> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.shortcutco.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.shortcutco.com/readme/dispatch.md).

# Dispatch

Dispatch replaces the old Routing page and is the central hub for running your day. [Open Dispatch →](https://shortcutco.com/dispatch)

## What you can do in Dispatch

* View and manage all jobs for a specific date
* Assign and reassign jobs to teams
* Set which crew **owns** a recurring job, so visits come pre-assigned — see [Crew ownership](/readme/dispatch/crew-ownership.md)
* See at a glance when each customer was **last serviced** — a sortable column showing "12d ago" (hover for the exact date). "Never" and 30+ days stand out, and sorting puts the most overdue first. You can also filter to customers not serviced in 7, 14, or 30+ days (or never).
* Read **crew notes and photos** without leaving the board — each stop shows its note and photo counts; click to read them, or open the stop's detail panel
* **Split a visit, or send more than one crew** — move one service of a multi-service stop to a different crew, or add crews to a stop that needs more hands. Either way the customer gets one visit and one invoice — see [Split visits and sending more than one crew](/readme/dispatch/split-and-shared-visits.md)
* **Read the day on the map** — clusters, crew focus, and hover highlighting, all linked to the plan table beside it. See [Route map](/readme/dispatch/route-map.md)
* Catch what slipped — Dispatch tracks skipped, unfinished, double-booked, and unassigned work in a **Needs attention** view that hands you the fix on each row. See [Needs attention](/readme/dispatch/needs-attention.md).
* Use AI to optimize routes, balance crews, and fix scheduling issues
* Send SMS/email notifications to customers in batch
* Preview, apply, and undo schedule changes (changesets)
* Add a one-off service to a stop (three-dot menu → **Add service**)
* Print the day's invoices in one batch (**Print Dispatch Invoices**)
* **Optimize the whole day** — the header button is called **Optimize day** because that's what it does: the entire day, regardless of what you've selected below. To optimize just a selection, use the **Optimize** action on the Command button instead.

## When to use this

* You're planning tomorrow's work and need to assign crews
* You want to optimize the drive order for a team
* You want to notify customers about upcoming service
* A worker's schedule changed and you need to reassign jobs
* You want to spot customers who are overdue — sort or filter by **Last serviced** to see who hasn't been visited in 30+ days (or ever)

{% hint style="info" %}
Search finds any customer — even one whose next visit is weeks out — so "no results" means they really aren't scheduled, not that you're looking at the wrong dates.
{% endhint %}

<figure><img src="/files/wUjA2WhJ04hHvrQY6fqE" alt="Dispatch board with the Last serviced filter open, showing options for any, 7+, 14+, and 30+ days, and never serviced, each with live counts"><figcaption><p>The Last serviced column and filter — sort to put the most overdue customers first, or filter to everyone not serviced in 7, 14, or 30+ days.</p></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="/files/TDjoZHNhO8wueLrTBJDy" alt="Split visit dialog for a two-service stop: choose which services move and which crew they move to"><figcaption><p>Splitting a visit — pick the service that moves and the crew it moves to. The rest of the visit stays put.</p></figcaption></figure>

## Where to find it

Click **Dispatch** in the left navigation. [Open Dispatch →](https://shortcutco.com/dispatch)

<figure><img src="/files/k8Cpk8nfBy8HPx7ykAwH" alt="The Dispatch Command Center showing jobs grouped by crew with AI Insights panel on the left"><figcaption><p>The Dispatch Command Center — jobs are grouped by crew, with Plan Health warnings and AI Insights surfaced on the left. Use the toolbar to toggle the route map, backlog, optimize, or type natural-language commands.</p></figcaption></figure>

## How Dispatch works

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

### Choose the date

Select the date you're managing at the top of the Dispatch page.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### View teams and jobs

You'll see your teams with their assigned jobs. Dispatch surfaces issues (scheduling conflicts, overloaded crews, missing info) with severity levels: low, med, and high.

<figure><img src="/files/wuqTr646lLHpprIch5Ms" alt="Dispatch command center with plan health indicators"><figcaption><p>Plan health points out routing and capacity issues before you act.</p></figcaption></figure>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Assign jobs to teams

Move jobs between teams or use the AI crew balancer to distribute work evenly.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Optimize and send

Use AI features to optimize routes, then send customer notifications if needed.

<figure><img src="/files/mTPfXv3FcxKE0hONVCuY" alt="Dispatch page with selected jobs and bulk actions"><figcaption><p>Select jobs before completing, rescheduling, assigning, or messaging.</p></figcaption></figure>
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

{% hint style="info" %}
**On a narrower screen the toolbar buttons shrink to icons.** Map, Backlog, Print, and Optimize day drop their labels below about 1500px wide so the date controls stay put. Hover any icon to see what it is; the counts stay visible.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="info" %}
Dispatch changes use a **preview → apply** workflow. You can review what will change before committing, and undo if needed. See [Dispatch changesets and audit](/readme/dispatch/changesets-and-audit.md).
{% endhint %}

## Related pages

* [Calendar](/readme/jobs-and-scheduling/calendar.md)
* [AI-powered Dispatch features](/readme/dispatch/ai-powered-dispatch.md)
* [Route map (reading the day's routes)](/readme/dispatch/route-map.md)
* [Crew ownership (recurring jobs)](/readme/dispatch/crew-ownership.md)
* [Split visits and sending more than one crew](/readme/dispatch/split-and-shared-visits.md)
* [Needs attention (skipped, unfinished, double-booked)](/readme/dispatch/needs-attention.md)
* [Messaging from Dispatch (SMS + email)](/readme/dispatch/messaging-from-dispatch.md)
* [Dispatch changesets and audit](/readme/dispatch/changesets-and-audit.md)

<details>

<summary>Still stuck?</summary>

Email **<hello@shortcutco.com>** with the date + team name + a screenshot of your Dispatch page.

</details>