Getting started with Shiftdesk

Welcome to Shiftdesk

Shiftdesk helps you plan shifts, track working hours, and manage absences. This article gives you a concise overview of the best order in which to get started.

What to set up first

  1. Create your organization: When you log in for the first time, the onboarding assistant under Dashboard → Onboarding guides you through the basic configuration.
  2. Locations and public holidays: Create your business sites under Settings → Locations and import the matching public holidays.
  3. Contract types: Define under Settings → Contract types which models (full-time, part-time, mini-job) you use.
  4. Invite employees: Use Employees → Add employee to set up your team and send invitations.
  5. First schedule: Under Schedule, you can create and publish shifts.

What comes next

Once the basics are in place, it's worth taking a look at:

  • Time tracking under Time tracking for clock in/out mode or self-service
  • Absences under Absences for vacation and sick notes
  • Reports for analyses and DATEV export

Helpful follow-up articles

Tip

Plan around 30 to 60 minutes for the initial setup. If you're unsure about a step, you can search the Help Center in the dashboard for articles at any time or contact support.

Next article

Creating and inviting employees

Related articles

Setup checklist for admins

This checklist helps you set up Shiftdesk in a structured way and without dead ends. It's best to work through the steps in order — many build on each other.

Creating and inviting employees

In Shiftdesk, you manage your team centrally under **Employees**. From there, you add new people, invite them by email, and give them access to the Mobile App.

Roles and permissions explained

Shiftdesk works with five roles. They control what a person can see and change – and **whether they can use the web backend or only the mobile app**. You set the role when creating a person under **Employees** → **Add employee** and can adjust it at any time in the employee profile under **Team & permissions**.

Organizational structure: location, department, team

Shiftdesk uses a three-level hierarchy: **Location → Department → Team**. This structure is the foundation for scheduling, permissions, and analyses.

Still have questions?

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Getting started with Shiftdesk · Knowledge base | Shiftdesk