Create and manage appointment types that streamline your booking process. This guide walks you through creating scheduler templates, configuring availability, and sharing them with clients.
Overview of scheduler templates
Scheduler tem
plates in Dubsado define your available appointment types and control how clients book time with you. Each template includes your availability, booking rules, required forms, payment requirements, and automated communications.
You can use scheduler templates to:
Provide clients with self-service booking based on your real-time availability
Book appointments on the client's behalf
Standardize your appointment types with consistent settings
Automate confirmations and reminders for each appointment
Require forms or payments as part of the booking process
Scheduler templates are managed in the Events tab and can be shared publicly or applied to specific projects.
Creating a new scheduler template
To create a new scheduler template:
Navigate to Events → Scheduler Templates
Click the Plus icon in the bottom right corner
Give your template a name that clearly describes the appointment type
Your new template opens in the scheduler builder with two main sections: Basic Settings and Advanced Settings.
Basic Settings
Basic Settings control your event details, availability, and booking page appearance.
Start by configuring your appointment fundamentals in the Details section:
Title: The name clients see when booking
Duration: How long the appointment lasts
Location: Where the meeting takes place (physical address, phone number, or video conferencing link)
Description: Additional information about the appointment that appears on the booking page
If you use video conferencing integrations like Zoom or Google Meet, you can enable automatic link generation for each booked appointment.
Availability
Define when clients can book appointments:
Set your Weekly Hours by selecting the days and time ranges you're available
Click Add hours to include multiple time blocks on the same day
Use Date-Specific Hours to set exceptions for holidays, special availability, or blocked dates
Your available time slots are determined by both your scheduler settings and your synced external calendar. Any events marked as "Busy" in your connected calendar automatically block those times from being bookable.
Booking Page
Control how your scheduler appears and functions for clients:
Booking window: Choose between:
Rolling availability: Clients can book a set number of days into the future from today
Fixed availability: Clients can book within specific date ranges
Indefinite availability: Clients can book any time based on your weekly hours
Banner image: Upload a custom image to display at the top of your booking page
Show transparency: Decide whether to display other booked appointments as unavailable slots
Advanced Settings
Advanced Settings provide granular control over booking limits, requirements, and automations.
Limits
In the Limits section, you can prevent overbooking and control your schedule density:
Minimum advance notice: How far in advance clients must book (e.g., at least 24 hours before)
Buffer time before event: Required time between the previous appointment and this one
Buffer time after event: Required time between this appointment and the next one
Max bookings per day: Total appointments of this type allowed in a single day
Total max bookings: Maximum number of appointments this scheduler can generate overall
Form
Require clients to complete a form before finalizing their booking:
Select a form template from the Required form dropdown
Choose from Questionnaire, Lead Capture, or Proposal form types
Note: contracts and sub-agreements cannot be attached to scheduler templates.
Payment
Require payment to confirm appointments:
Enter the Price for the appointment
Add an Item name (e.g., "Consultation Fee" or "Session Deposit")
Click Detailed view to add:
Quantity
Tax rates
Descriptions
Income categories
Clients must pay 100% of the scheduler invoice to finalize their appointment booking.
Reminders
Set up automated email reminders:
Click Add reminder
Set the timing (minutes, hours, days, weeks, or months before the event)
Select an email template from the dropdown
Add multiple reminders as needed
Invitation & Confirmation Emails
Configure your automated communications:
Invitation email: The template used when you send the scheduler link to a client
Confirmation email: Automatically sent after a client books an appointment
If no confirmation email is selected, Dubsado sends the default confirmation template found in Messages → Default templates → Appointment Confirmed.
Redirect to URL
Send clients to a specific webpage after booking by entering your desired URL. This is useful for thank you pages, additional instructions, or next steps.
Sharing and using scheduler templates
Applying to projects
To make a scheduler available within a specific project:
Open the scheduler template
Click the Apply to Project icon (folder icon) in the top right corner
Select the desired project
Click Apply to Project
Getting your public link
To share a scheduler publicly:
Open the scheduler template
Click the Share icon (three connected dots) in the top right corner
Under Public Link, click Copy Link
Under Embed Code, click Copy Code for website integration
Duplicating templates
Save time creating similar schedulers:
Open an existing scheduler template
Click the Duplicate icon (square icon) in the top right corner
Edit the copy to create your new variation
Deleting templates
To remove a scheduler template:
Open the template you want to delete
Click the Delete icon (trash can icon) in the top right corner
Confirm the deletion
Managing schedulers within projects
Access scheduler functionality directly from your projects for streamlined client management.
From the project Events tab
Navigate to your client's project
Click the Events tab
The left menu shows:
Calendar: Booked events for this project
All Schedulers: Every scheduler applied to or sent within this project
Sent: Schedulers already shared with the client
Not Sent: Applied schedulers not yet shared
Scheduler Templates: Available templates to apply
Group Templates: Available scheduler groups to apply
Settings: Your calendar configuration
Sending schedulers to clients
From a project's Events tab:
Click the Plus icon in the bottom right corner
Select a scheduler or group to send
Choose your sending method:
Invite client to book: Opens the email composer with the scheduler link
Book for client: Opens the booking page for you to select a time on their behalf
Apply to project and portal only: Makes it available in the client portal without sending an email
For schedulers already applied to the project:
Select All Schedulers from the Events menu
Find your scheduler in the list
Click the Paper plane icon to send via email
Or click the Arrow icon to book on behalf of your client
Understanding scheduler behavior
How availability works
Your scheduler determines available slots by combining:
Weekly hours and date-specific hours set in the template
Real-time availability from your synced external calendar
Any booking limits you've configured
Buffer time requirements between appointments
Events marked as "Busy" in your external calendar automatically block those times, even if they fall within your scheduler's defined hours.
What happens when clients book
When a booking is completed:
A new appointment is created in Dubsado
The appointment is associated with the appropriate project or contact
Video conferencing links are generated if enabled
Required forms must be completed in the booking flow
Payment must be processed if required
Confirmation is sent immediately, and reminder emails are scheduled automatically
Public vs. project usage
Scheduler behavior varies based on how it's shared:
Public sharing (website or public link):
Include a Lead Capture form or Public Proposal to create new projects automatically
New contacts are created if the email doesn't match existing clients
Project sharing (within existing projects):
Don't include Lead Capture forms or Public Proposals to avoid duplicate projects
Appointments are added to the current project
FAQ
Can I use different email templates for different schedulers?
Yes. Each scheduler template has its own invitation email, confirmation email, and reminder settings. Configure these in the Advanced Settings of each template.
What's the difference between rolling and fixed availability?
Rolling availability moves with the current date (e.g., "book up to 30 days from today"), while fixed availability uses specific date ranges (e.g., "January 1-31, 2025"). Choose rolling for ongoing availability or fixed for limited-time offerings.
Why aren't my available hours showing correctly?
Check several areas:
Verify your Weekly Hours are set correctly in the Availability card
Review Date-Specific Hours for any exceptions overriding your regular schedule
Confirm your availability mode matches your intended booking window
Check if events in your external calendar are blocking time slots
Review the Filter appointment availability across brands setting in Calendar settings
How do buffer times work?
Buffer times create mandatory gaps between appointments. For example, a 15-minute buffer before means no one can book another appointment within 15 minutes of the appointment's start time. This gives you transition time between clients.
What happens if I delete a scheduler template?
Deleting a template removes it from your available schedulers but doesn't affect appointments already booked using that template. Those appointments remain in your calendar.
Can I require both a form and payment?
Yes. You can attach both a required form and payment to any scheduler template. Clients must complete both to finalize their booking.