Documentation

Reference

Reference for the main operator flows: roster, shifts, dispatch, billing, and current alpha constraints. If you'd rather learn by doing, follow the walkthrough instead.

Sign up at shiftrobin.com. During alpha you need an access code. Email hello@shiftrobin.com if you don't have one.

Not covered on this page yet: roles configuration, quiet hours, feasibility check, multi-user setup, shift templates. Ask us and we'll answer directly.

Your roster (and consent)

Before you can dispatch a shift, you need a roster: the list of workers ShiftRobin is allowed to text on your behalf.

You must have each worker's explicit consent before adding them. Two consent methods on the worker-add form:

• Admin confirmed. You have prior consent (verbal or written) and attest to it when adding the worker. They're eligible for shift offers immediately. Use this when you've asked the worker face to face ("we use ShiftRobin to text shift offers when there's an open spot, can I add your number?") or you have a signed onboarding form covering SMS consent.
• Double opt-in. ShiftRobin sends the worker an SMS asking them to reply YES to opt in or STOP to opt out. They are not eligible for shift offers until they reply YES. Use this when you don't have prior consent, or when you want the extra paper trail. Required under Canadian CASL rules if you don't have documented prior consent.

Either way, the worker can reply STOP at any time to opt out permanently. We mark them opted out on your roster and stop sending them anything.

Add workers via the Roster page: either one at a time (which lets you pick the consent method per worker), or by uploading a CSV. The CSV format is documented in full on the CSV import reference. Short version: name,phone,tags, one worker per row, tags either quoted-comma-separated or spilled across extra columns. CSV imports default to "admin confirmed" consent, so only use bulk import for workers you've already asked in person.

Each worker row shows a status flag: active (eligible for shift offers), pending consent (added via double opt-in, waiting on their YES reply), or opted out (replied STOP, won't be contacted again).

Creating a shift

Shifts page → Create shift. You need:

• A date and time range (e.g., "Saturday 9am to 5pm").
• One or more required tags (e.g., ["server"], or ["line_cook", "prep"] for a multi-role shift).
• How many people you need (e.g., 1 server, 2 line cooks).
• Optional info to include in the SMS body (location, special instructions).

You can create a single shift or a batch, for example all weekend shifts in one go.

Running a dispatch

On the shift card, hit Dispatch. ShiftRobin finds every worker with the right tags who isn't opted out, auto-ranks them (reliability from the last 30 days of dispatch history, with an anti-fatigue tiebreak so the worker you haven't offered recently sorts ahead of one you just bothered), and starts texting them one at a time in that order. New workers with fewer than three offers get the benefit of the doubt in the ranking.

If you want a different order for one specific shift, the shift detail page has a cohort override control. You pin the list by hand and dispatch runs against your pinned order. Auto-ranking resumes on the next dispatch. A durable per-worker preference (that survives across dispatches) is on the roadmap.

Each worker gets a configurable window to reply Y or N. Default is 30 minutes; override per shift when creating it. If a worker doesn't reply in time, ShiftRobin moves to the next in line. The first Y wins. A worker who replies Y after the shift is already filled gets a "no longer needed" acknowledgment.

You can pause, edit, or cancel a dispatch in flight from the shift detail page. Closed dispatches show the full history: who was contacted, when, and what they replied.

Billing

During alpha, billing is disabled. We don't charge for shift placements or SMS yet, and every new org starts with a welcome credit on file. We'll email you before billing turns on. When it does:

• Pay as you go (default). $2.50 per placement. No monthly fee, no per-worker fee, no charge for messages that didn't get you a hire. This is what new orgs are on by default. You add a card the first time you actually fill something.
• Subscription. Monthly plans (Starter, Pro, Enterprise) with a bundled placement quota and a lower overage rate. Cheaper per placement if you dispatch regularly.
• SMS costs are included. No separate per-message line item.
• If your balance runs out and you don't have a card on file, dispatches pause until you add funds or a card.

See our Terms of Service, Section 7 for the formal billing terms.

What ShiftRobin doesn't do

• Not a scheduling system. We don't manage your weekly schedule. We fill shifts you can't cover.
• Not a payroll provider. We don't track hours or pay your workers.
• Not an employment platform. Your workers are your workers. You're still responsible for everything an employer is responsible for.
• Not a marketing platform. ShiftRobin only sends operational notifications about shifts you've created. No promotions, no sales, no general messaging.

Limits and known constraints (alpha)

• Operators must be based in Canada (except Quebec, see Terms Section 6). United States support is coming as soon as our 10DLC carrier vetting is done. Email hello@shiftrobin.com if you're a US operator and want the heads-up when we open.
• Workers' phone numbers must be Canadian while we're in single-country mode. When US support goes live, US-numbered workers will be routed through a US sender pool and Canadian workers through a Canadian one.
• SMS only. No MMS, no voice.
• Alpha means we iterate quickly and the UI can change between sessions. Email us if anything looks broken.

Getting help

Email hello@shiftrobin.com for anything: bug reports, feature requests, questions about how something works, or feedback on what's missing. During alpha you're working directly with us, not a support team.