Rotation generator
A rotation generator that shows its working
Put in the names and the dates, and the generator builds a rotating schedule one date at a time. Below it is the rule it follows, so you can explain any turn to anyone who asks.
Your rotation appears here
Type the names, choose the first date and how it repeats, then press Make the rotation. Each date goes to whoever has had the fewest turns so far, so the turns are shared out and nobody is skipped.
The rotation rule, in three questions
For every place on every date, the generator looks down your list and asks three questions in order. The first one that separates two people decides who goes on.
- Who has had the fewest turns so far? They go first. Nobody gets a second turn while someone else is still waiting for a first.
- If they’re level, who has waited longest? The person whose last turn was furthest back goes ahead of someone who was on last week.
- Still level? Whoever is higher on your list. That only matters at the very start, so put names in the order you’d like the first round to run.
When a date needs two or more people, there is one more check: it tries not to put the same two together again if another pairing is just as good. A rotation where Ana and Ben are always on together isn’t much of a rotation.
A worked example
Five people, two on every Saturday, eight Saturdays from 7 November. Here is what the generator makes and why.
| Date | On | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sat 7 Nov | Ana, Ben | Everyone is on zero, so it follows the list. |
| Sat 14 Nov | Chloe, Dev | Nobody else is still on zero. |
| Sat 21 Nov | Emi, Ana | Emi is the last on zero. The other four have one each; Ana and Ben have waited longest, and Ana is higher on the list. |
| Sat 28 Nov | Ben, Chloe | Ben, Chloe and Dev are on one turn. Ben has waited longest; Chloe and Dev are level, and Chloe is higher on the list. |
| Sat 5 Dec | Dev, Emi | They are the two still on one turn. Everyone else has two. |
| Sat 12 Dec | Ana, Chloe | All level on two. Ana has waited longest. Ben has waited as long as Chloe, but he has already been on with Ana, so Chloe joins her. |
You can check the same thing with your own names: press the button and look at Turns each under the table.
Rotating schedule ideas
Morning tea
Every week on Friday, one person, 12 dates. A plain round with nobody skipped.
Door and greeting
Every week on Sunday, two people, 26 dates. Pairs change, so newer people meet everyone.
Late shift cover
Every weekday, one person, 40 dates. Two months of a rotating late finish.
Car pool
Every weekday, one driver, with the families in the order they joined.
From a generated list to a rotation that keeps going
A generated list is a snapshot. In FairTurns, Fill uses the same idea on a live roster: each empty place goes to whoever has had the fewest turns in that position. It skips anyone marked away, never moves someone already on, and the dates keep coming as old ones pass. When the group changes, Redistribute shares the rotation out again and shows every change before it happens. Read more about fair fill, or the guide to rotating rosters.
Questions
How does the rotation generator decide who goes next?
Fewest turns first. If two people are level, whoever has waited longest goes ahead, then the order of your list. With more than one person a date, it also avoids repeating the same pair when it can.
Why does one person have an extra turn?
Because the places don’t always divide by the number of people. Sixteen places for five people is three each with one left over. The turn calculator page explains the sums.
Can I make a rotation that repeats every second week?
Yes. Choose Every second week and tick the day. You can also choose every week on several days, every weekday, every day, or the same date each month.
Can some people be on more often?
In this generator everyone is treated alike. In FairTurns Pro you can set each person to More often, Normal, Less often or Now and then, position by position.
Is anything saved?
Nothing. The rotation is made on the page from what you type. Print it, download it, or make it live in FairTurns.
Read next
Turn calculator
How many turns does each person get? The sum, worked out, with the roster to match.
Fair fill
One button puts people into every empty place, fewest turns first. Free.
Rotating roster explained
What a rotating roster is, the two kinds of rotation, and the weekly, fortnightly and monthly patterns most groups use.
Make your roster free
Click a day, add people, share one link. No card, no limit on people or dates.