Using the availability scheduler
Last updated: December 6, 2023
Availability schedules allow you to save calendar schedules as a template that you can use to create other similar availabilities based on a pattern. Availability schedules will benefit you by significantly cutting down on having to manually create similar schedules for each item. For example, say you have an event that repeats every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from noon to 10:00PM. Rather than creating the same availability days and times for each availability, you can use that pattern as your availability schedule and easily apply it to other calendars.
Creating availability schedules
Heads up! The _____ permission must be enabled for your user account in order to be able to use this feature. Please contact FareHarbor Support for assistance.
Creating availability schedules is a three-step process:
- Create an availability schedule
- Create an availability rule
- Apply the schedule to your item availabilites calendar
To create an availability schedule:
- Open the item for which you want to create the schedule. Availability schedules are created at the item level.
- Click Availability Schedules on the navigation pane on the left.
- On the Availability Schedules page, click + New availability schedule.
- Give your schedule a name, for example “Weekday group promotion”, and add a note, if desired. The note can be helpful as a reminder of the purpose of the schedule for other users.
- Click Create availability schedule.
To delete an availability schedule:
- Open the item for which you want to create the schedule. Availability schedules are created at the item level.
- Click Availability Schedules on the navigation pane on the left.
- Find the schedule you want to delete in the list of existing schedules, and click the Edit >>> link:
- Click the Settings tab, then click Delete. Be sure that you want to delete the rule before clicking Delete, as there is no confirmation prompt.
The schedule is deleted.
The next step is to specify the rule for this schedule. This is very similar to how you create availabilities in FareHarbor, with one exception. Since you are creating a pattern to be used for other availabilities, there is no Start date field. You will specify that later that when you add the rule to your item’s availability.
Repeating settings and duration
- Open the item for which you want to create the schedule. Availability schedules are created at the item level.
- Click Availability Schedules on the navigation pane on the left.
- Click Add rule.
Specify when this rule occurs:
- Don’t repeat: When selected, only one availability will be created.
- Repeating weekly: Allows you to create multiple repeating availabilities. Choose which days of the week the availabilities will be offered, and select an end date. You can create repeating availabilities up to 2 years in the future (based on the start date). Note: If you choose “Repeating weekly”, the default end date will be 12/31 of the following calendar year.
- Repeating biweekly: Allows you to create multiple repeating availabilities that will occur every other week. Choose which days of the week the availabilities will be offered, and select an end date. You can create repeating availabilities up to 2 years in the future (based on the start date). Note: If you choose “Repeating biweekly”, the default end date will be 12/31 of the following calendar year.
Next, enter the duration for this rule:
- All Day availabilities start at 12am and are 24 hours long. You do not need to enter a start time or length when selecting this option.
- Time Range availabilities allow you to enter a custom start time and length in hours, in AM/PM format. To add multiple start times, click Add another start time.
- Day Range availabilities span multiple days, starting at 12am on the first day and ending at 11:59 on the last day.
- Click Next to move to Customers section.
Customers and capacity
Total capacity
Enter the maximum number of people that can be booked for your availability. For example, if you offer tours in groups of 15, your total capacity would be 15.
Note: You can leave this field blank if the following scenarios:
- The capacity is unlimited
- You are using resources as a capacity
Learn more about availabilities and capacity
Customer types
Select which customer type(s) can be booked for this availability. The pricing and visibility for each customer type is determined in the item’s Options & Prices.
- Make sure Customers is highlighted on the side menu.
- Check the box next to each customer type you want to add to the availability.
- Optional: Set the per-booking minimum and/or maximum (how many of that customer type can be included on a single booking).
- Optional: Set the per-availability capacity (the maximum number of that customer type that can be booked on a single availability).
You can now click Create to create the availability, or proceed to the Advanced section below for additional options.
Advanced settings
Here you can set additional options such as a public or private headline, or online booking status. To do this, select Advanced from the side menu.
Public Headline
This headline will be visible to the public, and will be displayed on your calendar next to the name of the item. For example, you can use a headline to call out a special weekend rate or the length of an availability.
Private Headline
A private headline is only visible to logged-in users on your Dashboard. For example, if one of your availabilities is reserved for an anniversary celebration, you may want to add a private headline to that availability to alert your staff.
Online booking status
The online booking status determines what your online customers will see when viewing your availability calendar.
Choose from the following options:
- Auto close: Availability will be bookable online until it is full, at which point it will automatically close. This is the default setting.
- Open: Allow online users to book online until the availability is full, ignoring online booking cutoffs. This is primarily useful if you want to allow people to book at the last minute.
- Closed & Call to book: Close the availability to online users and display a “Call to book” message.
- Closed & hidden: Close and hide the availability from online customers. In this case, only logged-in users on your Dashboard can see and book the availability.
- Unlisted: You can also make an availability unlisted using the checkbox below the dropdown menu. Unlisted availabilities are hidden from your online booking calendars and only visible to those who have the direct link. Learn more
Custom Fields Group
Choose which predetermined set of custom fields will appear in the book form. In the majority of cases, you will have a default group that can be applied to any availability. In certain circumstances, however, you may need to switch out your default group for a different custom field group.
Learn more about custom field groups
Requirements
Choose which resources need to be available before bookings can be created (or click the red X if no resources are required). If you do not use the Resources feature, this option will not be visible.
Creating new availabilities from rule
To create an availability using the scheduler:
- Go to the Items section of your Dashboard and select the item you’d like to add availabilities for.
- Go to the item’s Calendar (located under the Availability section).
- Find the date you want your new availability to start and click the
icon, or click the 
button to begin. - Click the Schedule view tab in the top-right to switch to Schedule view.
- Select the Start Date and End Date. Since you have already configured the day(s) of the week and time and duration in the scheduler, you do not specify them here.
- Click the Availability Schedule dropdown to select the schedule for this availability. (Note: by default, the End Date is set to the following year, so be sure to adjust that as necessary.)
- Click Create.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why don’t I see the Creator view and Schedule view toggle?
As this feature is set at the item level, mmost likely it may not be enabled for the item you are looking at. Check Items > [item name] > Availablity Schedules and make sure there is at least one schedule listed.