What is a minimum booking window?
A minimum booking window lets you control how far in advance a client must book an appointment. For example, if you set it to 24 hours, clients won't be able to request an appointment that starts within the next 24 hours. This gives you time to prepare and helps avoid last-minute surprises.
Before You Begin
Make sure your timezone is set correctly in PawsAdmin. The minimum booking window is calculated based on your local time, so an incorrect timezone will cause the window to kick in at the wrong time.
To verify your timezone:
- Go to Admin in the top navigation
- Click Timezone
- Confirm the correct timezone is selected and save if needed
Setting Your Minimum Booking Window
- Log in to PawsAdmin as an Admin
- In the left navigation, go to Communications → Online Booking
- Scroll down to the Online Booking Configuration section and click to expand it
- Find the Minimum advance booking (hrs) field
- Enter the number of hours you require. Some common examples:
- 2 — clients must book at least 2 hours ahead
- 24 — clients must book at least 1 day ahead
- 48 — clients must book at least 2 days ahead
- Leave the field blank or set to 0 if you don't want any minimum window
- Scroll down and click Update Configuration to save
How It Works for Clients
Once set, when a client opens your booking portal or widget:
- Dates and times that fall within your minimum window will not be available for selection
- The calendar will automatically move them to the earliest available date that meets your requirement
- Clients will not see an error — the calendar simply won't allow them to pick a time too soon
Example
You open your salon at 9am and want at least 24 hours notice for all appointments.
- A client tries to book at 2pm on Tuesday
- It is currently 3pm on Monday — less than 24 hours away
- The portal will not allow Tuesday 2pm to be selected
- The earliest available slot shown will be Wednesday
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this affect bookings I create manually in PawsAdmin?
No. The minimum booking window only applies to clients booking through the online portal or widget. You can still create same-day or short-notice appointments yourself from the admin side.
What if I also have a cancellation window set?
These are two separate settings. The cancellation window controls how late a client can cancel an existing appointment. The minimum booking window controls how soon a client can create a new one.
Can I remove the minimum window later?
Yes. Just clear the field (leave it blank) and click Update Configuration. The restriction will be removed immediately.
Need Help?
Email us at support@pawsadmin.com or submit a request and we'll be happy to help.