Managing Your Online Booking Settings
Tutorial 18.2: Managing Your Online Booking Settings
Introduction
Once you've enabled online booking (see Tutorial 18.1), you can fine-tune how the booking system works. Luminate provides several settings that control when customers can book, how far in advance they can schedule appointments, and whether they can manage their own bookings.
This tutorial covers all the configurable options for your online booking system, helping you create a booking experience that works for both your salon and your customers.
Who this is for: Salon owners and administrators who want to customise their online booking settings.
What you'll learn:
- Setting minimum lead time and maximum advance booking
- Configuring buffer time between appointments
- Enabling customer self-service (rescheduling and cancellation)
- Configuring SMS verification for bookings
- Adding booking terms and conditions
Time to complete: 10-15 minutes
Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure you have:
- Owner or Admin access to your salon
- Online booking enabled (see Tutorial 18.1)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Access Online Booking Settings
- Click your salon name in the header bar
- Select Salon Settings from the dropdown menu
- Click the Online Booking tab
Step 2: Configure Booking Constraints
The Booking Constraints section controls when customers can make bookings.
Minimum Lead Time
This setting prevents last-minute bookings by requiring customers to book a minimum number of hours in advance.
- Find the Minimum Lead Time field
- Enter the number of hours (0-168)
- The label shows "hours before"
Examples:
- 0 hours: Customers can book right up to the appointment time
- 2 hours: Customers must book at least 2 hours before the appointment
- 24 hours: Customers must book at least one day in advance
- 48 hours: Customers must book at least two days in advance
Why use this:
- Gives staff time to prepare for appointments
- Prevents no-shows from last-minute bookings
- Ensures you have time to confirm bookings if needed
Maximum Advance Booking
This setting limits how far into the future customers can book.
- Find the Maximum Advance Booking field
- Enter the number of days (1-365)
- The label shows "days ahead"
Examples:
- 30 days: Customers can book up to one month ahead
- 60 days: Customers can book up to two months ahead
- 90 days: Customers can book up to three months ahead
Why use this:
- Matches your roster planning cycle
- Prevents bookings too far ahead when schedules might change
- Keeps availability manageable
Buffer Between Appointments
This adds extra time between online bookings, giving staff breathing room between appointments.
- Find the Buffer Between Appointments field
- Enter the number of minutes (0-120)
- The label shows "minutes"
Examples:
- 0 minutes: No buffer; appointments can be booked back-to-back
- 15 minutes: 15-minute gap between each online booking
- 30 minutes: 30-minute gap for cleaning or preparation
Why use this:
- Allows time for cleaning and sanitisation
- Provides a buffer for appointments that run over
- Gives staff breaks between clients
- Accounts for client check-in and checkout time
Note: This buffer only applies to online bookings. Staff can still book appointments manually without the buffer if needed.
Step 3: Configure Self-Service Options
The Self-Service Options section controls whether customers can manage their own bookings.
Allow Rescheduling
When enabled, customers can move their appointment to a different time or date.
- Find the Allow Rescheduling row
- Toggle the switch to enable or disable
- If enabled, enter the minimum hours before the appointment when rescheduling is allowed
How the hours limit works:
- If set to 24 hours, customers can reschedule up until 24 hours before their appointment
- After that cutoff, they'll need to contact you directly to make changes
Example: With a 24-hour limit, a customer with a 2:00 PM Friday appointment can reschedule until 2:00 PM Thursday. After that, the reschedule option disappears.
Allow Cancellation
When enabled, customers can cancel their own appointments.
- Find the Allow Cancellation row
- Toggle the switch to enable or disable
- If enabled, enter the minimum hours before the appointment when cancellation is allowed
How the hours limit works:
- If set to 24 hours, customers can cancel up until 24 hours before their appointment
- After that cutoff, they'll need to contact you to cancel
Recommended settings:
| Salon Type | Reschedule Hours | Cancel Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Walk-in friendly | 2-4 hours | 2-4 hours |
| Standard salon | 24 hours | 24 hours |
| High-demand salon | 48 hours | 48 hours |
| Premium/bridal | 72+ hours | 72+ hours |
Step 4: Configure SMS Verification (Optional)
The SMS Verification section allows customers to verify their identity using SMS instead of email when booking.
- Find the Enable SMS Verification toggle
- Toggle the switch to enable or disable
How it works:
- When enabled, customers can choose to receive their verification code via SMS instead of email
- This provides an alternative for customers who prefer text messages or have difficulty accessing email
- Each SMS verification uses credits from your salon's SMS balance
Important considerations:
- SMS verification uses credits from your SMS balance (see the SMS Credits tab in Salon Settings)
- If your SMS balance is low, consider keeping this disabled or topping up your credits
- Email verification remains available even when SMS is enabled
When to enable this:
- You have a healthy SMS credit balance
- Many of your customers prefer text messages
- You want to offer a faster verification experience
Step 5: Add Terms and Conditions
The Terms & Conditions section lets you display important information that customers must accept before completing their booking.
- Find the Terms Text field
- Enter your booking terms, cancellation policy, and any other important information
- This text appears on the final confirmation step of the booking process
What to include:
- Cancellation policy (e.g., "24-hour notice required")
- Late arrival policy
- Deposit requirements (if applicable)
- COVID or health policies
- Contact information for questions
Example terms text:
By booking an appointment, you agree to our cancellation policy.
Please provide at least 24 hours notice if you need to cancel or
reschedule. Late arrivals may result in shortened service time.
Please arrive 5 minutes before your scheduled appointment.
Customers must check a box to accept these terms before completing their booking.
Step 6: Save Your Settings
- Scroll to the bottom of the settings page
- Click Update Salon
- You'll see a confirmation message when the settings are saved
Understanding How Settings Affect Availability
Your booking constraints work together with other factors to determine what slots customers can book:
| Factor | How it affects availability |
|---|---|
| Staff rosters | Customers can only book when staff are rostered on |
| Existing appointments | Slots already booked are unavailable |
| Minimum lead time | Slots within the lead time window are hidden |
| Maximum advance days | Slots beyond this limit are hidden |
| Buffer time | Adds gaps around each available slot |
| Service duration | Slot must fit the service(s) selected |
Example scenario:
- It's Monday at 10:00 AM
- Minimum lead time: 2 hours
- Maximum advance: 30 days
The customer will see slots from:
- Earliest: Monday at 12:00 PM (2 hours from now)
- Latest: 30 days from today
Common Pitfalls
"Customers say there are no available times"
Check these settings:
- Is the minimum lead time too long? A 48-hour lead time means no same-day or next-day bookings.
- Is the maximum advance booking too short? 7 days might not show enough availability.
- Are staff rosters complete? See Tutorial 5.1 for roster setup.
"Customers are booking too close to the appointment time"
Increase your minimum lead time. If you need at least a day's notice, set it to 24 hours.
"We're getting too many cancellations"
Consider:
- Increasing the cancellation hours limit (e.g., from 24 to 48 hours)
- Disabling self-service cancellation entirely and handling requests manually
- Adding clear cancellation policy text in your terms
"Appointments are too back-to-back"
Increase the buffer between appointments. Even 10-15 minutes can help with transitions.
Tips and Best Practices
Match lead time to your workflow - If you need to confirm bookings or check colour history before an appointment, ensure your lead time allows for that.
Set realistic buffer times - Consider how long it actually takes to clean workstations, prepare supplies, and greet the next client.
Review settings seasonally - You might want shorter advance booking during quiet periods and longer during busy seasons.
Keep terms concise - Customers are more likely to read and understand short, clear terms than lengthy legal text.
Test the customer experience - After changing settings, go through the booking process yourself to see how the changes affect available times.
Align reschedule and cancel limits - Using the same hours limit for both (e.g., 24 hours) is easier for customers to understand.
Related Tutorials
- Tutorial 18.1: Setting Up Online Booking for Your Salon - Initial setup
- Tutorial 18.3: The Customer Booking Experience - What customers see
- Tutorial 18.4: Customer Self-Service - How rescheduling and cancellation work
- Tutorial 5.1: Setting Up Your Weekly Roster - Ensuring availability
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I change settings after customers have booked?
Existing bookings are not affected. Changes only apply to new bookings and future self-service actions. For example, if you increase the cancellation limit from 24 to 48 hours, customers with existing bookings can still cancel within 24 hours until their booking passes.
Can I have different settings for different services?
No, booking constraints apply to all online bookings for your salon. If you need different rules for specific services, consider handling those bookings manually.
What's the difference between the buffer and the minimum lead time?
- Buffer time adds gaps between sequential bookings (e.g., 15 minutes between appointments)
- Minimum lead time is how far in advance customers must book from now (e.g., at least 2 hours before the appointment)
Can I disable self-service but keep online booking?
Yes. You can:
- Keep Enable Online Booking on
- Turn off Allow Rescheduling
- Turn off Allow Cancellation
Customers can still book online, but they'll need to contact you to make changes.
Do buffer times affect manual bookings?
No, buffer times only apply to online bookings. Staff can book appointments manually without enforced buffers, giving you flexibility when needed.
What if a customer needs to cancel after the cutoff?
They'll need to contact your salon directly. The self-service page will show a message explaining that online cancellation is no longer available for their booking.
Can customers see my terms before starting the booking process?
Terms appear on the final confirmation step. If you want customers to see policies earlier, include a link to your website's terms page on your booking URL or social media.
How do I know what settings other salons use?
A common starting point is:
- Minimum lead time: 2-4 hours
- Maximum advance: 30-60 days
- Buffer: 10-15 minutes
- Reschedule/cancel limit: 24 hours
Adjust based on your salon's specific needs and customer feedback.
Does SMS verification cost extra?
Yes, each SMS verification code sent uses credits from your salon's SMS balance. You can check your balance and top up credits in Salon Settings > SMS Credits tab. If you're concerned about costs, you can keep SMS verification disabled and customers will use email verification instead.
Can customers still use email verification if SMS is enabled?
Yes. When SMS verification is enabled, customers are given a choice between email and SMS verification. Email verification remains available and doesn't use SMS credits.
Last Updated: January 2026