> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.peoplevine.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.peoplevine.com/products/control-panel-overview/events-engine-overview/setup-scheduler.md). # How to Set Up a Scheduler Peoplevine's Scheduler Engine handles two types of bookings: **appointments** (one-on-one or capacity-limited time slots — spa treatments, personal training, wellness services) and **reservations** (multi-slot room or table bookings — meeting rooms, conference rooms, workspaces). Each scheduler type provides its own setup flow, member portal experience, and Control Panel views. ### Before you begin (Prerequisites) * **Permissions**: Administrator, Supervisor, or Experience Manager. See: [How to Manage Users and Permissions](/products/control-panel-overview/admin-overview/manage-roles-permissions.md). * **Category** (optional): If you want to group schedulers (e.g., "Spa & Wellness", "Dining", "Workspaces"), create the category first under **Settings** gear icon > **Manage Categories**. * **Directory Profile**: If you intend to present this scheduler in the Member Portal for your members to book, **set up the directory profile first** — it displays the content for this experience, and self-service booking is only presented to members once the scheduler is assigned to a directory profile. See: [How to Set Up Directory Profiles](/products/portal-overview/setup-directory.md). ### Set up an appointment scheduler Use this type for bookings where one or more people book a specific time slot — spa treatments, personal training sessions, wellness consultations, one-on-one meetings. #### 1. Create the scheduler 1. Navigate to [**SELL > All Schedulers**](https://control.peoplevine.com/schedulers). > **Note (Pro Dash):** Navigate to **SELL > SCHEDULER > PEOPLE > Setup New Scheduler**. 2. Click **New Scheduler**. 3. Under **Scheduler Use**, select **Book an Appointment**. 4. Enter the **Item Name** (e.g., "Hot Stone Massage", "Personal Training", "Golf Lesson"). 5. Add a description of the service. 6. Upload a banner image (optional). #### 2. Configure options | Setting | What it controls | | ------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Appointment Type** | **Onsite** (at your location), **Offsite** (at the customer's address — prompts for their address), or **Webinar** (phone/video dial-in) | | **Cut-off time** | Minimum minutes before a time slot that booking is allowed. Prevents last-minute bookings. Leave blank for no cut-off. | | **Booking limit** | Maximum times a single person can book this scheduler. Leave blank for no limit. | | **Availability window** | How far out to display available slots. Leave blank for no limit. | | **Cancellation limit** | Minimum time before an appointment that self-service cancellation is allowed. Leave blank for no limit. | | **Allow self-service modify/cancel** | Toggle ON to let members cancel or modify their own bookings via the portal. | #### 3. Configure settings * **Allow booking via website**: Toggle ON to make the scheduler available on your portal. * **Category**: Assign to a category to group related schedulers. On the Member Portal, dining schedulers default to the category label **"Reservations"** and all other scheduler types default to **"Services"** if no custom category is assigned. * **Attach a form**: Link an existing form (e.g., a waiver or intake questionnaire) that members complete when booking. * **External SKU**: Map this scheduler to an external system. * **Integration sync**: Select an external integration to pull availability from (e.g., Book4Time for spa). #### 4. Set permissions * **Anyone** — any person can book. When the scheduler is attached to a directory profile and presented inside the Member Portal, "anyone" in practice means **active members, or registered users** if your club has registration enabled as a portal setting. * **Active Members Only** — only active members can book. Choose this if you want to specify which membership programs can see and interact with this content. * **Administrators Only** — only admin users can book (staff-only scheduling). You can also toggle **Allow preview** — lets non-permitted users see availability without being able to book. #### 5. Configure notifications * **Email confirmation** — sent automatically when someone books. * **Text confirmation** — sent automatically when someone books. * **Notify me** — you receive a notification when someone books this scheduler. * **Reminder** — automatic email or text reminder sent before the appointment. Click **Continue**. #### 6. Set up time slots 1. Enter a **Subject** for the time slot (e.g., the provider's name — "Sarah M." — or leave blank for generic slots). 2. Select a **Location**. 3. Set the **Booking Fee** (leave at $0 for free bookings). Toggle **Charge person when booking is marked as completed** to defer payment until after the service. 4. Set the **Start Date** and **Start Time**. 5. Set the **time slot length** (e.g., 30 minutes, 60 minutes). 6. Set the **Number of Consecutive Slots** to determine how many slots to generate. 7. Toggle **Repeat this time slot on a frequent basis** to create a recurring schedule, then set the repeat frequency. 8. Set **Number of Registrants** — how many people can book the same slot (1 for one-on-one, higher for group capacity). 9. Click **Save**. To add more time slots (e.g., a second provider with different hours), go to the scheduler's menu and click **Add Availability**, then repeat the time slot setup. ### Set up a reservation scheduler Use this type for multi-slot room or workspace bookings — meeting rooms, conference rooms, co-working spaces, hotel rooms. #### 1. Create the scheduler 1. Navigate to [**SELL > All Schedulers**](https://control.peoplevine.com/schedulers). > **Note (Pro Dash):** Navigate to **SELL > SCHEDULER > RESERVATIONS > Setup New Room**. 2. Click **New Scheduler** (or **Make a Reservation** to go directly to the booking view). 3. Under **Scheduler Use**, select **Book a Room/Slot**. 4. Enter the **Item Name** (e.g., "Board Room", "Meeting Room A", "Private Office"). 5. Add a description and banner image. #### 2. Configure the same settings The options, settings, permissions, and notifications sections work the same way as appointments (see above). #### 3. Prevent back-to-back bookings (rooms) For room schedulers, additional controls prevent members from monopolizing a space: 1. **Set the block duration** — how long each bookable slot is (e.g., 30 minutes). 2. **Limit consecutive slots** — maximum blocks a member can book at once (e.g., 4 × 30 min = 2 hours maximum). 3. **Set a wait period** — how long a member must wait before booking again after their reservation ends. 4. **Prevent room hopping** — if members can see multiple rooms via a category page, check this box to stop them from switching rooms to extend their stay. ### Attach a scheduler to a directory profile To make a scheduler bookable from the Member Portal, assign it to a directory profile: 1. Navigate to [**ENGAGE > View Directory**](https://control.peoplevine.com/admin_businesses.aspx). > **Note (Pro Dash):** Navigate to **SELL > DIRECTORY > View Directory**. 2. Open the directory profile for the venue or service provider. 3. Assign the scheduler(s) to the profile. Multiple schedulers can be assigned to one directory profile — for example, assigning several table schedulers to a single dining venue profile. See [How to Set Up Dining Reservations with Schedulers](/products/control-panel-overview/events-engine-overview/setup-dining-reservations.md) for a detailed walkthrough of this pattern. If the scheduler is for a specific provider (trainer, therapist), assign that person's CRM record as a **Contact** on the directory profile. This gives them access to manage their own availability and view their bookings via the portal. ### Booking methods Once the scheduler is set up, members and staff can book through three channels: | Channel | How to access | | -------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | **Self-service (direct link)** | Members visit `/schedule/{schedule_item_no}` on your portal. Each scheduler has a unique URL — click **Preview in Browser** on the scheduler to see it. | | **Self-service (category page)** | Members browse grouped schedulers at `/appointments?category_no={id}` (appointments) or `/reservation?category={id}` (reservations). | | **Control Panel (full-service)** | Staff book on behalf of members. Navigate to [**SELL > All Schedulers**](https://control.peoplevine.com/schedulers), click into the scheduler, then click **Book an Appointment** or **Make a Reservation**. | ### Best Practice * **Leave "Notify Me" unchecked** during initial scheduler creation — enable it only after the scheduler is fully configured and you're ready to receive booking alerts. * **Don't put your entire inventory in Peoplevine** for dining/room schedulers. If volume is low (2–3 bookings/day), offer a subset of tables or rooms. * **Use categories** to organise schedulers by type (Spa, Dining, Workspaces) — members can then browse by category on the portal. * **Attach a waiver or intake form** to schedulers for services where you need to capture information at booking. * **Use vouchers for bundled sessions** — members can buy a bundle of sessions at a discounted rate and redeem vouchers when booking. * **Set the Scheduler Start Time intentionally.** If a scheduler's availability always begins at a fixed time (e.g., 2:00 PM), set the Start Time to match rather than leaving it at *Current Time*, so the member's first availability search returns useful results. Use *Current Time* only when availability varies day-to-day or is on-demand. ### What Happens Next * **On the member side**: The scheduler appears on the portal (via its directory profile or direct link). Members select a date, time slot, and book. A confirmation email or text is sent if notifications are enabled. * **On the admin side**: View bookings under [**SELL > All Schedulers**](https://control.peoplevine.com/schedulers) (click into the scheduler) or use [**SELL > View Calendar**](https://control.peoplevine.com/scheduler/book/calendar) to see bookings across schedulers. Upcoming appointments appear under [**SELL > Manage Appointments**](https://control.peoplevine.com/schedulers?schedule_type=appointment); upcoming reservations under [**SELL > Manage Rooms**](https://control.peoplevine.com/schedulers?schedule_type=reservation). Appointment data loads month-by-month — use the month navigation to load additional data. * **Booking status updates**: Administrators can update a booking's status (e.g., mark as completed, cancelled, or no-show) from the scheduler detail view. **Waitstaff** users can create and update **reservation** booking statuses (including setting them to **Pending**) only when **Allow Waitstaff Booking Status** is enabled under **Platform Settings > Reservations** — it is off by default. See: [How to Configure Company Settings](/products/control-panel-overview/admin-overview/configure-company-settings.md). * **Next step**: [How to Set Up Dining Reservations with Schedulers](/products/control-panel-overview/events-engine-overview/setup-dining-reservations.md) · [How to View and Manage Bookings](/products/control-panel-overview/events-engine-overview/manage-bookings.md). *Last updated: 2026-07-12* --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. 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