fix(timer): address review findings on the group timer

- keep the pending and none phases when showing the group timer. These describe the playback state rather than a threshold, so collapsing them made roll standby render as a running countdown and silently dropped user styling keyed on the phase - only show the group indicator for timer types which render the running timer. It was labelling the wall clock, and the invisible display of the none timer type, as a group - accept useGroupTimer in the MCP group patch. It was documented in the group shape but dropped on write, which reported success without applying the change - narrow the timer preview tooltip, which claimed all views follow the group timer when only the timer views do Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01Kniqs443KUNCRABwVJwT7K
refactor(runtime): derive the group timer on the server
2026-08-20 14:39:06 +00:00 · 2026-08-07 19:32:16 +00:00 · 2026-07-26 15:46:58 +00:00 · 2026-07-26 06:24:15 +00:00 · 2026-07-25 14:28:45 +02:00 · 2026-07-25 14:28:45 +02:00
143 changed files with 4843 additions and 1713 deletions
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# CodeGraph data files — local to each machine, not for committing.
+# Ignore everything in .codegraph/ except this file itself, so transient
+# files (the database, daemon.pid, sockets, logs) never show up in git.
+*
+!.gitignore
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
    "no-restricted-imports": [
      "error",
      {
-        "patterns": ["ontime-types/src/*", "ontime-utils/src/*", "zod"]
+        "patterns": ["ontime-types/src/*", "ontime-utils/src/*"]
      }
    ]
  },
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
  "name": "@getontime/cli",
-  "version": "4.10.0",
+  "version": "4.11.0",
  "author": "Carlos Valente",
  "description": "Time keeping for live events",
  "repository": "https://github.com/cpvalente/ontime",
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
  "name": "ontime-ui",
-  "version": "4.10.0",
+  "version": "4.11.0",
  "private": true,
  "type": "module",
  "dependencies": {
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import {
  ProjectRundownsList,
  RenumberCues,
  Rundown,
+  RundownImportPayload,
  TransientEventPayload,
 } from 'ontime-types';

@@ -82,6 +83,15 @@ export async function deleteRundown(rundownId: RundownId): Promise<AxiosResponse
  return axios.delete(`${rundownPath}/${rundownId}`);
 }

+/**
+ * HTTP request to apply an imported rundown using a merge strategy or into a new rundown
+ */
+export async function importRundownWithOptions(
+  payload: RundownImportPayload,
+): Promise<AxiosResponse<ProjectRundownsList>> {
+  return axios.post(`${rundownPath}/import`, payload);
+}
+
 // #endregion operations on project rundowns ======================
 // #region operations on rundown entries ==========================

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+.kbd {
+  display: inline-block;
+  min-width: 1.5rem;
+  padding: 0.0625rem 0.375rem;
+  border-radius: 2px;
+  background-color: $gray-1100;
+  color: $ui-white;
+  box-shadow: 0 0 3px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4);
+  font-family: monospace;
+  font-size: calc(1rem - 4px);
+  line-height: 1.5;
+  text-align: center;
+  white-space: nowrap;
+}
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+import { PropsWithChildren } from 'react';
+
+import style from './Kbd.module.scss';
+
+export default function Kbd({ children }: PropsWithChildren) {
+  return <kbd className={style.kbd}>{children}</kbd>;
+}
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 .wide {
  top: 4vh;
  min-width: min(1280px, 96vw);
-  max-width: min(1600px, 96vw);
+  max-width: min(1800px, 98vw);
  height: 88vh;
  max-height: 88vh;
  display: flex;
@@ -38,8 +38,6 @@ $progress-bar-br: 3px;
 .multiprogress-bar__indicator-bar {
  background-color: var(--background-color-override, $ui-black);
  opacity: 0.8;
-  transition: 1s linear;
-  transition-property: width;

  .multiprogress-bar--ignore-css-override & {
    background-color: $ui-black;
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { MaybeNumber } from 'ontime-types';

+import { useAnimatedProgress } from '../../hooks/useAnimatedProgress';
 import { getProgress } from '../../utils/getProgress';
 import { cx } from '../../utils/styleUtils';

@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@ export default function MultiPartProgressBar(props: MultiPartProgressBar) {
    className = '',
  } = props;

-  const percentRemaining = 100 - getProgress(now, complete);
+  const percentRemaining = 100 - useAnimatedProgress(now, complete);
  const dangerWidth = danger ? 100 - getProgress(danger, complete) : 0;
  const warningWidth = warning ? 100 - dangerWidth - getProgress(warning, complete) : 0;
  const isOvertime = now !== null && now < 0;
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import {
 } from '../../../stores/savedViewParams';
 import { handleLinks } from '../../../utils/linkUtils';
 import IconButton from '../../buttons/IconButton';
+import Tooltip from '../../tooltip/Tooltip';
 import NavigationMenuItem from '../navigation-menu-item/NavigationMenuItem';

 import style from './ClientLink.module.scss';
@@ -105,16 +106,20 @@ function BrowserNavigationItem({ current, to, postAction, children }: PropsWithC
      {isCustomised && (
        <span className={style.trailing}>
          <span className={style.indicator} aria-hidden data-testid='client-link__saved-indicator' />
-          <IconButton
-            variant='ghosted-white'
-            size='small'
-            className={style.clear}
-            aria-label='Clear saved view settings'
-            title='Clear saved view settings'
-            onClick={clearViewSettings}
+          <Tooltip
+            text='Reset to default'
+            render={
+              <IconButton
+                variant='ghosted-white'
+                size='small'
+                className={style.clear}
+                aria-label='Reset to default'
+                onClick={clearViewSettings}
+              />
+            }
          >
            <IoCloseOutline />
-          </IconButton>
+          </Tooltip>
        </span>
      )}
    </NavigationMenuItem>
@@ -14,6 +14,4 @@ $progress-bar-br: 3px;
 .progress-bar__indicator {
  height: $progress-bar-size;
  background-color: var(--timer-progress-override, $accent-color);
-  transition: 1s linear;
-  transition-property: width;
 }
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { MaybeNumber } from 'ontime-types';

-import { getProgress } from '../../utils/getProgress';
+import { useAnimatedProgress } from '../../hooks/useAnimatedProgress';

 import './ProgressBar.scss';

@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ interface ProgressBarProps {

 export default function ProgressBar(props: ProgressBarProps) {
  const { current, duration, className } = props;
-  const progress = getProgress(current, duration);
+  const progress = useAnimatedProgress(current, duration);

  return (
    <div className={`progress-bar__bg ${className}`}>
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { useSearchParams } from 'react-router';

 import useViewSettings from '../../hooks-query/useViewSettings';
 import { useIsSmallScreen } from '../../hooks/useIsSmallScreen';
+import { useSavedViewParams } from '../../stores/savedViewParams';
 import Button from '../buttons/Button';
 import IconButton from '../buttons/IconButton';
 import Info from '../info/Info';
@@ -27,6 +28,7 @@ function ViewParamsEditor({ target, viewOptions }: EditFormDrawerProps) {
  const [searchParams, setSearchParams] = useSearchParams();
  const { data: viewSettings } = useViewSettings();
  const { isOpen, close } = useViewParamsEditorStore();
+  const clearSavedParams = useSavedViewParams((store) => store.clear);
  const isSmallScreen = useIsSmallScreen();

  const getPreservedParams = () => getPreservedSearchParams(searchParams, viewOptions);
@@ -36,6 +38,7 @@ function ViewParamsEditor({ target, viewOptions }: EditFormDrawerProps) {
  };

  const resetParams = () => {
+    clearSavedParams(target);
    setSearchParams(getPreservedParams());
  };

@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+import { MaybeNumber, Playback } from 'ontime-types';
+import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react';
+
+import { getProgress } from '../utils/getProgress';
+import { usePlayback } from './useSocket';
+
+/**
+ * Returns the live completion percentage (0–100) of a countdown, interpolated locally.
+ */
+export function useAnimatedProgress(current: MaybeNumber, duration: MaybeNumber): number {
+  const playback = usePlayback();
+  const isRunning = playback === Playback.Play || playback === Playback.Roll;
+
+  const baseline = useRef({ current, at: performance.now() });
+  const [, setTick] = useState(0);
+
+  // there is only something to animate while a running timer is counting down towards 0
+  const shouldAnimate = isRunning && current !== null && current > 0 && duration !== null;
+
+  // re-anchor to the authoritative value whenever the server pushes a new timer update
+  useEffect(() => {
+    baseline.current = { current, at: performance.now() };
+  }, [current, duration, playback]);
+
+  // while counting down, re-render every animation frame so the derived progress stays smooth
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!shouldAnimate) {
+      return;
+    }
+    let frame = requestAnimationFrame(function tick() {
+      setTick((value) => value + 1);
+      frame = requestAnimationFrame(tick);
+    });
+    return () => cancelAnimationFrame(frame);
+  }, [shouldAnimate]);
+
+  // derive from the anchor plus elapsed time at render; frozen to the anchor when not running
+  const anchored = baseline.current.current;
+  const value = isRunning && anchored !== null ? anchored - (performance.now() - baseline.current.at) : anchored;
+  return getProgress(value, duration);
+}
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import { useMutation, useQueryClient } from '@tanstack/react-query';
 import {
  EntryId,
-  InsertOptions,
  MaybeString,
  OntimeDelay,
  OntimeEntry,
@@ -60,9 +59,15 @@ export type EventOptions = Partial<{
  before: MaybeString;
  // options of entries of type OntimeEvent
  linkPrevious: boolean;
+  /** the timing reference for the new entry, usually the same as after */
  lastEventId: MaybeString;
 }>;

+type ClientInsertOptions = {
+  after?: EntryId;
+  before?: EntryId;
+};
+
 /**
 * Gather utilities for actions on entries in the loaded rundown.
 */
@@ -120,7 +125,7 @@ function useEntryActionsForRundown(scopedRundownId: string | undefined) {
   * @private
   */
  const { mutateAsync: addEntryMutation } = useMutation({
-    mutationFn: ([rundownId, entry]: [string, PatchWithId & InsertOptions]) => postAddEntry(rundownId, entry),
+    mutationFn: ([rundownId, entry]: [string, PatchWithId & ClientInsertOptions]) => postAddEntry(rundownId, entry),
    onMutate: async ([_rundownId, entry]) => {
      const queryKey = resolveCurrentRundownQueryKey();
      await queryClient.cancelQueries({ queryKey });
@@ -149,8 +154,9 @@ function useEntryActionsForRundown(scopedRundownId: string | undefined) {
        addToRundown(
          newRundown,
          optimisticEntry,
-          afterId,
          parent ? (newRundown.entries[parent.id] as OntimeGroup) : null,
+          afterId,
+          entry.before ?? null,
        );

        queryClient.setQueryData<Rundown>(queryKey, newRundown);
@@ -193,7 +199,7 @@ function useEntryActionsForRundown(scopedRundownId: string | undefined) {
        throw new Error('Rundown not initialised');
      }

-      const newEntry: PatchWithId & InsertOptions = { ...entry, id: generateId() };
+      const newEntry: PatchWithId & ClientInsertOptions = { ...entry, id: generateId() };

      // handle adding options that concern all event types
      if (options?.after) {
@@ -205,8 +211,8 @@ function useEntryActionsForRundown(scopedRundownId: string | undefined) {

      // ************* CHECK OPTIONS specific to events
      if (isOntimeEvent(newEntry)) {
+        // last event id is the timing reference of the previous OntimeEvent in rundown
        if (options?.lastEventId) {
-          // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-non-null-assertion -- we know this is a value
          const previousEvent = rundownData.entries[options?.lastEventId];
          if (isOntimeEvent(previousEvent)) {
            newEntry.timeStart = previousEvent.timeEnd;
@@ -284,7 +290,7 @@ function useEntryActionsForRundown(scopedRundownId: string | undefined) {
   * Clone an entry
   */
  const clone = useCallback(
-    async (entryId: EntryId, options?: InsertOptions) => {
+    async (entryId: EntryId, options?: ClientInsertOptions) => {
      try {
        const rundownId = getCurrentRundownData()?.id;
        if (!rundownId) {
@@ -1057,7 +1063,7 @@ function optimisticDeleteEntries(entryIds: EntryId[], rundown: Rundown) {
 /**
 * Utility to create an optimistic entry for immediate cache insertion
 */
-function createOptimisticEntry(payload: PatchWithId & InsertOptions): OntimeEntry {
+function createOptimisticEntry(payload: PatchWithId & ClientInsertOptions): OntimeEntry {
  const { after: _after, before: _before, ...entryData } = payload;
  const id = entryData.id;
  let parent: EntryId | null = null;
@@ -139,10 +139,24 @@ export const setEventPlayback = {
  pause: () => sendSocket('pause', undefined),
 };

+export const useTimerProgress = createSelector((state: RuntimeStore) => ({
+  playback: state.timer.playback,
+  phase: state.timer.phase,
+  addedTime: state.timer.addedTime,
+  secondaryTimer: state.timer.secondaryTimer,
+  current: state.timer.current,
+  expectedFinish: state.timer.expectedFinish,
+  startedAt: state.timer.startedAt,
+  isCountToEnd: state.eventNow?.countToEnd ?? false,
+}));
+
 export const useTimer = createSelector((state: RuntimeStore) => ({
  ...state.timer,
 }));

+/** Shared timer for the running group, null unless the group opted in */
+export const useGroupTimer = createSelector((state: RuntimeStore) => state.groupTimer);
+
 export const useNextFlag = createSelector((state: RuntimeStore) => ({
  id: state.eventFlag?.id ?? null,
  expectedStart: state.offset.expectedFlagStart,
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+
+import { removeFileExtension } from '../uploadUtils';
+
+describe('removeFileExtension()', () => {
+  it('removes a trailing extension', () => {
+    expect(removeFileExtension('show.xlsx')).toBe('show');
+  });
+
+  it('only removes the last extension', () => {
+    expect(removeFileExtension('my.show.xlsx')).toBe('my.show');
+  });
+
+  it('returns the name unchanged when there is no extension', () => {
+    expect(removeFileExtension('rundown')).toBe('rundown');
+  });
+
+  it('does not treat a leading dot as an extension', () => {
+    expect(removeFileExtension('.gitignore')).toBe('.gitignore');
+  });
+
+  it('handles an empty string', () => {
+    expect(removeFileExtension('')).toBe('');
+  });
+});
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@ import {
  MILLIS_PER_HOUR,
  MILLIS_PER_MINUTE,
  MILLIS_PER_SECOND,
+  dayInMs,
  formatFromMillis,
+  getExpectedEnd,
  getExpectedStart,
 } from 'ontime-utils';

@@ -29,6 +31,11 @@ export function nowInMillis(): number {
  return elapsed;
 }

+export function normaliseWallClock(time: number): number {
+  const timeOfDay = time % dayInMs;
+  return timeOfDay < 0 ? timeOfDay + dayInMs : timeOfDay;
+}
+
 /**
 * @description Resolves format from url and store
 * @return {string|null} A format string like "hh:mm:ss a" or null
@@ -180,15 +187,13 @@ export function getExpectedTimesFromExtendedEvent(
      ...state,
    },
  );
-
+  const expectedEnd = getExpectedEnd(event, expectedStart, state.currentDay);
  const plannedEnd = event.timeStart + event.duration + event.delay;

  return {
    expectedStart,
    timeToStart: expectedStart - state.clock,
-    expectedEnd: event.countToEnd
-      ? Math.max(expectedStart + event.duration, plannedEnd)
-      : expectedStart + event.duration,
+    expectedEnd,
    plannedEnd,
  };
 }
@@ -38,6 +38,18 @@ export function validateProjectFile(file: File) {
  }
 }

+/**
+ * Removes a trailing file extension from a file name (e.g. "show.xlsx" -> "show")
+ * A leading dot (dotfiles like ".gitignore") is not treated as an extension
+ */
+export function removeFileExtension(fileName: string): string {
+  const lastDot = fileName.lastIndexOf('.');
+  if (lastDot <= 0) {
+    return fileName;
+  }
+  return fileName.slice(0, lastDot);
+}
+
 export function isExcelFile(file: File | null) {
  return file?.name.endsWith('.xlsx');
 }
@@ -293,8 +293,9 @@ export default function AutomationForm({ automation, onClose }: AutomationFormPr
        <h3>Outputs</h3>
        <Info>
          Automation outputs can be used to send data from Ontime to external software <br />
-          or to change properties of Ontime itself.
-          <ExternalLink href={integrationsDocsUrl}>See the documentation for templates</ExternalLink>
+          or to change properties of Ontime itself. <br /> <br />
+          Use Ontime runtime data in these fields with template strings. Type {'{{'} to see autocomplete, or{' '}
+          <ExternalLink href={integrationsDocsUrl}>read the docs</ExternalLink>
        </Info>

        {fieldOutputs.map((output, index) => {
@@ -341,12 +342,17 @@ export default function AutomationForm({ automation, onClose }: AutomationFormPr
                  </label>
                  <label>
                    Address
-                    <Input {...register(`outputs.${index}.address`)} fluid placeholder='/cue/start' />
+                    <TemplateInput
+                      {...register(`outputs.${index}.address`)}
+                      value={output.address}
+                      fluid
+                      placeholder='/cue/start'
+                    />
                    <Panel.Error>{rowErrors?.address?.message}</Panel.Error>
                  </label>
                  <label>
                    Arguments
-                    <TemplateInput {...register(`outputs.${index}.args`)} value={output.args} placeholder='1' />
+                    <TemplateInput {...register(`outputs.${index}.args`)} value={output.args} fluid placeholder='1' />
                    <Panel.Error>{rowErrors?.args?.message}</Panel.Error>
                  </label>
                  <div>
@@ -376,7 +382,7 @@ export default function AutomationForm({ automation, onClose }: AutomationFormPr
                <div className={style.httpSection}>
                  <label>
                    Target URL
-                    <Input
+                    <TemplateInput
                      {...register(`outputs.${index}.url`, {
                        required: { value: true, message: 'Required field' },
                        pattern: {
@@ -384,6 +390,7 @@ export default function AutomationForm({ automation, onClose }: AutomationFormPr
                          message: 'HTTP messages should target http:// or https://',
                        },
                      })}
+                      value={output.url}
                      fluid
                      placeholder='http://127.0.0.1/start/1'
                    />
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { UseFormRegister, UseFormSetValue, UseFormWatch } from 'react-hook-form'
 import Input from '../../../../common/components/input/input/Input';
 import Select from '../../../../common/components/select/Select';
 import * as Panel from '../../panel-utils/PanelUtils';
+import TemplateInput from './template-input/TemplateInput';

 import style from './AutomationForm.module.scss';

@@ -71,8 +72,8 @@ export default function OntimeActionForm({
            { value: 'playback-pause', label: 'Playback: pause' },
            { value: 'playback-roll', label: 'Playback: roll' },

-            { value: 'message-set', label: 'Primary Message: set' },
-            { value: 'message-secondary', label: 'Secondary Message: source' },
+            { value: 'message-set', label: 'Primary Message' },
+            { value: 'message-secondary', label: 'Secondary Message' },
          ]}
        />
        <Panel.Error>{rowErrors?.action?.message}</Panel.Error>
@@ -96,7 +97,12 @@ export default function OntimeActionForm({
        <>
          <label>
            Text (leave empty for no change)
-            <Input {...register(`outputs.${index}.text`)} fluid placeholder='eg: Timer is finished' />
+            <TemplateInput
+              {...register(`outputs.${index}.text`)}
+              value={watch(`outputs.${index}.text`) ?? ''}
+              fluid
+              placeholder='eg: Timer is finished'
+            />
            <Panel.Error>{rowErrors?.text?.message}</Panel.Error>
          </label>
          <label>
@@ -120,31 +126,48 @@ export default function OntimeActionForm({
      )}

      {selectedAction === 'message-secondary' && (
-        <label>
-          Timer secondary source
-          <Select<SecondarySource | 'null' | null>
-            onValueChange={(value) => {
-              // null -> no selection
-              if (value === null) return;
-              // 'null' -> clear the secondary source
-              if (value === 'null') {
-                setValue(`outputs.${index}.secondarySource`, null, { shouldDirty: true });
-                return;
-              }
-              setValue(`outputs.${index}.secondarySource`, value, { shouldDirty: true });
-            }}
-            value={watch(`outputs.${index}.secondarySource`)}
-            options={[
-              { value: null, label: 'Select secondary source' },
-              { value: 'aux1', label: 'Auxiliary timer 1' },
-              { value: 'aux2', label: 'Auxiliary timer 2' },
-              { value: 'aux3', label: 'Auxiliary timer 3' },
-              { value: 'secondary', label: 'Secondary' },
-              { value: 'null', label: 'None' }, // allow the user to clear the secondary source
-            ]}
-          />
-          <Panel.Error>{rowErrors?.secondarySource?.message}</Panel.Error>
-        </label>
+        <>
+          <label>
+            Text (leave empty for no change)
+            <TemplateInput
+              {...register(`outputs.${index}.text`)}
+              value={watch(`outputs.${index}.text`) ?? ''}
+              fluid
+              placeholder='eg: Next up: keynote'
+            />
+            <Panel.Error>{rowErrors?.text?.message}</Panel.Error>
+          </label>
+          <label>
+            Timer secondary source
+            <Select<SecondarySource | 'no-change' | 'null' | null>
+              onValueChange={(value) => {
+                // null -> no selection
+                if (value === null) return;
+                // no-change -> leave the current secondary source untouched
+                if (value === 'no-change') {
+                  setValue(`outputs.${index}.secondarySource`, undefined, { shouldDirty: true });
+                  return;
+                }
+                // 'null' -> clear the secondary source
+                if (value === 'null') {
+                  setValue(`outputs.${index}.secondarySource`, null, { shouldDirty: true });
+                  return;
+                }
+                setValue(`outputs.${index}.secondarySource`, value, { shouldDirty: true });
+              }}
+              value={watch(`outputs.${index}.secondarySource`) ?? 'no-change'}
+              options={[
+                { value: 'no-change', label: 'No change' },
+                { value: 'aux1', label: 'Auxiliary timer 1' },
+                { value: 'aux2', label: 'Auxiliary timer 2' },
+                { value: 'aux3', label: 'Auxiliary timer 3' },
+                { value: 'secondary', label: 'Secondary' },
+                { value: 'null', label: 'None' }, // allow the user to clear the secondary source
+              ]}
+            />
+            <Panel.Error>{rowErrors?.secondarySource?.message}</Panel.Error>
+          </label>
+        </>
      )}

      <div className={style.test}>{children}</div>
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ export default function TriggersList(props: TriggersListProps) {
          <tbody>
            {!showForm && triggers.length === 0 && (
              <Panel.TableEmpty
-                label='Create an automation to attach triggers to'
+                label='Create a trigger to run an automation'
                handleClick={canAdd ? () => setShowForm(true) : undefined}
              />
            )}
@@ -1,29 +1,67 @@
-.wrapper {
+.inputShell {
  position: relative;
 }

-.suggestions {
-  background: $gray-1250;
-  color: $ui-white;
-
-  position: absolute;
-  top: 100%;
-  left: 0;
+.fluid {
  width: 100%;
-  margin: 0;
-  z-index: $zindex-floating;
-  padding-block: 0.25rem;
+}

-  max-height: 200px;
-  overflow-y: auto;
+.input {
+  padding-right: 2rem;
+}
+
+.expandButton {
+  position: absolute;
+  top: 50%;
+  right: 0.25rem;
+  transform: translateY(-50%);
+}
+
+.positioner {
+  outline: 0;
+}
+
+.popup {
+  box-sizing: border-box;
+  min-width: var(--anchor-width);
+  max-width: var(--available-width);
+  border: 1px solid $gray-1000;
+  border-radius: $component-border-radius-md;
+  background: $gray-1250;
  color: $label-gray;
+}

-  li {
-    padding: 0.25rem;
-  }
+.list {
+  box-sizing: border-box;
+  max-height: min(20rem, var(--available-height));
+  overflow-y: auto;
+  overscroll-behavior: contain;
+  padding-block: 0.25rem;
+  outline: 0;
+}

-  li:hover {
+.item {
+  box-sizing: border-box;
+  padding: 0.25rem 0.5rem;
+  outline: 0;
+  cursor: default;
+  user-select: none;
+  overflow-wrap: anywhere;
+
+  &[data-highlighted] {
    color: $ui-white;
    background: $blue-700;
  }
 }
+
+.expandedEditor {
+  min-height: min(18rem, 45vh);
+  font-family: monospace;
+  line-height: 1.4;
+}
+
+.footerHint {
+  margin-right: auto;
+  color: $label-gray;
+  font-size: calc(1rem - 2px);
+}
@@ -1,69 +1,258 @@
-import { mergeRefs, useClickOutside } from '@mantine/hooks';
-import { forwardRef, useMemo, useState } from 'react';
+import { Autocomplete as BaseAutocomplete } from '@base-ui/react/autocomplete';
+import type { ChangeEvent, ReactNode, Ref } from 'react';
+import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from 'react';
+import { IoExpandOutline } from 'react-icons/io5';

-import Input, { type InputProps } from '../../../../../common/components/input/input/Input';
+import Button from '../../../../../common/components/buttons/Button';
+import IconButton from '../../../../../common/components/buttons/IconButton';
+import { type InputProps } from '../../../../../common/components/input/input/Input';
+import Textarea from '../../../../../common/components/input/textarea/Textarea';
+import Modal from '../../../../../common/components/modal/Modal';
 import useCustomFields from '../../../../../common/hooks-query/useCustomFields';
-import { makeAutoCompleteList, matchRemaining, selectFromLastTemplate } from './templateInput.utils';
+import { cx } from '../../../../../common/utils/styleUtils';
+import { makeAutoCompleteList } from './templateInput.utils';
+import { useTemplateAutocomplete } from './useTemplateAutocomplete';

+import inputStyle from '../../../../../common/components/input/input/Input.module.scss';
 import style from './TemplateInput.module.scss';

-interface TemplateInputProps extends InputProps {}
+interface TemplateInputProps extends Omit<InputProps, 'value'> {
+  ref?: Ref<HTMLInputElement>;
+  value?: string;
+}

-const TemplateInput = forwardRef(function TemplateInput(props: TemplateInputProps, ref) {
-  const { value, onChange, ...rest } = props;
+interface TemplateEditorModalProps {
+  autocompleteList: string[];
+  isOpen: boolean;
+  onClose: () => void;
+  onSave: (value: string) => void;
+  value: string;
+}
+
+type TemplateAutocompleteState = ReturnType<typeof useTemplateAutocomplete<HTMLInputElement>>;
+
+interface TemplateAutocompleteRootProps {
+  autocomplete: TemplateAutocompleteState;
+  children: ReactNode;
+  value: string;
+}
+
+function assignRef<T>(ref: Ref<T> | undefined, value: T | null) {
+  if (typeof ref === 'function') {
+    ref(value);
+  } else if (ref) {
+    ref.current = value;
+  }
+}
+
+function emitInputChange(name: string | undefined, value: string, onChange: InputProps['onChange']) {
+  onChange?.({
+    target: { name, value },
+    currentTarget: { name, value },
+  } as ChangeEvent<HTMLInputElement>);
+}
+
+export default function TemplateInput({
+  className,
+  disabled,
+  fluid,
+  height = 'medium',
+  onChange,
+  readOnly,
+  ref,
+  value,
+  variant = 'subtle',
+  ...rest
+}: TemplateInputProps) {
  const { data } = useCustomFields();
-  const localRef = useClickOutside(() => setShowSuggestions(false));
+  const inputRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement | null>(null);
+  const [inputValue, setInputValue] = useState(value || '');
+  const [isExpanded, setIsExpanded] = useState(false);

  const autocompleteList = useMemo(() => {
    return makeAutoCompleteList(data);
  }, [data]);

-  const [inputValue, setInputValue] = useState(value || '');
-  const [suggestions, setSuggestions] = useState<string[]>([]);
-  const [showSuggestions, setShowSuggestions] = useState(false);
+  const updateInputValue = useCallback(
+    (nextValue: string) => {
+      setInputValue(nextValue);
+      emitInputChange(rest.name, nextValue, onChange);
+    },
+    [onChange, rest.name],
+  );

-  const updateSuggestions = (value: string) => {
-    const template = selectFromLastTemplate(value);
-    return autocompleteList.filter((suggestion) => suggestion.startsWith(template));
+  const autocomplete = useTemplateAutocomplete(inputValue, autocompleteList, inputRef, updateInputValue);
+  const { setCursorForValue } = autocomplete;
+
+  // Keep the local autocomplete input in sync when react-hook-form resets or swaps field-array values.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const nextValue = value || '';
+    setInputValue(nextValue);
+    setCursorForValue(nextValue, nextValue.length);
+  }, [setCursorForValue, value]);
+
+  const setInputRef = useCallback(
+    (element: HTMLInputElement | null) => {
+      inputRef.current = element;
+      assignRef(ref, element);
+    },
+    [ref],
+  );
+
+  const openExpandedEditor = () => {
+    autocomplete.setShowSuggestions(false);
+    setIsExpanded(true);
  };

-  const handleInputChange = (event: React.ChangeEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => {
-    setInputValue(event.target.value);
-
-    if (event.target.value.endsWith('{')) {
-      setShowSuggestions(true);
-      setSuggestions(updateSuggestions(event.target.value));
-    } else if (event.target.value === '' || event.target.value.endsWith('}}')) {
-      setShowSuggestions(false);
-    } else if (showSuggestions) {
-      setSuggestions(updateSuggestions(event.target.value));
-    }
-
-    onChange?.(event);
+  const closeExpandedEditor = () => {
+    setIsExpanded(false);
  };

-  const handleSuggestion = (value: string) => {
-    setInputValue((prev) => {
-      const remaining = matchRemaining(prev as string, value);
-      return prev + remaining;
-    });
-    setShowSuggestions(false);
+  const saveExpandedEditor = (nextValue: string) => {
+    updateInputValue(nextValue);
+    autocomplete.setCursorForValue(nextValue, nextValue.length);
+    setIsExpanded(false);
  };

  return (
-    <div className={style.wrapper} ref={mergeRefs(localRef, ref)}>
-      <Input value={inputValue} {...rest} onChange={handleInputChange} fluid />
-      {showSuggestions && suggestions.length > 0 && (
-        <ul className={style.suggestions}>
-          {suggestions.map((suggestion) => (
-            <li key={suggestion} onClick={() => handleSuggestion(suggestion)}>
-              {suggestion}
-            </li>
-          ))}
-        </ul>
-      )}
-    </div>
+    <>
+      <TemplateAutocompleteRoot autocomplete={autocomplete} value={inputValue}>
+        <div className={cx([style.inputShell, fluid && style.fluid])}>
+          <BaseAutocomplete.Input
+            ref={setInputRef}
+            className={cx([
+              inputStyle.input,
+              inputStyle[variant],
+              inputStyle[height],
+              fluid && inputStyle.fluid,
+              style.input,
+              className,
+            ])}
+            {...rest}
+            disabled={disabled}
+            onClick={autocomplete.updateCursor}
+            onFocus={autocomplete.updateCursor}
+            onKeyUp={autocomplete.updateCursor}
+            onSelect={autocomplete.updateCursor}
+            readOnly={readOnly}
+          />
+          <IconButton
+            aria-label='Expand template editor'
+            className={style.expandButton}
+            disabled={disabled || readOnly}
+            onClick={openExpandedEditor}
+            size='small'
+            title='Expand template editor'
+            variant='ghosted-white'
+          >
+            <IoExpandOutline />
+          </IconButton>
+        </div>
+      </TemplateAutocompleteRoot>
+      <TemplateEditorModal
+        autocompleteList={autocompleteList}
+        isOpen={isExpanded}
+        onClose={closeExpandedEditor}
+        onSave={saveExpandedEditor}
+        value={inputValue}
+      />
+    </>
  );
-});
+}

-export default TemplateInput;
+function TemplateAutocompleteRoot({ autocomplete, children, value }: TemplateAutocompleteRootProps) {
+  return (
+    <BaseAutocomplete.Root
+      items={autocomplete.suggestions}
+      autoHighlight
+      highlightItemOnHover
+      mode='none'
+      open={autocomplete.open}
+      value={value}
+      onOpenChange={autocomplete.setShowSuggestions}
+      onValueChange={autocomplete.handleValueChange}
+    >
+      {children}
+      <TemplateSuggestionPopup />
+    </BaseAutocomplete.Root>
+  );
+}
+
+function TemplateEditorModal({ autocompleteList, isOpen, onClose, onSave, value }: TemplateEditorModalProps) {
+  const expandedInputRef = useRef<HTMLTextAreaElement | null>(null);
+  const [draftValue, setDraftValue] = useState(value);
+  const autocomplete = useTemplateAutocomplete(draftValue, autocompleteList, expandedInputRef, setDraftValue);
+  const { setShowSuggestions } = autocomplete;
+
+  // Reset the draft whenever the modal opens so cancel never leaks unsaved changes.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!isOpen) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    setDraftValue(value);
+    setShowSuggestions(false);
+  }, [isOpen, setShowSuggestions, value]);
+
+  const handleClose = () => {
+    setShowSuggestions(false);
+    onClose();
+  };
+
+  const handleSave = () => {
+    setShowSuggestions(false);
+    onSave(draftValue);
+  };
+
+  return (
+    <Modal
+      isOpen={isOpen}
+      onClose={handleClose}
+      showBackdrop
+      showCloseButton
+      title='Edit template'
+      bodyElements={
+        <TemplateAutocompleteRoot autocomplete={autocomplete} value={draftValue}>
+          <BaseAutocomplete.Input
+            autoFocus
+            className={style.expandedEditor}
+            onClick={autocomplete.updateCursor}
+            onFocus={autocomplete.updateCursor}
+            onKeyUp={autocomplete.updateCursor}
+            onSelect={autocomplete.updateCursor}
+            render={<Textarea ref={expandedInputRef} fluid resize='none' rows={8} />}
+          />
+        </TemplateAutocompleteRoot>
+      }
+      footerElements={
+        <>
+          <span className={style.footerHint}>Start a template with {'{{'} to see autocomplete.</span>
+          <Button onClick={handleClose}>Cancel</Button>
+          <Button onClick={handleSave} variant='primary'>
+            Save
+          </Button>
+        </>
+      }
+    />
+  );
+}
+
+function TemplateSuggestionPopup() {
+  return (
+    <BaseAutocomplete.Portal>
+      <BaseAutocomplete.Positioner side='bottom' align='start' className={style.positioner}>
+        <BaseAutocomplete.Popup className={style.popup}>
+          <BaseAutocomplete.List className={style.list}>
+            <BaseAutocomplete.Collection>
+              {(suggestion: string) => (
+                <BaseAutocomplete.Item key={suggestion} value={suggestion} className={style.item}>
+                  {suggestion}
+                </BaseAutocomplete.Item>
+              )}
+            </BaseAutocomplete.Collection>
+          </BaseAutocomplete.List>
+        </BaseAutocomplete.Popup>
+      </BaseAutocomplete.Positioner>
+    </BaseAutocomplete.Portal>
+  );
+}
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { matchRemaining } from '../templateInput.utils';
+import { completeTemplateAtCursor, matchRemaining, selectActiveTemplate } from '../templateInput.utils';

 describe('matchRemaining()', () => {
  it('should return a partial string needed for autocomplete', () => {
@@ -15,3 +15,54 @@ describe('matchRemaining()', () => {
    expect(matchRemaining('test', 'test')).toBe('');
  });
 });
+
+describe('selectActiveTemplate()', () => {
+  it('returns the last unclosed template fragment', () => {
+    expect(selectActiveTemplate('send {{event')).toBe('{{event');
+    expect(selectActiveTemplate('send {{eventNow.title}} and {{event')).toBe('{{event');
+  });
+
+  it('ignores single braces and closed templates', () => {
+    expect(selectActiveTemplate('send {')).toBe('');
+    expect(selectActiveTemplate('send {{eventNow.title}}')).toBe('');
+  });
+
+  it('only considers templates before the cursor', () => {
+    expect(selectActiveTemplate('send {{event}} then {{timer', 14)).toBe('');
+    expect(selectActiveTemplate('send {{event}} then {{timer', 27)).toBe('{{timer');
+  });
+
+  it('selects a partial template when the cursor is inside a completed template', () => {
+    expect(selectActiveTemplate('send {{timer.current}} after', 12)).toBe('{{timer');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('completeTemplateAtCursor()', () => {
+  it('completes the active template before the cursor', () => {
+    expect(completeTemplateAtCursor('send {{timer after', '{{timer.current}}', 12)).toEqual({
+      value: 'send {{timer.current}} after',
+      cursorIndex: 22,
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('preserves text before and after the cursor', () => {
+    expect(completeTemplateAtCursor('before {{event after', '{{eventNow.title}}', 14)).toEqual({
+      value: 'before {{eventNow.title}} after',
+      cursorIndex: 25,
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('preserves a following template when completing between templates', () => {
+    expect(completeTemplateAtCursor('{{clock}} and {{timer then {{eventNow.title}}', '{{timer.current}}', 21)).toEqual({
+      value: '{{clock}} and {{timer.current}} then {{eventNow.title}}',
+      cursorIndex: 31,
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('replaces the whole template when the cursor is inside a completed template', () => {
+    expect(completeTemplateAtCursor('before {{timer.current}} after', '{{timer.duration}}', 15)).toEqual({
+      value: 'before {{timer.duration}} after',
+      cursorIndex: 25,
+    });
+  });
+});
@@ -54,6 +54,16 @@ const eventStaticPropertiesNext = [
  '{{eventNext.delay}}',
 ];

+const groupStaticPropertiesNow = [
+  '{{groupNow.id}}',
+  '{{groupNow.title}}',
+  '{{groupNow.note}}',
+  '{{groupNow.colour}}',
+  '{{groupNow.timeStart}}',
+  '{{groupNow.timeEnd}}',
+  '{{groupNow.duration}}',
+];
+
 const staticAuxProperties = (index: 1 | 2 | 3) => [
  `{{auxtimer${index}.current}}`,
  `{{auxtimer${index}.duration}}`,
@@ -75,12 +85,19 @@ export function makeAutoCompleteList(customFields: CustomFields): string[] {
    ...Object.entries(customFields).map(([key]) => `{{eventNow.custom.${key}}}`),
    ...eventStaticPropertiesNext,
    ...Object.entries(customFields).map(([key]) => `{{eventNext.custom.${key}}}`),
+    ...groupStaticPropertiesNow,
+    ...Object.entries(customFields).map(([key]) => `{{groupNow.custom.${key}}}`),
    ...staticAuxProperties(1),
    ...staticAuxProperties(2),
    ...staticAuxProperties(3),
  ];
 }

+interface TemplateCompletion {
+  cursorIndex: number;
+  value: string;
+}
+
 /**
 * Returns the partial string b needed to autocomplete string a
 * @example matchRemaining('te', 'test') -> 'st'
@@ -111,13 +128,54 @@ export function matchRemaining(a: string, b: string) {
  return '';
 }

-/**
- * Selects the last starting template in a string
- */
-export function selectFromLastTemplate(text: string) {
-  const lastBraceIndex = text.lastIndexOf('{{');
-  if (lastBraceIndex !== -1) {
-    return text.slice(lastBraceIndex);
+function getActiveTemplateRange(text: string, cursorIndex = text.length) {
+  const textBeforeCursor = text.slice(0, cursorIndex);
+  const start = textBeforeCursor.lastIndexOf('{{');
+  if (start === -1) {
+    return null;
  }
-  return '';
+
+  const closeBeforeCursor = textBeforeCursor.lastIndexOf('}}');
+  if (closeBeforeCursor > start) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  const closeAfterStart = text.indexOf('}}', start);
+  const nextStartAfterCursor = text.indexOf('{{', cursorIndex);
+  const closesBeforeNextTemplate = nextStartAfterCursor === -1 || closeAfterStart < nextStartAfterCursor;
+  const end = closeAfterStart !== -1 && closesBeforeNextTemplate ? closeAfterStart + 2 : cursorIndex;
+
+  return {
+    end,
+    start,
+    template: text.slice(start, cursorIndex),
+  };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Selects the last unclosed starting template before the cursor.
+ */
+export function selectActiveTemplate(text: string, cursorIndex = text.length) {
+  return getActiveTemplateRange(text, cursorIndex)?.template ?? '';
+}
+
+/**
+ * Replaces the active template fragment before the cursor with the selected suggestion.
+ */
+export function completeTemplateAtCursor(
+  text: string,
+  suggestion: string,
+  cursorIndex = text.length,
+): TemplateCompletion {
+  const activeTemplateRange = getActiveTemplateRange(text, cursorIndex);
+  if (!activeTemplateRange) {
+    const value = text + matchRemaining(text, suggestion);
+    return { value, cursorIndex: value.length };
+  }
+
+  const value = `${text.slice(0, activeTemplateRange.start)}${suggestion}${text.slice(activeTemplateRange.end)}`;
+  return {
+    value,
+    cursorIndex: activeTemplateRange.start + suggestion.length,
+  };
 }
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+import { Autocomplete as BaseAutocomplete } from '@base-ui/react/autocomplete';
+import { useCallback, useMemo, useState, type RefObject } from 'react';
+
+import { completeTemplateAtCursor, selectActiveTemplate } from './templateInput.utils';
+
+type TemplateElement = HTMLInputElement | HTMLTextAreaElement;
+
+function getCursorIndex(element: TemplateElement | null, fallback: string) {
+  return element?.selectionStart ?? fallback.length;
+}
+
+function focusCursor(element: TemplateElement | null, cursorIndex: number) {
+  requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+    element?.focus();
+    element?.setSelectionRange(cursorIndex, cursorIndex);
+  });
+}
+
+export function useTemplateAutocomplete<T extends TemplateElement>(
+  value: string,
+  autocompleteList: string[],
+  elementRef: RefObject<T | null>,
+  onValueChange: (value: string) => void,
+) {
+  const [showSuggestions, setShowSuggestions] = useState(false);
+  const [cursor, setCursor] = useState(value.length);
+
+  const activeTemplate = selectActiveTemplate(value, cursor);
+  const suggestions = useMemo(() => {
+    if (!activeTemplate) {
+      return [];
+    }
+    return autocompleteList.filter((suggestion) => suggestion.startsWith(activeTemplate));
+  }, [activeTemplate, autocompleteList]);
+
+  const setCursorForValue = useCallback((nextValue: string, cursorIndex: number) => {
+    setCursor(cursorIndex);
+    setShowSuggestions(Boolean(selectActiveTemplate(nextValue, cursorIndex)));
+  }, []);
+
+  const updateCursor = useCallback(() => {
+    const cursorIndex = getCursorIndex(elementRef.current, value);
+    setCursorForValue(value, cursorIndex);
+  }, [elementRef, setCursorForValue, value]);
+
+  const handleValueChange = useCallback(
+    (nextValue: string, eventDetails: BaseAutocomplete.Root.ChangeEventDetails) => {
+      if (eventDetails.reason === 'item-press') {
+        eventDetails.cancel();
+        const completed = completeTemplateAtCursor(value, nextValue, cursor);
+        setCursorForValue(completed.value, completed.cursorIndex);
+        onValueChange(completed.value);
+        focusCursor(elementRef.current, completed.cursorIndex);
+        return;
+      }
+
+      const cursorIndex = getCursorIndex(elementRef.current, nextValue);
+      setCursorForValue(nextValue, cursorIndex);
+      onValueChange(nextValue);
+    },
+    [cursor, elementRef, onValueChange, setCursorForValue, value],
+  );
+
+  return {
+    handleValueChange,
+    open: showSuggestions && suggestions.length > 0,
+    setCursorForValue,
+    setShowSuggestions,
+    suggestions,
+    updateCursor,
+  };
+}
@@ -25,6 +25,13 @@
  margin-top: 1rem;
 }

+.finishActions {
+  display: flex;
+  flex-wrap: wrap;
+  justify-content: center;
+  gap: 0.5rem;
+}
+
 .sourceGrid {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: repeat(2, minmax(0, 1fr));
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 import type {
+  ImportedFields,
+  RundownImportMode,
  SpreadsheetPreviewResponse,
  SpreadsheetWorksheetMetadata,
  SpreadsheetWorksheetOptions,
@@ -6,6 +8,7 @@ import type {
 import { getErrorMessage, ImportMap } from 'ontime-utils';
 import { ChangeEvent, useCallback, useRef, useState } from 'react';
 import { IoCloudOutline, IoDownloadOutline } from 'react-icons/io5';
+import { useNavigate } from 'react-router';

 import {
  getWorksheetMetadata as getExcelWorksheetMetadata,
@@ -22,7 +25,7 @@ import Info from '../../../../../common/components/info/Info';
 import ExternalLink from '../../../../../common/components/link/external-link/ExternalLink';
 import Modal from '../../../../../common/components/modal/Modal';
 import useRundown from '../../../../../common/hooks-query/useRundown';
-import { validateExcelImport } from '../../../../../common/utils/uploadUtils';
+import { removeFileExtension, validateExcelImport } from '../../../../../common/utils/uploadUtils';
 import * as Panel from '../../../panel-utils/PanelUtils';
 import GSheetSetup from './GSheetSetup';
 import SheetImportEditor from './sheet-import/SheetImportEditor';
@@ -35,6 +38,7 @@ const googleSheetDocsUrl = 'https://docs.getontime.no/features/import-spreadshee
 type ActiveSource =
  | {
      kind: 'excel';
+      fileName: string;
      worksheetNames: string[];
      initialWorksheetMetadata: SpreadsheetWorksheetMetadata | null;
      closedByUser: boolean;
@@ -53,9 +57,11 @@ export default function SourcesPanel() {
  const [error, setError] = useState('');
  const [hasFile, setHasFile] = useState<'none' | 'loading' | 'done'>('none');
  const [activeSource, setActiveSource] = useState<ActiveSource | null>(null);
+  const [completedRundownTitle, setCompletedRundownTitle] = useState('');

  const { data: currentRundown } = useRundown();
-  const { importRundown } = useSpreadsheetImport();
+  const { applyImport } = useSpreadsheetImport();
+  const navigate = useNavigate();

  const fileInputRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null);

@@ -74,6 +80,7 @@ export default function SourcesPanel() {
      const worksheetOptions = await uploadExcel(fileToUpload);
      setActiveSource({
        kind: 'excel',
+        fileName: fileToUpload.name,
        worksheetNames: worksheetOptions.worksheets,
        initialWorksheetMetadata: worksheetOptions.metadata,
        closedByUser: false,
@@ -97,6 +104,7 @@ export default function SourcesPanel() {
    setHasFile('none');
    setActiveSource(null);
    setError('');
+    setCompletedRundownTitle('');
  };

  const openGSheetFlow = () => {
@@ -119,29 +127,41 @@ export default function SourcesPanel() {
    }
  };

-  const handleFinished = () => {
+  const handleFinished = (rundownTitle: string) => {
    setImportFlow('finished');
    setHasFile('none');
    setActiveSource(null);
    setError('');
+    setCompletedRundownTitle(rundownTitle);
  };

-  const handleApplyImport = async (preview: SpreadsheetPreviewResponse) => {
+  const handleApplyImport = async (
+    preview: SpreadsheetPreviewResponse,
+    mode: RundownImportMode,
+    newRundownTitle: string,
+    providedFields: ImportedFields,
+  ) => {
+    if (mode === 'new') {
+      const title = newRundownTitle.trim() || preview.rundown.title;
+      await applyImport({ mode: 'new', rundown: { ...preview.rundown, title }, customFields: preview.customFields });
+      handleFinished(title);
+      return;
+    }
+
    if (!currentRundown) {
      throw new Error('No current rundown loaded');
    }

-    await importRundown(
-      {
-        [currentRundown.id]: {
-          ...preview.rundown,
-          id: currentRundown.id,
-          title: currentRundown.title,
-        },
-      },
-      preview.customFields,
-    );
-    handleFinished();
+    // override or merge into the current rundown; merge uses providedFields to know which columns
+    // the sheet supplied so matched events keep the rest (e.g. automations)
+    await applyImport({
+      mode,
+      targetRundownId: currentRundown.id,
+      rundown: preview.rundown,
+      customFields: preview.customFields,
+      providedFields,
+    });
+    handleFinished(currentRundown.title);
  };

  const loadWorksheetMetadata = useCallback(
@@ -208,6 +228,13 @@ export default function SourcesPanel() {
    if (activeSource.kind === 'excel') return 'excel';
    return `gsheet:${activeSource.sheetId}`;
  })();
+  // suggested name when importing into a new rundown: the spreadsheet file name (without extension)
+  // for Excel, or the document title for Google Sheets
+  const spreadsheetName = (() => {
+    if (!activeSource) return '';
+    if (activeSource.kind === 'excel') return removeFileExtension(activeSource.fileName);
+    return activeSource.title;
+  })();

  return (
    <Panel.Section>
@@ -267,11 +294,20 @@ export default function SourcesPanel() {
        {showCompleted && (
          <div className={style.finishSection}>
            <span className={style.finishBadge}>Import complete</span>
-            <div className={style.finishTitle}>Spreadsheet data applied.</div>
-            <div className={style.finishDescription}>You can close this flow or start another import.</div>
-            <Button variant='subtle-white' onClick={resetFlow}>
-              Reset flow
-            </Button>
+            <div className={style.finishTitle}>
+              Spreadsheet data applied to {completedRundownTitle || 'your rundown'}.
+            </div>
+            <div className={style.finishDescription}>
+              Review the imported rundown in the editor or start another import.
+            </div>
+            <div className={style.finishActions}>
+              <Button variant='primary' onClick={() => navigate('/editor')}>
+                Open editor
+              </Button>
+              <Button variant='subtle-white' onClick={resetFlow}>
+                Import another
+              </Button>
+            </div>
          </div>
        )}
        {isGSheetFlow && (
@@ -287,6 +323,7 @@ export default function SourcesPanel() {
          bodyElements={
            <SheetImportEditor
              sourceKey={sourceKey ?? 'spreadsheet'}
+              defaultRundownName={spreadsheetName}
              worksheetNames={activeSource?.worksheetNames ?? []}
              initialMetadata={activeSource?.initialWorksheetMetadata ?? null}
              loadMetadata={loadWorksheetMetadata}
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+import type { RundownImportMode, SpreadsheetPreviewResponse } from 'ontime-types';
+import { isOntimeEvent, isPlayableEvent, Playback } from 'ontime-types';
+import { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
+
+import Button from '../../../../../../common/components/buttons/Button';
+import { usePlayback, useSelectedEventId } from '../../../../../../common/hooks/useSocket';
+
+interface ApplyImportButtonProps {
+  preview: SpreadsheetPreviewResponse | null;
+  mode: RundownImportMode;
+  disabled: boolean;
+  loading: boolean;
+  onApply: () => void;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Apply action for the spreadsheet import.
+ * Subscribes to playback state on its own so playback updates do not re-render the whole editor.
+ * Requires a second click to confirm when applying would stop a running playback.
+ */
+export default function ApplyImportButton({ preview, mode, disabled, loading, onApply }: ApplyImportButtonProps) {
+  const playback = usePlayback();
+  const loadedEventId = useSelectedEventId();
+
+  // the loaded (playing) event loses its playback unless it still exists as a playable event after the import
+  const loadedEntry = loadedEventId ? preview?.rundown.entries[loadedEventId] : undefined;
+  const willLoadedEventBeOverriden = !(
+    loadedEntry !== undefined &&
+    isOntimeEvent(loadedEntry) &&
+    isPlayableEvent(loadedEntry)
+  );
+
+  // applying stops playback when creating a new rundown, or when the playing event does not survive
+  const willStopPlayback = playback !== Playback.Stop && (mode === 'new' || willLoadedEventBeOverriden);
+
+  // two-step confirmation before applying an import that stops playback
+  const [confirmStop, setConfirmStop] = useState(false);
+  useEffect(() => {
+    setConfirmStop(false);
+  }, [mode, preview]);
+
+  const handleClick = () => {
+    if (willStopPlayback && !confirmStop) {
+      setConfirmStop(true);
+      return;
+    }
+    onApply();
+  };
+
+  return (
+    <Button variant='primary' onClick={handleClick} disabled={disabled} loading={loading}>
+      {willStopPlayback && confirmStop ? 'Confirm — stop playback & apply import' : 'Apply import'}
+    </Button>
+  );
+}
@@ -33,6 +33,11 @@
  white-space: nowrap;
 }

+.importModeTrigger {
+  min-width: 12rem;
+  justify-content: space-between;
+}
+
 .addColumnTrigger {
  justify-content: center;
  white-space: nowrap;
@@ -87,6 +92,10 @@
  font-weight: 600;
 }

+.toolbarWarning {
+  color: $orange-400;
+}
+
 .mappingPaneTitle {
  align-self: center;
 }
@@ -1,10 +1,20 @@
-import type { SpreadsheetPreviewResponse, SpreadsheetWorksheetMetadata } from 'ontime-types';
+import type {
+  ImportedFields,
+  RundownImportMode,
+  SpreadsheetPreviewResponse,
+  SpreadsheetWorksheetMetadata,
+} from 'ontime-types';
 import type { ImportMap } from 'ontime-utils';
-import { IoArrowUpOutline, IoEye } from 'react-icons/io5';
+import { useMemo } from 'react';
+import { IoArrowUpOutline, IoCheckmark, IoChevronDown, IoEye, IoWarningOutline } from 'react-icons/io5';

 import Button from '../../../../../../common/components/buttons/Button';
+import { DropdownMenu, DropdownMenuOption } from '../../../../../../common/components/dropdown-menu/DropdownMenu';
+import Input from '../../../../../../common/components/input/input/Input';
 import Select from '../../../../../../common/components/select/Select';
 import * as Panel from '../../../../panel-utils/PanelUtils';
+import ApplyImportButton from './ApplyImportButton';
+import { isIdColumnMapped } from './importMapUtils';
 import PreviewTable from './preview/PreviewTable';
 import SheetImportMappingPane from './SheetImportMappingPane';
 import { useSheetImportForm } from './useSheetImportForm';
@@ -13,17 +23,46 @@ import style from './SheetImportEditor.module.scss';

 interface SheetImportEditorProps {
  sourceKey: string;
+  defaultRundownName: string;
  worksheetNames: string[];
  initialMetadata: SpreadsheetWorksheetMetadata | null;
  loadMetadata: (worksheet: string) => Promise<SpreadsheetWorksheetMetadata>;
  previewImport: (importMap: ImportMap) => Promise<SpreadsheetPreviewResponse>;
-  onApply: (preview: SpreadsheetPreviewResponse) => Promise<void>;
+  onApply: (
+    preview: SpreadsheetPreviewResponse,
+    mode: RundownImportMode,
+    newRundownTitle: string,
+    providedFields: ImportedFields,
+  ) => Promise<void>;
  onCancel: () => void;
  onExport?: (importMap: ImportMap) => Promise<void>;
 }

+const importModeOptions: Array<{
+  value: RundownImportMode;
+  label: string;
+  description: string;
+}> = [
+  {
+    value: 'override',
+    label: 'Replace current rundown',
+    description: 'Spreadsheet data completely replaces current rundown',
+  },
+  {
+    value: 'merge',
+    label: 'Merge with current rundown',
+    description: 'Merge entries referencing their IDs, entries not present in spreadsheet rundown are deleted',
+  },
+  {
+    value: 'new',
+    label: 'New rundown',
+    description: 'Create a new rundown to import the data into. Loads the new rundown',
+  },
+];
+
 export default function SheetImportEditor({
  sourceKey,
+  defaultRundownName,
  worksheetNames,
  initialMetadata,
  loadMetadata,
@@ -49,11 +88,16 @@ export default function SheetImportEditor({
    isBusy,
    canPreview,
    displayError,
+    importMode,
+    setImportMode,
+    newRundownTitle,
+    setNewRundownTitle,
    handlePreviewSubmit,
    handleExportSubmit,
    handleApply,
  } = useSheetImportForm({
    sourceKey,
+    defaultRundownName,
    worksheetNames,
    initialMetadata,
    loadMetadata,
@@ -62,6 +106,19 @@ export default function SheetImportEditor({
    onExport,
  });

+  const selectedImportMode = importModeOptions.find((option) => option.value === importMode) ?? importModeOptions[0];
+  const importModeItems = useMemo<DropdownMenuOption[]>(
+    () =>
+      importModeOptions.map((option) => ({
+        type: 'item',
+        label: option.label,
+        description: option.description,
+        icon: importMode === option.value ? IoCheckmark : undefined,
+        onClick: () => setImportMode(option.value),
+      })),
+    [importMode, setImportMode],
+  );
+
  return (
    <Panel.Section as='form' id='spreadsheet-import-workspace' className={style.editor} onSubmit={handlePreviewSubmit}>
      <Panel.InlineElements align='apart' wrap='wrap' className={style.editorToolbar}>
@@ -75,7 +132,16 @@ export default function SheetImportEditor({
            }
          />
        </label>
-        {toolbarStatus && <Panel.Description>{toolbarStatus}</Panel.Description>}
+        {toolbarStatus && (
+          <Panel.Description>
+            {toolbarStatus.entries === '–'
+              ? 'No import preview yet'
+              : `${toolbarStatus.entries} entries · ${toolbarStatus.groups} groups · ${toolbarStatus.milestones} milestones · ${toolbarStatus.start}–${toolbarStatus.end} · ${toolbarStatus.duration}`}
+            {toolbarStatus.warnings > 0 && (
+              <span className={style.toolbarWarning}> · {toolbarStatus.warnings} warnings</span>
+            )}
+          </Panel.Description>
+        )}
      </Panel.InlineElements>

      <div className={style.editorBody}>
@@ -93,13 +159,19 @@ export default function SheetImportEditor({

        <section className={style.previewPane}>
          <div className={style.previewPaneHeader}>
-            <span className={style.previewPaneTitle}>Import preview</span>
+            <div className={style.previewPaneHeading}>
+              <span className={style.previewPaneTitle}>Import preview</span>
+            </div>
          </div>
          <div className={style.tableShell}>
            <PreviewTable
              preview={state.preview}
              columnLabels={columnLabels}
+              canRefresh={canPreview}
              isLoadingMetadata={isLoadingMetadata}
+              isRefreshing={state.loading === 'preview'}
+              needsPreviewRefresh={state.needsPreviewRefresh}
+              onRefresh={handlePreviewSubmit}
              worksheetHeaders={worksheetHeaders}
            />
          </div>
@@ -107,33 +179,63 @@ export default function SheetImportEditor({
      </div>

      {displayError && <Panel.Error>{displayError}</Panel.Error>}
-      <Panel.InlineElements align='end' wrap='wrap' className={style.editorFooter}>
-        <Button onClick={onCancel} disabled={isBusy}>
-          Cancel
-        </Button>
-        {onExport && (
-          <Button onClick={handleExportSubmit} disabled={!canPreview} loading={state.loading === 'export'}>
-            <IoArrowUpOutline />
-            Export
+      {importMode === 'merge' && !isIdColumnMapped(values) && (
+        <Panel.Description tone='warning'>
+          <IoWarningOutline /> No ID column mapped — merge matches entries by ID, so it will behave like Replace. Export
+          your rundown to a spreadsheet first to keep its IDs.
+        </Panel.Description>
+      )}
+      <Panel.InlineElements align='apart' wrap='wrap' className={style.editorFooter}>
+        <Panel.InlineElements wrap='wrap'>
+          <label className={style.worksheetControl}>
+            <span className={style.worksheetLabel}>Import mode</span>
+            <DropdownMenu
+              render={<Button className={style.importModeTrigger} variant='subtle-white' />}
+              items={importModeItems}
+            >
+              {selectedImportMode.label}
+              <IoChevronDown />
+            </DropdownMenu>
+          </label>
+          {importMode === 'new' && (
+            <label className={style.worksheetControl}>
+              <span className={style.worksheetLabel}>New rundown name</span>
+              <Input
+                value={newRundownTitle}
+                onChange={(event) => setNewRundownTitle(event.target.value)}
+                placeholder={state.preview?.rundown.title || 'Imported rundown'}
+                aria-label='New rundown name'
+              />
+            </label>
+          )}
+        </Panel.InlineElements>
+        <Panel.InlineElements wrap='wrap'>
+          <Button onClick={onCancel} disabled={isBusy}>
+            Cancel
          </Button>
-        )}
-        <Button
-          variant={state.preview ? undefined : 'primary'}
-          onClick={handlePreviewSubmit}
-          disabled={!canPreview}
-          loading={state.loading === 'preview'}
-        >
-          <IoEye />
-          Preview import
-        </Button>
-        <Button
-          variant='primary'
-          onClick={handleApply}
-          disabled={!state.preview || isBusy}
-          loading={state.loading === 'apply'}
-        >
-          Apply import
-        </Button>
+          {onExport && (
+            <Button onClick={handleExportSubmit} disabled={!canPreview} loading={state.loading === 'export'}>
+              <IoArrowUpOutline />
+              Export
+            </Button>
+          )}
+          <Button
+            variant={state.preview ? undefined : 'primary'}
+            onClick={handlePreviewSubmit}
+            disabled={!canPreview}
+            loading={state.loading === 'preview'}
+          >
+            <IoEye />
+            Preview import
+          </Button>
+          <ApplyImportButton
+            preview={state.preview}
+            mode={importMode}
+            disabled={!state.preview || isBusy}
+            loading={state.loading === 'apply'}
+            onApply={handleApply}
+          />
+        </Panel.InlineElements>
      </Panel.InlineElements>
    </Panel.Section>
  );
@@ -1,15 +1,21 @@
-import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';

 import {
  builtInFieldDefs,
  convertToImportMap,
  createDefaultFormValues,
+  defaultImportMode,
  getImportWarnings,
+  getPersistedImportMode,
+  getProvidedImportFields,
  getResolvedCustomFields,
+  isIdColumnMapped,
+  persistImportMode,
 } from '../importMapUtils';

 const cueIndex = builtInFieldDefs.findIndex((field) => field.label === 'Cue');
 const titleIndex = builtInFieldDefs.findIndex((field) => field.label === 'Title');
+const idIndex = builtInFieldDefs.findIndex((field) => field.importKey === 'id');

 describe('getImportWarnings()', () => {
  it('warns when two mappings target the same spreadsheet column', () => {
@@ -128,3 +134,64 @@ describe('convertToImportMap()', () => {
    });
  });
 });
+
+describe('getProvidedImportFields()', () => {
+  it('reports the mapped built-in and custom fields the sheet supplies', () => {
+    const values = createDefaultFormValues();
+    values.builtIn[titleIndex] = { header: 'title', enabled: true };
+    values.builtIn[cueIndex] = { header: '', enabled: false };
+    values.custom = [{ ontimeName: 'ignored', importName: 'FOH/Monitor' }];
+
+    const provided = getProvidedImportFields(convertToImportMap(values));
+
+    // enabled built-in mappings are reported as event fields, disabled ones are not
+    expect(provided.event).toContain('title');
+    expect(provided.event).not.toContain('cue');
+    // the id column is only used for matching, never overwritten
+    expect(provided.event).not.toContain('id');
+    // custom fields are reported symmetrically by their resolved Ontime name
+    expect(provided.custom).toStrictEqual(['FOH Monitor']);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('isIdColumnMapped()', () => {
+  it('is true when the ID field is enabled with a header', () => {
+    // the default form maps the ID column
+    expect(isIdColumnMapped(createDefaultFormValues())).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('is false when the ID field is disabled', () => {
+    const values = createDefaultFormValues();
+    values.builtIn[idIndex] = { header: 'id', enabled: false };
+    expect(isIdColumnMapped(values)).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('is false when the ID field header is blank', () => {
+    const values = createDefaultFormValues();
+    values.builtIn[idIndex] = { header: '   ', enabled: true };
+    expect(isIdColumnMapped(values)).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('import mode persistence', () => {
+  const sourceKey = 'excel-test';
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    localStorage.clear();
+  });
+
+  it('defaults to override when nothing is persisted', () => {
+    expect(getPersistedImportMode(sourceKey)).toBe('override');
+    expect(defaultImportMode).toBe('override');
+  });
+
+  it('round-trips a persisted value', () => {
+    persistImportMode(sourceKey, 'merge');
+    expect(getPersistedImportMode(sourceKey)).toBe('merge');
+  });
+
+  it('falls back to the default when the persisted value is invalid', () => {
+    persistImportMode(sourceKey, 'nonsense' as never);
+    expect(getPersistedImportMode(sourceKey)).toBe('override');
+  });
+});
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import type { ImportedFields, RundownImportMode } from 'ontime-types';
 import type { ImportMap } from 'ontime-utils';

 import { makeStageKey } from '../../../../../../common/utils/localStorage';
@@ -49,6 +50,16 @@ export function createDefaultFormValues(): ImportFormValues {
  };
 }

+/**
+ * Whether the mapping supplies an ID column. Merge matches entries by ID, so without one every
+ * imported entry gets a fresh id and nothing can reconcile with the current rundown.
+ */
+export function isIdColumnMapped(values: ImportFormValues): boolean {
+  const idIndex = builtInFieldDefs.findIndex((def) => def.importKey === 'id');
+  const field = values.builtIn[idIndex];
+  return Boolean(field?.enabled && field.header.trim());
+}
+
 function sanitiseOntimeCustomFieldLabel(importName: string): string {
  // Replace punctuation with spaces, then collapse repeated whitespace into single spaces.
  const sanitised = importName
@@ -81,6 +92,24 @@ export function getResolvedCustomFields(customFields: ImportFormValues['custom']
  });
 }

+/**
+ * Returns the fields the import map supplies — the complete description of what the incoming data
+ * provides, for both built-in and custom fields. A merge uses this to patch exactly these fields
+ * onto a matched event and keep everything else (e.g. automations) untouched.
+ * Import-map keys are OntimeEvent field names; `worksheet`/`custom` are meta and `id` is only used
+ * for matching, not overwritten.
+ */
+export function getProvidedImportFields(importMap: ImportMap): ImportedFields {
+  const event: string[] = [];
+  for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(importMap)) {
+    if (key === 'worksheet' || key === 'custom' || key === 'id') continue;
+    if (typeof value === 'string' && value.trim() !== '') {
+      event.push(key);
+    }
+  }
+  return { event, custom: Object.keys(importMap.custom) };
+}
+
 export function convertToImportMap(values: ImportFormValues): ImportMap {
  const custom = getResolvedCustomFields(values.custom).reduce<Record<string, string>>(
    (accumulator, { ontimeName, importName }) => {
@@ -130,12 +159,12 @@ function isPersistedFormValues(obj: unknown): obj is ImportFormValues {
 export function getPersistedImportState(sourceKey: string): { values: ImportFormValues; isPersisted: boolean } {
  const storageKey = getImportMapKey(sourceKey);
  try {
-    const raw = localStorage.getItem(storageKey);
-    if (!raw) {
+    const persistedData = localStorage.getItem(storageKey);
+    if (!persistedData) {
      return { values: createDefaultFormValues(), isPersisted: false };
    }

-    const parsed: unknown = JSON.parse(raw);
+    const parsed: unknown = JSON.parse(persistedData);
    if (isPersistedFormValues(parsed)) {
      return { values: parsed, isPersisted: true };
    }
@@ -150,6 +179,32 @@ export function getPersistedImportState(sourceKey: string): { values: ImportForm
  }
 }

+/**
+ * The import mode (new / merge / override) is persisted separately from the field mapping
+ * so the mapping schema guard stays untouched.
+ */
+
+/** Default import mode: replace matched elements in the current rundown */
+export const defaultImportMode: RundownImportMode = 'override';
+
+function getImportModeKey(sourceKey: string) {
+  return makeStageKey(`import-mode:${sourceKey}`);
+}
+
+/** Persists the import mode for a given source */
+export function persistImportMode(sourceKey: string, mode: RundownImportMode) {
+  localStorage.setItem(getImportModeKey(sourceKey), mode);
+}
+
+/** Reads the persisted import mode for a source, falling back to the default when absent or invalid */
+export function getPersistedImportMode(sourceKey: string): RundownImportMode {
+  const persisted = localStorage.getItem(getImportModeKey(sourceKey));
+  if (persisted === 'new' || persisted === 'merge' || persisted === 'override') {
+    return persisted;
+  }
+  return defaultImportMode;
+}
+
 /**
 * Validates import mappings and generates warnings for duplicate or missing spreadsheet columns.
 */
@@ -1,27 +1,35 @@
 .emptyState {
-  height: 100%;
-  min-height: 16rem;
-  display: grid;
-  place-content: center;
-  gap: 0.35rem;
-  padding: 1.5rem;
+  padding: 3rem 1.5rem;
  text-align: center;
 }

+.emptyMessage {
+  width: min(30rem, 100%);
+  margin-inline: auto;
+}
+
 .emptyTitle {
-  color: $ui-white;
-  font-size: 1rem;
-  font-weight: 600;
+  margin-bottom: 0.25rem;
+  color: rgba($gray-200, 0.72);
+  font-size: calc(1rem + 2px);
+  font-weight: 400;
 }

 .emptyBody {
-  color: $gray-400;
-  font-size: 0.95rem;
+  color: rgba($gray-200, 0.55);
+  font-size: calc(1rem - 3px);
+  line-height: 1.5;
+}
+
+.emptyAction {
+  margin: 1rem auto 0;
 }

 .table {
  width: 100%;
-  border-collapse: collapse;
+  border-collapse: separate;
+  border-spacing: 0;
+  color: $ui-white;
  font-size: calc(1rem - 2px);
  text-align: left;
  table-layout: auto;
@@ -34,31 +42,101 @@
  }

  th {
-    font-weight: 400;
-    color: $gray-400;
-    text-transform: capitalize;
-    vertical-align: top;
+    color: $gray-300;
+    font-size: 0.8rem;
+    font-weight: 600;
+    letter-spacing: 0.02em;
+    text-transform: uppercase;
+    vertical-align: bottom;
    white-space: normal;
  }

  th,
  td {
-    padding: 0.5rem;
+    box-sizing: border-box;
    min-width: 8rem;
-    vertical-align: top;
+    max-width: 20rem;
+    padding: 0.55rem 0.65rem;
+    border-bottom: 1px solid $white-10;
+    overflow: hidden;
+    text-overflow: ellipsis;
+    vertical-align: middle;
+    white-space: nowrap;
  }

-  tr:nth-child(even) {
-    background-color: $white-1;
+  tbody tr {
+    --entry-colour: transparent;
+    background-color: color-mix(in srgb, $gray-1300 96%, var(--entry-colour) 4%);
+    box-shadow: inset 3px 0 var(--entry-colour);
  }
+
+  td[data-empty='true'] {
+    color: $gray-600;
+  }
+}
+
+.rowNumber,
+.rowType {
+  position: sticky;
+  z-index: 1;
+  background-color: inherit;
 }

 .rowNumber {
-  width: 4.5rem;
-  min-width: 4.5rem;
+  left: 0;
+  width: 3.25rem;
+  min-width: 3.25rem !important;
+  color: $gray-400;
+  text-align: right;
 }

 .rowType {
-  width: 7rem;
-  min-width: 7rem;
+  left: 3.25rem;
+  width: 6.25rem;
+  min-width: 6.25rem !important;
+  color: $gray-400;
+  font-size: 0.8rem;
+  box-shadow: 1px 0 $white-10;
+}
+
+thead .rowNumber,
+thead .rowType {
+  z-index: 2;
+  background-color: $gray-1350;
+}
+
+.numericCell {
+  font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;
+  text-align: right;
+}
+
+.multilineCell {
+  max-width: 30rem !important;
+  overflow-wrap: anywhere;
+  text-overflow: clip !important;
+  white-space: pre-wrap !important;
+}
+
+.eventRow {
+  .rowNumber {
+    font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;
+  }
+}
+
+.groupRow {
+  background-color: color-mix(in srgb, $gray-1300 88%, var(--entry-colour) 12%) !important;
+  box-shadow: inset 4px 0 var(--entry-colour) !important;
+  font-weight: 600;
+
+  td {
+    min-height: 3.25rem;
+    border-top: 0.75rem solid $gray-1350;
+  }
+}
+
+.milestoneRow {
+  background-color: color-mix(in srgb, $gray-1300 93%, var(--entry-colour) 7%) !important;
+  box-shadow: inset 3px 0 var(--entry-colour) !important;
+  color: $gray-300;
+  font-style: italic;
 }
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
 import type { CustomField, CustomFieldKey, SpreadsheetPreviewResponse } from 'ontime-types';
-import { isOntimeEvent, isOntimeGroup, isOntimeMilestone } from 'ontime-types';
+import { isOntimeDelay, isOntimeEvent, isOntimeGroup, isOntimeMilestone } from 'ontime-types';
+import type { CSSProperties } from 'react';
 import { useMemo } from 'react';

+import Button from '../../../../../../../common/components/buttons/Button';
+import Tag from '../../../../../../../common/components/tag/Tag';
+import { getRundownMetadata } from '../../../../../../../common/utils/rundownMetadata';
 import { getCellValue } from './previewTableUtils';

 import style from './PreviewTable.module.scss';
@@ -9,14 +13,85 @@ import style from './PreviewTable.module.scss';
 interface PreviewTableProps {
  preview: SpreadsheetPreviewResponse | null;
  columnLabels: string[];
+  canRefresh: boolean;
  isLoadingMetadata: boolean;
+  isRefreshing: boolean;
+  needsPreviewRefresh: boolean;
+  onRefresh: () => void;
  worksheetHeaders: string[];
 }

+const priorityColumns = ['Title', 'Cue', 'Start', 'End', 'Duration'];
+const numericColumns = new Set(['Start', 'End', 'Duration', 'Time warning', 'Time danger']);
+const transparentColour = 'transparent';
+
+type PreviewEntry = SpreadsheetPreviewResponse['rundown']['entries'][string];
+
+function getEntryDisplay(entry: PreviewEntry, groupColour?: string) {
+  if (isOntimeGroup(entry)) {
+    return {
+      rowClassName: style.groupRow,
+      entryColour: entry.colour,
+      entryType: 'Group',
+    };
+  }
+
+  const entryColour = groupColour ?? transparentColour;
+
+  if (isOntimeMilestone(entry)) {
+    return {
+      rowClassName: style.milestoneRow,
+      entryColour,
+      entryType: 'Milestone',
+    };
+  }
+
+  if (isOntimeDelay(entry)) {
+    return {
+      rowClassName: style.eventRow,
+      entryColour,
+      entryType: 'Delay',
+    };
+  }
+
+  return {
+    rowClassName: style.eventRow,
+    entryColour,
+    entryType: 'Event',
+  };
+}
+
+function getCellClassName(label: string, value: string) {
+  if (value.includes('\n')) {
+    return style.multilineCell;
+  }
+
+  if (numericColumns.has(label)) {
+    return style.numericCell;
+  }
+
+  return undefined;
+}
+
+function getDisplayColumns(columnLabels: string[]) {
+  return [...columnLabels].sort((left, right) => {
+    const leftPriority = priorityColumns.indexOf(left);
+    const rightPriority = priorityColumns.indexOf(right);
+    return (
+      (leftPriority === -1 ? priorityColumns.length : leftPriority) -
+      (rightPriority === -1 ? priorityColumns.length : rightPriority)
+    );
+  });
+}
+
 export default function PreviewTable({
  preview,
  columnLabels,
+  canRefresh,
  isLoadingMetadata,
+  isRefreshing,
+  needsPreviewRefresh,
+  onRefresh,
  worksheetHeaders,
 }: PreviewTableProps) {
  const customFieldKeyByLabel = useMemo(() => {
@@ -24,33 +99,57 @@ export default function PreviewTable({
    return new Map(Object.entries(preview.customFields).map(([fieldId, field]) => [field.label, fieldId]));
  }, [preview]);

+  const displayColumns = useMemo(() => getDisplayColumns(columnLabels), [columnLabels]);
+
+  const previewMetadata = useMemo(() => {
+    if (!preview) return null;
+    return getRundownMetadata(preview.rundown, null);
+  }, [preview]);
+
  if (!preview) {
+    let emptyTitle = 'Preview not generated';
    let emptyContent = 'Select the fields you want to import, then click Preview import.';

    if (isLoadingMetadata) {
+      emptyTitle = 'Loading worksheet';
      emptyContent = 'Loading worksheet metadata...';
    } else if (worksheetHeaders.length === 0) {
+      emptyTitle = 'No headers found';
      emptyContent =
        'No column headers detected in this worksheet. Try a different worksheet or ensure the first row contains column headers.';
+    } else if (needsPreviewRefresh) {
+      emptyTitle = 'Preview needs updating';
+      emptyContent = 'Your column mapping changed. Preview the import again to update this table.';
    }

    return (
      <div className={style.emptyState}>
-        <div className={style.emptyTitle}>Preview not generated</div>
-        <div className={style.emptyBody}>{emptyContent}</div>
+        <div className={style.emptyMessage}>
+          <div className={style.emptyTitle}>{emptyTitle}</div>
+          <div className={style.emptyBody}>{emptyContent}</div>
+          {needsPreviewRefresh && (
+            <Button
+              className={style.emptyAction}
+              variant='primary'
+              onClick={onRefresh}
+              disabled={!canRefresh}
+              loading={isRefreshing}
+            >
+              Refresh preview
+            </Button>
+          )}
+        </div>
      </div>
    );
  }

-  let eventIndex = 0;
-
  return (
    <table className={style.table}>
      <thead>
        <tr>
          <th className={style.rowNumber}>#</th>
          <th className={style.rowType}>Type</th>
-          {columnLabels.map((label, index) => (
+          {displayColumns.map((label, index) => (
            <th key={`${label}-${index}`}>{label}</th>
          ))}
        </tr>
@@ -59,16 +158,29 @@ export default function PreviewTable({
        {preview.rundown.flatOrder.map((entryId) => {
          const entry = preview.rundown.entries[entryId];
          const isEvent = isOntimeEvent(entry);
-          if (isEvent) eventIndex++;
-          const hasType = isEvent || isOntimeGroup(entry) || isOntimeMilestone(entry);
+          const entryMetadata = previewMetadata?.[entryId];
+          const { rowClassName, entryColour, entryType } = getEntryDisplay(entry, entryMetadata?.groupColour);

          return (
-            <tr key={entryId}>
-              <td className={style.rowNumber}>{isEvent ? eventIndex : ''}</td>
-              <td className={style.rowType}>{hasType ? entry.type : ''}</td>
-              {columnLabels.map((label, colIndex) => (
-                <td key={`${entryId}-${colIndex}`}>{getCellValue(label, entry, customFieldKeyByLabel)}</td>
-              ))}
+            <tr key={entryId} className={rowClassName} style={{ '--entry-colour': entryColour } as CSSProperties}>
+              <td className={style.rowNumber}>{isEvent ? entryMetadata?.eventIndex : ''}</td>
+              <td className={style.rowType}>
+                <Tag>{entryType}</Tag>
+              </td>
+              {displayColumns.map((label, colIndex) => {
+                const value = getCellValue(label, entry, customFieldKeyByLabel);
+                const cellClassName = getCellClassName(label, value);
+                return (
+                  <td
+                    key={`${entryId}-${colIndex}`}
+                    className={cellClassName}
+                    data-empty={value === ''}
+                    title={value || undefined}
+                  >
+                    {value}
+                  </td>
+                );
+              })}
            </tr>
          );
        })}
@@ -1,7 +1,13 @@
 import { useQuery, useQueryClient } from '@tanstack/react-query';
-import type { SpreadsheetPreviewResponse, SpreadsheetWorksheetMetadata } from 'ontime-types';
-import { millisToString } from 'ontime-utils';
-import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useReducer, useRef } from 'react';
+import type {
+  ImportedFields,
+  RundownImportMode,
+  SpreadsheetPreviewResponse,
+  SpreadsheetWorksheetMetadata,
+} from 'ontime-types';
+import { isOntimeGroup, isOntimeMilestone } from 'ontime-types';
+import { millisToString, removeTrailingZero } from 'ontime-utils';
+import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useReducer, useRef, useState } from 'react';
 import { useFieldArray, useForm } from 'react-hook-form';

 import { maybeAxiosError } from '../../../../../../common/api/utils';
@@ -11,8 +17,11 @@ import {
  builtInFieldDefs,
  convertToImportMap,
  getImportWarnings,
+  getPersistedImportMode,
  getPersistedImportState,
+  getProvidedImportFields,
  getResolvedCustomFields,
+  persistImportMode,
  persistImportState,
 } from './importMapUtils';
 import { deriveHeaderOptionsState } from './spreadsheetImportUtils';
@@ -24,7 +33,7 @@ type ImportAction =
  | { type: 'previewSuccess'; preview: SpreadsheetPreviewResponse }
  | { type: 'applySuccess' }
  | { type: 'exportSuccess' }
-  | { type: 'clearPreview'; error?: string }
+  | { type: 'clearPreview'; error?: string; needsRefresh?: boolean }
  | { type: 'failure'; error: string }
  | { type: 'reset' };

@@ -32,12 +41,14 @@ type ImportState = {
  loading: '' | 'preview' | 'apply' | 'export';
  error: string;
  preview: SpreadsheetPreviewResponse | null;
+  needsPreviewRefresh: boolean;
 };

 const initialImportState: ImportState = {
  loading: '',
  error: '',
  preview: null,
+  needsPreviewRefresh: false,
 };

 function importReducer(state: ImportState, action: ImportAction): ImportState {
@@ -49,15 +60,15 @@ function importReducer(state: ImportState, action: ImportAction): ImportState {
    case 'startExport':
      return { ...state, loading: 'export', error: '' };
    case 'previewSuccess':
-      return { loading: '', error: '', preview: action.preview };
+      return { loading: '', error: '', preview: action.preview, needsPreviewRefresh: false };
    case 'applySuccess':
    case 'exportSuccess':
      return { ...state, loading: '' };
    case 'clearPreview':
-      return { ...state, error: action.error ?? '', preview: null };
+      return { ...state, error: action.error ?? '', preview: null, needsPreviewRefresh: action.needsRefresh ?? false };
    case 'failure': {
      if (state.loading === 'preview') {
-        return { loading: '', error: action.error, preview: null };
+        return { loading: '', error: action.error, preview: null, needsPreviewRefresh: false };
      }
      return { ...state, loading: '', error: action.error };
    }
@@ -100,16 +111,23 @@ function buildColumnLabels(values: ImportFormValues): string[] {

 interface UseSheetImportFormProps {
  sourceKey: string;
+  defaultRundownName: string;
  worksheetNames: string[];
  initialMetadata: SpreadsheetWorksheetMetadata | null;
  loadMetadata: (worksheet: string) => Promise<SpreadsheetWorksheetMetadata>;
  previewImport: (importMap: ReturnType<typeof convertToImportMap>) => Promise<SpreadsheetPreviewResponse>;
-  onApply: (preview: SpreadsheetPreviewResponse) => Promise<void>;
+  onApply: (
+    preview: SpreadsheetPreviewResponse,
+    mode: RundownImportMode,
+    newRundownTitle: string,
+    providedFields: ImportedFields,
+  ) => Promise<void>;
  onExport?: (importMap: ReturnType<typeof convertToImportMap>) => Promise<void>;
 }

 export function useSheetImportForm({
  sourceKey,
+  defaultRundownName,
  worksheetNames,
  initialMetadata,
  loadMetadata,
@@ -170,6 +188,8 @@ export function useSheetImportForm({
  const columnLabels = buildColumnLabels(values);

  const [state, dispatch] = useReducer(importReducer, initialImportState);
+  const [importMode, setImportMode] = useState<RundownImportMode>(() => getPersistedImportMode(sourceKey));
+  const [newRundownTitle, setNewRundownTitle] = useState(defaultRundownName);
  const warnings = getImportWarnings(values, headers);
  const warningCount = Object.values(warnings).filter(Boolean).length;
  const previewRef = useRef<SpreadsheetPreviewResponse | null>(null);
@@ -182,6 +202,12 @@ export function useSheetImportForm({
    dispatch({ type: 'reset' });
  }, [initialFormValues, reset]);

+  // Update import mode and rundown name if the source changes
+  useEffect(() => {
+    setImportMode(getPersistedImportMode(sourceKey));
+    setNewRundownTitle(defaultRundownName);
+  }, [sourceKey, defaultRundownName]);
+
  // Keep the worksheet selection valid if the available worksheets change underneath the form.
  useEffect(() => {
    if (worksheetNames.length === 0) return;
@@ -198,7 +224,7 @@ export function useSheetImportForm({
    const sub = watch(() => {
      if (!previewRef.current) return;
      previewRef.current = null;
-      dispatch({ type: 'clearPreview' });
+      dispatch({ type: 'clearPreview', needsRefresh: true });
    });
    return () => sub.unsubscribe();
  }, [watch]);
@@ -241,13 +267,15 @@ export function useSheetImportForm({

    try {
      dispatch({ type: 'startApply' });
-      await onApply(state.preview);
+      const providedFields = getProvidedImportFields(convertToImportMap(getValues()));
+      await onApply(state.preview, importMode, newRundownTitle, providedFields);
      persistImportState(sourceKey, getValues());
+      persistImportMode(sourceKey, importMode);
      dispatch({ type: 'applySuccess' });
    } catch (error) {
      dispatch({ type: 'failure', error: maybeAxiosError(error) });
    }
-  }, [getValues, onApply, sourceKey, state.preview]);
+  }, [getValues, importMode, newRundownTitle, onApply, sourceKey, state.preview]);

  const handleExport = useCallback(
    async (formValues: ImportFormValues) => {
@@ -272,15 +300,37 @@ export function useSheetImportForm({
  }, [append]);

  const toolbarStatus = (() => {
-    const warningText = warningCount > 0 ? ` | warnings: ${warningCount}` : '';
-
    if (!state.preview) {
-      return `entries: – | start: – | end: – | duration: –${warningText}`;
+      return {
+        entries: '–',
+        groups: '–',
+        milestones: '–',
+        start: '–',
+        end: '–',
+        duration: '–',
+        warnings: warningCount,
+      };
    }

-    const { flatOrder } = state.preview.rundown;
+    const { entries, flatOrder } = state.preview.rundown;
    const { start, end, duration } = state.preview.summary;
-    return `entries: ${flatOrder.length} | start: ${millisToString(start)} | end: ${millisToString(end)} | duration: ${formatDuration(duration)}${warningText}`;
+    let groups = 0;
+    let milestones = 0;
+    for (const entryId of flatOrder) {
+      const entry = entries[entryId];
+      if (isOntimeGroup(entry)) groups++;
+      else if (isOntimeMilestone(entry)) milestones++;
+    }
+
+    return {
+      entries: flatOrder.length,
+      groups,
+      milestones,
+      start: removeTrailingZero(millisToString(start)),
+      end: removeTrailingZero(millisToString(end)),
+      duration: formatDuration(duration),
+      warnings: warningCount,
+    };
  })();

  return {
@@ -300,6 +350,10 @@ export function useSheetImportForm({
    isBusy,
    canPreview,
    displayError,
+    importMode,
+    setImportMode,
+    newRundownTitle,
+    setNewRundownTitle,
    handlePreviewSubmit: handleSubmit(handlePreview),
    handleExportSubmit: handleSubmit(handleExport),
    handleApply,
@@ -1,30 +1,17 @@
-import { useQueryClient } from '@tanstack/react-query';
-import { CustomFields, ProjectRundowns } from 'ontime-types';
+import { RundownImportPayload } from 'ontime-types';
 import { useCallback } from 'react';

-import { CUSTOM_FIELDS, RUNDOWN } from '../../../../../common/api/constants';
-import { patchData } from '../../../../../common/api/db';
+import { importRundownWithOptions } from '../../../../../common/api/rundown';

 export default function useSpreadsheetImport() {
-  const queryClient = useQueryClient();
-
-  /** applies rundown and customFields to current project */
-  const importRundown = useCallback(
-    async (rundowns: ProjectRundowns, customFields: CustomFields) => {
-      await patchData({ rundowns, customFields });
-      // we are unable to optimistically set the rundown since we need
-      // it to be normalised
-      await queryClient.invalidateQueries({
-        queryKey: RUNDOWN,
-      });
-      await queryClient.invalidateQueries({
-        queryKey: CUSTOM_FIELDS,
-      });
-    },
-    [queryClient],
-  );
+  /** applies a spreadsheet import: override or merge into the current rundown, or create a new one */
+  const applyImport = useCallback(async (payload: RundownImportPayload) => {
+    // the backend broadcasts a refetch once the rundown is parsed and applied, so the caches update
+    // through that single path rather than racing it with an optimistic write from here
+    await importRundownWithOptions(payload);
+  }, []);

  return {
-    importRundown,
+    applyImport,
  };
 }
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 import { TimerPhase, TimerType } from 'ontime-types';
-import { IoArrowDown, IoArrowUp, IoBan, IoTime } from 'react-icons/io5';
+import { IoArrowDown, IoArrowUp, IoBan, IoFolderOutline, IoTime } from 'react-icons/io5';
 import { LuArrowDownToLine } from 'react-icons/lu';

 import { CornerWithPip } from '../../../common/components/editor-utils/EditorUtils';
 import Tooltip from '../../../common/components/tooltip/Tooltip';
 import useViewSettings from '../../../common/hooks-query/useViewSettings';
-import { useMessagePreview } from '../../../common/hooks/useSocket';
+import { useGroupTimer, useMessagePreview } from '../../../common/hooks/useSocket';
 import { handleLinks } from '../../../common/utils/linkUtils';
 import { cx, timerPlaceholder } from '../../../common/utils/styleUtils';
 import PipRoot from '../../../views/editor/pip-timer/PipRoot';
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ const secondarySourceLabels: Record<string, string> = {
 export default function TimerPreview() {
  const { blink, blackout, countToEnd, phase, secondarySource, showTimerMessage, timerType } = useMessagePreview();
  const { data } = useViewSettings();
+  const isGroupTimerActive = useGroupTimer() !== null;

  const main = (() => {
    if (showTimerMessage) return 'Message';
@@ -105,6 +106,14 @@ export default function TimerPreview() {
        >
          <LuArrowDownToLine />
        </Tooltip>
+        <Tooltip
+          text={`Timer views are showing the ${isGroupTimerActive ? 'shared group timer' : 'event timer'}`}
+          render={<span />}
+          className={style.statusIcon}
+          data-active={isGroupTimerActive}
+        >
+          <IoFolderOutline />
+        </Tooltip>
      </div>
    </div>
  );
@@ -73,6 +73,10 @@
  margin-right: 0.25rem;
 }

+.tagOvertime {
+  color: $playback-over;
+}
+
 .time {
  color: $section-white;
  font-size: $text-body-size;
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
 import { MaybeNumber, Playback, TimerPhase } from 'ontime-types';
-import { dayInMs, millisToString } from 'ontime-utils';
+import { millisToString } from 'ontime-utils';
 import { PropsWithChildren } from 'react';

 import AppLink from '../../../../common/components/link/app-link/AppLink';
 import Tooltip from '../../../../common/components/tooltip/Tooltip';
 import useReport from '../../../../common/hooks-query/useReport';
-import { useTimer } from '../../../../common/hooks/useSocket';
-import { formatDuration } from '../../../../common/utils/time';
+import { useTimerProgress } from '../../../../common/hooks/useSocket';
+import { cx } from '../../../../common/utils/styleUtils';
+import { formatDuration, normaliseWallClock } from '../../../../common/utils/time';
 import TimerDisplay from '../timer-display/TimerDisplay';

 import style from './PlaybackTimer.module.scss';
@@ -24,15 +25,14 @@ function resolveAddedTimeLabel(addedTime: number) {
 }

 export default function PlaybackTimer({ children }: PropsWithChildren) {
-  const timer = useTimer();
+  'use memo';
+  const timer = useTimerProgress();

  const isRolling = timer.playback === Playback.Roll;
  const isWaiting = timer.phase === TimerPhase.Pending;
  const isOvertime = timer.phase === TimerPhase.Overtime;
  const hasAddedTime = Boolean(timer.addedTime);
-
  const rollLabel = isRolling ? 'Roll mode active' : '';
-
  const addedTimeLabel = resolveAddedTimeLabel(timer.addedTime);

  return (
@@ -51,7 +51,13 @@ export default function PlaybackTimer({ children }: PropsWithChildren) {
        {isWaiting ? (
          <span className={style.rolltag}>Roll: Countdown to start</span>
        ) : (
-          <RunningStatus startedAt={timer.startedAt} expectedFinish={timer.expectedFinish} playback={timer.playback} />
+          <RunningStatus
+            startedAt={timer.startedAt}
+            expectedFinish={timer.expectedFinish}
+            isStopped={timer.playback === Playback.Stop}
+            isCountToEnd={timer.isCountToEnd}
+            isOvertime={isOvertime}
+          />
        )}
      </div>
      {children}
@@ -62,16 +68,18 @@ export default function PlaybackTimer({ children }: PropsWithChildren) {
 interface RunningStatusProps {
  startedAt: MaybeNumber;
  expectedFinish: MaybeNumber;
-  playback: Playback;
+  isStopped: boolean;
+  isCountToEnd: boolean;
+  isOvertime: boolean;
 }
-function RunningStatus({ startedAt, expectedFinish, playback }: RunningStatusProps) {
-  if (playback === Playback.Stop) {
+
+function RunningStatus({ startedAt, expectedFinish, isStopped, isCountToEnd, isOvertime }: RunningStatusProps) {
+  if (isStopped) {
    return <StoppedStatus />;
  }

  const started = millisToString(startedAt);
-  const finishedMs = expectedFinish !== null ? expectedFinish % dayInMs : null;
-  const finish = millisToString(finishedMs);
+  const finish = millisToString(expectedFinish === null ? null : normaliseWallClock(expectedFinish));

  return (
    <>
@@ -80,7 +88,9 @@ function RunningStatus({ startedAt, expectedFinish, playback }: RunningStatusPro
        <span className={style.time}>{started}</span>
      </span>
      <span className={style.finish}>
-        <span className={style.tag}>Expect end</span>
+        <span className={cx([style.tag, isOvertime && style.tagOvertime])}>
+          {isCountToEnd ? 'Scheduled end' : 'Expected end'}
+        </span>
        <span className={style.time}>{finish}</span>
      </span>
    </>
@@ -180,7 +180,13 @@ function Operator({ rundown, rundownMetadata, customFields, settings }: Operator

            return (
              <Fragment key={entry.id}>
-                <OperatorGroup key={entry.id} title={entry.title} />
+                <OperatorGroup
+                  key={entry.id}
+                  title={entry.title}
+                  colour={entry.colour}
+                  count={entry.entries.length}
+                  duration={entry.duration}
+                />
                {entry.entries.map((nestedEntryId) => {
                  const nestedEntry = rundown.entries[nestedEntryId];
                  if (!isOntimeEvent(nestedEntry)) {
@@ -217,6 +223,7 @@ function Operator({ rundown, rundownMetadata, customFields, settings }: Operator
                      isLinkedToLoaded={isLinkedToLoaded}
                      isSelected={isLoaded}
                      isPast={isPast}
+                      groupColour={entry.colour}
                      selectedRef={isLoaded ? selectedRef : undefined}
                      showStart={showStart}
                      subscribed={subscribedData}
@@ -22,17 +22,39 @@
    background-color: $gray-1250;
  }

+  &.grouped {
+    position: relative;
+    padding-left: 0.35rem;
+    background:
+      linear-gradient(90deg, color-mix(in srgb, transparent 88%, var(--group-colour, $gray-500) 12%), transparent 8rem),
+      $viewer-card-bg-color;
+  }
+
  &.running {
    border-top: 1px solid $gray-1300;
    background-color: var(--operator-running-bg-override, $active-green);
  }

+  &.grouped.running {
+    background:
+      linear-gradient(90deg, color-mix(in srgb, transparent 82%, var(--group-colour, $gray-500) 18%), transparent 8rem),
+      var(--operator-running-bg-override, $active-green);
+  }
+
  &.past {
    border-top: 1px solid transparent;
    opacity: 0.2;
  }
 }

+.groupRail {
+  position: absolute;
+  inset-block: 0;
+  left: 0;
+  width: 0.35rem;
+  background-color: var(--group-colour, $gray-500);
+}
+
 .binder {
  grid-area: binder;
  color: $section-white;
@@ -74,6 +96,9 @@
 .plannedStart,
 .timeUntil,
 .runningTime {
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 0.25rem;
  border-radius: $component-border-radius-md;
  padding: 0.25rem 0.5rem;
  line-height: 1;
@@ -95,6 +120,21 @@
  letter-spacing: 1px;
 }

+.live {
+  color: $ui-black;
+  background-color: $ui-white;
+}
+
+.due {
+  color: $ui-black;
+  background-color: $orange-500;
+}
+
+.done {
+  color: $white-60;
+  background-color: $white-7;
+}
+
 .runningTime {
  grid-area: running;
  font-size: 1.25rem;
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ interface OperatorEventProps {
  isLinkedToLoaded: boolean;
  isSelected: boolean;
  isPast: boolean;
+  groupColour?: string;
  selectedRef?: RefObject<HTMLDivElement | null>;
  showStart: boolean;
  subscribed: Subscribed;
@@ -46,6 +47,7 @@ function OperatorEvent({
  isLinkedToLoaded,
  isSelected,
  isPast,
+  groupColour,
  selectedRef,
  showStart,
  subscribed,
@@ -68,7 +70,12 @@ function OperatorEvent({
  const mouseHandlers = useLongPress(handleLongPress);
  const cueColours = colour && getAccessibleColour(colour);

-  const operatorClasses = cx([style.event, isSelected && style.running, isPast && style.past]);
+  const operatorClasses = cx([
+    style.event,
+    groupColour && style.grouped,
+    isSelected && style.running,
+    isPast && style.past,
+  ]);

  const hasFields = subscribed.some((field) => field.value);
  const columnCount = subscribed.length ? Math.min(subscribed.length, 4) : 0;
@@ -85,8 +92,10 @@ function OperatorEvent({
      data-testid={cue}
      ref={selectedRef}
      onContextMenu={handleLongPress}
+      style={groupColour ? ({ '--group-colour': groupColour } as CSSProperties) : undefined}
      {...mouseHandlers}
    >
+      {groupColour && <div className={style.groupRail} />}
      <div className={style.binder} style={{ ...cueColours }}>
        <span className={style.cue}>{cue}</span>
      </div>
@@ -153,11 +162,11 @@ function OperatorEventSchedule({
  isLinkedToLoaded,
 }: OperatorEventScheduleProps) {
  if (isPast) {
-    return <span className={style.timeUntil}>DONE</span>;
+    return <span className={cx([style.timeUntil, style.done])}>DONE</span>;
  }

  if (isSelected) {
-    return <span className={style.timeUntil}>LIVE</span>;
+    return <span className={cx([style.timeUntil, style.live])}>LIVE</span>;
  }

  return (
@@ -186,7 +195,7 @@ function TimeUntil({ timeStart, delay, dayOffset, totalGap, isLinkedToLoaded }:
  const timeUntilString = isDue ? 'DUE' : `${formatDuration(Math.abs(timeUntil), timeUntil > 2 * MILLIS_PER_MINUTE)}`;

  return (
-    <span className={style.timeUntil} data-testid='time-until'>
+    <span className={cx([style.timeUntil, isDue && style.due])} data-testid='time-until'>
      {timeUntilString}
    </span>
  );
@@ -1,13 +1,33 @@
 .group {
  width: 100%;
-  padding: 0.25rem 0.5rem;
+  min-height: 2.5rem;
+  padding: 0.4rem 0.75rem;
+  border-left: 0.35rem solid var(--group-colour, $gray-500);
  background-color: $gray-1350;
+  background: color-mix(in srgb, transparent 88%, var(--group-colour, $gray-500) 12%);
  font-size: 1.25rem;
+  font-weight: 600;
+
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 1rem;
+  letter-spacing: 0;
 }

-// tablet
-@media (min-width: $min-tablet) {
-  .group {
-    padding: 0.25rem 1rem;
-  }
+.title {
+  flex: 1 1 auto;
+  min-width: 0;
+  overflow: hidden;
+  text-overflow: ellipsis;
+  white-space: nowrap;
+}
+
+.meta {
+  display: flex;
+  flex: 0 0 auto;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 0.5rem;
+  color: color-mix(in srgb, currentColor 60%, transparent);
+  font-size: 0.875rem;
+  font-weight: 500;
 }
@@ -1,12 +1,29 @@
-import { memo } from 'react';
+import { CSSProperties, memo } from 'react';
+
+import { getAccessibleColour } from '../../../common/utils/styleUtils';
+import { formatDuration } from '../../../common/utils/time';

 import style from './OperatorGroup.module.scss';

 interface OperatorGroup {
  title: string;
+  colour: string;
+  count: number;
+  duration: number;
 }

 export default memo(OperatorGroup);
-function OperatorGroup({ title }: OperatorGroup) {
-  return <div className={style.group}>{title}</div>;
+function OperatorGroup({ title, colour, count, duration }: OperatorGroup) {
+  const groupColour = colour || '#929292';
+  const groupColours = getAccessibleColour(groupColour);
+
+  return (
+    <div className={style.group} style={{ ...groupColours, '--group-colour': groupColour } as CSSProperties}>
+      <span className={style.title}>{title}</span>
+      <span className={style.meta}>
+        <span>{`${count} ${count === 1 ? 'event' : 'events'}`}</span>
+        <span>{formatDuration(duration)}</span>
+      </span>
+    </div>
+  );
 }
@@ -105,12 +105,29 @@ export default function Rundown({ order, flatOrder, entries, id, rundownMetadata
    handleCollapseGroup,
  });

+  // Jump to the current element on demand: the running event in Run mode, the edit cursor otherwise.
+  // Scrolls only (no selection change) so jumping to the running event does not hijack the edit cursor.
+  const jumpToCurrent = useCallback(() => {
+    const targetId = editorMode === AppMode.Run ? featureData?.selectedEventId : cursor;
+    if (!targetId) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // Open parent group if the target is inside a collapsed group
+    const entry = entries[targetId];
+    if (entry && 'parent' in entry) {
+      expandGroup(entry.parent);
+    }
+    scrollToEntry(targetId);
+  }, [editorMode, featureData?.selectedEventId, cursor, entries, expandGroup, scrollToEntry]);
+
  // Keyboard shortcuts
  useRundownKeyboard({
    cursor,
    commands,
    clearSelectedEvents,
    setEntryCopyId,
+    jumpToCurrent,
  });

  // DND handlers
@@ -322,7 +339,9 @@ export default function Rundown({ order, flatOrder, entries, id, rundownMetadata
            increaseViewportBy={{ top: 200, bottom: 400 }}
            style={{ height: '100%' }}
            components={{
-              Header: isEditMode ? () => <QuickAddButtons previousEventId={null} parentGroup={null} /> : undefined,
+              Header: isEditMode
+                ? () => <QuickAddButtons previousEventId={null} nextEventId={order[0]} parentGroup={null} />
+                : undefined,
              Footer: () => (
                <>
                  {isEditMode && (
@@ -3,58 +3,94 @@
  height: 100%;
  max-height: 100%;
  overflow-y: auto;
-  padding: 0.5rem;
+  padding: 1rem 1.5rem;

  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
-  overflow-x: auto;
 }

 .shortcutSection {
  flex: 1;
-  margin-top: 15vh;
+  width: min(100%, 48rem);
+  margin-top: clamp(1.5rem, 8vh, 5rem);
  margin-inline: auto;
-  gap: 1rem;
 }

 .shortcuts {
-  font-size: calc(1rem - 3px);
-  border-collapse: separate;
-  border-spacing: 4rem 0;
+  display: grid;
+  gap: 0.875rem;
+  margin-top: 0.875rem;
+}

-  tr {
-    white-space: nowrap;
-    td:nth-child(odd) {
-      text-align: left;
-    }
-    td:nth-child(even) {
-      text-align: right;
-    }
+.shortcutGroup {
+  h3 {
+    margin: 0 0 0.375rem;
+    color: $ui-white;
+    font-size: calc(1rem - 3px);
+    font-weight: 600;
+    text-transform: uppercase;
  }
 }

-.spacer {
-  height: 1rem;
+.shortcutList {
+  display: grid;
+  gap: 0.25rem;
+}
+
+.shortcutRow {
+  min-height: 1.625rem;
+  display: grid;
+  grid-template-columns: minmax(10rem, 1fr) minmax(0, auto);
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 0.75rem;
+  font-size: calc(1rem - 3px);
+}
+
+.shortcutLabel {
+  min-width: 0;
+  line-height: 1.2;
+}
+
+.shortcutKeys {
+  display: inline-flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  flex-wrap: wrap;
+  justify-content: flex-end;
+  gap: 0.25rem 0.5rem;
+  min-width: 0;
+}
+
+.keyCombo {
+  display: inline-flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  flex-wrap: nowrap;
+  gap: 0.25rem 0;
+}
+
+.separator {
+  color: $gray-500;
+  font-size: calc(1rem - 5px);
 }

 .prompt {
-  margin-left: 4rem;
-}
-
-.divider {
-  display: inline-block;
-  text-align: center;
-  width: 1em;
-}
-
-.kbd {
-  font-family: monospace;
-  white-space: nowrap;
-  font-size: calc(1rem - 2px);
-  padding: 0.125rem 0.5rem;
-  background-color: $gray-1200;
  color: $ui-white;
-  border-radius: 2px;
-  font-weight: 400;
-  box-shadow: 0px 0px 3px 0px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4);
+}
+
+@media (max-width: 680px) {
+  .entryEditor {
+    padding: 0.75rem 1rem;
+  }
+
+  .shortcutSection {
+    margin-top: 1rem;
+  }
+
+  .shortcutRow {
+    grid-template-columns: 1fr;
+    gap: 0.25rem;
+  }
+
+  .shortcutKeys {
+    justify-content: flex-start;
+  }
 }
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { PropsWithChildren, memo } from 'react';

 import * as Editor from '../../../common/components/editor-utils/EditorUtils';
+import Kbd from '../../../common/components/kbd/Kbd';
 import { deviceAlt, deviceMod } from '../../../common/utils/deviceUtils';

 import style from './EventEditorEmpty.module.scss';
@@ -12,216 +13,127 @@ function EventEditorEmpty() {
    <div className={style.entryEditor} data-testid='editor-container'>
      <div className={style.shortcutSection}>
        <Editor.Title className={style.prompt}>Rundown shortcuts</Editor.Title>
-        <table className={style.shortcuts}>
-          <tbody>
-            <tr>
-              <td>Find in rundown</td>
-              <td>
-                <Kbd>{deviceMod}</Kbd>
-                <AuxKey>+</AuxKey>
-                <Kbd>F</Kbd>
-              </td>
-            </tr>
-            <tr>
-              <td>Open Settings</td>
-              <td>
-                <Kbd>{deviceMod}</Kbd>
-                <AuxKey>+</AuxKey>
-                <Kbd>,</Kbd>
-              </td>
-            </tr>
-            <tr className={style.spacer} />
-            <tr>
-              <td>Select entry</td>
-              <td>
-                <Kbd>{deviceAlt}</Kbd>
-                <AuxKey>+</AuxKey>
-                <Kbd>↑</Kbd>
-                <AuxKey>/</AuxKey>
-                <Kbd>↓</Kbd>
-              </td>
-            </tr>
-            <tr>
-              <td>Select group</td>
-              <td>
-                <Kbd>{deviceAlt}</Kbd>
-                <AuxKey>+</AuxKey>
-                <Kbd>Shift</Kbd>
-                <AuxKey>+</AuxKey>
-                <Kbd>↑</Kbd>
-                <AuxKey>/</AuxKey>
-                <Kbd>↓</Kbd>
-              </td>
-            </tr>
-            <tr>
-              <td>Jump to top / bottom</td>
-              <td>
-                <Kbd>Home</Kbd>
-                <AuxKey>/</AuxKey>
-                <Kbd>End</Kbd>
-              </td>
-            </tr>
-            <tr>
-              <td>Page up / down</td>
-              <td>
-                <Kbd>PgUp</Kbd>
-                <AuxKey>/</AuxKey>
-                <Kbd>PgDn</Kbd>
-              </td>
-            </tr>
-            <tr>
-              <td>Deselect entry</td>
-              <td>
-                <Kbd>Esc</Kbd>
-              </td>
-            </tr>
-            <tr className={style.spacer} />
-            <tr>
-              <td>Reorder selected entry</td>
-              <td>
-                <Kbd>{deviceAlt}</Kbd>
-                <AuxKey>+</AuxKey>
-                <Kbd>{deviceMod}</Kbd>
-                <AuxKey>+</AuxKey>
-                <Kbd>↑</Kbd>
-                <AuxKey>/</AuxKey>
-                <Kbd>↓</Kbd>
-              </td>
-            </tr>
-            <tr>
-              <td>Copy selected entry</td>
-              <td>
-                <Kbd>{deviceMod}</Kbd>
-                <AuxKey>+</AuxKey>
-                <Kbd>C</Kbd>
-              </td>
-            </tr>
-            <tr>
-              <td>Cut selected entry</td>
-              <td>
-                <Kbd>{deviceMod}</Kbd>
-                <AuxKey>+</AuxKey>
-                <Kbd>X</Kbd>
-              </td>
-            </tr>
-            <tr>
-              <td>Paste above</td>
-              <td>
-                <Kbd>{deviceMod}</Kbd>
-                <AuxKey>+</AuxKey>
-                <Kbd>Shift</Kbd>
-                <AuxKey>+</AuxKey>
-                <Kbd>V</Kbd>
-              </td>
-            </tr>
-            <tr>
-              <td>Paste below</td>
-              <td>
-                <Kbd>{deviceMod}</Kbd>
-                <AuxKey>+</AuxKey>
-                <Kbd>V</Kbd>
-              </td>
-            </tr>
-            <tr>
-              <td>Clone selected entry</td>
-              <td>
-                <Kbd>{deviceMod}</Kbd>
-                <AuxKey>+</AuxKey>
-                <Kbd>D</Kbd>
-              </td>
-            </tr>
-            <tr>
-              <td>Delete selected entry</td>
-              <td>
-                <Kbd>{deviceAlt}</Kbd>
-                <AuxKey>+</AuxKey>
-                <Kbd>Backspace</Kbd>
-              </td>
-            </tr>
-            <tr className={style.spacer} />
-            <tr>
-              <td>Add event below</td>
-              <td>
-                <Kbd>{deviceAlt}</Kbd>
-                <AuxKey>+</AuxKey>
-                <Kbd>E</Kbd>
-              </td>
-            </tr>
-            <tr>
-              <td>Add event above</td>
-              <td>
-                <Kbd>{deviceAlt}</Kbd>
-                <AuxKey>+</AuxKey>
-                <Kbd>Shift</Kbd>
-                <AuxKey>+</AuxKey>
-                <Kbd>E</Kbd>
-              </td>
-            </tr>
-            <tr>
-              <td>Add group below</td>
-              <td>
-                <Kbd>{deviceAlt}</Kbd>
-                <AuxKey>+</AuxKey>
-                <Kbd>G</Kbd>
-              </td>
-            </tr>
-            <tr>
-              <td>Add group above</td>
-              <td>
-                <Kbd>{deviceAlt}</Kbd>
-                <AuxKey>+</AuxKey>
-                <Kbd>Shift</Kbd>
-                <AuxKey>+</AuxKey>
-                <Kbd>G</Kbd>
-              </td>
-            </tr>
-            <tr>
-              <td>Add milestone below</td>
-              <td>
-                <Kbd>{deviceAlt}</Kbd>
-                <AuxKey>+</AuxKey>
-                <Kbd>M</Kbd>
-              </td>
-            </tr>
-            <tr>
-              <td>Add milestone above</td>
-              <td>
-                <Kbd>{deviceAlt}</Kbd>
-                <AuxKey>+</AuxKey>
-                <Kbd>Shift</Kbd>
-                <AuxKey>+</AuxKey>
-                <Kbd>M</Kbd>
-              </td>
-            </tr>
-            <tr>
-              <td>Add delay below</td>
-              <td>
-                <Kbd>{deviceAlt}</Kbd>
-                <AuxKey>+</AuxKey>
-                <Kbd>D</Kbd>
-              </td>
-            </tr>
-            <tr>
-              <td>Add delay above</td>
-              <td>
-                <Kbd>{deviceAlt}</Kbd>
-                <AuxKey>+</AuxKey>
-                <Kbd>Shift</Kbd>
-                <AuxKey>+</AuxKey>
-                <Kbd>D</Kbd>
-              </td>
-            </tr>
-          </tbody>
-        </table>
+        <div className={style.shortcuts}>
+          <ShortcutGroup title='Search'>
+            <Shortcut label='Find in rundown'>
+              <Combo keys={[deviceMod, 'F']} />
+            </Shortcut>
+            <Shortcut label='Open settings'>
+              <Combo keys={[deviceMod, ',']} />
+            </Shortcut>
+          </ShortcutGroup>
+
+          <ShortcutGroup title='Navigation'>
+            <Shortcut label='Select entry'>
+              <Combo keys={[deviceAlt, '↑']} />
+              <Separator />
+              <Combo keys={[deviceAlt, '↓']} />
+            </Shortcut>
+            <Shortcut label='Select group'>
+              <Combo keys={[deviceAlt, 'Shift', '↑']} />
+              <Separator />
+              <Combo keys={[deviceAlt, 'Shift', '↓']} />
+            </Shortcut>
+            <Shortcut label='Jump to top / bottom'>
+              <Combo keys={['Home']} />
+              <Separator />
+              <Combo keys={['End']} />
+            </Shortcut>
+            <Shortcut label='Page up / down'>
+              <Combo keys={['PgUp']} />
+              <Separator />
+              <Combo keys={['PgDn']} />
+            </Shortcut>
+            <Shortcut label='Jump to current entry'>
+              <Combo keys={[deviceAlt, 'L']} />
+            </Shortcut>
+            <Shortcut label='Deselect entry'>
+              <Combo keys={['Esc']} />
+            </Shortcut>
+          </ShortcutGroup>
+
+          <ShortcutGroup title='Editing'>
+            <Shortcut label='Reorder selected entry'>
+              <Combo keys={[deviceAlt, deviceMod, '↑']} />
+              <Separator />
+              <Combo keys={[deviceAlt, deviceMod, '↓']} />
+            </Shortcut>
+            <Shortcut label='Copy selected entry'>
+              <Combo keys={[deviceMod, 'C']} />
+            </Shortcut>
+            <Shortcut label='Cut selected entry'>
+              <Combo keys={[deviceMod, 'X']} />
+            </Shortcut>
+            <Shortcut label='Paste below'>
+              <Combo keys={[deviceMod, 'V']} />
+            </Shortcut>
+            <Shortcut label='Paste above'>
+              <Combo keys={[deviceMod, 'Shift', 'V']} />
+            </Shortcut>
+            <Shortcut label='Clone selected entry'>
+              <Combo keys={[deviceMod, 'D']} />
+            </Shortcut>
+            <Shortcut label='Delete selected entry'>
+              <Combo keys={[deviceAlt, 'Backspace']} />
+            </Shortcut>
+          </ShortcutGroup>
+
+          <ShortcutGroup title='Insert'>
+            <Shortcut label='Add event below / above'>
+              <Combo keys={[deviceAlt, 'E']} />
+              <Separator />
+              <Combo keys={[deviceAlt, 'Shift', 'E']} />
+            </Shortcut>
+            <Shortcut label='Add group below / above'>
+              <Combo keys={[deviceAlt, 'G']} />
+              <Separator />
+              <Combo keys={[deviceAlt, 'Shift', 'G']} />
+            </Shortcut>
+            <Shortcut label='Add milestone below / above'>
+              <Combo keys={[deviceAlt, 'M']} />
+              <Separator />
+              <Combo keys={[deviceAlt, 'Shift', 'M']} />
+            </Shortcut>
+            <Shortcut label='Add delay below / above'>
+              <Combo keys={[deviceAlt, 'D']} />
+              <Separator />
+              <Combo keys={[deviceAlt, 'Shift', 'D']} />
+            </Shortcut>
+          </ShortcutGroup>
+        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
  );
 }

-function AuxKey({ children }: PropsWithChildren) {
-  return <span className={style.divider}>{children}</span>;
+function ShortcutGroup({ title, children }: PropsWithChildren<{ title: string }>) {
+  return (
+    <section className={style.shortcutGroup}>
+      <h3>{title}</h3>
+      <div className={style.shortcutList}>{children}</div>
+    </section>
+  );
 }

-function Kbd({ children }: PropsWithChildren) {
-  return <span className={style.kbd}>{children}</span>;
+function Shortcut({ label, children }: PropsWithChildren<{ label: string }>) {
+  return (
+    <div className={style.shortcutRow}>
+      <span className={style.shortcutLabel}>{label}</span>
+      <span className={style.shortcutKeys}>{children}</span>
+    </div>
+  );
+}
+
+function Combo({ keys }: { keys: string[] }) {
+  return (
+    <span className={style.keyCombo}>
+      {keys.map((key) => (
+        <Kbd key={key}>{key}</Kbd>
+      ))}
+    </span>
+  );
+}
+
+function Separator() {
+  return <span className={style.separator}>/</span>;
 }
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import { useCallback } from 'react';
 import * as Editor from '../../../common/components/editor-utils/EditorUtils';
 import SwatchSelect from '../../../common/components/input/colour-input/SwatchSelect';
 import AppLink from '../../../common/components/link/app-link/AppLink';
+import Switch from '../../../common/components/switch/Switch';
+import Tooltip from '../../../common/components/tooltip/Tooltip';
 import { useEntryActionsContext } from '../../../common/context/EntryActionsContext';
 import useCustomFields from '../../../common/hooks-query/useCustomFields';
 import { getOffsetState } from '../../../common/utils/offset';
@@ -95,6 +97,22 @@ export default function GroupEditor({ group }: GroupEditorProps) {
            submitHandler={handleSubmit}
          />
        </div>
+        <div>
+          <Tooltip
+            text='Timer views count the scheduled duration of the whole group instead of the running event'
+            render={<Editor.Label htmlFor='useGroupTimer' />}
+          >
+            Group timer
+          </Tooltip>
+          <Editor.Label className={style.switchLabel}>
+            <Switch
+              id='useGroupTimer'
+              checked={group.useGroupTimer}
+              onCheckedChange={(value) => updateEntry({ id: group.id, useGroupTimer: value })}
+            />
+            {group.useGroupTimer ? 'On' : 'Off'}
+          </Editor.Label>
+        </div>
      </div>

      <div className={style.column}>
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import Switch from '../../../../common/components/switch/Switch';
 import Tooltip from '../../../../common/components/tooltip/Tooltip';
 import { useEntryActionsContext } from '../../../../common/context/EntryActionsContext';
 import { millisToDelayString } from '../../../../common/utils/dateConfig';
-import { formatTime } from '../../../../common/utils/time';
+import { formatTime, normaliseWallClock } from '../../../../common/utils/time';
 import TimeInputFlow from '../../time-input-flow/TimeInputFlow';

 import style from '../EntryEditor.module.scss';
@@ -68,8 +68,10 @@ function EventEditorTimes({
  };

  const hasDelay = delay !== 0;
+  const delayedStart = normaliseWallClock(timeStart + delay);
+  const delayedEnd = normaliseWallClock(timeEnd + delay);
  const delayLabel = hasDelay
-    ? `Event is ${millisToDelayString(delay, 'expanded')}. New schedule ${formatTime(timeStart + delay)} → ${formatTime(timeEnd + delay)}`
+    ? `Event is ${millisToDelayString(delay, 'expanded')}. New schedule ${formatTime(delayedStart)} → ${formatTime(delayedEnd)}`
    : '';

  return (
@@ -86,7 +88,6 @@ function EventEditorTimes({
              timeStrategy={timeStrategy}
              linkStart={linkStart}
              delay={delay}
-              countToEnd={countToEnd}
              showLabels
            />
          </div>
@@ -11,13 +11,17 @@ import style from './QuickAddButtons.module.scss';

 interface QuickAddButtonsProps {
  previousEventId: MaybeString;
+  nextEventId?: MaybeString;
  parentGroup: MaybeString;
  backgroundColor?: string;
 }

 export default memo(QuickAddButtons);
-function QuickAddButtons({ previousEventId, parentGroup, backgroundColor }: QuickAddButtonsProps) {
+function QuickAddButtons({ previousEventId, nextEventId, parentGroup, backgroundColor }: QuickAddButtonsProps) {
  const { addEntry } = useEntryActionsContext();
+  const appendOptions = previousEventId ? { after: previousEventId, lastEventId: previousEventId } : undefined;
+  const prependOptions = nextEventId ? { before: nextEventId } : undefined;
+  const insertionOptions = appendOptions ?? prependOptions;

  const addEvent = () => {
    addEntry(
@@ -25,44 +29,23 @@ function QuickAddButtons({ previousEventId, parentGroup, backgroundColor }: Quic
        type: SupportedEntry.Event,
        parent: parentGroup,
      },
-      {
-        after: previousEventId,
-        lastEventId: previousEventId,
-      },
+      insertionOptions,
    );
  };

  const addDelay = () => {
-    addEntry(
-      { type: SupportedEntry.Delay, parent: parentGroup },
-      {
-        lastEventId: previousEventId,
-        after: previousEventId,
-      },
-    );
+    addEntry({ type: SupportedEntry.Delay, parent: parentGroup }, insertionOptions);
  };

  const addMilestone = () => {
-    addEntry(
-      { type: SupportedEntry.Milestone, parent: parentGroup },
-      {
-        lastEventId: previousEventId,
-        after: previousEventId,
-      },
-    );
+    addEntry({ type: SupportedEntry.Milestone, parent: parentGroup }, insertionOptions);
  };

  const addGroup = () => {
    if (parentGroup !== null) {
      return;
    }
-    addEntry(
-      { type: SupportedEntry.Group },
-      {
-        lastEventId: previousEventId,
-        after: previousEventId,
-      },
-    );
+    addEntry({ type: SupportedEntry.Group }, insertionOptions);
  };

  /**
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ export function useRundownCommands({
      addEntry(patch, {
        after: id && !above ? id : undefined,
        before: id && above ? id : undefined,
-        lastEventId: !above && id ? id : undefined,
+        lastEventId: id && !above ? id : undefined,
      });
    },
    [addEntry],
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ interface UseRundownKeyboardOptions {
  };
  clearSelectedEvents: () => void;
  setEntryCopyId: (id: EntryId | null, mode?: 'copy' | 'cut') => void;
+  jumpToCurrent: () => void;
 }

 /**
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@ export function useRundownKeyboard({
  commands,
  clearSelectedEvents,
  setEntryCopyId,
+  jumpToCurrent,
 }: UseRundownKeyboardOptions) {
  const scrollToEntry = useEventSelection((state) => state.scrollToEntry);

@@ -127,6 +129,8 @@ export function useRundownKeyboard({
      { preventDefault: true, usePhysicalKeys: true },
    ],

+    ['alt + L', () => jumpToCurrent(), { preventDefault: true, usePhysicalKeys: true }],
+
    [
      'alt + mod + ArrowDown',
      () => commands.moveEntry(cursor, 'down'),
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ $skip-opacity: 0.2;
  background-color: $block-bg;
  margin-block: 0.25rem;
  overflow: initial;
+  position: relative;

  display: grid;
  grid-template-areas:
@@ -16,7 +17,7 @@ $skip-opacity: 0.2;
    'binder pb-actions estatus estatus'
    'binder ...        ...     ...';

-  grid-template-columns: $block-binder-width 3rem 1fr 3rem;
+  grid-template-columns: $block-binder-width 3rem minmax(0, 1fr) 3rem;
  grid-template-rows: 0.125rem 2rem 2rem auto 0.125rem;
  align-items: center;
  padding-right: $block-clearance;
@@ -136,6 +137,7 @@ $skip-opacity: 0.2;
  align-items: center;
  gap: $block-clearance;
  height: 100%;
+  min-width: 0;
 }

 .eventTimers.editMode:hover {
@@ -155,7 +157,7 @@ $skip-opacity: 0.2;
  align-items: center;
  justify-content: space-between;

-  .nextTag {
+  .warningMeta {
    font-size: 1rem;
    color: $orange-500;
    letter-spacing: 0.03px;
@@ -231,6 +233,10 @@ $skip-opacity: 0.2;
    color: var(--status-color-active-override, $active-indicator);
  }

+  .statusIcon.countToEndStatus {
+    color: $orange-400;
+  }
+
  .statusIcon.warning {
    color: $orange-500;
  }
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import { TbFlagFilled, TbListNumbers } from 'react-icons/tb';
 import { useEntryActionsContext } from '../../../common/context/EntryActionsContext';
 import { useContextMenu } from '../../../common/hooks/useContextMenu';
 import { useEntryCopy } from '../../../common/stores/entryCopyStore';
-import { deviceMod } from '../../../common/utils/deviceUtils';
+import { deviceAlt, deviceMod } from '../../../common/utils/deviceUtils';
 import { cx, getAccessibleColour } from '../../../common/utils/styleUtils';
 import { useRenumberCuesDialogStore } from '../renumber-cues-dialog/RenumberCuesDialog';
 import { useEventIdSwapping } from '../useEventIdSwapping';
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ export default function RundownEvent({
            type: 'item',
            label: 'Delete',
            icon: IoTrash,
-            shortcut: `${deviceMod}+Del`,
+            shortcut: `${deviceAlt}+Backspace`,
            onClick: () => {
              clearSelectedEvents();
              deleteEntry(Array.from(selectedEvents));
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ export default function RundownEvent({
            type: 'item',
            label: 'Delete',
            icon: IoTrash,
-            shortcut: `${deviceMod}+Del`,
+            shortcut: `${deviceAlt}+Backspace`,
            onClick: () => {
              deleteEntry([eventId]);
              unselect(eventId);
@@ -115,12 +115,12 @@ function RundownEventInner({
          delay={delay}
          timeStrategy={timeStrategy}
          linkStart={linkStart}
-          countToEnd={countToEnd}
        />
      </div>
      <div className={style.titleSection}>
        <TitleEditor title={title} entryId={eventId} placeholder='Event title' className={style.eventTitle} />
-        {isNext && <span className={style.nextTag}>UP NEXT</span>}
+        {isNext && <span className={style.warningMeta}>UP NEXT</span>}
+        {!isNext && countToEnd && <span className={style.warningMeta}>COUNT TO END</span>}
      </div>
      <EventBlockPlayback
        eventId={eventId}
@@ -157,7 +157,13 @@ function RundownEventInner({
            <EndActionIcon action={endAction} className={style.statusIcon} />
          </Tooltip>
          <Tooltip text={`${countToEnd ? 'Count to End' : 'Count duration'}`} render={<span />}>
-            <LuArrowDownToLine className={`${style.statusIcon} ${countToEnd ? style.active : style.disabled}`} />
+            <LuArrowDownToLine
+              className={cx([
+                style.statusIcon,
+                countToEnd ? style.active : style.disabled,
+                countToEnd && style.countToEndStatus,
+              ])}
+            />
          </Tooltip>
          <Tooltip text={automationTooltip} render={<span />}>
            <IoFlash className={automationIconClasses} />
@@ -1,10 +1,33 @@
+import { MILLIS_PER_HOUR, MILLIS_PER_MINUTE } from 'ontime-utils';
+
 import { formatDelay } from '../rundownEvent.utils';

 describe('formatDelay()', () => {
  it('adds a given delay to the start time', () => {
-    const timeStart = 60000; // 1 min
-    const delay = 60000; // 1 min
+    const timeStart = 1 * MILLIS_PER_MINUTE; // 00:01
+    const delay = 1 * MILLIS_PER_MINUTE; // 00:01
    const result = formatDelay(timeStart, delay);
    expect(result).toEqual('New start 00:02');
  });
+
+  it('wraps negative delayed starts under midnight', () => {
+    const timeStart = 1 * MILLIS_PER_MINUTE; // 00:01
+    const delay = -2 * MILLIS_PER_MINUTE; // -00:02
+    const result = formatDelay(timeStart, delay);
+    expect(result).toEqual('New start 23:59');
+  });
+
+  it('wraps later-day negative delays using delay as the source of truth', () => {
+    const timeStart = 1 * MILLIS_PER_HOUR; // 01:00
+    const delay = -(1 * MILLIS_PER_HOUR + 30 * MILLIS_PER_MINUTE); // -01:30
+    const result = formatDelay(timeStart, delay);
+    expect(result).toEqual('New start 23:30');
+  });
+
+  it('displays positive delays as wall-clock time', () => {
+    const timeStart = 1 * MILLIS_PER_HOUR; // 01:00
+    const delay = 1 * MILLIS_PER_HOUR + 30 * MILLIS_PER_MINUTE; // 01:30
+    const result = formatDelay(timeStart, delay);
+    expect(result).toEqual('New start 02:30');
+  });
 });
@@ -3,7 +3,5 @@
  width: 0;
  border-radius: 1px 0 0 1px;

-  transition: 1s linear;
-  transition-property: width;
  background-color: $gray-200;
 }
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
+import { useAnimatedProgress } from '../../../../common/hooks/useAnimatedProgress';
 import { useTimer } from '../../../../common/hooks/useSocket';
-import { getProgress } from '../../../../common/utils/getProgress';

 import style from './RundownEventProgressBar.module.scss';

 export default function RundownEventProgressBar() {
  const timer = useTimer();

-  const progress = getProgress(timer.current, timer.duration);
+  const progress = useAnimatedProgress(timer.current, timer.duration);

  return <div className={style.progressBar} style={{ width: `${progress}%` }} />;
 }
@@ -1,15 +1,16 @@
 import { millisToString, removeTrailingZero } from 'ontime-utils';

-import { formatDuration } from '../../../common/utils/time';
+import { formatDuration, normaliseWallClock } from '../../../common/utils/time';

 export function formatDelay(timeStart: number, delay: number): string | undefined {
  if (!delay) return;

-  const delayedStart = Math.max(0, timeStart + delay);
+  const delayedStart = normaliseWallClock(timeStart + delay);

  const timeTag = removeTrailingZero(millisToString(delayedStart));
  return `New start ${timeTag}`;
 }
+
 export function formatGap(gap: number, isNextDay: boolean) {
  if (gap === 0) {
    if (isNextDay) {
@@ -15,10 +15,11 @@ import {

 import IconButton from '../../../common/components/buttons/IconButton';
 import Tag from '../../../common/components/tag/Tag';
+import Tooltip from '../../../common/components/tooltip/Tooltip';
 import { useEntryActionsContext } from '../../../common/context/EntryActionsContext';
 import { useContextMenu } from '../../../common/hooks/useContextMenu';
 import { useEntryCopy } from '../../../common/stores/entryCopyStore';
-import { deviceMod } from '../../../common/utils/deviceUtils';
+import { deviceAlt, deviceMod } from '../../../common/utils/deviceUtils';
 import { getOffsetState } from '../../../common/utils/offset';
 import { cx, getAccessibleColour } from '../../../common/utils/styleUtils';
 import { formatDuration, formatTime } from '../../../common/utils/time';
@@ -66,7 +67,7 @@ export default function RundownGroup({ data, hasCursor, collapsed, onCollapse }:
      type: 'item',
      label: 'Delete Group',
      icon: IoTrash,
-      shortcut: `${deviceMod}+Del`,
+      shortcut: `${deviceAlt}+Backspace`,
      onClick: () => deleteEntry([data.id]),
    },
  ]);
@@ -189,6 +190,13 @@ export default function RundownGroup({ data, hasCursor, collapsed, onCollapse }:
              {data.targetDuration !== null && <IoLockClosed className={style.lockIcon} />}
            </div>
          </div>
+          {data.useGroupTimer && (
+            <div className={style.metaEntry}>
+              <Tooltip text='Views show a shared timer for this group instead of the event timer'>
+                <Tag>Group timer</Tag>
+              </Tooltip>
+            </div>
+          )}
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import useReactiveTextInput from '../../../common/components/input/text-input/us
 import { useEntryActionsContext } from '../../../common/context/EntryActionsContext';
 import { useContextMenu } from '../../../common/hooks/useContextMenu';
 import { useEntryCopy } from '../../../common/stores/entryCopyStore';
-import { deviceMod } from '../../../common/utils/deviceUtils';
+import { deviceAlt } from '../../../common/utils/deviceUtils';
 import { cx, getAccessibleColour } from '../../../common/utils/styleUtils';
 import { useEventSelection } from '../useEventSelection';

@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ export default function RundownMilestone({ colour, cue, entryId, hasCursor, titl
      type: 'item',
      label: 'Delete',
      icon: IoTrash,
-      shortcut: `${deviceMod}+Del`,
+      shortcut: `${deviceAlt}+Backspace`,
      onClick: () => deleteEntry([entryId]),
    },
  ]);
@@ -4,10 +4,15 @@

 .timerNote {
  width: 1.25em;
+  flex: 0 0 1.25em;
  color: $blue-500;
  font-size: 1.5em;
 }

+.timerNotePlaceholder {
+  visibility: hidden;
+}
+
 .inactive {
  color: $muted-gray;
 }
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ import style from './TimeInputFlow.module.scss';

 interface TimeInputFlowProps {
  eventId: string;
-  countToEnd: boolean;
  timeStart: number;
  timeEnd: number;
  duration: number;
@@ -22,12 +21,12 @@ interface TimeInputFlowProps {
  linkStart: boolean;
  delay: number;
  showLabels?: boolean;
+  showWarnings?: boolean;
 }

 export default memo(TimeInputFlow);
 function TimeInputFlow({
  eventId,
-  countToEnd,
  timeStart,
  timeEnd,
  duration,
@@ -35,6 +34,7 @@ function TimeInputFlow({
  linkStart,
  delay,
  showLabels,
+  showWarnings = true,
 }: TimeInputFlowProps) {
  const { updateEntry, updateTimer } = useEntryActionsContext();

@@ -56,10 +56,6 @@ function TimeInputFlow({
    warnings.push('Over midnight');
  }

-  if (countToEnd) {
-    warnings.push('Count to End');
-  }
-
  const hasDelay = delay !== 0;
  const isLockedEnd = timeStrategy === TimeStrategy.LockEnd;
  const isLockedDuration = timeStrategy === TimeStrategy.LockDuration;
@@ -136,11 +132,19 @@ function TimeInputFlow({
        </TimeInputGroup>
      </div>

-      {warnings.length > 0 && (
-        <Tooltip text={warnings.join(' - ')} className={style.timerNote} data-testid='event-warning' render={<span />}>
-          <IoAlertCircleOutline />
-        </Tooltip>
-      )}
+      {showWarnings &&
+        (warnings.length > 0 ? (
+          <Tooltip
+            text={warnings.join(' - ')}
+            className={style.timerNote}
+            data-testid='event-warning'
+            render={<span />}
+          >
+            <IoAlertCircleOutline />
+          </Tooltip>
+        ) : (
+          <span className={`${style.timerNote} ${style.timerNotePlaceholder}`} aria-hidden='true' />
+        ))}
    </>
  );
 }
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ type ScheduleTimeProps = {
 //TODO: consider relative mode
 export function ScheduleTime(props: ScheduleTimeProps) {
  const { event, showExpected } = props;
-  const { timeStart, duration, delay, expectedStart, countToEnd } = event;
+  const { timeStart, duration, delay, expectedStart, expectedEnd } = event;

  const plannedStart = timeStart + delay + event.dayOffset * dayInMs;

@@ -164,7 +164,6 @@ export function ScheduleTime(props: ScheduleTimeProps) {

  const expectedStateClass = `sub__schedule--${getOffsetState(expectedStart - plannedStart)}`;
  const plannedEnd = plannedStart + duration + delay;
-  const expectedEnd = countToEnd ? Math.max(expectedStart + duration, plannedEnd) : expectedStart + duration;
  const expectedEndClass = `sub__schedule--${getOffsetState(expectedEnd - plannedEnd)}`;

  return (
@@ -1,17 +1,15 @@
-import { MaybeNumber, OntimeEvent } from 'ontime-types';
-import { getExpectedStart } from 'ontime-utils';
+import { getExpectedEnd, getExpectedStart } from 'ontime-utils';
 import { IoPencil } from 'react-icons/io5';

 import Button from '../../common/components/buttons/Button';
 import useReport from '../../common/hooks-query/useReport';
 import { useFadeOutOnInactivity } from '../../common/hooks/useFadeOutOnInactivity';
 import { useExpectedStartData } from '../../common/hooks/useSocket';
-import { ExtendedEntry } from '../../common/utils/rundownMetadata';
 import { cx } from '../../common/utils/styleUtils';
 import SuperscriptTime from '../common/superscript-time/SuperscriptTime';
 import { getPropertyValue } from '../common/viewUtils';
 import { useCountdownOptions } from './countdown.options';
-import { CountdownTarget, useSubscriptionDisplayData } from './countdown.utils';
+import { CountdownEvent, CountdownTarget, useSubscriptionDisplayData } from './countdown.utils';
 import { ScheduleTime } from './CountdownSubscriptions';

 import './SingleEventCountdown.scss';
@@ -38,8 +36,10 @@ export default function SingleEventCountdown({ subscribedEvent, goToEditMode }:
    mode,
  });

+  const expectedEnd = getExpectedEnd(subscribedEvent, expectedStart, currentDay);
+
  const { endedAt } = reportData[subscribedEvent.reportId ?? subscribedEvent.id] ?? { endedAt: null };
-  const countdownEvent = { ...subscribedEvent, expectedStart, endedAt };
+  const countdownEvent = { ...subscribedEvent, expectedStart, endedAt, expectedEnd };
  const titleTmp = getPropertyValue(subscribedEvent, mainSource ?? 'title');
  const title = titleTmp?.length ? titleTmp : ' '; // insert utf-8 empty space to avoid the line collapsing;
  // while a group is live, surface the running event's title as the secondary line
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ export default function SingleEventCountdown({ subscribedEvent, goToEditMode }:
 }

 interface SubscriptionStatusProps {
-  event: ExtendedEntry<OntimeEvent> & { endedAt: MaybeNumber; expectedStart: number };
+  event: CountdownEvent;
 }

 function SubscriptionStatus({ event }: SubscriptionStatusProps) {
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import {
  isOntimeGroup,
  isPlayableEvent,
 } from 'ontime-types';
-import { MILLIS_PER_MINUTE, getExpectedStart, millisToString, removeLeadingZero } from 'ontime-utils';
+import { MILLIS_PER_MINUTE, getExpectedEnd, getExpectedStart, millisToString, removeLeadingZero } from 'ontime-utils';

 import { useCountdownSocket } from '../../common/hooks/useSocket';
 import { ExtendedEntry } from '../../common/utils/rundownMetadata';
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ export type CountdownTarget = ExtendedEntry<OntimeEvent> & {
  liveEntry?: ExtendedEntry<OntimeEvent> | null; // the running child while a group is live
 };

-export type CountdownEvent = CountdownTarget & { expectedStart: number; endedAt: MaybeNumber };
+export type CountdownEvent = CountdownTarget & { expectedStart: number; endedAt: MaybeNumber; expectedEnd: number };

 /**
 * Resolves a subscription (event or group) into an event-shaped countdown target.
@@ -271,6 +271,7 @@ export function extendEventData(
    offset,
    mode,
  });
+  const expectedEnd = getExpectedEnd(event, expectedStart, currentDay);
  const { endedAt } = reportData[event.reportId ?? event.id] ?? { endedAt: null };
-  return { ...event, expectedStart, endedAt };
+  return { ...event, expectedStart, endedAt, expectedEnd };
 }
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ function EditorLayoutOptions() {
      {
        type: 'item',
        label: 'Planning',
-        description: 'Edit-focused list with planning stats',
+        description: 'Edit focused list with planning stats',
        icon: layoutMode === EditorLayoutMode.PLANNING ? IoCheckmark : undefined,
        onClick: () => setLayoutMode(EditorLayoutMode.PLANNING),
      },
@@ -54,17 +54,51 @@
 }

 .footer {
+  width: 100%;
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: flex-end;
+  justify-content: space-between;
+  gap: 1rem;
  font-size: calc(1rem - 2px);
  color: $label-gray;
 }

+.filterHint {
+  text-align: right;
+}
+
 .em {
  color: $ui-white;
  margin-inline: 0.25rem;
 }

+.hints {
+  display: flex;
+  flex-wrap: wrap;
+  gap: 0.5rem 1rem;
+  color: $label-gray;
+  font-size: calc(1rem - 3px);
+}
+
+.hintItem {
+  display: inline-flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 0.25rem;
+}
+
 .scrollContainer {
  max-height: 70vh;
  overflow: auto;
  padding-top: 1rem;
 }
+
+@media (max-width: 680px) {
+  .footer {
+    align-items: flex-start;
+    flex-direction: column;
+  }
+
+  .filterHint {
+    text-align: left;
+  }
+}
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { SupportedEntry } from 'ontime-types';
 import { KeyboardEvent, useState } from 'react';

 import Input from '../../../common/components/input/input/Input';
+import Kbd from '../../../common/components/kbd/Kbd';
 import Modal from '../../../common/components/modal/Modal';
 import useFinder from './useFinder';

@@ -96,8 +97,25 @@ export default function Finder({ isOpen, onClose }: FinderProps) {
      }
      footerElements={
        <div className={style.footer}>
-          Use the keywords <span className={style.em}>cue</span>, <span className={style.em}>index</span> or
-          <span className={style.em}>title</span> to filter search.
+          <div className={style.hints}>
+            <span className={style.hintItem}>
+              <Kbd>↑</Kbd>
+              <Kbd>↓</Kbd>
+              Navigate
+            </span>
+            <span className={style.hintItem}>
+              <Kbd>Enter</Kbd>
+              Go
+            </span>
+            <span className={style.hintItem}>
+              <Kbd>Esc</Kbd>
+              Close
+            </span>
+          </div>
+          <div className={style.filterHint}>
+            Filter by <span className={style.em}>cue</span>, <span className={style.em}>index</span>, or
+            <span className={style.em}>title</span>
+          </div>
        </div>
      }
    />
@@ -28,9 +28,9 @@

  .timer-container {
    flex: 1;
-    align-content: center;
-    justify-self: center;
-    align-self: center;
+    display: flex;
+    flex-direction: column;
+    justify-content: center;

    width: 100%;
    overflow: hidden;
@@ -68,6 +68,18 @@
        opacity: 0;
      }
    }
+
+    // signals that the displayed timer belongs to the group, not to the running event
+    .group-indicator {
+      text-align: center;
+      text-transform: uppercase;
+      letter-spacing: 0.25em;
+      font-weight: 600;
+      font-size: 2.5vw;
+      line-height: 1;
+      opacity: 0.7;
+      color: var(--timer-colour, $ui-white);
+    }
  }

  .secondary {
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { ViewSettings } from 'ontime-types';

 import { FitText } from '../../../common/components/fit-text/FitText';
 import MultiPartProgressBar from '../../../common/components/multi-part-progress-bar/MultiPartProgressBar';
-import { useTimerSocket } from '../../../common/hooks/useSocket';
+import { useGroupTimer, useTimerSocket } from '../../../common/hooks/useSocket';
 import { cx } from '../../../common/utils/styleUtils';
 import { getFormattedTimer, getTimerByType } from '../../common/viewUtils';
 import {
@@ -10,9 +10,8 @@ import {
  getIsPlaying,
  getSecondaryDisplay,
  getShowMessage,
-  getShowModifiers,
-  getShowProgressBar,
-  getTotalTime,
+  getShowsTimerValue,
+  resolveTimerDisplay,
 } from '../../timer/timer.utils';
 import { getTimerColour } from '../../utils/presentation.utils';

@@ -24,23 +23,28 @@ interface PipTimerProps {

 export function PipTimer({ viewSettings }: PipTimerProps) {
  const { eventNow, message, time, clock, timerTypeNow, countToEndNow, auxTimer } = useTimerSocket();
+  const groupTimer = useGroupTimer();

  // gather modifiers
  const showOverlay = getShowMessage(message.timer);
-  const { showFinished, showWarning, showDanger } = getShowModifiers(
-    timerTypeNow,
-    countToEndNow,
-    time.phase,
-    false,
-    '',
-    false,
-  );
+  const timerDisplay = resolveTimerDisplay({
+    time,
+    groupTimer,
+    event: eventNow,
+    timerType: timerTypeNow,
+    countToEnd: countToEndNow,
+    freezeOvertime: false,
+    freezeMessage: '',
+    hidePhase: false,
+  });
+  const { showFinished, showWarning, showDanger } = timerDisplay;
+
  const isPlaying = getIsPlaying(time.playback);
-  const showProgressBar = getShowProgressBar(timerTypeNow);
+  const showsTimerValue = getShowsTimerValue(timerTypeNow);
+  const showProgressBar = showsTimerValue;

  // gather timer data
-  const totalTime = getTotalTime(time.duration, time.addedTime);
-  const stageTimer = getTimerByType(false, timerTypeNow, clock, time, timerTypeNow);
+  const stageTimer = getTimerByType(false, timerTypeNow, clock, timerDisplay.source, timerTypeNow);
  const display = getFormattedTimer(stageTimer, timerTypeNow, 'min', {
    removeSeconds: false,
    removeLeadingZero: false,
@@ -80,10 +84,11 @@ export function PipTimer({ viewSettings }: PipTimerProps) {
        <div
          className={cx(['timer', !isPlaying && 'timer--paused', showFinished && 'timer--finished'])}
          style={{ fontSize: `${timerFontSize}vw` }}
-          data-phase={time.phase}
+          data-phase={timerDisplay.phase}
        >
          {display}
        </div>
+        {timerDisplay.isGroup && showsTimerValue && <div className='group-indicator'>group</div>}
        <div className={cx(['secondary', !secondaryContent && 'secondary--hidden'])}>
          <FitText mode='multi' min={12} max={256}>
            {secondaryContent}
@@ -94,12 +99,12 @@ export function PipTimer({ viewSettings }: PipTimerProps) {
      {showProgressBar && (
        <MultiPartProgressBar
          className={cx(['progress-container', !isPlaying && 'progress-container--paused'])}
-          now={time.current}
-          complete={totalTime}
+          now={timerDisplay.source.current}
+          complete={timerDisplay.total}
          normalColor={viewSettings.normalColor}
-          warning={eventNow?.timeWarning}
+          warning={timerDisplay.warning}
          warningColor={viewSettings.warningColor}
-          danger={eventNow?.timeDanger}
+          danger={timerDisplay.danger}
          dangerColor={viewSettings.dangerColor}
          hideOvertime={!showFinished}
        />
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 import { Day } from 'ontime-types';
 import { CSSProperties, RefObject } from 'react';

+import { useAnimatedProgress } from '../../common/hooks/useAnimatedProgress';
 import { useExpectedStartData, useTimer } from '../../common/hooks/useSocket';
-import { getProgress } from '../../common/utils/getProgress';
 import { alpha, cx } from '../../common/utils/styleUtils';
 import { formatDuration, formatTime, getExpectedTimesFromExtendedEvent } from '../../common/utils/time';
 import { useTranslation } from '../../translation/TranslationProvider';
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ function TimelineEntryStatus({
 /** Generates a block level progress bar */
 function ActiveBlock() {
  const { current, duration } = useTimer();
-  const progress = getProgress(current, duration);
+  const progress = useAnimatedProgress(current, duration);
  return (
    <div data-status='live' className={style.timelineBlock} style={{ '--progress': `${progress}%` } as CSSProperties} />
  );
@@ -82,9 +82,9 @@

  .timer-container {
    flex: 1;
-    align-content: center;
-    justify-self: center;
-    align-self: center;
+    display: flex;
+    flex-direction: column;
+    justify-content: center;

    width: 100%;
    overflow: hidden;
@@ -131,6 +131,18 @@
        opacity: 0;
      }
    }
+
+    // signals that the displayed timer belongs to the group, not to the running event
+    .group-indicator {
+      text-align: center;
+      text-transform: uppercase;
+      letter-spacing: 0.25em;
+      font-weight: 600;
+      font-size: 1.5vw;
+      line-height: 1;
+      opacity: 0.7;
+      color: var(--timer-colour, var(--timer-color-override, $ui-white));
+    }
  }

  .secondary {
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import TitleCard from '../../common/components/title-card/TitleCard';
 import ViewLogo from '../../common/components/view-logo/ViewLogo';
 import ViewParamsEditor from '../../common/components/view-params-editor/ViewParamsEditor';
 import { useAutoTickingClock } from '../../common/hooks/useAutoTickingClock';
-import { useTimerSocket } from '../../common/hooks/useSocket';
+import { useGroupTimer, useTimerSocket } from '../../common/hooks/useSocket';
 import { useWindowTitle } from '../../common/hooks/useWindowTitle';
 import { cx } from '../../common/utils/styleUtils';
 import { formatTime, getDefaultFormat } from '../../common/utils/time';
@@ -25,9 +25,8 @@ import {
  getSecondaryDisplay,
  getShowClock,
  getShowMessage,
-  getShowModifiers,
-  getShowProgressBar,
-  getTotalTime,
+  getShowsTimerValue,
+  resolveTimerDisplay,
 } from './timer.utils';
 import { TimerData, useTimerData } from './useTimerData';

@@ -72,23 +71,29 @@ function Timer({ customFields, projectData, isMirrored, settings, viewSettings,
    timeformat,
  } = useTimerOptions();

+  const groupTimer = useGroupTimer();
+
  const { getLocalizedString } = useTranslation();
  const localisedMinutes = getLocalizedString('common.minutes');

  // gather modifiers
  const viewTimerType = timerType ?? timerTypeNow;
  const showOverlay = getShowMessage(message.timer);
-  const { showEndMessage, showFinished, showWarning, showDanger } = getShowModifiers(
-    timerTypeNow,
-    countToEndNow,
-    time.phase,
+  const timerDisplay = resolveTimerDisplay({
+    time,
+    groupTimer,
+    event: eventNow,
+    timerType: timerTypeNow,
+    countToEnd: countToEndNow,
    freezeOvertime,
    freezeMessage,
    hidePhase,
-  );
+  });
+  const { showEndMessage, showFinished, showWarning, showDanger } = timerDisplay;
  const isPlaying = getIsPlaying(time.playback);
  const showClock = !hideClock && getShowClock(viewTimerType);
-  const showProgressBar = !hideProgress && getShowProgressBar(viewTimerType);
+  const showsTimerValue = getShowsTimerValue(viewTimerType);
+  const showProgressBar = !hideProgress && showsTimerValue;

  // gather card data
  const { showNow, nowMain, nowSecondary, showNext, nextMain, nextSecondary } = getCardData(
@@ -102,8 +107,7 @@ function Timer({ customFields, projectData, isMirrored, settings, viewSettings,
  );

  // gather timer data
-  const totalTime = getTotalTime(time.duration, time.addedTime);
-  const stageTimer = getTimerByType(freezeOvertime, timerTypeNow, clock, time, timerType);
+  const stageTimer = getTimerByType(freezeOvertime, timerTypeNow, clock, timerDisplay.source, timerType);
  const display = getFormattedTimer(stageTimer, viewTimerType, localisedMinutes, {
    removeSeconds: hideTimerSeconds,
    removeLeadingZero: removeLeadingZeros,
@@ -178,11 +182,14 @@ function Timer({ customFields, projectData, isMirrored, settings, viewSettings,
            className={cx(['timer', subduePaused && 'timer--paused', showFinished && 'timer--finished'])}
            style={{ fontSize: `${timerFontSize}vw` }}
            data-type={viewTimerType}
-            data-phase={time.phase}
+            data-phase={timerDisplay.phase}
          >
            {display}
          </div>
        )}
+        {timerDisplay.isGroup && showsTimerValue && !showEndMessage && (
+          <div className='group-indicator'>group</div>
+        )}
        <div className={cx(['secondary', !secondaryContent && 'secondary--hidden'])}>
          <FitText mode='multi' min={64} max={256}>
            {secondaryContent}
@@ -193,12 +200,12 @@ function Timer({ customFields, projectData, isMirrored, settings, viewSettings,
      {showProgressBar && (
        <MultiPartProgressBar
          className={cx(['progress-container', !isPlaying && 'progress-container--paused'])}
-          now={time.current}
-          complete={totalTime}
+          now={timerDisplay.source.current}
+          complete={timerDisplay.total}
          normalColor={viewSettings.normalColor}
-          warning={eventNow?.timeWarning}
+          warning={timerDisplay.warning}
          warningColor={viewSettings.warningColor}
-          danger={eventNow?.timeDanger}
+          danger={timerDisplay.danger}
          dangerColor={viewSettings.dangerColor}
          hideOvertime={!showFinished}
        />
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+import { GroupTimerState, Playback, TimerPhase, TimerState, TimerType } from 'ontime-types';
+
+import { getShowsTimerValue, resolveTimerDisplay } from '../timer.utils';
+
+const makeTime = (patch: Partial<TimerState> = {}): TimerState => ({
+  addedTime: 0,
+  current: 10000,
+  duration: 60000,
+  elapsed: 50000,
+  expectedFinish: null,
+  phase: TimerPhase.Default,
+  playback: Playback.Play,
+  secondaryTimer: null,
+  startedAt: null,
+  ...patch,
+});
+
+const makeGroupTimer = (patch: Partial<GroupTimerState> = {}): GroupTimerState => ({
+  current: 100000,
+  elapsed: 80000,
+  duration: 180000,
+  ...patch,
+});
+
+const resolve = (time: TimerState, groupTimer: GroupTimerState | null) =>
+  resolveTimerDisplay({
+    time,
+    groupTimer,
+    event: { timeWarning: 120000, timeDanger: 60000 },
+    timerType: TimerType.CountDown,
+    countToEnd: false,
+    freezeOvertime: false,
+    freezeMessage: '',
+    hidePhase: false,
+  });
+
+describe('resolveTimerDisplay()', () => {
+  it('uses the event timer when there is no group timer', () => {
+    const time = makeTime();
+    const result = resolve(time, null);
+
+    expect(result.isGroup).toBe(false);
+    expect(result.source).toBe(time);
+    expect(result.total).toBe(60000);
+    expect(result.warning).toBe(120000);
+    expect(result.danger).toBe(60000);
+  });
+
+  it('adds the time added to an event into the event total', () => {
+    expect(resolve(makeTime({ addedTime: 30000 }), null).total).toBe(90000);
+  });
+
+  it('uses the group timer when one is present', () => {
+    const groupTimer = makeGroupTimer();
+    const result = resolve(makeTime(), groupTimer);
+
+    expect(result.isGroup).toBe(true);
+    expect(result.source).toBe(groupTimer);
+    expect(result.total).toBe(180000);
+  });
+
+  it('drops the event thresholds while showing the group', () => {
+    const result = resolve(makeTime({ phase: TimerPhase.Danger }), makeGroupTimer());
+
+    expect(result.warning).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(result.danger).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it.each([TimerPhase.Warning, TimerPhase.Danger])(
+    'reports the group as running while the event is in %s',
+    (phase) => {
+      const result = resolve(makeTime({ phase }), makeGroupTimer());
+
+      expect(result.phase).toBe(TimerPhase.Default);
+      expect(result.showWarning).toBe(false);
+      expect(result.showDanger).toBe(false);
+      expect(result.showFinished).toBe(false);
+    },
+  );
+
+  it('reports overtime only once the group itself has run out of time', () => {
+    const overrunningEvent = makeTime({ current: -5000, phase: TimerPhase.Overtime });
+
+    // the event is over, but the group still has time left
+    const stillRunning = resolve(overrunningEvent, makeGroupTimer({ current: 60000 }));
+    expect(stillRunning.phase).toBe(TimerPhase.Default);
+    expect(stillRunning.showFinished).toBe(false);
+
+    const overtime = resolve(overrunningEvent, makeGroupTimer({ current: -1000 }));
+    expect(overtime.phase).toBe(TimerPhase.Overtime);
+    expect(overtime.showFinished).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it.each([TimerPhase.Pending, TimerPhase.None])('keeps the %s playback phase on the group', (phase) => {
+    // these describe the playback state rather than a threshold, so they are true of the group too
+    expect(resolve(makeTime({ phase }), makeGroupTimer()).phase).toBe(phase);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('getShowsTimerValue()', () => {
+  it('is true for timer types which render the running timer', () => {
+    expect(getShowsTimerValue(TimerType.CountDown)).toBe(true);
+    expect(getShowsTimerValue(TimerType.CountUp)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('is false for timer types which do not reflect what is loaded', () => {
+    expect(getShowsTimerValue(TimerType.Clock)).toBe(false);
+    expect(getShowsTimerValue(TimerType.None)).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import {
+  GroupTimerState,
  MaybeNumber,
  MessageState,
  OntimeEvent,
@@ -6,6 +7,7 @@ import {
  RundownEntries,
  TimerMessage,
  TimerPhase,
+  TimerState,
  TimerType,
 } from 'ontime-types';
 import { isPlaybackActive } from 'ontime-utils';
@@ -34,9 +36,11 @@ export function getTotalTime(duration: MaybeNumber, addedTime: MaybeNumber): num
 }

 /**
- * Whether the progress bar should be shown for this timer type
+ * Whether this timer type renders a value derived from the running timer.
+ * Clock shows the time of day and none shows nothing, so neither reflects what is loaded,
+ * which also means neither can carry a progress bar or a group timer indicator
 */
-export function getShowProgressBar(timerType: TimerType) {
+export function getShowsTimerValue(timerType: TimerType) {
  return timerType !== TimerType.None && timerType !== TimerType.Clock;
 }

@@ -114,6 +118,59 @@ export function getShowModifiers(
  };
 }

+interface ResolveTimerDisplayOptions {
+  time: TimerState;
+  /** when present, views show the group instead of the running event */
+  groupTimer: GroupTimerState | null;
+  event: Pick<OntimeEvent, 'timeWarning' | 'timeDanger'> | null;
+  timerType: TimerType;
+  countToEnd: boolean;
+  freezeOvertime: boolean;
+  freezeMessage: string;
+  hidePhase: boolean;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Resolves which timer a view should display, and the modifiers that go with it.
+ *
+ * A group has no warning or danger thresholds of its own, so it only ever reports as
+ * running or overtime. Feeding that phase through `getShowModifiers` means the warning
+ * and danger states are suppressed as a consequence of what a group is, rather than
+ * every view having to remember to special case them.
+ */
+export function resolveTimerDisplay({
+  time,
+  groupTimer,
+  event,
+  timerType,
+  countToEnd,
+  freezeOvertime,
+  freezeMessage,
+  hidePhase,
+}: ResolveTimerDisplayOptions) {
+  const isGroup = groupTimer !== null;
+  const phase = (() => {
+    if (!isGroup) return time.phase;
+    // pending and none describe the playback state rather than a threshold,
+    // they are just as true of the group as they are of the event
+    if (time.phase === TimerPhase.Pending || time.phase === TimerPhase.None) return time.phase;
+    return groupTimer.current <= 0 ? TimerPhase.Overtime : TimerPhase.Default;
+  })();
+
+  return {
+    isGroup,
+    phase,
+    /** the values to render, shaped for getTimerByType */
+    source: isGroup ? groupTimer : time,
+    /** the target of a progress bar */
+    total: isGroup ? groupTimer.duration : getTotalTime(time.duration, time.addedTime),
+    // thresholds belong to the event, they carry no meaning against a group duration
+    warning: isGroup ? undefined : event?.timeWarning,
+    danger: isGroup ? undefined : event?.timeDanger,
+    ...getShowModifiers(timerType, countToEnd, phase, freezeOvertime, freezeMessage, hidePhase),
+  };
+}
+
 /**
 * What, if anything, should be displayed in the secondary field
 */
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
  "name": "ontime-electron",
-  "version": "4.10.0",
+  "version": "4.11.0",
  "author": "Carlos Valente",
  "description": "Time keeping for live events",
  "repository": "https://github.com/cpvalente/ontime",
@@ -125,6 +125,13 @@
          "**/*",
          "*{.ts}"
        ]
+      },
+      {
+        "from": "../server/src/html/",
+        "to": "extraResources/html/",
+        "filter": [
+          "**/*"
+        ]
      }
    ]
  }
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
  "name": "@getontime/resolver",
-  "version": "4.10.0",
+  "version": "4.11.0",
  "type": "module",
  "repository": "https://github.com/cpvalente/ontime",
  "types": "./dist/main.d.ts",
@@ -1,13 +1,5 @@
 {
  "$schema": "../../node_modules/oxlint/configuration_schema.json",
  "extends": ["../../.oxlintrc.json"],
-  "plugins": ["unicorn", "typescript", "oxc", "vitest", "node", "promise"],
-  "rules": {
-    "no-restricted-imports": [
-      "error",
-      {
-        "patterns": ["ontime-types/src/*", "ontime-utils/src/*"]
-      }
-    ]
-  }
+  "plugins": ["unicorn", "typescript", "oxc", "vitest", "node", "promise"]
 }
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
  "name": "ontime-server",
  "type": "module",
  "main": "src/index.ts",
-  "version": "4.10.0",
+  "version": "4.11.0",
  "exports": "./src/index.js",
  "dependencies": {
    "@googleapis/sheets": "^5.0.5",
@@ -22,8 +22,7 @@
    "osc-min": "2.1.2",
    "sanitize-filename": "^1.6.3",
    "ws": "^8.18.0",
-    "xlsx": "^0.18.5",
-    "zod": "catalog:"
+    "xlsx": "^0.18.5"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "@types/cookie-parser": "1.4.10",
@@ -163,5 +163,70 @@ describe('parseOutput', () => {
        secondarySource: 'secondary',
      });
    });
+
+    it('parses message-secondary with a text value', () => {
+      expect(
+        parseOutput({
+          type: 'ontime',
+          action: 'message-secondary',
+          text: 'hello',
+        }),
+      ).toMatchObject({
+        text: 'hello',
+      });
+      expect(
+        parseOutput({
+          type: 'ontime',
+          action: 'message-secondary',
+          secondarySource: undefined,
+          text: 'hello',
+        }),
+      ).toMatchObject({
+        text: 'hello',
+      });
+      expect(
+        parseOutput({
+          type: 'ontime',
+          action: 'message-secondary',
+          secondarySource: 'secondary',
+          text: 'hello',
+        }),
+      ).toMatchObject({
+        secondarySource: 'secondary',
+        text: 'hello',
+      });
+      // an empty text is treated as no change
+      expect(
+        parseOutput({
+          type: 'ontime',
+          action: 'message-secondary',
+          secondarySource: 'secondary',
+          text: '',
+        }),
+      ).toMatchObject({
+        secondarySource: 'secondary',
+        text: undefined,
+      });
+      // text can be set while clearing the secondary source
+      expect(
+        parseOutput({
+          type: 'ontime',
+          action: 'message-secondary',
+          secondarySource: null,
+          text: 'hello',
+        }),
+      ).toMatchObject({
+        secondarySource: null,
+        text: 'hello',
+      });
+      expect(() =>
+        parseOutput({
+          type: 'ontime',
+          action: 'message-secondary',
+          secondarySource: 'secondary',
+          text: 123,
+        }),
+      ).toThrow('Unexpected payload type:');
+    });
  });
 });
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+import { runtimeStorePlaceholder } from 'ontime-types';
+
+import * as messageService from '../../../services/message-service/message.service.js';
+import { toOntimeAction } from '../clients/ontime.client.js';
+
+vi.mock('../../../services/message-service/message.service.js', () => ({
+  patch: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+describe('toOntimeAction()', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks();
+  });
+
+  it('parses templates in primary message text', () => {
+    toOntimeAction(
+      {
+        type: 'ontime',
+        action: 'message-set',
+        text: 'Current: {{timer.current}}',
+        visible: true,
+      },
+      {
+        ...runtimeStorePlaceholder,
+        timer: {
+          ...runtimeStorePlaceholder.timer,
+          current: 42,
+        },
+      },
+    );
+
+    expect(messageService.patch).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      timer: {
+        text: 'Current: 42',
+        visible: true,
+      },
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('parses templates in secondary message text', () => {
+    toOntimeAction(
+      {
+        type: 'ontime',
+        action: 'message-secondary',
+        secondarySource: 'secondary',
+        text: 'Next: {{eventNext.title}}',
+      },
+      {
+        ...runtimeStorePlaceholder,
+        eventNext: {
+          id: 'next-event',
+          type: 'event',
+          cue: '2',
+          title: 'Keynote',
+          note: '',
+          timeStart: 0,
+          timeEnd: 0,
+          duration: 0,
+          timerType: 'count-down',
+          colour: '',
+          delay: 0,
+          isPublic: true,
+          skip: false,
+          endAction: 'none',
+          revision: 0,
+          custom: {},
+        },
+      },
+    );
+
+    expect(messageService.patch).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      timer: {
+        secondarySource: 'secondary',
+      },
+      secondary: 'Next: Keynote',
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('can set secondary message text without changing the secondary source', () => {
+    toOntimeAction(
+      {
+        type: 'ontime',
+        action: 'message-secondary',
+        text: 'Next: {{eventNext.title}}',
+      },
+      {
+        ...runtimeStorePlaceholder,
+        eventNext: {
+          id: 'next-event',
+          type: 'event',
+          cue: '2',
+          title: 'Keynote',
+          note: '',
+          timeStart: 0,
+          timeEnd: 0,
+          duration: 0,
+          timerType: 'count-down',
+          colour: '',
+          delay: 0,
+          isPublic: true,
+          skip: false,
+          endAction: 'none',
+          revision: 0,
+          custom: {},
+        },
+      },
+    );
+
+    expect(messageService.patch).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      secondary: 'Next: Keynote',
+    });
+  });
+});
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ function send(output: AutomationOutput[], store: RuntimeStore) {
    } else if (isHTTPOutput(payload)) {
      emitHTTP(payload, store);
    } else if (isOntimeAction(payload)) {
-      toOntimeAction(payload);
+      toOntimeAction(payload, store);
    } else {
      logger.warning(LogOrigin.Tx, `Unknown output type: ${payload}`);
    }
@@ -225,13 +225,28 @@ function parseOntimeAction(maybeOntimeAction: object): OntimeAction {
  }

  if (maybeOntimeAction.action === 'message-secondary') {
-    assert.hasKeys(maybeOntimeAction, ['secondarySource']);
+    // the secondary text is optional, an empty string is treated as no change
+    let text: string | undefined = undefined;
+    if ('text' in maybeOntimeAction) {
+      assert.isString(maybeOntimeAction.text);
+      text = indeterminateText(maybeOntimeAction.text);
+    }
+
+    if (!('secondarySource' in maybeOntimeAction) || maybeOntimeAction.secondarySource === undefined) {
+      return {
+        type: 'ontime',
+        action: 'message-secondary',
+        text,
+      };
+    }
+
    // null is used to clear the secondary source
    if (maybeOntimeAction.secondarySource === null) {
      return {
        type: 'ontime',
        action: 'message-secondary',
        secondarySource: null,
+        text,
      };
    }

@@ -240,6 +255,7 @@ function parseOntimeAction(maybeOntimeAction: object): OntimeAction {
      type: 'ontime',
      action: 'message-secondary',
      secondarySource: chooseSecondarySource(maybeOntimeAction.secondarySource),
+      text,
    };
  }

@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
-import { LogOrigin, OntimeAction } from 'ontime-types';
+import { LogOrigin, OntimeAction, RuntimeStore } from 'ontime-types';
 import { parseUserTime } from 'ontime-utils';
+import { DeepReadonly } from 'ts-essentials';

 import { logger } from '../../../classes/Logger.js';
 import { auxTimerService } from '../../../services/aux-timer-service/AuxTimerService.js';
 import * as messageService from '../../../services/message-service/message.service.js';
 import { runtimeService } from '../../../services/runtime-service/runtime.service.js';
+import { parseTemplateNested } from '../automation.utils.js';

-export function toOntimeAction(action: OntimeAction) {
+export function toOntimeAction(action: OntimeAction, store: DeepReadonly<RuntimeStore>) {
  const actionType = action.action;
  switch (actionType) {
    // Aux timer actions
@@ -55,18 +57,25 @@ export function toOntimeAction(action: OntimeAction) {
    case 'message-set': {
      messageService.patch({
        timer: {
-          text: action.text,
+          text: action.text ? parseTemplateNested(action.text, store) : action.text,
          visible: action.visible,
        },
      });
      break;
    }
    case 'message-secondary': {
-      messageService.patch({
-        timer: {
-          secondarySource: action.secondarySource,
-        },
-      });
+      const secondary = action.text ? parseTemplateNested(action.text, store) : action.text;
+      const patch =
+        action.secondarySource === undefined
+          ? { secondary }
+          : {
+              timer: {
+                secondarySource: action.secondarySource,
+              },
+              secondary,
+            };
+
+      messageService.patch(patch);
      break;
    }

@@ -411,6 +411,7 @@ export function migrateRundown(
          targetDuration: null,
          colour: '', //leave default colour
          custom: {}, // leave empty
+          useGroupTimer: false, // opt-in feature, off for migrated projects
          // !==== RUNTIME METADATA ====! //
          revision: -1,
          timeStart: null,
@@ -316,6 +316,7 @@ describe('v3 to v4', () => {
          targetDuration: null,
          timeEnd: null,
          timeStart: null,
+          useGroupTimer: false,
        },
        event2: {
          id: 'event2',
@@ -392,6 +393,7 @@ describe('v3 to v4', () => {
          targetDuration: null,
          timeEnd: null,
          timeStart: null,
+          useGroupTimer: false,
        },
        delay: {
          type: SupportedEntry.Delay,
@@ -432,6 +432,40 @@ describe('processRundown()', () => {
    expect(initResult.totalDuration).toBe(500 - 100);
  });

+  it('skipped events do not advance day offsets or affect gaps', () => {
+    const rundown = makeRundown({
+      order: ['1', 'skipped', '2'],
+      entries: {
+        '1': makeOntimeEvent({
+          id: '1',
+          timeStart: 22 * MILLIS_PER_HOUR + 30 * MILLIS_PER_MINUTE, // 22:30:00
+          timeEnd: 30 * MILLIS_PER_MINUTE, // 00:30:00
+          duration: 2 * MILLIS_PER_HOUR, // 02:00:00
+        }),
+        skipped: makeOntimeEvent({
+          id: 'skipped',
+          skip: true,
+          timeStart: 22 * MILLIS_PER_HOUR + 30 * MILLIS_PER_MINUTE, // 22:30:00
+          timeEnd: 30 * MILLIS_PER_MINUTE, // 00:30:00
+          duration: 2 * MILLIS_PER_HOUR, // 02:00:00
+        }),
+        '2': makeOntimeEvent({
+          id: '2',
+          timeStart: 30 * MILLIS_PER_MINUTE, // 00:30:00
+          timeEnd: 8 * MILLIS_PER_HOUR + 30 * MILLIS_PER_MINUTE, // 08:30:00
+          duration: 8 * MILLIS_PER_HOUR, // 08:00:00
+        }),
+      },
+    });
+
+    const initResult = processRundown(rundown, {});
+
+    expect((initResult.entries.skipped as OntimeEvent).dayOffset).toBe(0);
+    expect((initResult.entries.skipped as OntimeEvent).gap).toBe(0);
+    expect((initResult.entries['2'] as OntimeEvent).dayOffset).toBe(1);
+    expect((initResult.entries['2'] as OntimeEvent).gap).toBe(0);
+  });
+
  it('calculates total duration across days with gap', () => {
    const rundown = makeRundown({
      order: ['1', '2', '3'],
@@ -680,17 +714,17 @@ describe('processRundown()', () => {
 });

 describe('rundownMutation.add()', () => {
-  test('adds an event an empty rundown', () => {
+  test('adds an event to an empty rundown', () => {
    const mockEvent = makeOntimeEvent({ id: 'mock', cue: 'mock' });
    const rundown = makeRundown({});

-    rundownMutation.add(rundown, mockEvent, null, null);
+    rundownMutation.add(rundown, mockEvent, null, null, null);

    expect(rundown.order.length).toBe(1);
    expect(rundown.entries['mock']).toMatchObject(mockEvent);
  });

-  test('adds an event at the top if no afterId is given', () => {
+  test('adds an event at the end if no afterId is given', () => {
    const mockEvent = makeOntimeEvent({ id: 'mock', cue: 'mock' });
    const rundown = makeRundown({
      flatOrder: ['1'],
@@ -700,28 +734,28 @@ describe('rundownMutation.add()', () => {
      },
    });

-    rundownMutation.add(rundown, mockEvent, null, null);
+    rundownMutation.add(rundown, mockEvent, null, null, null);

-    expect(rundown.order).toStrictEqual(['mock', '1']);
-    expect(rundown.flatOrder).toStrictEqual(['mock', '1']);
+    expect(rundown.order).toStrictEqual(['1', 'mock']);
+    expect(rundown.flatOrder).toStrictEqual(['1', 'mock']);
    expect(rundown.entries['mock']).toMatchObject(mockEvent);
  });

-  test('adds an event at the top of the group if no after is given', () => {
+  test('adds an event at the end of the group if parent is provided but no after', () => {
    const mockEvent = makeOntimeEvent({ id: 'mock', cue: 'mock' });
    const rundown = makeRundown({
      flatOrder: ['1', '1a'],
      order: ['1'],
      entries: {
-        '1': makeOntimeGroup({ id: '1' }),
+        '1': makeOntimeGroup({ id: '1', entries: ['1a'] }),
        '1a': makeOntimeEvent({ id: '1a', parent: '1' }),
      },
    });

-    rundownMutation.add(rundown, mockEvent, null, rundown.entries['1'] as OntimeGroup);
+    rundownMutation.add(rundown, mockEvent, rundown.entries['1'] as OntimeGroup, null, null);

    expect(rundown.order).toStrictEqual(['1']);
-    expect(rundown.flatOrder).toStrictEqual(['1', 'mock', '1a']);
+    expect(rundown.flatOrder).toStrictEqual(['1', '1a', 'mock']);
    expect(rundown.entries['mock']).toMatchObject(mockEvent);
  });

@@ -731,12 +765,12 @@ describe('rundownMutation.add()', () => {
      flatOrder: ['1', '1a'],
      order: ['1'],
      entries: {
-        '1': makeOntimeGroup({ id: '1' }),
+        '1': makeOntimeGroup({ id: '1', entries: ['1a'] }),
        '1a': makeOntimeEvent({ id: '1a', parent: '1' }),
      },
    });

-    rundownMutation.add(rundown, mockEvent, '1a', rundown.entries['1'] as OntimeGroup);
+    rundownMutation.add(rundown, mockEvent, rundown.entries['1'] as OntimeGroup, '1a', null);

    expect(rundown.order).toStrictEqual(['1']);
    expect(rundown.flatOrder).toStrictEqual(['1', '1a', 'mock']);
@@ -1805,6 +1839,49 @@ describe('rundownMutation.clone()', () => {
      parent: null,
    });
  });
+
+  it('clones an event and appends it with after true', () => {
+    const testRundown = makeRundown({
+      order: ['1', '2'],
+      entries: {
+        '1': makeOntimeEvent({ id: '1', cue: 'event1', parent: null }),
+        '2': makeOntimeEvent({ id: '2', cue: 'event2', parent: null }),
+      },
+    });
+
+    const newEntry = rundownMutation.clone(testRundown, testRundown.entries['1'], { after: true });
+
+    expect(testRundown.order).toStrictEqual(['1', '2', newEntry.id]);
+  });
+
+  it('clones an event and prepends it with before true', () => {
+    const testRundown = makeRundown({
+      order: ['1', '2'],
+      entries: {
+        '1': makeOntimeEvent({ id: '1', cue: 'event1', parent: null }),
+        '2': makeOntimeEvent({ id: '2', cue: 'event2', parent: null }),
+      },
+    });
+
+    const newEntry = rundownMutation.clone(testRundown, testRundown.entries['2'], { before: true });
+
+    expect(testRundown.order).toStrictEqual([newEntry.id, '1', '2']);
+  });
+
+  it('clones a group and appends it with after true', () => {
+    const testRundown = makeRundown({
+      order: ['1', '2'],
+      entries: {
+        '1': makeOntimeGroup({ id: '1', title: 'top', entries: ['1a'] }),
+        '1a': makeOntimeEvent({ id: '1a', cue: 'nested', parent: '1' }),
+        '2': makeOntimeEvent({ id: '2', cue: 'event2', parent: null }),
+      },
+    });
+
+    const newEntry = rundownMutation.clone(testRundown, testRundown.entries['1'], { after: true });
+
+    expect(testRundown.order).toStrictEqual(['1', '2', newEntry.id]);
+  });
 });

 describe('rundownMutation.group()', () => {
@@ -301,6 +301,23 @@ describe('parseRundown()', () => {
    expect(parsedRundown.entries.group).toMatchObject({ entries: ['1', '2'] });
    expect(Object.keys(parsedRundown.entries).length).toEqual(3);
  });
+
+  it('normalises groups from projects made before the group timer existed', () => {
+    const rundown = {
+      id: 'test',
+      title: '',
+      order: ['group'],
+      flatOrder: ['group'],
+      entries: {
+        // a group as it would have been persisted by a previous version
+        group: { id: 'group', type: SupportedEntry.Group, title: 'legacy', entries: [] },
+      },
+      revision: 1,
+    } as unknown as Rundown;
+
+    const parsedRundown = parseRundown(rundown, {});
+    expect(parsedRundown.entries.group).toMatchObject({ id: 'group', useGroupTimer: false });
+  });
 });

 describe('sanitiseCustomFields()', () => {
@@ -1,15 +1,28 @@
-import { EndAction, OntimeEvent, TimeStrategy, TimerType } from 'ontime-types';
+import {
+  EndAction,
+  OntimeEvent,
+  OntimeGroup,
+  OntimeMilestone,
+  TimeStrategy,
+  TimerLifeCycle,
+  TimerType,
+  Trigger,
+} from 'ontime-types';
 import { MILLIS_PER_HOUR, createEvent } from 'ontime-utils';
 import { assertType } from 'vitest';

-import { makeOntimeEvent, makeOntimeGroup, makeRundown } from '../__mocks__/rundown.mocks.js';
+import { makeOntimeEvent, makeOntimeGroup, makeOntimeMilestone, makeRundown } from '../__mocks__/rundown.mocks.js';
+import { parseRundown } from '../rundown.parser.js';
 import {
  calculateDayOffset,
+  createGroupPatch,
  deleteById,
  doesInvalidateMetadata,
  getIntegerAndFraction,
  hasChanges,
  makeDeepClone,
+  mergeRundownPreservingFields,
+  isLoadedPlayable,
 } from '../rundown.utils.js';

 describe('test event validator', () => {
@@ -287,3 +300,336 @@ describe('getIntegerAndFraction()', () => {
    expect(getIntegerAndFraction('123.')).toStrictEqual({ integer: 123, faction: 0, precision: 0 });
  });
 });
+
+/**
+ * The merge strategy takes the incoming (spreadsheet) rundown as the source of truth for structure
+ * and order. For a matched event it only applies the fields the spreadsheet mapped (providedFields);
+ * any field it does not provide (e.g. automations) is kept from the existing event.
+ */
+describe('mergeRundownPreservingFields()', () => {
+  const automation: Trigger = {
+    id: 'trigger-onair',
+    title: 'Go on air',
+    trigger: TimerLifeCycle.onStart,
+    automationId: 'automation-onair',
+  };
+
+  it('keeps the current rundown identity but takes structure and order from the incoming rundown', () => {
+    const current = makeRundown({
+      id: 'show-rundown',
+      title: 'Main show',
+      revision: 3,
+      order: ['welcome', 'keynote'],
+      entries: {
+        welcome: makeOntimeEvent({ id: 'welcome', title: 'Welcome' }),
+        keynote: makeOntimeEvent({ id: 'keynote', title: 'Keynote' }),
+      },
+    });
+    const incoming = makeRundown({
+      id: 'spreadsheet-rundown',
+      title: 'From spreadsheet',
+      revision: 0,
+      order: ['welcome', 'lunch'],
+      entries: {
+        welcome: makeOntimeEvent({ id: 'welcome', title: 'Welcome' }),
+        lunch: makeOntimeEvent({ id: 'lunch', title: 'Lunch' }),
+      },
+    });
+
+    const merged = mergeRundownPreservingFields(incoming, current, { event: ['title'], custom: [] });
+
+    // identity and revision come from the current rundown
+    expect(merged.id).toBe('show-rundown');
+    expect(merged.title).toBe('Main show');
+    expect(merged.revision).toBe(4);
+    // structure and order come from the incoming rundown
+    expect(merged.order).toEqual(['welcome', 'lunch']);
+    expect(merged.flatOrder).toEqual(incoming.flatOrder);
+  });
+
+  it('deletes current entries that are absent from the incoming rundown', () => {
+    const current = makeRundown({
+      id: 'show-rundown',
+      order: ['welcome', 'keynote'],
+      entries: {
+        welcome: makeOntimeEvent({ id: 'welcome' }),
+        keynote: makeOntimeEvent({ id: 'keynote' }),
+      },
+    });
+    const incoming = makeRundown({
+      id: 'spreadsheet-rundown',
+      order: ['welcome'],
+      entries: { welcome: makeOntimeEvent({ id: 'welcome' }) },
+    });
+
+    const merged = mergeRundownPreservingFields(incoming, current, { event: ['title'], custom: [] });
+
+    expect(merged.entries.welcome).toBeDefined();
+    expect(merged.entries.keynote).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it('replaces an entry entirely with the incoming data when the id is kept but the type changes', () => {
+    const current = makeRundown({
+      id: 'show-rundown',
+      order: ['keynote'],
+      entries: { keynote: makeOntimeEvent({ id: 'keynote', title: 'Keynote', triggers: [automation] }) },
+    });
+    const incoming = makeRundown({
+      id: 'spreadsheet-rundown',
+      order: ['keynote'],
+      entries: { keynote: makeOntimeGroup({ id: 'keynote', title: 'Keynote group' }) },
+    });
+
+    const merged = mergeRundownPreservingFields(incoming, current, { event: ['title'], custom: [] });
+
+    // the incoming group fully replaces the previous event, no old data is carried over
+    expect(merged.entries.keynote).toEqual(incoming.entries.keynote);
+  });
+
+  it('applies the provided fields to a matched event, including when the incoming value is empty', () => {
+    const current = makeRundown({
+      id: 'show-rundown',
+      order: ['keynote'],
+      entries: { keynote: makeOntimeEvent({ id: 'keynote', title: 'Keynote', note: 'in the green room' }) },
+    });
+    const incoming = makeRundown({
+      id: 'spreadsheet-rundown',
+      order: ['keynote'],
+      entries: { keynote: makeOntimeEvent({ id: 'keynote', title: 'Opening keynote', note: '' }) },
+    });
+
+    // the sheet mapped title and note
+    const merged = mergeRundownPreservingFields(incoming, current, { event: ['title', 'note'], custom: [] });
+    const keynote = merged.entries.keynote as OntimeEvent;
+
+    expect(keynote.title).toBe('Opening keynote');
+    // an empty provided value replaces the current one
+    expect(keynote.note).toBe('');
+  });
+
+  it('keeps fields the sheet did not map on a matched event, regardless of the incoming values', () => {
+    const current = makeRundown({
+      id: 'show-rundown',
+      order: ['keynote'],
+      entries: {
+        keynote: makeOntimeEvent({ id: 'keynote', title: 'Keynote', note: 'green room', triggers: [automation] }),
+      },
+    });
+    // the preview always fully populates an entry, so the incoming carries a note and triggers; what
+    // the sheet actually supplied is providedFields, not the values that happen to be on the entry
+    const incoming = makeRundown({
+      id: 'spreadsheet-rundown',
+      order: ['keynote'],
+      entries: {
+        keynote: makeOntimeEvent({
+          id: 'keynote',
+          title: 'Opening keynote',
+          note: 'from a stale column',
+          triggers: [],
+        }),
+      },
+    });
+
+    // only title is mapped, so note and automations keep the existing values, not the incoming ones
+    const merged = mergeRundownPreservingFields(incoming, current, { event: ['title'], custom: [] });
+    const keynote = merged.entries.keynote as OntimeEvent;
+
+    expect(keynote.title).toBe('Opening keynote');
+    expect(keynote.note).toBe('green room');
+    expect(keynote.triggers).toEqual([automation]);
+  });
+
+  it('patches the provided custom fields on a matched event and keeps the unmapped ones', () => {
+    const current = makeRundown({
+      id: 'show-rundown',
+      order: ['keynote'],
+      entries: {
+        keynote: makeOntimeEvent({
+          id: 'keynote',
+          title: 'Keynote',
+          custom: { lighting: 'warm', song: 'intro theme' },
+        }),
+      },
+    });
+    const incoming = makeRundown({
+      id: 'spreadsheet-rundown',
+      order: ['keynote'],
+      entries: {
+        keynote: makeOntimeEvent({ id: 'keynote', title: 'Opening keynote', custom: { lighting: 'cold' } }),
+      },
+    });
+
+    // the sheet mapped the title and the lighting custom field, but not song
+    const merged = mergeRundownPreservingFields(incoming, current, { event: ['title'], custom: ['lighting'] });
+    const keynote = merged.entries.keynote as OntimeEvent;
+
+    expect(keynote.title).toBe('Opening keynote');
+    expect(keynote.custom.lighting).toBe('cold');
+    // an unmapped custom field is kept from the existing event
+    expect(keynote.custom.song).toBe('intro theme');
+  });
+
+  it('infers the time strategy from the provided times when the sheet is unambiguous', () => {
+    const current = makeRundown({
+      id: 'show-rundown',
+      order: ['keynote'],
+      entries: { keynote: makeOntimeEvent({ id: 'keynote', timeStrategy: TimeStrategy.LockEnd }) },
+    });
+    // the sheet provides only a duration, so the strategy is unambiguously LockDuration
+    const incoming = makeRundown({
+      id: 'spreadsheet-rundown',
+      order: ['keynote'],
+      entries: { keynote: makeOntimeEvent({ id: 'keynote', duration: 60000 }) },
+    });
+
+    const merged = mergeRundownPreservingFields(incoming, current, { event: ['duration'], custom: [] });
+
+    expect((merged.entries.keynote as OntimeEvent).timeStrategy).toBe(TimeStrategy.LockDuration);
+  });
+
+  it('keeps the existing time strategy when the provided times are ambiguous', () => {
+    const current = makeRundown({
+      id: 'show-rundown',
+      order: ['keynote'],
+      entries: { keynote: makeOntimeEvent({ id: 'keynote', timeStrategy: TimeStrategy.LockEnd }) },
+    });
+    // the sheet provides both an end and a duration, so the strategy cannot be inferred from them
+    const incoming = makeRundown({
+      id: 'spreadsheet-rundown',
+      order: ['keynote'],
+      entries: { keynote: makeOntimeEvent({ id: 'keynote', timeEnd: 60000, duration: 60000 }) },
+    });
+
+    const merged = mergeRundownPreservingFields(incoming, current, { event: ['timeEnd', 'duration'], custom: [] });
+
+    expect((merged.entries.keynote as OntimeEvent).timeStrategy).toBe(TimeStrategy.LockEnd);
+  });
+
+  it('merges a matched group, keeping the fields the sheet cannot express', () => {
+    const current = makeRundown({
+      id: 'show-rundown',
+      order: ['session'],
+      entries: { session: makeOntimeGroup({ id: 'session', title: 'Old session', targetDuration: 3_600_000 }) },
+    });
+    // the sheet cannot express a group's target duration, so the incoming group does not carry one
+    const incoming = makeRundown({
+      id: 'spreadsheet-rundown',
+      order: ['session'],
+      entries: { session: makeOntimeGroup({ id: 'session', title: 'New session', targetDuration: null }) },
+    });
+
+    const merged = mergeRundownPreservingFields(incoming, current, { event: ['title'], custom: [] });
+    const session = merged.entries.session as OntimeGroup;
+
+    expect(session.title).toBe('New session');
+    expect(session.targetDuration).toBe(3_600_000);
+  });
+
+  it('merges a matched milestone, keeping the fields the sheet did not map', () => {
+    const current = makeRundown({
+      id: 'show-rundown',
+      order: ['reminder'],
+      entries: { reminder: makeOntimeMilestone({ id: 'reminder', title: 'Reminder', note: 'call talent' }) },
+    });
+    const incoming = makeRundown({
+      id: 'spreadsheet-rundown',
+      order: ['reminder'],
+      entries: { reminder: makeOntimeMilestone({ id: 'reminder', title: 'Green room reminder', note: 'ignored' }) },
+    });
+
+    // only title is mapped, so the milestone's note keeps the existing value
+    const merged = mergeRundownPreservingFields(incoming, current, { event: ['title'], custom: [] });
+    const reminder = merged.entries.reminder as OntimeMilestone;
+
+    expect(reminder.title).toBe('Green room reminder');
+    expect(reminder.note).toBe('call talent');
+  });
+
+  it('does not mutate the current rundown and deep-clones the kept automations', () => {
+    const current = makeRundown({
+      id: 'show-rundown',
+      order: ['keynote'],
+      entries: { keynote: makeOntimeEvent({ id: 'keynote', triggers: [automation] }) },
+    });
+    const incoming = makeRundown({
+      id: 'spreadsheet-rundown',
+      order: ['keynote'],
+      entries: { keynote: makeOntimeEvent({ id: 'keynote', triggers: [] }) },
+    });
+
+    const merged = mergeRundownPreservingFields(incoming, current, { event: ['title'], custom: [] });
+
+    // kept automations are a copy, not a shared reference to the current rundown
+    (merged.entries.keynote as OntimeEvent).triggers.push({ ...automation, id: 'trigger-extra' });
+    expect((current.entries.keynote as OntimeEvent).triggers).toEqual([automation]);
+  });
+
+  it('keeps the not-provided fields through a parseRundown round-trip', () => {
+    const current = makeRundown({
+      id: 'show-rundown',
+      order: ['keynote'],
+      entries: {
+        keynote: makeOntimeEvent({ id: 'keynote', triggers: [automation], timeStrategy: TimeStrategy.LockEnd }),
+      },
+    });
+    const incoming = makeRundown({
+      id: 'spreadsheet-rundown',
+      order: ['keynote'],
+      entries: { keynote: makeOntimeEvent({ id: 'keynote', title: 'Keynote', triggers: [] }) },
+    });
+
+    const merged = mergeRundownPreservingFields(incoming, current, { event: ['title'], custom: [] });
+    const parsed = parseRundown(merged, {});
+    const keynote = parsed.entries.keynote as OntimeEvent;
+
+    expect(keynote.triggers).toEqual([automation]);
+    expect(keynote.timeStrategy).toBe(TimeStrategy.LockEnd);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('isLoadedPlayable()', () => {
+  it('returns true when the loaded event still exists and is playable', () => {
+    const rundown = makeRundown({ order: ['keynote'], entries: { keynote: makeOntimeEvent({ id: 'keynote' }) } });
+    expect(isLoadedPlayable('keynote', rundown)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('returns false when the loaded event was removed', () => {
+    const rundown = makeRundown({ order: ['welcome'], entries: { welcome: makeOntimeEvent({ id: 'welcome' }) } });
+    expect(isLoadedPlayable('keynote', rundown)).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('returns false when the loaded event is now skipped', () => {
+    const rundown = makeRundown({
+      order: ['keynote'],
+      entries: { keynote: makeOntimeEvent({ id: 'keynote', skip: true }) },
+    });
+    expect(isLoadedPlayable('keynote', rundown)).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('returns false when the matched entry is no longer an event', () => {
+    const rundown = makeRundown({ order: ['keynote'], entries: { keynote: makeOntimeGroup({ id: 'keynote' }) } });
+    expect(isLoadedPlayable('keynote', rundown)).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('createGroupPatch()', () => {
+  it('preserves useGroupTimer when it is not part of the patch', () => {
+    const original = makeOntimeGroup({ id: 'group', useGroupTimer: true });
+    const patched = createGroupPatch(original, { title: 'Morning sessions' });
+
+    expect(patched.title).toBe('Morning sessions');
+    expect(patched.useGroupTimer).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('updates useGroupTimer when it is part of the patch', () => {
+    const original = makeOntimeGroup({ id: 'group', useGroupTimer: false });
+    expect(createGroupPatch(original, { useGroupTimer: true }).useGroupTimer).toBe(true);
+    expect(createGroupPatch(original, { useGroupTimer: false }).useGroupTimer).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('ignores non boolean values for useGroupTimer', () => {
+    const original = makeOntimeGroup({ id: 'group', useGroupTimer: true });
+    // @ts-expect-error -- testing a value coming from an unvalidated request
+    expect(createGroupPatch(original, { useGroupTimer: 'nope' }).useGroupTimer).toBe(true);
+  });
+});
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import type { OntimeGroup } from 'ontime-types';
+import { describe, expect, test } from 'vitest';
+
+import { makeOntimeEvent, makeOntimeGroup, makeRundown } from '../__mocks__/rundown.mocks.js';
+import { assertInsertAnchorExists, assertInsertAnchorInOrder } from '../rundown.validation.js';
+
+const rundown = makeRundown({
+  order: ['top', 'group'],
+  entries: {
+    top: makeOntimeEvent({ id: 'top', parent: null }),
+    group: makeOntimeGroup({ id: 'group', entries: ['nested'] }),
+    nested: makeOntimeEvent({ id: 'nested', parent: 'group' }),
+  },
+});
+
+describe('insertion anchor validation', () => {
+  test('rejects a missing anchor', () => {
+    expect(() => assertInsertAnchorInOrder(rundown, null, { before: 'missing' })).toThrow(
+      'Insertion anchor with ID missing does not exist',
+    );
+  });
+
+  test('rejects an anchor from a different order', () => {
+    expect(() => assertInsertAnchorInOrder(rundown, null, { after: 'nested' })).toThrow(
+      'Insertion anchor with ID nested is not in the target order',
+    );
+  });
+
+  test('accepts a group-local anchor', () => {
+    const group = rundown.entries.group as OntimeGroup;
+
+    expect(() => assertInsertAnchorInOrder(rundown, group, { before: 'nested' })).not.toThrow();
+  });
+
+  test('checks clone anchors exist', () => {
+    expect(() => assertInsertAnchorExists(rundown, { after: 'missing' })).toThrow(
+      'Insertion anchor with ID missing does not exist',
+    );
+  });
+});
@@ -439,21 +439,27 @@ function clone(rundown: Rundown, entry: OntimeEntry, options?: InsertOptions): O
      rundown.entries[nestedEntry.id] = nestedEntry;
    }

-    // by default we insert after the cloned element
-    let atIndex = rundown.order.indexOf(entry.id) + 1;
-
-    const referenceId = options?.after ?? options?.before;
-    if (referenceId) {
-      // trying to insert relatively to another entry
-      const referenceEntry = rundown.entries[referenceId];
-      if (referenceEntry) {
-        if (options?.after) {
-          atIndex = rundown.order.indexOf(referenceId) + 1;
-        } else if (options?.before) {
-          atIndex = rundown.order.indexOf(referenceId);
-        }
+    const position: { after: EntryId | null; before: EntryId | null } = (() => {
+      if (options?.after === undefined && options?.before === undefined) {
+        return { after: entry.id, before: null };
      }
-    }
+
+      const after = getInsertAfterId(rundown, null, options.after, options.before);
+      const before = options.before === true ? (after ?? null) : (options.before ?? null);
+      return { after, before };
+    })();
+
+    const atIndex = (() => {
+      if (position.before !== null) {
+        return rundown.order.indexOf(position.before);
+      }
+
+      if (position.after !== null) {
+        return rundown.order.indexOf(position.after) + 1;
+      }
+
+      return rundown.order.length;
+    })();

    // we only need to insert the group, the nested entries will be resolved by the rundown engine
    rundown.order = insertAtIndex(atIndex, newGroup.id, rundown.order);
@@ -461,41 +467,33 @@ function clone(rundown: Rundown, entry: OntimeEntry, options?: InsertOptions): O
    return newGroup;
  } else {
    const clonedEntry = cloneSimpleRundownEntry(entry, getUniqueId(rundown));
+    const parent = (() => {
+      const referenceId = (() => {
+        if (typeof options?.after === 'string') return options.after;
+        if (typeof options?.before === 'string') return options.before;
+        return undefined;
+      })();

-    let parent: OntimeGroup | null = null;
+      const referenceEntry = referenceId ? rundown.entries[referenceId] : entry;
+      const parentId = referenceEntry && !isOntimeGroup(referenceEntry) ? referenceEntry.parent : null;
+      if (parentId === null) return null;

-    // trying to insert relatively to another entry, check that entries parent
-    const referenceId = options?.after ?? options?.before;
+      const maybeParent = rundown.entries[parentId];
+      return isOntimeGroup(maybeParent) ? maybeParent : null;
+    })();

-    /**
-     * if we have a positioning reference, and that reference has a parent
-     * we need to maintain the same parent for the cloned entry
-     */
-    if (referenceId) {
-      const referenceEntry = rundown.entries[referenceId];
-
-      if (referenceEntry && !isOntimeGroup(referenceEntry)) {
-        if (referenceEntry.parent) {
-          const maybeParent = rundown.entries[referenceEntry.parent];
-          if (maybeParent && isOntimeGroup(maybeParent)) {
-            parent = maybeParent;
-          }
-        }
+    const position = (() => {
+      // if no position is given, we add immediately after the element
+      if (options?.after === undefined && options?.before === undefined) {
+        return { after: entry.id, before: null };
      }
-    } else if (entry.parent) {
-      const maybeParent = rundown.entries[entry.parent];
-      if (maybeParent && isOntimeGroup(maybeParent)) {
-        parent = maybeParent;
-      }
-    }

-    // if we have resolved a parent, we add it to the cloned entry
-    let after = getInsertAfterId(rundown, parent, options?.after, options?.before);
-    if (!after) {
-      after = entry.id;
-    }
+      const after = getInsertAfterId(rundown, parent, options.after, options.before);
+      const before = options?.before === true ? after : (options.before ?? null);
+      return { after, before };
+    })();

-    return addToRundown(rundown, clonedEntry, after, parent);
+    return addToRundown(rundown, clonedEntry, parent, position.after, position.before);
  }
 }

@@ -279,14 +279,22 @@ function processEntry<T extends OntimeEntry>(
    // 2. handle custom fields - mutates entry
    sanitiseCustomFields(customFields, entry);

-    rundownMetadata.totalDays += calculateDayOffset(entry, rundownMetadata.previousEvent);
-    entry.dayOffset = rundownMetadata.totalDays as Day;
-    entry.delay = 0; // this means we dont calculate delays or gaps for skipped events
-    entry.gap = 0; // this means we dont calculate delays or gaps for skipped events
+    /*
+     * we initialise data so that is not calculated for skipped events
+     * consider especially the day offset, while skipped events have no
+     * day offset, we match it to the previous element to avoid
+     * pushing confusing data to the UI
+     */
+    entry.dayOffset = (rundownMetadata.previousEvent?.dayOffset ?? 0) as Day;
+    entry.delay = 0;
+    entry.gap = 0;
+
    entry.parent = childOfGroup;

    // update rundown metadata, it only concerns playable events
    if (isPlayableEvent(entry)) {
+      rundownMetadata.totalDays += calculateDayOffset(entry, rundownMetadata.previousEvent);
+      entry.dayOffset = rundownMetadata.totalDays as Day;
      rundownMetadata.playableEventOrder.push(entry.id);

      // first start is always the first event
@@ -1,7 +1,15 @@
 import type { Request, Response, Router } from 'express';
 import express from 'express';
 import { matchedData } from 'express-validator';
-import { ErrorResponse, OntimeEntry, ProjectRundownsList, RenumberCues, Rundown } from 'ontime-types';
+import {
+  ErrorResponse,
+  OntimeEntry,
+  ProjectRundowns,
+  ProjectRundownsList,
+  RenumberCues,
+  Rundown,
+  RundownImportPayload,
+} from 'ontime-types';
 import { getErrorMessage } from 'ontime-utils';

 import { getDataProvider } from '../../classes/data-provider/DataProvider.js';
@@ -12,7 +20,9 @@ import {
  applyDelay,
  batchEditEntries,
  cloneEntry,
+  applyImportToRundown,
  createNewRundown,
+  createRundownFromImport,
  deleteAllEntries,
  deleteEntries,
  deleteRundown,
@@ -36,6 +46,7 @@ import {
  entryReorderValidator,
  entrySwapValidator,
  rundownArrayOfIds,
+  rundownImportValidator,
  rundownPatchValidator,
  rundownPostValidator,
 } from './rundown.validation.js';
@@ -147,6 +158,39 @@ router.delete('/:id', paramsWithId, async (req: Request, res: Response<ProjectRu
  }
 });

+/**
+ * Applies an imported rundown: override or merge into an existing rundown, or create a new one.
+ */
+router.post(
+  '/import',
+  rundownImportValidator,
+  async (req: Request, res: Response<ProjectRundownsList | ErrorResponse>) => {
+    try {
+      const { mode, targetRundownId, rundown, customFields, providedFields } = matchedData<RundownImportPayload>(req);
+      let projectRundowns: ProjectRundowns;
+      if (mode === 'new') {
+        projectRundowns = await createRundownFromImport(rundown, customFields);
+      } else {
+        // the validator guarantees this for override/merge, the guard narrows the type and adds defence in depth
+        if (!targetRundownId) {
+          throw new Error('targetRundownId is required when mode is override or merge');
+        }
+        projectRundowns = await applyImportToRundown(
+          mode,
+          targetRundownId,
+          rundown,
+          customFields,
+          providedFields ?? { event: [], custom: [] },
+        );
+      }
+      res.status(200).json({ loaded: getCurrentRundown().id, rundowns: normalisedToRundownArray(projectRundowns) });
+    } catch (error) {
+      const message = getErrorMessage(error);
+      res.status(400).send({ message });
+    }
+  },
+);
+
 // #endregion operations on project rundowns ======================

 // #region operations on rundown entries ==========================
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import {
  CustomFields,
  EntryId,
  EventPostPayload,
+  ImportedFields,
  InsertOptions,
  LogOrigin,
  OntimeEntry,
@@ -12,6 +13,7 @@ import {
  ProjectRundowns,
  RefetchKey,
  Rundown,
+  RundownImportMergeStrategy,
  isOntimeDelay,
  isOntimeEvent,
  isOntimeGroup,
@@ -25,6 +27,7 @@ import { makeNewRundown } from '../../models/dataModel.js';
 import { setLastLoadedRundown } from '../../services/app-state-service/AppStateService.js';
 import { runtimeService } from '../../services/runtime-service/runtime.service.js';
 import { updateRundownData } from '../../stores/runtimeState.js';
+import { parseCustomFields } from '../custom-fields/customFields.parser.js';
 import {
  createTransaction,
  customFieldMutation,
@@ -33,8 +36,19 @@ import {
  rundownMutation,
  updateBackgroundRundown,
 } from './rundown.dao.js';
+import { parseRundown } from './rundown.parser.js';
 import type { RundownMetadata } from './rundown.types.js';
-import { generateEvent, getIntegerAndFraction, hasChanges } from './rundown.utils.js';
+import {
+  generateEvent,
+  getFirstInsertId,
+  getIntegerAndFraction,
+  getLastInsertId,
+  getPreviousInsertId,
+  hasChanges,
+  mergeRundownPreservingFields,
+  isLoadedPlayable,
+} from './rundown.utils.js';
+import { assertInsertAnchorExists, assertInsertAnchorInOrder, assertSingleInsertAnchor } from './rundown.validation.js';

 /**
 * creates a new entry with given data
@@ -42,6 +56,8 @@ import { generateEvent, getIntegerAndFraction, hasChanges } from './rundown.util
 export async function addEntry(rundownId: string, eventData: EventPostPayload): Promise<OntimeEntry> {
  const { rundown, commit } = createTransaction({ rundownId, mutableRundown: true });

+  assertSingleInsertAnchor(eventData);
+
  // we allow the user to provide an ID, but make sure it is unique
  if (eventData?.id && Object.hasOwn(rundown.entries, eventData.id)) {
    throw new Error(`Event with ID ${eventData.id} already exists`);
@@ -58,14 +74,29 @@ export async function addEntry(rundownId: string, eventData: EventPostPayload):
    parent = maybeParent;
  }

+  assertInsertAnchorInOrder(rundown, parent, eventData);
+
  // normalise the position of the event in the rundown order
-  const afterId = getInsertAfterId(rundown, parent, eventData?.after, eventData?.before);
+  const insertPosition = (() => {
+    if (eventData.before !== undefined) {
+      const beforeId = getFirstInsertId(rundown, parent, eventData.before);
+      return { afterId: null, beforeId, cueAfterId: getPreviousInsertId(rundown, parent, beforeId) };
+    }
+
+    // if after is an ID, we will try and find the entry
+    if (eventData.after !== undefined && eventData.after !== true) {
+      const afterId = getInsertAfterId(rundown, parent, eventData.after);
+      return { afterId, beforeId: null, cueAfterId: afterId };
+    }
+
+    return { afterId: null, beforeId: null, cueAfterId: getLastInsertId(rundown, parent) };
+  })();

  // generate a fully formed entry from the patch
-  const newEntry = generateEvent(rundown, eventData, afterId, parent?.id);
+  const newEntry = generateEvent(rundown, eventData, insertPosition.cueAfterId, parent?.id);

  // make mutations to rundown
-  rundownMutation.add(rundown, newEntry, afterId, parent);
+  rundownMutation.add(rundown, newEntry, parent, insertPosition.afterId, insertPosition.beforeId);

  const { rundown: responseRundown, rundownMetadata, revision } = await commit();

@@ -385,7 +416,10 @@ export async function swapEvents(rundownId: string, fromId: EntryId, toId: Entry
 * @throws if the entry to clone does not exist
 */
 export async function cloneEntry(rundownId: string, entryId: EntryId, options: InsertOptions): Promise<Rundown> {
+  assertSingleInsertAnchor(options);
+
  const { rundown, commit } = createTransaction({ rundownId, mutableRundown: true });
+  assertInsertAnchorExists(rundown, options);
  const originalEntry = rundown.entries[entryId];

  if (!originalEntry) {
@@ -656,8 +690,8 @@ export async function loadRundown(id: string) {
 }

 /**
- * Sets a new rundown in the cache
- * and marks it as the currently loaded one
+ * Sets a new rundown in the cache and marks it as the currently loaded one.
+ * Switching to a rundown always stops playback.
 */
 export async function initRundown(
  rundown: Readonly<Rundown>,
@@ -679,6 +713,25 @@ export async function initRundown(
  });
 }

+/**
+ * Applies a rebuilt version of the currently loaded rundown in place.
+ * Unlike switching rundowns, this maintains playback when possible
+ */
+function applyChangeToCurrentRundown(rundown: Readonly<Rundown>, customFields: Readonly<CustomFields>) {
+  const loadedEvent = runtimeService.getLoadedEventId();
+  if (loadedEvent && !isLoadedPlayable(loadedEvent, rundown)) {
+    runtimeService.stop();
+  }
+  const { rundownMetadata, revision } = rundownCache.init(rundown, customFields);
+  updateRuntimeOnChange(rundownMetadata);
+
+  setImmediate(() => {
+    // notifying the timer hot-reloads the playing event and keeps playback
+    notifyChanges(rundown.id, rundownMetadata, revision, { timer: true, external: true, reload: true });
+    sendRefetch(RefetchKey.ProjectRundowns);
+  });
+}
+
 export async function createNewRundown(title: string) {
  const emptyRundown = makeNewRundown();
  emptyRundown.title = title;
@@ -743,6 +796,86 @@ export async function duplicateExistingRundown(id: string) {
  return dataProvider.getProjectRundowns();
 }

+/**
+ * Validates an imported rundown against the resulting custom fields, then commits those custom
+ * fields. The rundown is validated before the custom-field mutation, so a payload that fails
+ * validation cannot leave a partial custom-field write behind.
+ * @throws if the rundown or custom fields fail validation
+ */
+async function parseImportAndCommitCustomFields(
+  source: Readonly<Rundown>,
+  incomingCustomFields: CustomFields,
+): Promise<Rundown> {
+  const dataProvider = getDataProvider();
+  const parsedCustomFields = parseCustomFields({ customFields: incomingCustomFields });
+  const mergedCustomFields = { ...dataProvider.getCustomFields(), ...parsedCustomFields };
+  const parsed = parseRundown(source, mergedCustomFields);
+  await dataProvider.mergeIntoData({ customFields: parsedCustomFields });
+  return parsed;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Applies an imported rundown onto an existing rundown, keeping the existing identity while
+ * taking structure and order from the incoming data.
+ * - 'override' replaces all content with the incoming data
+ * - 'merge' updates matched entries with only the fields the spreadsheet provided, keeping the rest
+ *   (e.g. automations) from the existing entry
+ *
+ * When targeting the loaded rundown this is treated as a change, not a switch, so playback is
+ * maintained when the playing event survives.
+ * @throws if the target rundown does not exist
+ */
+export async function applyImportToRundown(
+  strategy: RundownImportMergeStrategy,
+  targetRundownId: string,
+  incomingRundown: Rundown,
+  incomingCustomFields: CustomFields,
+  providedFields: ImportedFields,
+): Promise<ProjectRundowns> {
+  const dataProvider = getDataProvider();
+  // throws if the rundown was deleted between preview and apply
+  const existing = dataProvider.getRundown(targetRundownId);
+
+  const source =
+    strategy === 'merge'
+      ? mergeRundownPreservingFields(incomingRundown, existing, providedFields)
+      : { ...incomingRundown, id: existing.id, title: existing.title, revision: existing.revision + 1 };
+  const parsed = await parseImportAndCommitCustomFields(source, incomingCustomFields);
+
+  if (isCurrentRundown(targetRundownId)) {
+    // applying to the loaded rundown is a change, not a switch: maintain playback when possible
+    applyChangeToCurrentRundown(parsed, dataProvider.getCustomFields());
+  } else {
+    await dataProvider.setRundown(parsed.id, parsed);
+    setImmediate(() => {
+      sendRefetch(RefetchKey.ProjectRundowns);
+    });
+  }
+
+  return dataProvider.getProjectRundowns();
+}
+
+/**
+ * Creates a new rundown from an imported rundown and loads it,
+ * so the user immediately sees the imported data.
+ * Loading a rundown stops playback (as with any rundown switch).
+ */
+export async function createRundownFromImport(
+  incomingRundown: Rundown,
+  incomingCustomFields: CustomFields,
+): Promise<ProjectRundowns> {
+  const dataProvider = getDataProvider();
+
+  // assign a fresh id so we never collide with an existing rundown
+  const parsed = await parseImportAndCommitCustomFields({ ...incomingRundown, id: generateId() }, incomingCustomFields);
+  parsed.revision = 0;
+
+  // initRundown persists the new rundown, makes it the loaded rundown and notifies clients
+  await initRundown(parsed, dataProvider.getCustomFields(), true);
+
+  return dataProvider.getProjectRundowns();
+}
+
 /**
 * Deletes a rundown
 * @throws if attempting to delete the loaded rundown or the last rundown in the project
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import {
  CustomFields,
  EntryCustomFields,
  EntryId,
+  ImportedFields,
  OntimeBaseEvent,
  OntimeDelay,
  OntimeEntry,
@@ -11,12 +12,14 @@ import {
  ProjectRundown,
  ProjectRundowns,
  Rundown,
+  RundownEntries,
  SupportedEntry,
  TimeStrategy,
  isOntimeDelay,
  isOntimeEvent,
  isOntimeGroup,
  isOntimeMilestone,
+  isPlayableEvent,
 } from 'ontime-types';
 import {
  createDelay,
@@ -67,6 +70,50 @@ export function generateEvent(
  throw new Error('Invalid event type');
 }

+/**
+ * Gets the last valid insertion reference for a top-level rundown or group order.
+ * Used when appending entries and when generating cues from the preceding entry.
+ */
+export function getLastInsertId(rundown: Rundown, parent: OntimeGroup | null): EntryId | null {
+  const insertionList = parent ? parent.entries : rundown.order;
+  return insertionList[insertionList.length - 1] ?? null;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Resolves a `before` insertion option to the first entry in the relevant order when `true` is provided.
+ * String values are already explicit anchors and are returned unchanged.
+ */
+export function getFirstInsertId(rundown: Rundown, parent: OntimeGroup | null, before: EntryId | true): EntryId | null {
+  if (before !== true) {
+    return before;
+  }
+
+  const insertionList = parent ? parent.entries : rundown.order;
+  return insertionList[0] ?? null;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Gets the sibling before a `before` insertion anchor in the top-level or group order.
+ * Returns `null` when the new entry will be inserted at the start.
+ */
+export function getPreviousInsertId(
+  rundown: Rundown,
+  parent: OntimeGroup | null,
+  beforeId: EntryId | null,
+): EntryId | null {
+  if (beforeId === null) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  const insertionList = parent ? parent.entries : rundown.order;
+  const beforeIndex = insertionList.indexOf(beforeId);
+  if (beforeIndex < 1) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  return insertionList[beforeIndex - 1] ?? null;
+}
+
 export function createEventPatch(originalEvent: OntimeEvent, patchEvent: Partial<OntimeEvent>): OntimeEvent {
  if (Object.keys(patchEvent).length === 0) {
    return originalEvent;
@@ -132,6 +179,8 @@ export function createGroupPatch(originalGroup: OntimeGroup, patchGroup: Partial
    entries: patchGroup.entries ?? originalGroup.entries,
    targetDuration: maybeTargetDuration(),
    colour: makeString(patchGroup.colour, originalGroup.colour),
+    useGroupTimer:
+      typeof patchGroup.useGroupTimer === 'boolean' ? patchGroup.useGroupTimer : originalGroup.useGroupTimer,
    revision: originalGroup.revision,
    timeStart: originalGroup.timeStart,
    timeEnd: originalGroup.timeEnd,
@@ -225,6 +274,83 @@ export function getUniqueId(rundown: Rundown): EntryId {
  return id;
 }

+/**
+ * Builds an entry patch containing exactly the fields the spreadsheet supplied, for both built-in
+ * and custom fields. Everything the sheet did not map is left out, so applying the patch keeps the
+ * existing value for those fields.
+ */
+function buildImportPatch(entry: OntimeEntry, providedFields: ImportedFields): Partial<OntimeEntry> {
+  const source = entry as Record<string, unknown>;
+  const patch: Record<string, unknown> = {};
+  for (const field of providedFields.event) {
+    patch[field] = source[field];
+  }
+  if (providedFields.custom.length > 0) {
+    const entryCustom = (source.custom ?? {}) as EntryCustomFields;
+    const custom: EntryCustomFields = {};
+    for (const key of providedFields.custom) {
+      custom[key] = entryCustom[key] ?? '';
+    }
+    patch.custom = custom;
+  }
+  return patch as Partial<OntimeEntry>;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Merges an imported rundown into an existing one
+ * - the incoming rundown is the source of truth for entry identity and structure (order + grouping)
+ * - a matched entry of the same type is merged field-by-field: a field the sheet provided overwrites
+ *   (even when empty), a field the sheet cannot express (an event's automations, a group's target
+ *   duration, an unmapped custom field) is kept from the existing entry
+ * - a new id, or an id whose type changed, takes the incoming entry wholesale
+ * - existing entries absent from the incoming rundown are dropped
+ */
+export function mergeRundownPreservingFields(
+  incoming: Readonly<Rundown>,
+  existing: Readonly<Rundown>,
+  providedFields: ImportedFields,
+): Rundown {
+  const entries: RundownEntries = {};
+
+  for (const [id, incomingEntry] of Object.entries(incoming.entries)) {
+    const existingEntry = existing.entries[id];
+
+    // a new id, or one whose type changed, is not compatible for a merge: take the incoming data
+    if (existingEntry === undefined || existingEntry.type !== incomingEntry.type) {
+      entries[id] = incomingEntry;
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    // merge the sheet's data onto the existing entry through the canonical patch function, which
+    // keeps every unmapped field and infers an event's time strategy from the provided times
+    const merged = applyPatchToEntry(existingEntry, buildImportPatch(incomingEntry, providedFields));
+    // grouping comes from the sheet structure, not a data column: a group owns its children, every
+    // other entry knows its parent
+    const structure = isOntimeGroup(incomingEntry)
+      ? { entries: incomingEntry.entries }
+      : { parent: incomingEntry.parent };
+    entries[id] = structuredClone({ ...merged, ...structure });
+  }
+
+  return {
+    id: existing.id,
+    title: existing.title,
+    order: [...incoming.order],
+    flatOrder: [...incoming.flatOrder],
+    revision: existing.revision + 1,
+    entries,
+  };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Whether the currently playing event survives a change to its rundown,
+ * i.e. it still exists and is playable in the new version.
+ */
+export function isLoadedPlayable(loadedEventId: EntryId, rundown: Readonly<Rundown>): boolean {
+  const entry = rundown.entries[loadedEventId];
+  return entry !== undefined && isOntimeEvent(entry) && isPlayableEvent(entry);
+}
+
 /** List of event properties which do not need the rundown to be regenerated */
 enum RegenerateWhitelist {
  'id', // adding it for completeness, users cannot change ID
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { body, param } from 'express-validator';
+import type { EntryId, InsertOptions, OntimeGroup, Rundown } from 'ontime-types';

 import { requestValidationFunction } from '../validation-utils/validationFunction.js';

@@ -11,20 +12,53 @@ export const rundownPatchValidator = [
  requestValidationFunction,
 ];

+export const rundownImportValidator = [
+  body('mode').isString().isIn(['override', 'merge', 'new']),
+  body('targetRundownId')
+    .if(body('mode').isIn(['override', 'merge']))
+    .isString()
+    .trim()
+    .notEmpty()
+    .withMessage('targetRundownId is required when mode is override or merge'),
+  body('rundown').isObject(),
+  body('rundown.entries').isObject(),
+  body('rundown.order').isArray(),
+  body('rundown.flatOrder').isArray(),
+  body('customFields').isObject(),
+  body('providedFields').optional().isObject(),
+  body('providedFields.event').optional().isArray(),
+  body('providedFields.event.*').isString(),
+  body('providedFields.custom').optional().isArray(),
+  body('providedFields.custom.*').isString(),
+  requestValidationFunction,
+];
+
 // #endregion operations on project rundowns ======================
 // #region operations on rundown entries ==========================

 export const entryPostValidator = [
  body('type').isString().isIn(['event', 'delay', 'group', 'milestone']),
-  body('after').optional().isString(),
-  body('before').optional().isString(),
+  body('after')
+    .optional()
+    .custom((value) => value === true || typeof value === 'string')
+    .withMessage('Allowed values for after are an ID or true.'),
+  body('before')
+    .optional()
+    .custom((value) => value === true || typeof value === 'string')
+    .withMessage('Allowed values for before are an ID or true.'),

  requestValidationFunction,
 ];

 export const clonePostValidator = [
-  body('after').optional().isString(),
-  body('before').optional().isString(),
+  body('after')
+    .optional()
+    .custom((value) => value === true || typeof value === 'string')
+    .withMessage('Allowed values for after are an ID or true.'),
+  body('before')
+    .optional()
+    .custom((value) => value === true || typeof value === 'string')
+    .withMessage('Allowed values for before are an ID or true.'),

  requestValidationFunction,
 ];
@@ -72,4 +106,44 @@ export const entryRenumberValidator = [
  requestValidationFunction,
 ];

+/**
+ * Ensures callers use a single insertion anchor so placement is unambiguous.
+ */
+export function assertSingleInsertAnchor(options: InsertOptions) {
+  if (options.after !== undefined && options.before !== undefined) {
+    throw new Error('Use only one insertion anchor: after or before');
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Ensures an ID anchor exists and belongs to the order it is intended to position within.
+ */
+export function assertInsertAnchorInOrder(rundown: Rundown, parent: OntimeGroup | null, options: InsertOptions) {
+  const anchor = getStringInsertAnchor(options);
+  if (anchor === undefined) return;
+
+  if (!Object.hasOwn(rundown.entries, anchor)) {
+    throw new Error(`Insertion anchor with ID ${anchor} does not exist`);
+  }
+
+  const insertionList = parent ? parent.entries : rundown.order;
+  if (!insertionList.includes(anchor)) {
+    throw new Error(`Insertion anchor with ID ${anchor} is not in the target order`);
+  }
+}
+
+/** Ensures an ID anchor refers to an entry in the rundown. */
+export function assertInsertAnchorExists(rundown: Rundown, options: InsertOptions) {
+  const anchor = getStringInsertAnchor(options);
+  if (anchor !== undefined && !Object.hasOwn(rundown.entries, anchor)) {
+    throw new Error(`Insertion anchor with ID ${anchor} does not exist`);
+  }
+}
+
+function getStringInsertAnchor(options: InsertOptions): EntryId | undefined {
+  if (typeof options.after === 'string') return options.after;
+  if (typeof options.before === 'string') return options.before;
+  return undefined;
+}
+
 // #endregion operations on rundown entries =======================
--- a/Show More
+++ b/Show More
Author	SHA1	Message	Date
Claude	fec1651e39	fix(timer): address review findings on the group timer - keep the pending and none phases when showing the group timer. These describe the playback state rather than a threshold, so collapsing them made roll standby render as a running countdown and silently dropped user styling keyed on the phase - only show the group indicator for timer types which render the running timer. It was labelling the wall clock, and the invisible display of the none timer type, as a group - accept useGroupTimer in the MCP group patch. It was documented in the group shape but dropped on write, which reported success without applying the change - narrow the timer preview tooltip, which claimed all views follow the group timer when only the timer views do Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01Kniqs443KUNCRABwVJwT7K	2026-08-07 19:32:16 +00:00
Claude	1fad99f505	refactor(runtime): derive the group timer on the server The group timer was derived in the client, which meant every view that wanted it had to depend on the rundown query. That coupling was already awkward for the PiP timer, whose separate react root needed its own query client, and it would have spread to every remaining view. Moving the derivation to the server removes the coupling. The value is still the running event timer offset by the content scheduled around it, so the group keeps behaving as if it were a single event containing all its children. Because the group timer is the event timer offset by a constant, it changes exactly when the event timer does and can share its broadcast throttling. - add RuntimeStore.groupTimer, null unless the running group opted in - split the group around the loaded event when the group is loaded, so the per tick cost is an addition rather than a walk of the rundown - derive on the getState() projection so it cannot drift from the timer it is built on - reduce the client to a plain selector, dropping the PiP query client workaround Also fixes elapsed time, which was calculated from the group duration and so clamped to zero for as long as time added to an event kept the group in credit. It is now derived symmetrically with the remaining time, and the two always add up to the total. Timer and PiP shared eight identical branches for choosing between the two timers. These now go through a single resolver. A group has no warning or danger thresholds, so it only reports as running or overtime, and feeding that phase through the existing modifiers makes the suppression of warning and danger a consequence of what a group is rather than something each view has to remember. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01Kniqs443KUNCRABwVJwT7K	2026-07-26 15:46:58 +00:00
Claude	636b2e7c3e	feat(rundown): add opt-in shared group timer Groups can now opt into a shared timer, so stage outputs show how much time the whole block has left instead of only the running event. The value is derived in the client from the running event timer plus the content still scheduled after it, which makes the group behave as if it were a single event containing all its children. Keeping it relative to the event timer (rather than recalculating from the clock) means pause, added time, overtime, roll and midnight rollovers are all inherited, and moving between events inside a group cannot introduce a discontinuity. The remainder aggregation mirrors the server side group duration calculation: non playable entries are skipped and gaps are accounted for. Warning and danger thresholds belong to the event and carry no meaning against a group duration, so they are suppressed while the group timer is showing. Overtime is kept, but only once the group itself has run out of time. - add OntimeGroup.useGroupTimer, defaulting to false - show the group timer in the timer view and the PiP timer - indicate the override in the timer view, PiP, group header and timer preview - add a switch to the group editor The PiP window mounts its own react root, which had no query client and could therefore not read the rundown. It is now wrapped in a provider, which also means its view settings are no longer frozen at the moment the window opened. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01Kniqs443KUNCRABwVJwT7K	2026-07-26 06:24:15 +00:00
Carlos Valente	5cf36f049a	refactor(modal): allow wider modals	2026-07-25 14:28:45 +02:00
Carlos Valente	c6248b0c72	refactor(import): improve preview UI	2026-07-25 14:28:45 +02:00
Alex Christoffer Rasmussen	2a890cf2b3	fix: issue where a countToEnd would lead to incorrect expected times (#2149 ) * fix: issue where a count-to-end would lead to incorrect expected times * fix: include add time in overtime when countToEnd * fix: ui and server use same calculation for expected end	2026-07-25 11:22:24 +02:00
Carlos Valente	a8c611911d	refactor(rundown): new entries are appended to rundown	2026-07-22 07:17:39 +02:00
Carlos Valente	8363f06a5c	chore(rundown): improve documentation of insert logic	2026-07-22 07:17:39 +02:00
will@t1d.dev	5f040092cb	fix: timer-legacy view not served in desktop distributions The server serves html/timer-legacy.html and html/login.html from disk at runtime, relative to the bundled server. The Docker image copies these files but the electron packaging did not, so the view 404ed in all desktop distributions. Additionally, AppImages mount at /tmp/.mount_*, a hidden directory. Express sendFile refuses paths containing dot-segments by default (returns 404 without touching disk), so the view failed on Linux even with the file packaged. Allow dotfiles for this route; the request path is fixed so no user input is affected.	2026-07-19 10:02:45 +02:00
Carlos Valente	347c748dd9	feat(rundown): add shortcut to jump to current element	2026-07-18 17:03:02 +02:00
Carlos Valente	f234a1f892	fix(rundown): prevent skipped events from influencing day calculations	2026-07-18 16:52:36 +02:00
Carlos Valente	0c5e87b7e7	fix(ui): prevent warning indicator from overflowing container	2026-07-18 16:52:36 +02:00
Carlos Valente	64082ceac0	refactor(rundown): improve visibility of count to end	2026-07-18 16:45:55 +02:00
Carlos Valente	f598e8dab1	refactor(time control): improve handling of overtime and count to end	2026-07-18 16:45:55 +02:00
Carlos Valente	0c84a3ff9e	fix: delays account for midnight	2026-07-18 16:45:55 +02:00
Carlos Valente	c8760b5e9c	bump version to 4.11.0	2026-07-18 15:24:25 +02:00
Claude	34360a5b8f	feat(import): add merge strategy and new-rundown destination to spreadsheet import Co-authored-by: Carlos Valente <34649812+cpvalente@users.noreply.github.com>	2026-07-17 22:26:19 +02:00
Claude	5e6debcce0	fix(views): center timer digits with flexbox for embedded browser compatibility The Stage Timer and PiP Timer views relied on `align-content: center` to vertically center the timer digits inside `.timer-container`, which is a plain block element. Aligning children of a block container via `align-content` only works in Chromium 123+ (Firefox 125+, Safari 17.4+). Embedded browsers such as vMix Browser Input (CEF V115) and other older CEF/Chromium-based production tools ignore the property, so the digits fall back to the top of the container while every other element renders correctly. Make `.timer-container` a real flex column and center with `justify-content: center`, which is universally supported and matches the centering approach used elsewhere in the codebase. The removed `justify-self`/`align-self` were no-ops on a full-width flex item. Fixes #2126 Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_014T6ENZ3r6JXZb1fpYw2oNY	2026-07-17 20:59:49 +02:00
Carlos Valente	c191786e50	refactor(navigation): clear params from editor drawer	2026-07-17 15:50:42 +02:00
Carlos Valente	6911e37c18	refactor(automation): improve automation UX	2026-07-17 10:53:45 +02:00
Claude	86b2132cdc	feat(automation): expose group title and allow setting secondary text Surface {{groupNow.*}} template variables (title, note, colour, times, custom fields) in the automation template autocomplete so events inside a group can reference their group. The runtime store already carries groupNow, so substitution and filters worked already; this makes it discoverable. Extend the message-secondary action with an optional text field so an automation can set the secondary message content, not just its source. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01LZYPZVdZLWowU7DyzGkWyy	2026-07-17 10:53:45 +02:00
Carlos Valente	25f0dba83a	chore: add codegraph to gitignore	2026-07-16 10:46:10 +02:00
Carlos Valente	daa032e92c	ux(finder): add navigation shortcuts	2026-07-14 12:04:44 +02:00
Carlos Valente	ae65ec97d6	fix(shortcut): correct shortcut to delete	2026-07-14 12:04:44 +02:00
Carlos Valente	e7e4302100	refactor(shortcuts): improve readability of info element	2026-07-14 12:04:44 +02:00
Carlos Valente	7e7d35980a	refactor(op): improve status recognition	2026-07-14 11:58:59 +02:00
Carlos Valente	5001dda284	feat(op): add group visual relation	2026-07-14 11:58:59 +02:00
Carlos Valente	a75d35bdc0	refactor(op): improve delay indicator styles	2026-07-14 11:58:59 +02:00
Claude	2e631194e1	fix(ui): improve progress bar with local interpolation Co-authored-by: Carlos Valente <34649812+cpvalente@users.noreply.github.com>	2026-07-14 11:25:22 +02:00