Bookings
Online Booking Availability
Last updated 8 July 2026
Online Booking Availability
Online booking availability controls how available public booking times are shown on your storefront. Use it to decide whether customers see every valid time or a tighter selection that helps keep the day compact. The setting affects customer self-booking only, not staff-created bookings.
TL;DR
- Show all available times is the default and recommended option.
- Prioritise gap-friendly times favours times beside bookings, blocked time, and shift edges.
- Maximum wait between services controls allowed idle wait for multi-service bookings: No wait, Up to 5 minutes, Up to 10 minutes, or Up to 15 minutes.
- The setting activates on the public storefront once online booking is published.
What online booking availability controls
Online booking availability controls the public list of times shown to clients during online booking. It does not change venue hours, staff rosters, service duration, resource requirements, existing bookings, or internal staff scheduling.
| Control | What it affects |
|---|---|
| Availability mode | Whether the storefront shows every valid time or prioritises gap-friendly times. |
| Maximum wait between services | Whether multi-service bookings can include a short idle wait between services. |
| Published storefront state | The setting is saved before launch, but it only affects customers once online booking is published. |
Processing, finishing, cleanup, and service buffers are handled separately from the maximum wait setting.
Change availability on web
On web, online booking availability lives in Booking settings.
- Go to Settings.
- Open Booking settings.
- Find Online booking availability.
- Choose Show all available times or Prioritise gap-friendly times.
- Choose a Maximum wait between services option.
The web setting saves when you choose an option. If saving fails, OpenChair shows Online booking availability not saved with a retry action.
If online booking is not published, the card shows These options activate once online booking is published.
Change availability on mobile
On mobile, online availability has its own screen under booking rules.
- Open More.
- Open Booking Rules.
- Open Online availability.
- Choose an availability mode.
- Choose Maximum wait between services.
- Tap Save.
Only owners can save changes on mobile. Non-owner users see Owner access required and Only the venue owner can change online booking availability.
Availability modes
Availability modes decide how generous or compact the public time list should be.
| Mode | Use it when | Customer impact |
|---|---|---|
| Show all available times | You want customers to see every valid time. This is the default and marked Recommended. | Customers see the broadest valid set of available times. |
| Prioritise gap-friendly times | You want the storefront to prefer times beside existing bookings, blocked time, and shift edges. | Customers still see valid times, but the list favours a tighter diary. |
Start with Show all available times if your priority is reducing friction. Switch to Prioritise gap-friendly times if online booking is creating too many small gaps.
Maximum wait between services
Maximum wait between services controls idle waits inside multi-service public bookings. It only applies when a short wait helps the basket fit the calendar.
| Option | What it allows |
|---|---|
| No wait | Only suggest back-to-back multi-service appointments. |
| Up to 5 minutes | Suggest multi-service appointments with up to 5 minutes of idle wait between services. |
| Up to 10 minutes | Suggest multi-service appointments with up to 10 minutes of idle wait between services. |
| Up to 15 minutes | Suggest multi-service appointments with up to 15 minutes of idle wait between services. |
When a public booking includes a wait, the booking flow can show copy such as Includes a 5 minute wait between services.
Who can use this
| Role | Access |
|---|---|
| Owner | Can view and save online booking availability on web and mobile. |
| Manager | May view settings according to normal venue access, but cannot save this setting. |
| Team | Cannot change online booking availability. |
| Customer | Sees the resulting storefront time list, but never sees the setting itself. |
Common mistakes
| Mistake | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| Expecting the setting to affect staff-created bookings | Use it for public storefront availability only. Internal bookings still use normal scheduling. |
| Turning on gap-friendly mode before publishing online booking and expecting a public change | Publish online booking first. The setting is saved but not customer-visible until then. |
| Confusing maximum wait with processing time | Use maximum wait for idle waits between services. Processing, finishing, cleanup, and buffers are handled separately. |
| Setting a wait that feels too long for customers | Choose No wait or a shorter wait option. |
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| The setting has no effect on the storefront | Confirm online booking is published. The web card says the options activate once online booking is published. |
| Mobile says Owner access required | Ask the venue owner to change the setting. The mobile save path is owner-only. |
| The save fails | Use the retry action. On web, the error title is Online booking availability not saved. On mobile, use Save again. |
| Customers still see many times | Choose Prioritise gap-friendly times and review the diary. If many valid times remain, the schedule may genuinely have broad availability. |
| Multi-service bookings show a wait | Reduce Maximum wait between services to No wait or a shorter option. |
FAQ
What is online booking availability?
Online booking availability controls how public storefront times are presented to clients, either every valid time or a tighter gap-friendly selection.
Who can change online booking availability?
Only the venue owner can save online booking availability changes. Other venue members may be able to view the current setting depending on their settings access.
What does maximum wait between services mean?
Maximum wait between services allows No wait, Up to 5 minutes, Up to 10 minutes, or Up to 15 minutes of idle wait between services only when it helps a multi-service booking fit the calendar.
Does this affect staff-created bookings?
No. Online booking availability affects public storefront availability only. Staff-created bookings still use the normal internal scheduling and conflict checks.