🔑 Admin — Setup Step

Building Your Yearly Job List Sheet

Before you create a single time slot in TidySlot, you need a job list sheet for each service. This guide shows you exactly how to build them — and why the URL never needs to change.

Do this before setting up slots. TidySlot's power comes from linking each slot to a job list URL. Without well-structured sheets, your slots won't deliver the clarity your team needs. Spend 30–60 minutes setting up your sheets first — it's a one-time investment.

Why your job list sheet matters

TidySlot does not store your client list or job details. It stores a URL — a link to wherever your clients and jobs already live. When a slot fires, TidySlot opens that URL for the assigned team member. The work happens in your sheet, not in TidySlot.

This means the quality of your job list sheet directly determines how useful TidySlot is for your team. A well-structured yearly sheet lets your team member open the sheet, go straight to the current month's column, and start working — without any instruction from you.

One sheet per service type. Don't create one giant sheet for everything. Create a separate sheet for each service category — GST returns, ITR filing, bank reconciliation, payroll, etc. Each sheet gets linked to its own set of time slots.

The yearly sheet structure

The standard structure for a TidySlot-compatible yearly job list sheet is:

Rows = Clients — one row per client. Add a new row when a new client joins. The URL never changes.
Columns = Time periods — one column per month (for monthly services) or per quarter (for quarterly services).
Cells = Status or data — use a simple status system (Done ✓ / Pending / NA) or data fields (date filed, amount, etc.) as needed for that service.

Example — GST Return Filing Sheet (Monthly)

Client Name	GSTIN	Jan 25	Feb 25	Mar 25	Apr 25	May 25
Mehta Textiles	24AABCM…	✓ Filed	✓ Filed	✓ Filed	Pending	—
Shah & Sons	24AADCS…	✓ Filed	✓ Filed	✓ Filed	✓ Filed	—
Patel Exports	24AABCP…	✓ Filed	✓ Filed	Docs pending	—	—

The team member opens this sheet each month, works the current column, and marks each row Done as they file. No instructions needed — the structure tells them exactly what to do and what's outstanding.

Building your sheet — step by step

1

Open Google Sheets (or your preferred tool)
Create a new sheet. Name it clearly: e.g., "GST Returns FY25-26" or "ITR Filing FY25-26". Keep one tab per service or one sheet per service — whichever suits your team's workflow.
2

Set up the header row
Row 1: Client Name, Client Code or GSTIN (if relevant), then one column per month or quarter for the full year. For a financial year starting April 2025: Apr 25 · May 25 · Jun 25 · Jul 25 · Aug 25 · Sep 25 · Oct 25 · Nov 25 · Dec 25 · Jan 26 · Feb 26 · Mar 26.
3

Add all current clients as rows
Add one row per client. Include any reference data you need — GSTIN, PAN, assigned team member, due date. Keep columns consistent so any team member can read the sheet without guidance.
4

Copy the sheet URL
This is the URL you will paste into TidySlot's Job List Link field when creating the time slot. It is a permanent link — it never changes, no matter how many clients you add.
5

Create a how-to guide (optional but recommended)
Write a short SOP for this service — e.g., "How to file a GST return for your clients." This can be a Google Doc, a Fusebase page, a Loom video, or any URL. Paste this URL into TidySlot's How-to Guide Link field. New team members will thank you.

Adding new clients mid-year

This is one of TidySlot's most powerful design principles: adding a new client requires zero TidySlot changes.

Open the relevant service sheet (e.g., GST Returns FY25-26).
Add a new row for the new client.
Fill in their details in the row.
Done — the slot already fires to the right URL, the team member opens the sheet, the new client row is there.

The slot URL in TidySlot is permanent and never changes. The sheet grows with your firm. TidySlot doesn't need to know about new clients — it just opens the sheet.

This is what "scalability without overhead" means in practice. 10 new clients this quarter = 10 new rows in your sheet = 0 changes in TidySlot. No reconfiguration, no new slots, no admin overhead.

Sheet structures for common CA firm services

📊 GST Returns

Rows = clients. Columns = months (Apr–Mar). Status per cell: Filed ✓ / Pending / Docs Awaited / NA.

One sheet per financial year. Slot fires on: data collection day + filing day.

📁 ITR Filing

Rows = clients. Columns = filing type or phase (Data collected / Draft sent / Client approved / Filed). One row per client per year.

Slot fires: once per phase. Each phase is a separate slot linked to the same sheet.

🏦 Bank Reconciliation

Rows = clients. Columns = months. Status: Reconciled ✓ / Pending / Discrepancy noted. Include bank name as a column if clients have multiple accounts.

Slot fires: monthly. Same sheet URL for the full year.

💼 Payroll

Rows = clients (or employees if your firm runs payroll internally). Columns = months. Status: Processed ✓ / Pending / On Hold.

Slot fires: monthly. Two slots if payroll and payslips are separate tasks.

🏢 MCA / ROC Compliance

Rows = clients. Columns = filing type (AOC-4 / MGT-7 / DIN KYC etc.). Due date column essential here — ROC filings are date-specific, not monthly.

Slot fires: as per due dates. Consider a dedicated ROC calendar sheet with due date column.

📋 TDS Returns

Rows = clients. Columns = quarters (Q1–Q4). Status: Challan paid ✓ / Return filed ✓ / Certificate issued ✓. Three sub-tasks per quarter.

Slot fires: quarterly with 3 separate slots per quarter for each sub-task.

Best practices

One sheet per service, per financial year — don't combine GST and ITR in one sheet. Separate sheets keep slots clean and team members focused.
Freeze the header row — in Google Sheets, use View → Freeze → 1 row so the client names and column headers are always visible as you scroll.
Use consistent status language — decide on a standard: "✓ Done", "Pending", "Client Awaited", "NA" — and use the same terms across all sheets. Inconsistency creates confusion for team members.
Share with all relevant team members — the sheet must be accessible (view + edit) to every team member who has a slot linking to it. Check Google Drive sharing settings.
Never rename or move the sheet — the URL is what TidySlot stores. Renaming a Google Sheet tab is fine (it doesn't change the URL). Moving it to a different Drive folder is also fine. But deleting it or creating a new sheet and retiring the old one will break the TidySlot URL — update the slot link before retiring the old sheet.