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

# Overrides and swaps

> Cover vacations, days off and surprises without rewriting the schedule.

An override temporarily swaps who is on call, within a defined window, without changing the permanent rotation.

## When to use one

* Vacations and days off.
* One-off swaps between colleagues ("I'll take your Friday, you take my Saturday").
* Coverage during an event, a risky deploy or a maintenance window.
* Unplanned absence.

## Creating one

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the schedule">
    Under **Schedules**, select the team's schedule.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the window">
    Start and end of the override. Outside that window, the normal rotation resumes on its own.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick who covers">
    The substitute must be a member of the team.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Record the reason">
    Optional but recommended: "vacation", "swap with Ana", "deploy coverage". It makes auditing on-call far easier later.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Owners, admins **and members** can create overrides. That is deliberate: the person on call needs to be able to arrange cover without waiting for an admin at 2 a.m.
</Note>

## How an override interacts with everything else

* **It takes precedence.** During the window, the substitute is the responder, whatever the rotation would say.
* **It does not change the rotation.** After the window ends, the sequence continues exactly where it was.
* **It applies to new incidents.** An already-open incident stays with whoever was paged; an override does not reassign existing incidents.

<Warning>
  Always double-check the **timezone** when setting the window. An override that ends "Friday at 18:00" in the wrong timezone leaves the weekend uncovered.
</Warning>

<Card title="Who is on call" icon="user-round-search" horizontal href="/en/on-call/who-is-on-call" />