Overview
If your online scheduling page shows appointment openings that don't match what you expected, it's usually caused by one (or more) of four settings working together: schedule options, service rules, room assignments, and provider work hours. Review each area below and compare it with your setup.
1. Schedule Options (Allowed Appointment Start Times)
Navigate to Settings > Schedule > Schedule Options, then click the blue Edit button to open the provider's schedule options.
The Allowed Appointment Start Times setting determines which times patients are allowed to begin an appointment. For example, you might allow appointments to start:
On the hour only: 1:00 PM, 2:00 PM, 3:00 PM
On the hour and half hour: 1:00 PM, 1:30 PM, 2:00 PM, 2:30 PM
Every 15 minutes: 1:00 PM, 1:15 PM, 1:30 PM, 1:45 PM, 2:00 PM
If your available openings are appearing at unexpected times — or expected openings are missing — this is one of the first places to check.
💡 Important: This setting is configured individually for each provider. One provider may allow appointments every 15 minutes, while another only allows appointments on the hour or half hour.
2. Service Rules
Navigate to Settings > Schedule > Service Rules.
Service Rules determine how each service can be scheduled for each provider. Review the rules for the provider and service you're troubleshooting, paying particular attention to:
Whether overlapping appointments are allowed.
Any scheduling restrictions that may prevent appointments from being booked at certain times.
If overlapping appointments are not permitted, this can significantly affect the appointment openings that are displayed.
3. Room Assignments
If your practice uses rooms, room availability can also limit appointment openings. Review the provider's room assignments and verify:
The correct number of rooms has been created — if your practice has multiple treatment rooms, add each one with the blue Add Room button.
Which services are available in each room, by editing the room.
Many practices assign every service to every room, but it's important to verify that the room configuration matches your workflow. If only one room is available, appointments that would otherwise fit into the provider's schedule may not appear because the room is already occupied.
4. Provider Work Hours
Navigate to Schedule > Edit Work Hours, then click into each work hour block to review its settings.
These blocks can define which appointment times are available, along with special scheduling rules and time-specific restrictions. If customized work hour rules have been created for a provider, they can override the general scheduling behavior and affect which openings are displayed.
If Your Schedule Still Doesn't Look Correct
The availability shown to patients is determined by a combination of:
Allowed appointment start times
Service Rules
Room assignments
Provider work hour settings
Review each of these areas carefully and compare your configuration against the settings above. In most cases, one of these four explains why appointment openings appear differently than expected.
Questions? Reach out — we're happy to help! ✨