> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.scaling.cloud/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Set Up On-call

> Create an on-call schedule in the dashboard, add a rotation layer, and check who is currently on call.

On-call schedules define who is responsible for responding to incidents during any given time window. A schedule contains one or more rotation layers, each with its own rotation type, handoff time, and list of participants.

This guide walks you through creating a schedule, adding a rotation layer, and checking who is currently on call — all from the dashboard.

<Tip>
  Managing schedules from a script or pipeline instead? See the [On-call schedules API](/developers/oncall-api) guide.
</Tip>

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a schedule">
    Go to **On-call Schedules** in the dashboard (`/oncall-schedules`) and click **Create Schedule**. Fill in the dialog:

    * **Name** (required) — e.g. *Platform Engineering*.
    * **Description** (optional) — what this schedule is for.
    * **Timezone** (required) — search and pick the schedule's IANA timezone (e.g. `America/New_York`). The timezone drives when handoffs happen and accounts for daylight saving automatically.

    Click **Save Schedule**. scaling.cloud opens the new schedule's detail page.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a rotation layer">
    On the schedule detail page, click **Add Layer** and configure the rotation in the **Add Rotation Layer** dialog:

    | Field                      | Notes                                                            |
    | -------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
    | **Layer Name**             | A label for this rotation, e.g. *Primary*.                       |
    | **Rotation Type**          | **Daily**, **Weekly**, or **Custom**. Defaults to Weekly.        |
    | **Rotation Length (days)** | How many days each person is on call before handoff (minimum 1). |
    | **Handoff Time**           | Time of day the rotation switches, in the schedule's timezone.   |
    | **Effective From**         | When this layer becomes active.                                  |
    | **Effective Until**        | Optional — leave blank to run indefinitely.                      |
    | **Participants**           | Select the team members who rotate through this layer.           |

    Participants rotate in the order you add them: the first is on call from **Effective From**, and each subsequent person takes over after **Rotation Length** days at the **Handoff Time**. Click **Save Layer** when done.

    <Tip>
      A schedule can have multiple layers. Use **Reorder Layers** to set precedence — position 0 is the owner-bearing layer, and its current participant becomes the **Schedule Owner** used as the incident lead.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check who is currently on call">
    The schedule detail page shows a **Current On-call** card with whoever is on call right now. If someone has an active override for this schedule, the card shows an **Override** tag alongside their name. If no layer is active, it reads **No one on-call** — check that a layer's **Effective From** has passed and its **Effective Until** has not.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Configure Escalation" href="/guides/configure-escalation-policy" icon="layer-group">
    Point an escalation policy at this schedule so incidents page it.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Follow-the-sun escalation" href="/guides/follow-the-sun-escalation" icon="globe">
    Page the team that's awake using working-hours conditions.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>