Appointments vs. Availabilities
In timum, there are three things that are all commonly called an “appointment”: an Availability, where customers choose the time themselves; a bookable appointment with a fixed start time that you set; and the booked appointment, created by a booking. This page shows how they differ.
The Difference
| Availability | Bookable Appointment | Booked Appointment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Time range in which customers choose the start time themselves | Fixed appointment with a start time and duration that you set | Appointment with at least one participant |
| Who creates it? | You (individually or via a consultation-hours rule) | You (individually or as a series) | Created by a booking or request – or you enter it as a personal appointment |
| Multiple participants? | One booking per selected time; multiple with “Group appointments” | Yes, via “Participants per appointment” (group appointment) | Up to the configured number of participants |
| Typical use | Viewings chosen by the customer, consultations | Open house, group viewing, seminar | – |
How are they related?
- You create Availabilities (time ranges) or set up bookable appointments (fixed times)
- Customers book from these
- A booking becomes a booked appointment with the customer as participant
- The availability or bookable appointment is reduced according to the number of participants, or disappears from the offering
Good to know
- Appointments can also be created without a prior availability: you enter them as a personal appointment
- Availabilities without bookings do not disappear automatically
- If a booking is cancelled, the spot becomes available again, provided the availability or bookable appointment still exists