Cue Tracking Software for Theatre
Track every cue in your production — lighting, sound, fly, automation, projection — in one searchable, shareable system. CuePad is cue tracking software built specifically for stage managers and theatre production teams.
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What cue tracking software does
Cue tracking software replaces the spreadsheets and paper cue sheets stage managers have used for decades. Instead of maintaining separate documents — one for lighting, one for sound, one for fly, one for everything else — and trying to keep them aligned with the script, a cue tracking system holds every cue in one place, anchored to the exact moment in the script where it fires.
The result: one source of truth for every technical event in the show, accessible from any device, shareable with the team in real time, and exportable as a professional cue sheet or printable prompt book.
Why stage managers need this
Cue tracking is one of the most error-prone parts of running a show. The reasons are familiar to anyone who has stage managed:
- Cues come from multiple designers, each with their own numbering and format
- Numbers shift constantly during tech as cues are added, cut, and renumbered
- The cue sheet and the prompt book have to stay aligned, by hand
- An out-of-date cue list distributed to the team causes real damage
- Calling a show from a binder of cue sheets means flipping pages mid-performance
Cue tracking software solves these problems by making the cue the central object — not a row in a spreadsheet, but an indexed item tied to the script. When a cue moves, it moves everywhere. When you add a cue, it's available to everyone instantly.
What CuePad's cue tracking includes
Cues anchored to script text
Select a trigger word, line, or moment in the script and attach a cue directly to it. The cue appears in the margin with a visual connector to its trigger. No more “page 47, line 12” abstractions — the cue lives where it fires.
Department types and color coding
Cues are color-coded by department: Blocking, Lighting, Sound, Music, Projection, Props, Costume, Scenic, Director. You can also define custom cue types for show-specific categories.
Standby and go management
Every cue can include standby placement and timing notes, so the calling stage manager sees both halves of the cue — the warning and the trigger — in the prompt book view.
Searchable cue list
A flat, sortable list of every cue in the show. Filter by department, search by description, jump to any cue's location in the script with one click.
Cue sheet export
Generate a printable cue sheet in the format designers and operators expect. PDF export for the prompt book, spreadsheet-compatible structures for sharing.
Team collaboration
Share the cue list with the rest of the production team in real time. The director, lighting designer, sound designer, and ASMs all see the same data, updated as it changes. No more emailing spreadsheets back and forth.
Version history
Every cue change is tracked. Restore previous states when needed. Useful during tech, when cues evolve rapidly and “what did we have before this change?” is a real question.
How it compares to the alternatives
| Spreadsheets | Paper Cue Sheets | CuePadRecommended | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tied to script | No — separate document | No — separate document | Yes — cues anchored to script text |
| Real-time collaboration | Limited (depends on tool) | None | Built in |
| Search across cues | Limited (one sheet at a time) | Manual flipping | Full-text instant search |
| Department color coding | Manual | Manual | Automatic |
| Renumbering cues | Manual cascade through every row | Cross out and rewrite | Automatic |
| Backup | Depends on platform | None | Automatic cloud backup |
| PDF export | Manual formatting | N/A | Built in |
Who uses cue tracking software
Stage managers across every scale of theatre — Broadway, regional, college, community, educational, touring — use cue tracking software for the same reasons: shows have gotten more technically complex, design teams are increasingly remote, and the cost of a missed or miscalled cue is the same as it has always been.
The biggest adoption is happening in:
Educational theatre
Students need to learn professional workflows on actual professional tools.
Touring productions
The production team needs visibility into cues across locations.
Multi-stage and repertory theatres
One stage manager may track cues across multiple shows.
Distributed design teams
Sound or video designers working remotely who need real-time access to the cue list.
What unites them is the same shift: away from spreadsheets and paper, toward systems built for the work.
Try CuePad's cue tracking free
The free Core plan includes full cue tracking on one script — every department, every cue type, full search, full export. Enough to run an entire production for free.