Configure Appointment Experience

Appointment experiences enable consumers to book specific time slots for services, events, or experiences. This is ideal for scenarios where you need to manage capacity and scheduling, such as private shopping, consultations, or event reservations.

When to Use Appointments

Appointments are best for:

Private shopping - One-on-one shopping experiences
Consultations - Service appointments with staff
Event reservations - Scheduled event access
Product pickups - Organized collection times
VIP experiences - Exclusive scheduled access

Creating an Appointment Experience

Navigate to Experiences > Create Experience
Select Appointment from the experience type options
Complete the appointment configuration form

Caption: The appointment creation form with all configuration options

Appointment-Specific Settings

Schedule Configuration

Define when appointments are available: Caption: Configure available dates and times

Field	API field	Required	Description
Open At	`openAt`	No	When booking becomes active.
Close At	`closeAt`	No	When the booking window ends.
Time Zone	`timeZone`	Yes	Time zone for all scheduled fields.

Time Slot Configuration

Caption: Define your time slot structure

Field	API field	Required	Description
Slot Duration	`slotDurationMinutes`	No	Length of each appointment.
Buffer Time	`bufferMinutes`	No	Gap between appointment slots.
Max Capacity Per Slot	`maxCapacityPerSlot`	No	Concurrent appointments allowed.

Availability Patterns

Choose how to define availability:

Pattern	Description	Best For
Daily Schedule	Same times every day	Regular business hours
Weekly Schedule	Different times by day	Varying schedules
Custom Dates	Specific dates only	Events, limited runs
Recurring	Repeat weekly/monthly	Ongoing programs

Caption: Set different availability for each day of the week

Capacity Settings

Field	API field	Required	Description
Max Capacity Per Slot	`maxCapacityPerSlot`	No	How many consumers can book the same slot.

Location Configuration

If appointments happen at physical locations: Caption: Configure appointment location

Field	API field	Description
Location	`locationId`	Select from your configured locations.
Arrival Instructions	Dashboard content	Directions, parking, or check-in instructions shown by your experience content.

Booking Rules

Lead Time

Control how far in advance bookings can be made:

Setting	Description
Minimum Notice	How far ahead bookings must be (e.g., 24 hours)
Maximum Advance	How far ahead bookings can be (e.g., 30 days)

Notifications

Consumer Notifications

Event	Notification
Booking Confirmed	Appointment details and confirmation
Reminder	Upcoming appointment reminder
24-Hour Reminder	Day-before reminder
Same-Day Reminder	Morning-of reminder

Staff Notifications

Event	Notification
New Booking	Someone booked an appointment
Today’s Schedule	Daily appointment summary

Reminder Schedule

Configure automatic reminders:

Timing	Recommended For
1 week before	Long-lead bookings
24 hours before	Standard reminder
2 hours before	Same-day confirmation

Appointment Timing

upcoming -> active -> ended
              ↓
            killed

State	Description
upcoming	The appointment distribution is scheduled but booking is not active yet.
active	Consumers can book available slots.
ended	The booking window has closed.
killed	The distribution has been stopped and booking is unavailable.

Example: Private Shopping Experience

Scenario

Service: VIP private shopping
Duration: 1 hour per session
Capacity: 2 shoppers at a time
Dates: Weekdays for one month

Configuration

Name: "VIP Private Shopping Experience"
Product: Exclusive Collection Preview
Audience: VIP Members

Schedule:
  Open At: February 20
  Close At: March 31

Time Slots:
  Slot Duration Minutes: 60
  Buffer Minutes: 15
  Max Capacity Per Slot: 2

Weekly Availability:
  Monday-Friday: 10 AM - 6 PM
  Saturday: Closed
  Sunday: Closed

Location:
  Location ID: "loc_flagship"
  Instructions: "Enter through VIP entrance on Oak Street"

Booking Rules:
  Minimum Notice: 48 hours
  Maximum Advance: 14 days
  Allow Cancellation: Yes
  Cancellation Window: 24 hours

Notifications:
  - Booking confirmation
  - 24-hour reminder
  - 2-hour reminder

Caption: A fully configured private shopping appointment experience

Managing Appointments

Calendar View

View all bookings in calendar format: Caption: View and manage appointments in calendar view

Manual Booking

Administrators can book appointments on behalf of consumers:

Click on an available slot
Search for the consumer
Confirm the booking
Consumer receives confirmation

Blocking Time

Block times for breaks, staff meetings, or maintenance:

Select time slots to block
Add a reason (optional)
Blocked slots won’t appear to consumers

Best Practices

Slot Design

Include buffer time - Allow transition between appointments
Realistic durations - Don’t underestimate time needed
Consider lunch/breaks - Block out non-available times
Test the flow - Walk through the consumer experience

Booking Window

Open early enough - Give consumers planning time
Close appropriately - Enough time to prepare
Consider time zones - If serving multiple regions

Capacity Management

Start conservative - Easier to add capacity than remove
Monitor no-shows - Adjust overbooking if needed
Waitlist option - Capture demand for full slots

Communication

Clear instructions - Location, parking, what to bring
Multiple reminders - Reduce no-shows
Follow-up - Post-appointment feedback

Handling Issues

High No-Show Rate

If many consumers don’t show:

Send more reminders
Require confirmation 24 hours before
Consider requiring deposits
Implement no-show penalties

Overbooking

If you accidentally overbooked:

Contact affected consumers immediately
Offer alternative times
Provide compensation if appropriate
Review booking system settings

Location Management - Set up appointment locations
Experience Schedule - Understanding appointment timing
Experience Analytics - Appointment metrics

​Configure Appointment Experience

​When to Use Appointments

​Creating an Appointment Experience

​Appointment-Specific Settings

​Schedule Configuration

​Time Slot Configuration

​Availability Patterns

​Capacity Settings

​Location Configuration

​Booking Rules

​Lead Time

​Notifications

​Consumer Notifications

​Staff Notifications

​Reminder Schedule

​Appointment Timing

​Example: Private Shopping Experience

​Scenario

​Configuration

​Managing Appointments

​Calendar View

​Manual Booking

​Blocking Time

​Best Practices

​Slot Design

​Booking Window

​Capacity Management

​Communication

​Handling Issues

​High No-Show Rate

​Overbooking

​Related Guides