What is the slot interval?

What is a slot interval?

The slot interval decides how often a new start time begins for a service. The times count from the moment you open, and a time is only offered if the whole service still fits.

For example: a 30-minute service with a 30-minute interval, and you're open from 09:00 to 17:00. A customer then sees:

09:00, 09:30, 10:00, 10:30, ... , 16:30

Each service has its own interval

The interval belongs to the service, not to your whole calendar. So a beard trim can start every quarter hour and highlights every half hour. A new service starts at 15 minutes.

How do I change it?

Go to Administration > Online booking, When tab. Online booking sits under the Appointments heading. Under Slot intervals, click Adjust per service.

You'll see all your services in a list, each with its own menu. Pick an interval and it's saved straight away. Use Search services to find the right one quickly.

To change several services at once:

1. Tick the services, or choose Select all.
2. Pick the interval at Set to.
3. Click Apply to … selected.

The options are 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 minutes.

Can't see the When tab? It's only there while the Booking widget module is switched on. You can check that under Administration > Modules.

Which interval should I pick?

An appointment blocks out its whole duration. The next start time is the first step of the interval after that appointment ends.

If the service's duration fits the interval exactly, appointments follow on from each other. If it doesn't, time is left over:

• A 30-minute service with a 30-minute interval: appointments follow on from each other
• A 45-minute service with a 15-minute interval: appointments follow on from each other
• A 45-minute service with a 30-minute interval: an appointment at 10:00 finishes at 10:45, and the next start is 11:00. That leaves a quarter of an hour.

A smaller interval gives customers more choice. A larger one gives less choice, but a calmer row of times.

What if my services are different lengths?

Because every service has its own interval, you match it to each service's duration.

For example: a 90-minute service with a 30-minute interval. An appointment at 10:00 blocks until 11:30, so the next start time for that service is 11:30.

If you've set buffer time around appointments, that time comes on top.