Customizing Appointment Availability

Would you like to customize the availability schedule for services on your site? With the Bookings plugin, you can configure the default schedule that applies to all new services you create.

This guide covers everything about setting availability in Sugar Calendar Bookings.


Before getting started, make sure the Sugar Calendar Bookings plugin is installed and activated on your site.

Accessing Availability Settings

To set your appointment availability, go to Bookings » Settings and then click on the Availability tab. Here, you’ll be able to set the default schedule for all new services.

Setting Default Availability Schedule

The default schedule determines your standard working hours for each day of the week. These hours will automatically apply to new services unless you customize them individually within a service’s settings.

Availability overview

By default, weekdays are set as available from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, while weekends are marked as unavailable. You can adjust any time slot using the dropdown menus for start and end times.

Adding Additional Time Slots

If you want to add multiple working periods within a single day, click the + icon beside that day. For example, you can have morning and evening sessions.

Set your default availability schedule

After that, use the dropdown menus to set your additional time slot. You’ll need to set the start and end times for each slot you create.

Add multiple time slots for a single day

To enable availability for weekends, click the + icon next to the weekend day you’d like to enable.

Enable weekend bookings

Similarly, you’ll need to set the start and end times for the slot.

Set a custom weekend availability slot

Removing Availability

To remove a specific time slot, click the × icon next to it.

Remove a time slot or working day

After removing the time slot, you’ll see the Unavailable label next to that day. This ensures customers cannot select that day when booking appointments.

Mark specific days as unavailable

Saving Availability Settings

After setting your schedule, scroll down and click Save Settings to apply your changes.

Save changes to availability schedule

That’s it! You’ve successfully customized your availability schedule in Sugar Calendar Bookings.

Next, would you like to create and manage services on your site? See our guide to learn how to create your first service.