Scheduler Settings: Limits and Permissions

Where to find this: Schedule → Schedulers → [Select Scheduler]

What you’ll accomplish

Master the advanced configuration settings that protect your time, prevent over-booking, manage cancellations, and ensure fair athlete access to your sessions. These settings transform a basic scheduler into a business-optimized booking system.

Success criteria: Your scheduler has capacity limits that prevent overbooking, booking rules that ensure fair access, cancellation policies that protect your revenue, and buffer times that prevent burnout.

Before you begin

Required: You must have at least one scheduler already created. This article covers settings you configure AFTER scheduler creation. If you haven’t created a scheduler yet, see Creating Your First Scheduler.

Recommended preparation:

Think about your ideal booking policies
Consider past booking problems you’ve experienced
Have examples of athlete behavior you want to encourage/prevent
Know your capacity limits and time constraints

Why scheduler settings matter

These aren’t just technical configurations—they’re business protection mechanisms:

Revenue Protection

Without proper settings: Athletes book then cancel last-minute, leaving empty slots you can’t fillWith proper settings: 24-hour cancellation policy gives you time to rebook, protecting revenue

Burnout Prevention

Without proper settings: Back-to-back sessions all day with no breaksWith proper settings: 10-minute buffer time between sessions for prep and recovery

Business Control

Without proper settings: Athletes book 3 months out then forget, you can’t planWith proper settings: 30-day booking window keeps schedule manageable

Bottom line: These settings are the difference between a chaotic schedule that drains you and an organized system that protects your business.

Setting 1: Session capacity

Control how many athletes can book the same time slot.

What it does

Session capacity sets the maximum number of athletes who can book a single time slot from this scheduler. This is a scheduler-level setting that applies to ALL sessions generated from this scheduler. Critical limitation: You CANNOT set different capacities for individual time slots. If you need different capacities, you must create separate schedulers.

Configuration options

Private Sessions
Small Group
Large Group

Setting: Max 1 athlete per slotWhen to use:

1-on-1 personal training
Private coaching sessions
Individual assessments
High-touch services requiring full attention

Example:

“60-Min Private Training” scheduler
Capacity: 1 athlete
Result: Only one athlete can book 3:00 PM slot

Pro tip: Even if you occasionally train 2 athletes together, keep this at 1 athlete for private schedulers. Manually book the second athlete when needed rather than allowing double-booking.

Common capacity mistakes

Setting capacity too high for service quality

Mistake: “Small group training” with 10-athlete capacityProblem: Can’t give adequate attention to 10 athletes, service quality suffersFix:

True small group = 4-6 athletes max
If you want 10 athletes, call it “Group Class” and adjust pricing
Create separate “Small Group - 6 max” and “Large Group - 10 max” schedulers

Rule of thumb: If you can’t remember everyone’s name mid-session, capacity is too high for “small group.”

One capacity for multiple service types

Mistake: One “Training Session” scheduler with 6-athlete capacity used for both private and groupProblem:

Athletes book thinking it’s private
5 other athletes show up
Confusion and disappointment

Fix: Create separate schedulers:

“Private Training - 1 athlete max”
“Group Training - 6 athletes max”

Why this matters: Clear expectations = happy athletes = better retention

Not accounting for no-shows

Mistake: Facility has room for 25, set capacity to 25Problem:

If 25 book and 5 no-show, only 20 attend (you’re counting on this)
But one week all 25 show up, facility is over capacity

Fix:

If facility safely holds 25, set capacity to 20-22
Build in buffer for unexpected full attendance
Never rely on no-shows to manage capacity

Legal liability: Over-capacity situations can violate insurance, fire codes, and regulations. Always err on the side of fewer athletes.

Capacity decision framework

Use this guide to set appropriate capacity:

Service Type	Recommended Capacity	Reasoning
Private 1-on-1	1 athlete	Full attention, personalized coaching
Semi-private	2 athletes	Partnership dynamic, shared cost
Small group	4-6 athletes	Group energy, individual attention
Large group	10-15 athletes	Class format, general instruction
Team training	15-25 athletes	Team dynamics, multiple coaches
Workshops/clinics	20-50+ athletes	Educational format, demo-based

Setting 2: Booking Limits

Prevent athletes from booking above your capacity

What it does

Booking limits control how many sessions either can book be booked within a timeframe (per day or per week) or how many athletes can book each time slot.

Configuration options

Max bookings per day

Setting: Maximum times a scheduler can be booked in a single day across all available time slotsThis DOES NOT mean the number of times an athlete can book a dayConsider using if you have very limited availability for a particular scheduler. ex: Only accepting 1 private sesssion a day.

Max bookings per week

Setting: Maximum times a scheduler can be booked within a 7-day rolling period across all available time slots.This DOES NOT mean the maximum times one athlete can book in a 7-day rolling period

Max athletes per time slot (most common)

Setting: Maximum athletes that can book an available time slotMost common setting that sets caps on your sessions (ex: private sessions, small group sessions, large group sessions

Setting 3: Cancellation policies

Control when and how athletes can cancel bookings.

What it does

Cancellation policies determine:

CAN athletes cancel? (Yes/no)
WHEN can they cancel? (Anytime, 24-hour notice, 48-hour notice, never)
WHAT HAPPENS to credits? (Refund or forfeit)

Policy options explained

Allow Anytime Cancellation
24-Hour Cancellation Notice
48-Hour Cancellation Notice
No Cancellations Allowed

Setting: Athletes can cancel up until session start timePros:

Maximum athlete flexibility
Reduces no-shows (better to cancel than not show up)
Lower friction for new athletes hesitant to commit

Cons:

Last-minute cancellations hard to fill
Revenue loss if you can’t rebook
May enable flaky behavior

When to use:

Free sessions or trials
New athlete onboarding
Low-demand schedulers with easy rebooking
Community events

Example: “Free Assessment Session” - allow anytime cancellation to reduce barriers to trying you out

Credit refund settings

When using credit-based schedulers, decide what happens to credits on cancellation:

Refund credits on cancellation (Recommended)

How it works: When athlete cancels within policy window, credit returns to their balanceExample:

Policy: 24-hour cancellation with credit refund
Athlete books Friday 3pm session (costs 1 credit)
Thursday 2pm: Athlete cancels (more than 24 hours notice)
Result: 1 credit returns to athlete’s balance, can rebook later

When to use:

Standard training relationships
Monthly subscription credits
To encourage bookings without fear of wasting credits
When you want flexibility for loyal athletes

Business impact: More bookings (athletes less afraid to try), but requires managing rebooking

No credit refund (Credits forfeited)

How it works: If athlete cancels, credit is consumed regardless (no refund)Example:

Policy: 24-hour cancellation, no credit refund
Athlete books Friday 3pm session (costs 1 credit)
Thursday 2pm: Athlete cancels
Result: 1 credit is GONE (forfeited), athlete must use another credit to rebook

When to use:

Last-minute cancellation situations (under 24 hours)
To discourage flaky behavior
Premium or limited-capacity sessions
When no-shows are a significant problem

Business impact: Fewer cancellations (athletes committed), but may discourage initial bookings

Be careful: Forfeiting credits on legitimate cancellations damages athlete relationships. Reserve this for late cancellations or chronic offenders.

Hybrid approach (Best practice)

Configuration:

Cancellations WITH proper notice (24+ hours) = Credit refunded
Late cancellations (under 24 hours) = Credit forfeited
No-shows = Credit forfeited + possible penalty

Why this works:

Fair to athletes who plan ahead
Protects your business from last-minute changes
Industry standard

Implementation: Most platforms enforce this automatically based on your policy settings

Cancellation policy decision framework

Choose your policy based on these factors:

Factor	Lenient Policy	Strict Policy
Demand	Low demand, easy to rebook	High demand, waitlist common
Business stage	New business, building clientele	Established, protecting capacity
Service type	Free/trial sessions	Premium paid sessions
Relationship	New athletes	Long-term committed athletes
Competition	High competition, need flexibility	Unique service, high value
No-show history	Rare no-shows	Frequent no-show problems

Recommended starting point: 24-hour cancellation with credit refund, adjust based on athlete behavior

Setting 4: Buffer time

Create breathing room between back-to-back sessions.

What it does

Buffer time adds automatic padding before and/or after each session to prevent back-to-back scheduling. This gives you time for:

Setup and cleanup
Notes and documentation
Bio breaks and hydration
Mental reset between athletes
Travel time (if mobile training)

Critical insight: Buffer time is invisible to athletes. They only see their session time. The buffer blocks booking slots adjacent to their session.

Configuration options

Buffer BEFORE session

Setting: Minutes blocked before session startUse cases:

Setup time for equipment
Review athlete notes/goals
Mental preparation
Travel time from previous location

Common durations:

5 minutes = Quick review and setup
10 minutes = Standard preparation
15 minutes = Travel time between locations

Example:

Session: 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM (60 min)
Buffer before: 10 minutes
Result: 2:50 PM - 3:00 PM is blocked, can’t be booked

Buffer AFTER session

Setting: Minutes blocked after session endUse cases:

Cleanup and equipment reset
Session notes and athlete updates
Cool-down and recovery
Running-over buffer (sessions that might go long)

Common durations:

5 minutes = Minimal cleanup
10 minutes = Standard reset time
15 minutes = Thorough cleanup + notes

Example:

Session: 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM (60 min)
Buffer after: 15 minutes
Result: 4:00 PM - 4:15 PM is blocked, next session can start at 4:15 PM earliest

Buffer BOTH before and after

Setting: Combine both buffers for maximum protectionWhen to use:

High-intensity sessions requiring full reset
Mobile training (travel time both ways)
Complex setup/cleanup requirements
Maximum burnout prevention

Example configuration:

Session: 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM (60 min)
Buffer before: 10 min
Buffer after: 10 min
Result: 2:50 PM - 4:10 PM blocked (80 minutes total)

Effective session length: 60-min session + 20-min buffer = 80 minutes per athlete

Pricing consideration: If your effective time is 80 minutes, price accordingly even though athlete only sees “60-minute session”

Buffer time strategy by coaching style

Studio-Based Training
Mobile Training
Online/Virtual Training
High-Intensity/Specialty

Typical setup: Athletes come to your facilityRecommended buffer:

Before: 5 minutes (quick review and setup)
After: 10 minutes (cleanup, notes, reset)
Total: 15-minute buffer

Reasoning: Minimal travel, controlled environment, efficient turnaroundSchedule example:

6:00 AM - 7:00 AM: Athlete 1 (with 5 min before, 10 min after)
7:15 AM - 8:15 AM: Athlete 2 (with 5 min before, 10 min after)
Effective: 4 sessions in 4.5 hours

Common buffer time mistakes

No buffer time at all

Mistake: Back-to-back sessions with zero bufferProblems:

Constant rushing between athletes
No time for notes or documentation
Burnout and exhaustion
Can’t handle sessions that run over
No time for emergencies or bio breaks

Fix: Minimum 5-10 minute buffer after every sessionLong-term impact: Preventing burnout is worth the slight reduction in daily capacity

Buffer time too short for reality

Mistake: 5-minute buffer for mobile training requiring 15-minute driveProblem: Constantly running late, stressed, unprofessionalFix: Time yourself for one week, add 5-minute cushion to that averageExample:

Average drive: 12 minutes
Buffer needed: 12 min + 5 min cushion = 17 minutes
Set before-session buffer to 20 minutes

Inconsistent buffer across schedulers

Mistake:

“Morning Sessions” = 10-min buffer
“Evening Sessions” = 5-min buffer
Causes scheduling chaos and confusion

Fix: Standardize buffer time across all schedulers of same type

All private sessions = 10-min after buffer
All group classes = 15-min after buffer (more cleanup)
All assessments = 20-min after buffer (detailed notes)

Why: Consistency = predictable schedule = less stress

Setting 5: Scheduling windows

Control WHEN athletes can book (how far in advance).

What it does

Scheduling windows set two time boundaries:

Minimum notice: Earliest athletes can book before session (prevents last-minute bookings)
Maximum future booking: Latest athletes can book in advance (controls booking horizon)

Minimum booking notice

Purpose: Prevent last-minute bookings that disrupt your schedule

No minimum notice
Same-day booking (6-12 hours)
24-hour minimum notice
48-72 hour minimum notice

Setting: Athletes can book up until session startsWhen to use:

Drop-in classes or open gym
Flexible schedule with real-time availability
Low-demand times you want to fill
When you WANT last-minute bookings

Pros: Maximizes bookings, fills last-minute cancellations Cons: Difficult to plan your day, may not see booking in timeExample: “Open Gym Access” - Athletes can book a time slot 10 minutes from now

Maximum future booking window

Purpose: Prevent athletes from booking too far in advance

Why limit future bookings?

Problems with unlimited future booking:

Athlete books 3 months out, forgets, cancels last-minute
Your availability changes but slots are locked
Can’t adjust pricing or offerings
Hard to forecast actual attendance

Benefits of limiting future bookings:

More accurate short-term schedule
Flexibility to adjust availability
Reduces forgotten bookings
Athletes book closer to session = higher commitment

Business insight: Bookings made 30 days out have 2x cancellation rate vs bookings made 7 days out

30-day booking window (Recommended)

Setting: Athletes can book up to 30 days in advanceWhen to use: Most coaching businesses (default setting)Pros:

Enough advance booking for planners
Not so far that athletes forget
Allows monthly planning
Balance of flexibility and commitment

Example:

Today: September 30
Athletes can book any session through October 30
October 31 sessions won’t appear until October 1

Recommended for: Private training, group classes, standard coaching services

60-90 day booking window

Setting: Athletes can book 2-3 months in advanceWhen to use:

Seasonal programming (summer camps)
Long-term committed athletes
Subscription-based programs
When you have stable long-term schedule

Pros: Long-term planning for dedicated athletes Cons: Higher cancellation rates, less schedule flexibilityExample: “12-Week Transformation Program” - Allow 90-day booking for athletes to secure entire program schedule

Rolling weekly window

Setting: Athletes can only book the current week + next weekWhen to use:

High-variability schedule
Short-term commitments
Testing new services
Prefer last-minute booking optimization

Pros: Maximum flexibility for you, recent bookings = lower cancellations Cons: Frustrates planners, may lose organized athletesExample: On Monday, athletes can book through next Sunday (up to 13 days out)

Unlimited future booking

Setting: Athletes can book as far out as you have availabilityWhen to use:

Rare scenarios only
Specialty one-time events
When you have 100% stable schedule
VIP athletes with priority access

Pros: Ultimate athlete flexibility Cons: Reduces your flexibility, high forget-rate

Not recommended: Unlimited booking creates more problems than it solves for most coaching businesses.

Scheduling windows decision guide

For most coaches:

Minimum notice: 24 hours
Maximum future: 30 days
Result: Athletes must book 24+ hours ahead, can book up to 30 days out

Adjust based on your reality:

Your Situation	Min Notice	Max Future
Very flexible schedule	6 hours	14 days
Standard personal training	24 hours	30 days
High-demand specialist	48 hours	30 days
Seasonal programming	24 hours	90 days
Events/workshops	7 days	90 days

Setting 6: Multiple booking per timeslot permissions

Allow or prevent clients from booking multiple sessions at once.

What it does and who it’s for

Multiple bookings per timeslot permission controls whether clients can book the same time slot more than once. Allows parent accounts to book multiple children for the same timeslot if needed. Example scenario: Family uses one account to book the same Advanced Skills Training timeslot for their 8th and 9th grade children.

Common configuration mistakes and fixes

Too lenient = revenue loss

Problem:

Anytime cancellation
No booking notice
Unlimited bookings

Result:

40% cancellation rate
Last-minute cancellations can’t be filled
Revenue significantly impacted

Fix:

Implement minimum standards:
- 24-hour cancellation policy (refund credits within window)
- 24-hour minimum booking notice
- 2-3 sessions per week limit

Expected result:
- Cancellation rate drops to 15-20%
- More rebook opportunities
- Improved revenue stability

Lesson: Protecting your business isn’t mean, it’s professional

Too strict = athlete frustration

Problem:

No cancellations allowed
72-hour booking notice
Single booking only

Result:

Athletes afraid to book (too restrictive)
Bookings drop 50%
Negative reviews about inflexibility

Fix:

Find middle ground:
- 24-48 hour cancellation with credit refund
- 24-hour booking notice
- Allow multiple bookings with weekly limits

Expected result:
- Booking volume recovers
- Athlete satisfaction improves
- Still have business protection

Lesson: Balance protection with athlete-friendly policies

No buffer time strategy

Problem:

Zero buffer between sessions
Constantly running late
Exhausted and burned out

Impact:

Poor athlete experience (you’re always rushed)
Documentation suffers (no time for notes)
Health declines from no breaks

Fix:

Implement staged approach:
Week 1: Add 5-min buffer after sessions
Week 2: Increase to 10-min buffer
Week 3: Add 5-min before buffer if needed

Monitor: How do you feel? Less rushed?
Adjust: Find YOUR optimal buffer time

Lesson: Your well-being enables athlete results - protect it

One-size-fits-all configuration

Problem: Same settings for private training, group classes, and eventsWhy it fails:

Private training needs 1 capacity, group classes need 12
Events need 72-hour notice, regular training needs 24-hour
Different services have different requirements

Fix:

Create service-specific schedulers:

"Private Training"
- 1 capacity, 24-hour policy, 10-min buffer

"Group Class"
- 12 capacity, 24-hour policy, 20-min buffer

"Workshop Event"
- 30 capacity, 7-day notice required, 60-min buffer

Lesson: Different services need different configurations

Troubleshooting scheduler settings

Athletes can’t book even though slots are available

Possible causes:

Check booking limits

Has session already reached max capacity?How to check:

Go to your Calendar
View the timeslot of concern
Check to see if timeslot is full

Fix: If truly full, offer different time OR increase capacity if appropriate

Check minimum notice

Is athlete trying to book within minimum notice window?Example:

Settings: 24-hour minimum notice
Athlete tries to book session 12 hours from now
System blocks booking

Fix: Reduce minimum notice OR manually book athlete for this one time

Check maximum future window

Is athlete trying to book beyond future booking window?Example:

Settings: 30-day maximum
Athlete tries to book 45 days out
Sessions don’t appear

Fix: Increase future window OR ask athlete to book closer to date

Buffer time not preventing bookings

Problem: Athletes booking back-to-back even though you set buffer time Troubleshooting:

Check buffer settings: Go to scheduler → Settings → Buffer time
- Is buffer actually configured? (Should see “Before: X min, After: X min”)
- Try test booking to verify buffer blocks adjacent slots
Multiple schedulers issue:
- Scheduler A has 10-min buffer
- Scheduler B has no buffer
- Athletes can book Scheduler A at 3:00 PM and Scheduler B at 4:00 PM (appears back-to-back on your calendar)
- Fix: Add consistent buffer to ALL schedulers
Manual bookings bypass buffer:
- If YOU manually book athletes, system may allow override of buffer
- Fix: Manually respect buffer when booking athletes yourself

Creating First Scheduler

Basic scheduler creation before configuring settings

Payment Options

Configure free, paid, and credit-based payments

Availability Setup

Set availability before creating schedulers

Calendar Management

View and manage your booked sessions

Manually Booking Athletes

Override limits when manually booking

Need help configuring optimal settings? Our support team can review your business model and recommend scheduler configurations. Contact Support

CoachIQ Help Center

Website Builder

Athlete Portal

Inbox

Scheduling

Payments

People

Forms

Automations

Content

Settings

​What you’ll accomplish

​Before you begin

​Why scheduler settings matter

Revenue Protection

Burnout Prevention

Business Control

​Setting 1: Session capacity

​What it does

​Configuration options

​Common capacity mistakes

​Capacity decision framework

​Setting 2: Booking Limits

​What it does

​Configuration options

​Setting 3: Cancellation policies

​What it does

​Policy options explained

​Credit refund settings

​Cancellation policy decision framework

​Setting 4: Buffer time

​What it does

​Configuration options

​Buffer time strategy by coaching style

​Common buffer time mistakes

​Setting 5: Scheduling windows

​What it does

​Minimum booking notice

​Maximum future booking window

​Scheduling windows decision guide

​Setting 6: Multiple booking per timeslot permissions

​What it does and who it’s for

​Common configuration mistakes and fixes

​Troubleshooting scheduler settings

​Athletes can’t book even though slots are available

​Buffer time not preventing bookings

​Related articles

Creating First Scheduler

Payment Options

Availability Setup

Calendar Management

Manually Booking Athletes

What you’ll accomplish

Before you begin

Why scheduler settings matter

Setting 1: Session capacity

What it does

Configuration options

Common capacity mistakes

Capacity decision framework

Setting 2: Booking Limits

What it does

Configuration options

Setting 3: Cancellation policies

What it does

Policy options explained

Credit refund settings

Cancellation policy decision framework

Setting 4: Buffer time

What it does

Configuration options

Buffer time strategy by coaching style

Common buffer time mistakes

Setting 5: Scheduling windows

What it does

Minimum booking notice

Maximum future booking window

Scheduling windows decision guide

Setting 6: Multiple booking per timeslot permissions

What it does and who it’s for

Common configuration mistakes and fixes

Troubleshooting scheduler settings

Athletes can’t book even though slots are available

Buffer time not preventing bookings

Related articles