Overrides
Overrides let you make temporary changes to on-call assignments without modifying the underlying rotation. Use overrides when a responder is unavailable, a swap is needed, or coverage needs to change for a specific period.
Creating an override
- Open the schedule detail page.
- Go to the Overrides tab.
- Click Add Override.
- Fill in the fields:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Original user | The responder who would normally be on call |
| Replacement user | The user taking over the shift |
| Start | When the override begins |
| End | When the override ends |
| Reason | Optional description for audit purposes |
The override is active only during the specified time range. Outside that range, the regular rotation resumes automatically.
TIP
Set a clear reason for every override. This is logged in the audit trail and helps during incident reviews when the team needs to understand who was on call and why.
Common use cases
Planned absence
A responder is taking vacation next week. Create an override for the entire absence period with a replacement user. The rotation order is unaffected -- once the override ends, the original user resumes their position in the rotation.
Emergency swap
A responder becomes unavailable unexpectedly. Create a same-day override with a short duration to hand off to a backup. You can also use overrides retroactively by setting a start time in the past.
Temporary coverage boost
During a high-risk period (e.g., a major release), add an override that adds an extra user alongside the primary responder. Both users receive alerts for the duration of the override.
Override conflicts
If two overrides overlap for the same schedule, the most recently created override takes precedence. The schedule timeline shows a warning icon when conflicts are detected.
WARNING
Review the schedule timeline after creating overrides to confirm there are no coverage gaps. Conflicting overrides can inadvertently leave a period without a designated responder.
Override visibility
All team members with access to the schedule can see active and upcoming overrides. This transparency ensures everyone knows who is actually on call at any time.
Overrides also appear in the alerts view, so incident responders can verify who was assigned when an alert fired.
Automatic expiration
Overrides expire automatically at the end time. No manual cleanup is required. Expired overrides remain visible in the audit log for reference.