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Booking rules and availability

This page covers the rules that define how online requests are created, how availability is calculated, and what limits apply to booking.

What this page includes​

From here you configure:

  • the status of a new appointment;
  • the status of a new client;
  • which working hours are used for availability;
  • whether the client chooses an employee;
  • how slots are structured;
  • how early and how far ahead booking is allowed;
  • when the client can change or cancel a booking;
  • how many appointments a client can make per day.

1) Statuses for new online requests​

  • "New appointment status" sets the initial status of every new online booking.
  • "New client status" sets the status of a new visitor before they are approved as a client.

These settings define whether new requests go directly into the workflow or need review first. If you want more control, also follow Pending approvals.

2) Which working hours are used for availability​

"Use working schedule from" defines where the system takes free time from:

  • the location working hours;
  • the employee working hours.

This matters because it directly affects which slots are shown online at all.

3) Employee selection​

"Employee selection" defines whether the client:

  • cannot choose an employee;
  • may choose an employee;
  • must choose an employee.

This affects both the booking experience and the way availability is checked.

4) Slots and time steps​

"Time intervals (slots)" defines the step between the available time options. You can use:

  • an automatic step based on the service duration;
  • fixed steps such as 15, 30, 60, 90, or 120 minutes.

This does not only affect the layout of the slot list. It also affects how often the client sees a possible start time.

5) How early and how far ahead clients can book​

These are the two main limits for the service time itself:

  • "When a client can make an appointment" Defines the minimum lead time before the slot. For example immediately, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 1 day, or more.
  • "Online appointment available in the future" Defines how far ahead in the future the client can see available slots.

These two settings are not the same as the request submission window. That is covered separately in Request submission window.

6) Changes, cancellations, and daily limit​

  • "Cancellation and change" Defines how long before the appointment the client can change or cancel the booking themselves.
  • "Maximum appointments allowed per day" Defines how many appointments one client can make in a single day.

These limits are useful when you want to reduce misuse and keep the schedule more stable.

How the rules work together​

An online booking goes through several checks:

  1. whether there are published services and availability;
  2. whether the slot matches the working hours;
  3. whether the time is early enough or not too far in the future;
  4. whether the client is within the daily limit;
  5. whether the request is submitted inside the allowed request window.

That is why the client may be able to see the location profile and still be unable to submit a valid request.