upload it to Soon.
Supported file formats:
• xlsx
• csv
• pdf
• png
• jpeg
Spreadsheets work best because they clearly show days, times, and structure. Screenshots and pdf files also work, but may require more interpretation.
Combine description and upload
You can upload a file and add extra context in the description field. Soon will use both inputs together to generate the shift plan.
Why one week works best
The Shift Plan Generator currently creates a weekly schedule setup.
Uploading a single representative week helps the generator understand typical daily patterns and create a reusable weekly framework. If your schedules vary, choose the week that best represents your usual setup.
Step by step: generating your shift plan
Step 1: Open the generator
Open the Shift Plan Generator automatically on an empty week, or manually via Week Templates.
Step 2: Generate the plan
Add a description, upload a file, or both, then click Generate Shift Plan. Larger or more complex schedules may take a moment to generate.
Step 3: Review and apply
Review the result and the generated summary. You can apply the template directly or go back and adjust your input.
Get your schedule live in just a few minutes
Once the shift structure is ready:
Apply the template.
Auto-fill empty seats with available staff.
Publish the schedule once you're satisfied with the setup.
At this point, the focus moves from planning to assignment.
Why people are not assigned automatically
Assigning people to shifts requires balancing availability, skills, preferences, contracts, and labor rules. This is a different problem from defining the shift structure.
That is why the Shift Plan Generator focuses on structure and business requirements only.
In Soon you can assign people either manually or using Auto-fill, which applies a constraint based approach. In simple terms, you define the rules, and Soon finds assignments that satisfy those rules as well as possible.
AI considerations and best practices
The Shift Plan Generator uses OpenAI’s advanced language model to help convert your input into a structured schedule framework. The AI supports your planning process, but it does not replace your judgment.
Accuracy
AI-powered tools generate results by processing large datasets and patterns, but accuracy can vary. Due to the limitations of AI, there may be inaccuracies or omissions. Treat the information as a helpful guide, not a substitute for expert advice or thorough research.
Your responsibility
When using AI features in Soon, you're responsible for following OpenAI’s usage policies. Always verify the AI-generated output before making decisions, especially for critical matters.
Data privacy and security
• uploaded files and descriptions are used only temporarily
• uploaded files are not stored
• data processed by OpenAI is not used to train models
• all processing happens within Soon’s controlled environment
Learn more about OpenAI security and data handling at https://openai.com/security-and-privacy/.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Shift Plan Generator assign people to shifts?
No. It creates the shift framework only. Assignment happens later, either manually or via Auto-fill.
Can I still assign people manually?
Yes. You can always assign or adjust people manually.
Can I generate multiple versions of a schedule?
Yes. You can test different shift frameworks before choosing one.
What is the best file to upload?
A csv or xlsx export of one typical week from Excel, Google Sheets, or another scheduling tool works best.
What happens if information is missing?
If something is unclear, the generator prefers leaving fields empty rather than guessing.
Are uploaded files stored?
No. Uploaded files are processed temporarily and are not stored.