Using Calendar Preview

Title: Using Calendar Preview
Category: booking-calendar

Preview your booking schedule to see exactly what customers will see and verify everything looks correct before syncing to Google Calendar.

Where to Find This

Services → Booking Management tab → Booking Availability sub-tab

What Is Calendar Preview?

Calendar Preview is a visual calendar that shows:

• Your configured locations and time slots
• When services are available
• Working hours for dynamic availability
• How your schedule looks across different views (week/month/day)

Where to find it: Availability tab → Preview Calendar button (top right)

When to Use Preview

Use Calendar Preview when you want to:

• Verify your schedule - Check that all time slots appear correctly.
• Catch conflicts - See if slots overlap or times look wrong.
• Plan adjustments - Visualize changes before making them.
• Test different views - See how your schedule looks in week vs month view.

Opening Calendar Preview

1. Go to Services → Booking Management tab → Booking Availability sub-tab.
2. Click the Preview Calendar button (top right, next to "Add Location").
3. The calendar viewer opens below your locations list.

To close the preview:

• Click Hide Calendar Preview button.
• The preview collapses back to the location table.

Understanding What You See

Color Coding

Events in the preview use colors to distinguish between locations:

• Blue - First location
• Green - Second location
• Amber - Third location
• Pink - Fourth location
• And so on...

Each location gets a consistent color so you can quickly identify which location each slot belongs to.

Event Information

Each event shows:

• Time - When the slot occurs
• Service - Which service is available
• Location - Where it takes place
• Capacity (for group slots) - Max attendees / available spots

Click any event to see full details in a popup.

Calendar Views

Switch between three views to see your schedule in different ways:

Week View

Best for: Seeing your daily schedule at a glance

• Shows Monday-Sunday
• Time slots displayed vertically (8am, 9am, etc.)
• See multiple days at once
• Navigate forward/back by week

When to use: Planning your week, checking for time conflicts

Month View

Best for: Getting a big-picture overview

• Shows entire month in calendar grid
• Events shown as dots/bars on dates
• Click any date to see that day's events in a list below the calendar
• Navigate forward/back by month

When to use: Long-term planning, seeing booking density

Day View

Best for: Detailed view of a single day

• Shows one day at a time
• All time slots listed hour by hour
• Easy to see exactly what's happening when
• Navigate forward/back by day

When to use: Verifying a specific day's schedule, checking detailed timing

Interactive Features

Changing Views

Click the view buttons in the top right:

• Month - Calendar grid view
• Week - 7-day schedule
• Day - Single day timeline

Navigating Dates

Use the toolbar controls:

• ◀ Previous - Go back one period (week/month/day)
• Today - Jump to current date
• Next ▶ - Go forward one period

Viewing Event Details

Click any event to open a details modal showing:

• Full service name
• Location name and address
• Start and end time
• Capacity information (if applicable)
• Which services are available

Month View: Date Click

In Month view, clicking a date shows a detailed event list below the calendar:

• All events for that date
• Time, service, location for each
• Click event in list to see full details
• Click "Clear" to hide the list

What Shows in Preview

Fixed Slots

All configured fixed time slots appear as events:

• Group classes with their capacity
• Scheduled sessions at set times
• Recurring slots shown across multiple days

Working Hours (Dynamic Mode)

For locations using Dynamic availability:

• Background shading shows working hours
• No individual slots (generated in real-time when customers book)
• Color-coded by location

Hybrid Mode Locations

Locations using Hybrid mode show:

• Fixed slots as colored event blocks
• Working hours as background shading
• Both display simultaneously

Desktop-Only Features

On desktop computers, you get extra capabilities:

Drag and Drop

Drag events to different times or days (preview only - doesn't save changes)

Resize Events

Click and drag event edges to adjust duration (preview only - doesn't save changes)

Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: Checking a New Schedule

You've just created a location with multiple time slots (e.g., kids club with swim lessons, music lessons, window cleaning rounds):

1. Open Calendar Preview.
2. Switch to Week View.
3. Scan your working days to verify all slots appear.
4. Check that times don't overlap (unless you have multiple staff).
5. Confirm capacity numbers look right for group sessions.
6. If something's wrong, close preview → Edit Location → Fix → Preview again.

Scenario 2: Adding a New Time Slot

You want to add a new session (e.g., Saturday morning pet grooming appointments):

1. Edit your location.
2. Add the new slot or extend working hours.
3. Save location.
4. Open Calendar Preview.
5. Navigate to next Saturday.
6. Verify the new availability appears correctly.
7. Sync to Google Calendar.

Scenario 3: Finding Empty Gaps

You want to optimize your schedule:

1. Open Calendar Preview.
2. Switch to Day View for detailed view.
3. Navigate through your week.
4. Look for gaps between sessions.
5. Decide if you want to add more availability or leave buffer time.

Scenario 4: Monthly Planning

Planning next month's special workshops:

1. Open Calendar Preview.
2. Switch to Month View.
3. Navigate to next month.
4. See which days are busy vs light.
5. Identify good dates for special events.
6. Close preview → Add new slots → Preview again.

Syncing After Preview

Once you're happy with how your schedule looks:

1. Close Calendar Preview.
2. Click Sync with Google Calendar (top right).
3. Wait for confirmation.
4. Your schedule is now live!

Troubleshooting Preview

Preview shows nothing?

• Make sure you've created at least one location.
• Verify the location has fixed slots or working hours configured.
• Check that you haven't filtered out all locations.

Slots missing?

• Check the date range - navigate forward/back to find them.
• Verify recurrence settings on slots.
• Confirm you saved the location after adding slots.

Times look wrong?

• Double-check the start time and duration in location settings.
• Verify your timezone is correct.
• Make sure AM/PM is set correctly.

Can't see colors?

• Each location gets a different color automatically.
• If you only have one location, everything will be the same color.
• Create multiple locations to see color differences.

Tips for Using Preview

Preview often Check Calendar Preview every time you make changes to locations or slots.

Use Week View for daily work Best for seeing your actual day-to-day schedule.

Use Month View for availability gaps Quickly identify which days/weeks are light vs busy.

Use Day View for verification When you need to check exact timing and details.

Test different months Navigate forward to verify recurring slots appear correctly in future weeks.

Check mobile view Preview also works on mobile/tablet - test responsive rendering.

What Preview Doesn't Show

Calendar Preview shows your availability schedule but doesn't show:

• Actual customer bookings (until synced and booked)
• Your personal calendar events from Google
• Booking quota/limit information
• Price or payment details

To see actual bookings, check your Google Calendar or go to Managing Bookings.

Next Steps

After using Calendar Preview:

1. Sync to Google Calendar - Make your schedule live.
2. Test a booking - Book as a customer to verify the experience.
3. Monitor bookings - Managing Bookings.
4. Adjust as needed - Edit locations → Preview → Sync again.