Appointment Scheduling Lead Time

Last updated: September 15, 2025

The Appointment Scheduling Lead Time feature helps you set advance notice requirements for appointment bookings, ensuring you have adequate time to prepare for scheduled appointments.

Overview

Appointment Lead Time determines how far in advance customers must request appointments before their desired time slot. This feature gives you control over last-minute bookings and helps maintain your schedule management.

Configuration

To configure your appointment lead time settings, navigate to your inbound/outbound sections in settings and locate the "Appointment Lead Time" option.

Configuration Options

You can choose between two different calculation methods for your lead time requirements:

Option 1: Cutoff at Specific Time of Day

This option sets a daily cutoff time after which appointments cannot be booked for the next business day(s).

How it works:

  • Set a specific cutoff time (e.g., 5:00 PM)

  • Choose the number of business days in advance

  • Appointments must be requested before the cutoff time, the specified number of business days before the appointment

Example: With a 5:00 PM cutoff and 1 business day requirement:

  • Appointments for Tuesday must be requested by 5:00 PM on Monday

  • Requests after 5:00 PM on Monday would need to be for Wednesday or later

Option 2: Rolling Hours

This option requires a specific number of hours advance notice, calculated from the current time while excluding your business's closed days.

How it works:

  • Set a specific number of hours (e.g., 48 hours)

  • The system calculates the lead time from the exact time of booking request

  • Closed days (weekends, holidays, or custom closure days) are excluded from the hour calculation

  • Only counts hours during your business operating days

Example: With a 48-hour requirement and weekends closed:

  • A request made on Friday at 2:00 PM would skip Saturday and Sunday hours, requiring appointments to be scheduled for Tuesday at 2:00 PM or later (48 business hours after Friday 2:00 PM)

  • A request made on Monday at 10:00 AM requires appointments to be scheduled for Wednesday at 10:00 AM or later (48 business hours later)

Scheduling Portal Experience

When customers book appointments through your scheduling portal, they will see your lead time requirements displayed and only be able to select appointment times that meet your advance notice rules.