Booking rules: limit how far ahead patients can book

Each practitioner sets how far ahead, how soon and when patients can book on their own booking page. In a clinic, the clinic admin sets visit types.

How far ahead and how soon

1. 1Open Settings, then Booking.
2. 2Open Public profile & link.
3. 3Choose Book up to, for example 2 weeks. Patients cannot pick a time further out than this.
4. 4Choose Minimum notice, the least warning you need before a booked time starts.
5. 5Choose Save profile.

Times outside these rules are not shown on your booking page. If a patient picks a time just as it falls outside them, they see a short message and can pick another time.

Visit length and approval

Under Visit types, each visit has its own Duration (minutes), and Buffer before and Buffer after for time to prepare or tidy up. If you work on your own, you set these yourself.

In a clinic, your admin sets visit types, their buffers and approval under Settings, then Visit types, and chooses which ones your page offers.

Require your approval is on by default, so each booking waits for approval from you, your front desk or your clinic admin. When it is off, patients book instantly if no payment is required.

When patients can book

Weekly availability sets the days and hours you take bookings. Patients only see times inside it.

Who can change the rules

Only the practitioner can change Book up to, Minimum notice and Weekly availability. If you work on your own, you change everything, including visit types.

In a clinic, an admin manages visit types under Settings, then Visit types. An admin can also turn a page off or back on with Disable booking or Re-enable booking, under Calendar, then Booking, then Pages.

Front desk staff and admins can approve or decline requests under Calendar, then Booking, then Requests. Front desk staff cannot change booking rules or turn a page off.

Who can book

Anyone with the booking link can ask for a time. The page asks Who is this visit for? Patients choose Me, or Someone else when booking for a child, parent or relative. For someone else they give that person's details, plus their own name if they are not signed in.

To approve or decline requests, see Booking requests: approve, taken times and expired links.