Take more control over your schedule with buffer times and appointment intervals. These settings help you fine-tune how your availability appears to clients, so you can manage your time, energy, and workflow more effectively.
⚠️ Buffer times and booking intervals affect each other. If they’re not set up intentionally, you might end up with gaps in your calendar that look free but can’t be booked. Read How Buffers & Intervals Work Together.
Buffers
Buffers add a gap before or after each appointment to give yourself time to prep, write notes, or take a break.
Before buffer: Blocks time before a session starts
After buffer: Blocks time after a session ends
For example, a 5:00 pm 60-minute session with a 10-minute before-buffer and 20-minute after-buffer will only allow bookings at:
Before the session: The previous appointment must end by 4:50 pm
After the session: Next earliest booking is 6:20 pm
Intervals
Intervals control how frequently time slots are offered to clients.
Set to 15, 30, or 60 minutes
A 30-minute interval means clients will see available times at 9:00, 9:30, 10:00, etc.
Tip: Shorter intervals give clients more flexibility. Longer ones help space out bookings.
How Buffers & Intervals Work Together
Buffer times and booking intervals shape your availability in tandem — and can impact each other in ways that aren’t always obvious.
Let’s say:
You offer a 60-minute session at 9:00 am
With 10 minutes before (8:50 am) and 20 minutes after (9:20 am) as buffer time
Your booking interval is 60 minutes (9:00 am, 10:00 am, 11:00 am, etc.)
So if a client books at 9:00 am, your calendar is blocked until 10:20 am.
However, since your interval is set on the hour, slots for 10:00 am (after the session ends) and 10:20 am (after the buffer time ends) become unbookable, even though part of it appears free.
The next available appointment slot will be at 11:00 am.
TL;DR
Buffer time affects how long each session truly takes in your calendar
Booking intervals affect when sessions can be booked within the hour
Mismatched settings = blocked but unusable time
By balancing both thoughtfully, you can create a schedule that works smoothly for you and your clients.
How to Add Buffers & Intervals
Go to Appointments → Setup → Configure
In the Advanced Scheduling Settings, add your booking intervals and buffer times.