We understand that unexpected time blocks in calendars created through Booking can be frustrating, both for our users and for their customers who are trying to make appointments. However, these blocks are not always necessarily technical failures of the tool and may, in fact, be related to incorrect configurations or conflicting events between with Google Calendar and he Booking App.
For this reason, you will learn in this tutorial what checks to perform on your tool to identify and fix the problem quickly and easily. Learn practices to not only unlock your schedules, but ensure your Builderall Booking always runs smoothly.
Success! Carrying out these checks before contacting our technical support team not only helps you understand healthy practices for configuring calendars in Booking, but also avoids unnecessary waits related to internal checks, allowing you to resume using the calendar quickly.
What checks should I carry out in case of blocked times before contacting support?
1. Check Google Calendar Integration:
The Booking tool offers direct integration with Google Calendar, allowing you to share information between the two systems. When using this option in the “automation” area of the calendar settings in Booking, you can choose between three ways of sharing:
- Reading (One Way): Uses Google Calendar events to manage your availability on Booking.
- Written (One Way): Synchronizes only Booking appointments with Google Calendar, allowing you to follow appointments made by the Builderall element via Google Calendar.
- Reading and Writing (Two-Way): Sends Booking appointments to Google Calendar and uses Google Calendar appointments to manage availability on Booking, that is, shares information two-way, Booking – Google Calendar and vice versa .
If the first or last option is selected, it’s possible that a Google Calendar event is blocking Booking.
Possible ways to integrate with Google Calendar in Builderall’s Booking tool.
To test the option mentioned above, change the calendar status to “Writing”, this way, the information from the Google Calendar selected in the calendar settings will not be shared with the Booking calendar. After changing the status, reload the calendar, if the previously blocked times are now free, you have an event in your Google Calendar calendar that is blocking the ability to make appointments. Check the events you have with the “busy” status directly in Google Calendar on the desired date, also check the events that last all day or more than one day. When sharing information, Booking blocks times only when it identifies events that have a “busy” status.
Examples of event on Google Calendar.
Event with “busy” status on Google Calendar.
You have two options to fix time blocking by events in Google Calendar: keep the calendar only in the “Writing” status for the information sharing type or change the statuses of events in your Google Calendar to the free option.
2. Check Calendar Time Settings:
Setting the exact times on your calendar is essential to ensure a seamless scheduling experience. Depending on the settings chosen, scheduled times may conflict and block new appointments. Therefore, it is crucial to carefully review all the information in this section when you notice that times that should be free are blocked:
1. Opening Hours and Available Dates:
Check that the opening hours and available dates for appointments are defined correctly. Make sure the dates and times you want to receive appointments are enabled for selection.
2. Availability Interval, Duration of Service and Interval between Sessions:
Booking allows the configuration of 3 categories that define time availability. The first option allows you to define the time intervals between the times available for scheduling. The shorter the time configured, the greater the flexibility and possibilities in choosing a time. The second option allows you to configure the total service time (time also indicated to the customer at the time of scheduling). The last option allows the configuration of rest intervals (time not indicated for the client at the time of scheduling, but counted towards the time block).
Example: If you configure availability intervals every 15 minutes and open from 8:00 to 17:00, 35 possible scheduling times will be available, let’s say your service time is 1 hour and you take a rest break 10 minutes between sessions. If a customer schedules an 8:00 appointment, the tool will automatically block all appointments until 9:15, taking into account the service time plus rest time.
Configuration of the availability interval, service duration and interval between sessions as per the example:
Times available every 15 minutes, but with several times blocked due to a schedule at 2:00 that will last 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Tip: To prevent blocked times from appearing on your calendar consecutively due to service time and rest intervals, simply select the “Do not display unavailable times” option in the “Advanced Settings” area within the “Scheduling” section. This way, the tool will automatically analyze the information you configured and only make free times available.
Location to configure the display of unavailable times in the Booking tool.
3. Availability:
Check if any availability limits are configured by specific date or calendar days. This option interferes with the date available times will appear on your calendar, blocking the others from the configured time.
4. Minimum Advance:
Check if there is a minimum advance configured for appointments. This determines how long before the available time customers can schedule an appointment and blocks the times if this minimum advance time is exceeded.
5. Blocking Specific Dates:
Make sure there is no specific date locked in the settings options.
Options 3, 4 and 5 in the Builderall Booking tool.
By following the steps outlined above, you can now independently confirm and/or correct the reason for blocked times in your calendars. However, if after checking all the options indicated above and confirming that all settings are correct, but there are still times blocked unduly, contact our technical support team via chat or ticket!
Other Tutorials
- Booking App Overview
- Integrating Zoom, Google Meet, Google Calendar
- Understanding groups
- Setting up consultations
- Setting up an event
- Setting up a classroom
- Setting up a recurring event
- Adding the calendar to your website
- How to transfer and share your calendar
- Exporting your subscribers to excel or .csv file
- Creating tags in calendar to use with Mailingboss (autoresponder)
- Quick solution: Unblock Improper Schedules on Builderall Booking
Thank you for following the instructions with me. If you have any questions or problems using the tool, our technical support team is always available to help you!
Please rate us by giving us your feedback. It is important to us.
Let your business take off🚀
