# Review an Autopilot rota draft

For the manager planning a location week. Open **Autopilot** in the rota planner
and check the week and location before drafting. A proposed assignment is not an
approved schedule.

1. State the intended changes with clear people, days, and requirements. Review
   the constraints produced from those instructions. Use only necessary staff
   information; do not paste HR records or credentials into the prompt.
2. Select **Draft week**. You can also draft without new instructions.
3. Review **Draft preview**: hours, cost, labour against forecast sales,
   unfilled places, changes by person, and daily rationale.
4. Check every assignment against absences, suitability, service needs, and
   configured rules. Missing pay rates make the cost incomplete; limited history
   makes the draft depend more on templates and bookings.
5. Use **Draft again** when the proposal needs changing. If the week changed
   while the preview was open, draft again before applying it.
6. Select **Apply draft** only after review. This places proposed shifts into
   the planner; it does not publish them. Save the resulting draft and follow
   the [publish review](/staff/rotas#review-and-publish).

An unfilled shift remains a gap to resolve. Do not interpret a rationale or
confidence message as proof that coverage, cost, or configured checks are
satisfied. Check the actual shifts and publish review.

If drafting fails, keep the existing week and review the error. Reopen the week
before repeating an uncertain save or application. Escalate with location, week,
intended constraints, observed gap or conflict, and the exact error.