Buffer time between appointments
If you need time between appointments to prepare, clean up or take a break, you want to prevent back-to-back bookings. MakePlans has no dedicated buffer-time setting, but the same result is achieved with the settings that control when available slots are generated.
Use "Available slot every"
Each service has a setting called "Available slot every" (slot frequency). By default, new slots are generated at intervals equal to the service duration, so a 60-minute service gives slots at 09:00, 10:00 and 11:00.
To add a buffer, set "Available slot every" to be longer than the duration:
- Service duration 45 minutes, "Available slot every" 60 minutes: a booking at 09:30 to 10:15 means the next available slot is 10:30. You get 15 minutes between every appointment.
- Duration 30 minutes, slot every 60 minutes: a 30-minute buffer.
- Duration 40 minutes, slot every 100 minutes: a full hour between appointments.
This is a per-service setting, so set it on each service. The buffer only works consistently if all services on the same resource use compatible settings.
How it interacts with rounding
The booking site also has a "Rounding for next available time" setting, a default for the whole booking site under Setup > Booking site, which can be overridden per service. Rounding decides where the next slot lands after an existing booking, for example the next full or half hour.
"Available slot every" is applied before rounding: with a booking 09:30 to 10:20 and slot frequency 60 minutes, the next time starts from 09:30 plus 60, which is 10:30, and rounding is then calculated from that. When using slot frequency for buffers, match the rounding to it, for example rounding to the closest half hour rather than the full hour, so slots aren't pushed further than intended.
Rounding alone can also work as a simple buffer: a 50 or 55-minute service with rounding to the next full hour effectively gives you the remaining minutes between appointments. Just note that a manually entered booking at an odd time (say 09:05 to 10:00) shifts things so the gap disappears.
Watch out for gaps
When slots don't line up exactly with bookings and opening hours, you can get holes in the calendar that are shorter than the service duration, and those times cannot be booked. Check the booking site after changing these settings to see the actual result.
Alternatives
- Build breaks into the opening hours. Instead of 09:00 to 15:00, set 09:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 15:00 on the resource (or per date via the clock icon in the calendar) to guarantee a fixed break.
- Fixed blocks: if you want appointments only at set times, enter the opening hours as blocks (09:00 to 11:00, 11:30 to 13:30, and so on) instead of one long range.
- Manual "busy" bookings: if your preparation time varies per appointment or per treatment type, there is no automatic solution; add busy time in the calendar manually where you need it.