Optimize your online bookings

For online booking optimization to work best at managing the time slots clients can book online, we recommend taking the following steps: 

• Schedule shifts for your team.
• Make sure you add any upcoming time off for team members.
• Add blocked time to prevent unwanted bookings during busy times and breaks.
• If you're a team member, you'll need to request permission to access online booking settings.

Create back-to-back appointments in your calendar by completely eliminating gaps. Online booking slots will be based on your current appointments, scheduled breaks, and block time to fit perfectly with your team's schedules.

How eliminating calendar gaps works

By choosing to eliminate calendar gaps, your online booking slots will be optimized to only show clients the following availability:

• Appointment times before or after the team member’s appointments, scheduled breaks, and block time.
• Depending on the option selected, appointment times are either:
  • At the start and end of the team member’s working hours.
  • At the start of the team member’s working hours.
  • At the end of the team member’s working hours.

If the team member’s calendar is completely clear for the day, all time slots will show as available for clients based on the time slot intervals you have set.

Eliminate calendar gaps

To eliminate calendar gaps:

1. Open Workspace settings, select Scheduling then Appointments.
2. Under Optimize online bookings, click Edit.
3. Select Eliminate calendar gaps.
4. Choose which time slots you want to include from:
   1. At the start and end of the day 
   2. At the start of the day
   3. At the end of the day
5. Click Save.

Reducing calendar gaps is a great option to optimize online bookings to suit your team’s schedules while still offering clients additional options that won’t create small and awkward gaps in your calendar.

How reduced calendar gaps work

By choosing to reduce calendar gaps, your online booking slots will be optimized to show clients the following availability:

• Appointment times at the start or before the end of the team member’s working hours.
• Appointment times before or after the team member’s appointments, scheduled breaks, and block time.
• Additional time slots that are at least one hour before or after any existing bookings, blocked time, and shifts. These slots will also be based on your time slot intervals.

If the team member’s calendar is completely clear for the day, all time slots will show as available for clients based on the time slot intervals you have set.

Reduce calendar gaps

To reduce calendar gaps:

1. Open Workspace settings, select Scheduling then Appointments.
2. Under Optimize online bookings, click Edit.
3. Select Reduce calendar gaps.
4. Click Save.

Setting up regular time slots will show your clients every available time slot in your calendar throughout the whole working day, based on your selected time slot interval.

How regular time slots work

Regular time slots won’t optimize your calendar, meaning clients can select any available appointment time in your team member’s working day.

Appointment time slots during scheduled breaks, block time, or out-of-working hours will not show for clients booking online.

Use regular time slots

To set regular time slots:

1. Open Workspace settings, select Scheduling then Appointments.
2. Under Optimize online bookings, click Edit.
3. Select Regular time slots.
4. Set the Time slot interval to determine the duration between each available appointment slot. For example, 30 minutes.
5. Click Save.