Adding Buffer Times and Minimum Notice to Prevent Back-to-Back Bookings
Overview
Buffer times, minimum scheduling notice, and booking limits are settings you configure on your Schedly event types
(found under Schedly Services) to control when and how densely people can book you. Instead of accepting whatever your
raw calendar availability allows, these guardrails add breathing room between meetings, stop last-minute bookings, and
cap how many appointments land on a single day. They're used by anyone who books through Schedly — from solo consultants
who need travel time to teams who want prep time before every call.
This article walks you through each control, how it interacts with your underlying availability, and how to troubleshoot
slots that show up or disappear when you don't expect it.
Prerequisites
- A Schedly account with access to Schedly Services (Event Types).
- Permission to create or edit event types. Admin users have full access to create and modify event types; Members can
participate in and book events but may not be able to edit event-type configuration.
- At least one event type already created, or the ability to create a new one via the New button.
- Buffer, notice, and limit controls are configured per event type, so make sure you're editing the correct event
before you begin.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Open the event type you want to protect
1. Click the Schedly Services button on the main navigation menu.
2. Click Event Types.
3. Select the event type you want to configure, or click the New button to create a fresh one.
4. Enter or confirm the event name and description in the provided fields.
5. Confirm the duration in the Duration field. Event durations can range from 15 minutes to 120 minutes — the duration
matters because buffers are applied on top of it.
Set before and after event buffers
Buffers add protected, unbookable time immediately before and/or after each booking so the next appointment can't butt
right up against the last.
1. In the event type editor, locate the buffer settings.
2. Set a Before event buffer to reserve time ahead of each booking — useful for prep, reviewing notes, or arriving.
3. Set an After event buffer to reserve time following each booking — useful for wrap-up, note-taking, or travel to the
next commitment.
4. Enter the buffer length in minutes for each field. You can set one, both, or neither.
5. Click the Save button to apply the buffers.
Example: A 30-minute event with a 15-minute after buffer means Schedly will not offer another slot until 45 minutes
after the booking starts.
Configure minimum scheduling notice
Minimum notice stops people from grabbing a slot that starts too soon for you to prepare.
1. In the event type editor, find the minimum scheduling notice setting.
2. Enter the amount of lead time you require (for example, 2 hours or 24 hours) before a booking can be made.
3. Any time slots that fall inside that notice window will be automatically hidden from the booking page.
4. Click Save to apply.
Limit future bookings and set daily caps
Booking limits let you cap how far into the future people can book and how many appointments can land per day.
1. In the event type editor, open the booking limits section.
2. Set a future booking window to control how far ahead the calendar is open (for example, allow bookings only within
the next 30 days).
3. Set a daily cap to limit the number of bookings accepted on any single day. Once the cap is reached, remaining slots
for that day disappear from the booking page.
4. If your event allows multiple attendees, confirm the number in the Seats field so per-slot capacity and daily caps
work together as intended.
5. Click Save to finalize your limits.
Key Details & Limits
- Event duration range: 15 to 120 minutes. Buffers are added around this duration, not inside it.
- Buffers are per event type: each event type carries its own before/after buffer, minimum notice, and daily cap.
- Seats field: controls how many participants a single slot accepts; combine with daily caps to control total volume.
- Requires confirmation checkbox: when enabled, bookings need host approval before they're finalized — this affects
when a slot is truly consumed.
- Hidden checkbox: hides the event type from public view entirely; note this is different from hiding individual slots
via notice or caps.
- Real-time updates: Insights and booking data update in real time, so caps and limits take effect immediately after
you save.
- Plan availability: Event types and service booking are available on the Basic Plan ($10/month, up to 10 team
members). The Pro Plan ($25/month, up to 50 team members) and Enterprise Plan (custom pricing, unlimited members)
add team management and insights on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do buffers reduce my actual availability, or just what's shown? Buffers reserve real, unbookable time around each
confirmed booking. Your underlying calendar availability stays the same, but the bookable slots shown to visitors shrink
to respect the buffer.
Can I use a before buffer for travel time and an after buffer for notes? Yes. The before buffer is ideal for travel or
prep to reach the meeting, and the after buffer is ideal for wrap-up, follow-up notes, or heading to your next
commitment. You can set both independently.
What happens when my daily cap is reached? Once the number of bookings on a day hits your daily cap, all remaining slots
for that day disappear from the booking page automatically. They reappear the next day within your future booking
window.
Why can't people book me for later today? That's almost always your minimum scheduling notice. If it's set to, say, 24
hours, every slot inside the next 24 hours is hidden. Lower the notice value and save to open up sooner slots.
Do these settings apply to every event type at once? No. Buffers, minimum notice, future window, and daily caps are all
configured per event type. Set them on each event type you want protected.
Does 'Requires confirmation' affect my buffers and caps? Buffers and caps apply based on booked time. When an event
requires confirmation, treat pending bookings as reserving that slot until you approve or decline.
Troubleshooting
Slots I expected are missing from the booking page. Check your minimum scheduling notice first — slots inside that
lead-time window are hidden. Then check your buffers: a large before/after buffer can eliminate short gaps between
existing events. Finally, confirm you haven't hit your daily cap for that date.
Extra time is being blocked around my meetings. This is your before and/or after buffer working as designed. Open the
event type, reduce or clear the buffer values, and click Save.
No future dates are bookable at all. Your future booking window may be set too narrow, or the daily cap may be very low.
Widen the window and raise the cap, then save.
My changes aren't taking effect. Make sure all required fields (name, duration) are filled and that you clicked the Save
button after editing. If the event type won't save, an empty required field is the usual cause.
Slots appear that should be blocked. Confirm you edited the correct event type — settings are per event type, so a
change to one won't protect another. Also verify the Duration value, since buffers are calculated around it.
Related Topics
- Creating and Editing Event Types — how to set duration, seats, and visibility for each bookable event.
- Requiring Confirmation for Bookings — make bookings need host approval before they're finalized.
- Hiding an Event Type — use the Hidden checkbox to keep an event type private.
- Viewing Booking Insights — track how buffers and caps affect your booking volume in real time.
