Controlled appointment release

Controlled appointment release lets an owner or manager expand a team member’s online diary one appointment at a time. Working hours still describe when the team member could work. From the chosen effective date, an exact service and start time must also be released before a customer can book it online.

Existing bookings and live holds are preserved when the setting starts or ends.

Turn it on for a team member

1. Open Team, select the team member, then open Services or Online booking.
2. Turn on Controlled appointment release.
3. Choose a future effective date.
4. Select Preview and save.
5. Review the number of existing bookings and holds that remain protected, then confirm.

Turning the setting off also needs a future date and confirmation because unreleased working times become visible online from that date. Active private offers and their holds remain protected until they resolve.

Release an appointment

On the calendar, open the actions for an empty time and select Release appointments.

1. Choose the service.
2. Review exact candidate starts. Each candidate shows the customer appointment time, the time the team member remains occupied until, and matching waitlist demand.
3. Choose Open online or Waitlist first.

Open online makes only that service, team member and exact start available. It does not open every possible start inside a wider window.

Offer the appointment to the waitlist first

When an exact matching request exists, Waitlist first sends one exclusive offer. Choose a 30-minute, 1-hour, 2-hour or 4-hour response window. Two hours is selected by default, and the default outcome is Keep closed if unanswered. You can instead choose Open online after the deadline before sending.

The review shows the exact reply deadline. If minimum notice shortens the selected window, you must acknowledge the shorter deadline before sending. If the available response period has already ended, the offer cannot be sent. Quiet hours keep the appointment closed and show when to retry.

The client’s private link opens the normal booking checkout. Deposits, card protection, vouchers, minimum notice, room and equipment occupancy, and the final availability check work the same way as an ordinary online booking.

Offer outcomes

Status	What it means
Not released	The appointment remains private and needs manager review.
Waitlist only	One client has priority. Other customers cannot book it.
Open online	The exact appointment can be booked from the storefront.
Booked	Checkout completed and consumed the released appointment.

If the client declines, their hold is released but the appointment stays private until the reviewed deadline. A manager can offer it to another matching client. A failed send returns the appointment to review. An uncertain delivery stays protected and does not automatically open online. Cancelling a completed controlled booking returns its appointment to Not released.

Reopen Release appointments to review persisted openings. You can recheck an uncertain delivery, open an appointment online, keep it closed or withdraw it. Rechecking uses the original delivery identity and does not send a duplicate message.

Manual bookings

Your team can still create an urgent manual booking in controlled time. The booking form identifies that controlled release applies and requires an explicit acknowledgement before using unreleased time. This acknowledgement does not bypass roster, booking, room, equipment or other occupancy conflicts.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Check
Release controls are unavailable	Release management may be temporarily disabled. Existing bookings and private appointment protections remain in place. Contact support if you need the controls restored.
No candidate starts appear	Confirm the setting is effective for that date, the service is assigned to the team member, and roster, block, resource and existing booking constraints leave a physical opening.
Waitlist first is unavailable	The appointment needs a complete single-service waitlist request that fits the selected team member and start.
The client’s link says the offer is unavailable	The offer may have expired, been declined or withdrawn, or the appointment may no longer pass notice and availability checks. Their waitlist request remains available for review.
An unanswered offer did not open online	Keep closed if unanswered is the default. Automatic fallback also stays closed after a failed or uncertain send, or when the time is no longer feasible.

Related guides

• Booking calendar
• Smart Waitlist and gap filling
• Booking rules