Availability and Google Calendar
You control exactly when you can be booked.
Set your working hours
In your dashboard, go to Availability to set your weekly working hours, add buffer time between bookings, and block dates you're away.
The slots guests see are your working hours, minus anything already booked and minus any blocked dates.
When you're brand new, a default weekly schedule applies so you're bookable right away. As soon as you set any custom hours, your own schedule takes over — and any weekday you leave empty is treated as closed.
Connect Google Calendar
Connecting your Google Calendar keeps you from being double-booked: times you're busy on Google are automatically removed from your available slots. Every confirmed booking is also pushed to your calendar so you don't have to add it by hand.
Connect it during setup or later from your dashboard.
No slots are showing
- Check you have working hours set for that weekday (empty custom days = closed).
- Check the date isn't in your blocked dates.
- If Google busy times aren't updating, reconnect Google Calendar.
Still not right? Reach us from the Help page.
What is Availability Management?
It lets you control when customers can book — your working days, working hours, available time slots, and unavailable dates.
Where can I manage my availability?
Go to Dashboard → Availability to configure your working schedule and booking availability.
Why should I set my availability?
So customers can only book when you're available, preventing scheduling conflicts.
Can I set my working days?
Yes. Choose the days of the week you accept bookings.
Can I set my working hours?
Yes. Define your daily hours so customers book only within those times.
Can I have different working hours on different days?
Yes. Customize hours for each day of the week.
Can I mark certain days as unavailable?
Yes. Block specific days when you can't accept bookings.
Can I block holidays?
Yes. Mark holidays or leave as unavailable so no one books those dates.
Can I take a day off without deleting my schedule?
Yes. Block that specific date while keeping your regular schedule.
Can I edit my availability anytime?
Yes, whenever your schedule changes.
Do availability changes affect future bookings?
Changes apply to future slots. Existing confirmed bookings are generally not affected.
Can I set available time slots?
Yes. Define the specific slots customers can book.
Can customers book outside my available hours?
No. Only within the available slots you've configured.
Can I limit bookings to weekdays only?
Yes. Mark weekends unavailable if you only work weekdays.
Can I work only on weekends?
Yes. Choose any working days that match your schedule.
Can I change my availability every week?
Yes, whenever required.
What happens if I forget to update my availability?
Customers may keep seeing your previously configured slots until you change them.
Can I block part of a day?
There's no per-slot block. To be unavailable for part of a day, shorten that day's working hours; to be off the whole day, block the date. Reopen by restoring the hours or removing the blocked date.
Can customers see my available slots?
Yes. They only see slots currently available for booking.
Can I control how far in advance customers can book?
There isn't a separate advance-notice or booking-window setting. Times that have already passed are automatically removed, and guests can book any open future slot in your working hours. To limit near-term bookings, block those dates or adjust your hours.
Can I stop accepting same-day bookings?
There's no same-day on/off switch. If you don't want same-day bookings, block today's date or set that day's hours so no slots remain.
Can multiple customers book the same time slot?
No. Once booked, a slot is unavailable to others unless your settings allow otherwise.
What happens after someone books a time slot?
The slot is automatically marked unavailable to prevent double bookings.
Can I manually make a booked slot available again?
Yes. If a booking is cancelled or rescheduled, you can reopen the slot if appropriate.
Can I view my upcoming availability?
Yes. Your availability calendar shows upcoming available and unavailable slots.
Can I update today's availability?
Yes, before those slots are booked.
Can I block an entire week?
Yes. Block multiple consecutive dates.
Can I block an entire month?
Yes. Mark extended periods unavailable for a long break or vacation.
Can I temporarily stop accepting bookings?
Yes. Block all your available dates until you're ready again.
Can customers book during my break?
No. If you've blocked those slots, they can't be booked.
Can I set different availability for different services?
No. Your schedule is set per host and shared across all your services — there isn't a separate schedule per service.
Does availability sync with my booking page?
Yes. Your booking page shows your latest available slots.
Why can't customers see any available slots?
All slots may be booked or blocked, or your working hours aren't configured.
Why is my availability not updating?
Make sure your changes saved. Refresh the page or contact Support if it continues.
Can I schedule recurring availability?
Yes. Your weekly schedule repeats until you update it.
Can I modify my recurring schedule?
Yes, whenever your schedule changes.
Can I make myself unavailable for emergencies?
Yes. Block dates or slots immediately when something unexpected comes up.
Can customers request unavailable time slots?
No. They can only select available slots.
Can I view all blocked dates?
Yes. Your availability calendar shows all blocked and unavailable dates.
Can I remove blocked dates later?
Yes, to make them bookable again.
Will changing my availability notify customers?
General availability changes don't notify customers unless they affect an existing booking.
Does availability work with Google Calendar?
Yes. If Google Calendar integration is enabled, your busy times are removed from your available slots to help prevent conflicts.
Can I update my availability from my phone?
Yes, from any supported device.
Can I see today's bookings alongside my availability?
Yes. Your dashboard shows your bookings and available schedule together.
How often should I update my availability?
Whenever your working hours, holidays, or personal schedule change.
What should I do if my availability is incorrect?
Review your working hours, blocked dates, and booking settings, update them, and save.
Who should I contact if I can't manage my availability?
If you can't update your schedule, contact Book A Sloth Support with details of the issue.
How can I manage my availability effectively?
Keep working hours updated, block holidays in advance, review your schedule regularly, and make sure availability reflects your real working hours.
Google Calendar sync — common questions
What does connecting Google Calendar do? Two things: times you're busy on Google are removed from your bookable slots (so you're not double-booked), and every confirmed booking is written to your Google Calendar as an event — and updated or removed there if it's rescheduled or cancelled.
Is it read-only? No. It reads your busy times and adds, updates, and removes your Book A Sloth booking events on your calendar. It doesn't touch your other personal events.
Is it optional? Yes. You can run purely on your Availability schedule without connecting. Connect (or disconnect) any time from your dashboard.
Do I need a Google account? Yes — Google Calendar sync requires connecting a Google account.
Is it limited to certain plans? No. Google Calendar connection is available to hosts on all plans. Book A Sloth syncs with the primary calendar of the Google account you connect.
Will customers see my calendar events? No. Your calendar stays private — guests only see open booking slots, never your event details.
It's not blocking my busy times. Check the calendar is still connected, then reconnect from your dashboard — authorization can expire. Sync failures are designed to fail safe (they won't wrongly hide your availability), so reconnecting restores busy-time blocking.
Does it create bookings by itself? No. It only mirrors Book A Sloth bookings onto your calendar and reads your busy times — it never creates a Book A Sloth booking on its own.
What happens if I disconnect? Existing bookings stay. Your availability then relies only on your working hours and blocked dates. Reconnect any time.
Can Support help me reconnect? Yes — if you can't reconnect, contact Book A Sloth Support.