Scheduler Settings: Complete Setup Guide
Configure locations, appointment types, staffing, booking rules, resources, and closures in a dependable order.
Scheduler Settings controls when appointments can be offered, who or what must be available, and whether clients can book online. Use this guide when setting up Scheduler for the first time or troubleshooting missing appointment times.
The key idea: a time is bookable only when every required layer is available. Location hours, appointment-type availability, staffing, resources, booking rules, and closures all work together. The narrowest rule wins.
Before you begin
Confirm that you have permission to manage Scheduler settings.
List each location, its time zone, and its normal operating hours.
List the appointment types you offer, their duration, and whether they require staff, rooms, or equipment.
Decide which appointment types should be available for public online booking.
Open Scheduler Settings
From the CoolFocus home screen, select the Settings gear, then choose Scheduler Settings.
You can also open Scheduler and select its settings gear.
1. Configure locations and operating hours
Open Locations and create or select a location.
On the Schedule tab, choose the schedule that defines when the location is open. Create a custom schedule when the location does not use an existing schedule.
For split-day hours, add another time period. Disable a day when the location is closed.
Select the location's correct time zone. This affects displayed appointment times, reminders, calendar feeds, and online booking.
On Appointment Types, add the services offered at this location, remove services no longer offered, and save.
2. Configure appointment types
Create or select an appointment type, then review each tab. A service can only be booked at locations assigned to it.
Scheduling
Add every location where the appointment type is offered.
Choose Location Hours when the service follows the site's normal hours.
Choose or create a custom schedule when the service is offered during a smaller window.
Select the staffing model: No Staff, Position Pool, or Specific Staff.
Choose the correct staffing model
No Staff: staff availability does not limit booking.
Position Pool: at least one qualified person in a required position must be working. Create positions in the Serve module, give staff work schedules, and add the required position to the appointment type.
Specific Staff: one named person must be available. Search for and assign that person.
3. Set booking rules
Open the Rules tab and define how appointment times are generated.
Duration: how long the appointment lasts.
Start Time Increment: how frequently start times appear. For example, a 45-minute appointment can still start every hour.
Lead Time: the minimum notice required before a client can book.
Booking Window: how far in advance clients can book.
Advanced Scheduling: optional buffers and limits. Leave these blank unless your workflow needs them.
4. Configure online booking and intake
On Booking, enable Online Booking only for appointment types clients should see publicly.
Use a Private Booking Link when a service should be available to a partner or third-party scheduler but not the public.
Add short Booking Questions for facts needed at booking time. Do not use booking questions as a replacement for a full intake form.
On Charts, select the visit charts that should be associated with this appointment type.
5. Add resources only when capacity matters
Resources represent limited rooms, equipment, or shared capacity. Skip resource requirements when they do not affect whether an appointment can occur.
Create the resource.
On Location & Capacity, choose where it is used and how many simultaneous appointments it supports.
Connect the resource to the appointment types that consume that capacity.
6. Review availability and closures
Availability shows the schedules used by locations, appointment types, and positions.
Availability Blocks close otherwise available time for holidays, weather closures, meetings, or other exceptions.
Use a block for a one-time closure. Change the normal schedule only when operating hours have permanently changed.
Final readiness check
Confirm every location has the correct hours and time zone.
Confirm each appointment type is assigned to the correct locations.
Confirm duration, start increment, lead time, and booking window.
Confirm required staff have the correct positions and work schedules.
Confirm resources have the correct location and capacity.
Confirm online-booking visibility, booking questions, charts, and intake settings.
Add known closures and preview availability before launch.
Save changes on every settings page.
Common questions
Why does an appointment type show no available times?
Check each layer in order: location hours, the appointment type's schedule, staffing, resources, booking rules, and availability blocks. One unavailable required layer is enough to remove a time.
Should I use location hours or a custom appointment-type schedule?
Use location hours when the service is offered whenever the site is open. Use a custom appointment-type schedule when the service is offered only during part of those hours.
When should I use Position Pool instead of Specific Staff?
Use Position Pool when any qualified person can cover the appointment. Use Specific Staff only when the booking must depend on one named person.
What is the difference between Duration and Start Time Increment?
Duration is the time the appointment occupies. Start Time Increment controls how often clients see a possible start time.
How should I schedule a holiday closure?
Create an Availability Block. Do not rewrite the regular weekly schedule for a one-time closure.
Related guides
For a click-by-click visual reference, open the Scheduler Settings Arcade guide.
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