Availability controls in SavvyCal
| Control | What it does | Options | Where you set it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffers | Keeps time free before and after each new meeting, next to any busy event on your calendars | 0 minutes to 4 hours, before and after | Per link, with account defaults |
| Minimum notice | Stops bookings that start too soon | 0 minutes to 4 weeks | Per link |
| Booking window | Limits how many days ahead people can book | Any number of days | Per link |
| Fixed date range | Only offers times within set dates | On or after, on or before, or between dates; several ranges | Per link |
| Frequency limits | Caps how many meetings can be booked | One or more limits per day, week, or month | Per link, or across all your links |
| Preferred times | Shows your preferred times first, marked “Best” | Automatic (batch meetings together, prefer mornings or afternoons) or a saved schedule | Per link, for links with one host |
| Time blocks | Marks you available when a calendar event with a certain name exists | Title equals or contains a word | Per schedule |
| Overrides | Blocks or opens time on specific dates | Block or allow; allow can ignore conflicts, notice, and limits | Per schedule (every link using it) or per link |
| Schedules | Different weekly hours for different links | Unlimited saved schedules, or custom hours on one link | Per link |
| Start times | How often slots start | Every 15, 20, 30, or 60 minutes | Per link |
| Time zone changes | Moves your availability to another time zone for set dates | Date range and time zone | Account settings |
| Last-minute change lock | Stops the person who booked from rescheduling or canceling close to the start | 15 minutes to 1 week before | Per link |
How to control when people book you
Can I add buffer time between meetings?
Yes. Set a buffer before and after meetings on each link, up to 4 hours, or set defaults for new links. Buffers apply next to every busy event on your connected calendars, not only meetings booked through SavvyCal.
Read the help docCan I limit how many meetings I get per day, week, or month?
Yes. Add one or more frequency limits to a link, such as 3 per day and 10 per week. To cap meetings across all your links, set account-wide limits in Settings. Limits count meetings booked through SavvyCal.
Read the help docCan I stop people from booking at the last minute?
Yes. Minimum notice sets how much lead time a booking needs, from a few minutes up to 4 weeks. Set it to 24 hours, for example, to stop same-day bookings.
Can I limit how far ahead people can book?
Yes. Turn on a booking window to only show the next so many days, such as 30. You can also limit a link to fixed dates, such as on or after September 1, or between two dates. With minimum notice, you can offer only times between 14 and 30 days out.
Read the help docCan I steer people toward the times I prefer?
Yes. Turn on preferred times, and the booking page shows those times first, marked “Best”. People can still see your other open times. SavvyCal can choose preferred times for you, near your other meetings or in the morning or afternoon, or you can pick a saved schedule of preferred hours inside your wider hours.
Read the help docHow do I protect focus time?
Put your focus time on your calendar as a busy event. SavvyCal checks every connected calendar, and busy events block booking on all your links. Events marked free, and events you’ve declined, don’t. To keep long stretches free, batch meetings together with preferred times and add a daily limit.
Can I use calendar events to set when I’m available?
Yes. With time blocks, any calendar event with a name you choose, such as “Office hours”, becomes time people can book. Busy events inside a time block still block it, unless the time block’s name includes [Force].
Read the help docHow do I block vacation days or specific dates?
Block the dates on a schedule, and every link that uses that schedule is blocked. You can also block time on a single link. Or add an all-day event marked busy to your calendar, which blocks every link that checks that calendar.
Read the help docCan different links have different hours?
Yes. Save as many schedules as you need, such as “Work hours” and “Client calls”, and choose one for each link, or set custom hours on a single link.
Can I stop people from rescheduling or canceling at the last minute?
Yes. Turn on “Prevent last-minute changes” on a link and choose how early the lock starts, from 15 minutes to a week before the meeting. It applies to the person who booked. You can still reschedule or cancel up to the start time.
Read the help docWhat if I’m traveling to another time zone?
Schedule a time zone change for the dates you’re away, and your availability moves to that time zone for those dates.
Read the help docWhat SavvyCal doesn’t do
- Travel time between locations
- SavvyCal doesn’t add travel time based on where meetings are. If you add travel time to an event in Apple Calendar on a connected iCloud calendar, SavvyCal counts it as busy.
- Limits on meetings in a row
- You can’t cap consecutive meetings. Buffers keep a gap after every meeting, and daily limits cap the total.
- Holidays
- SavvyCal doesn’t block public holidays for you. Block them on your schedule, or add busy all-day events to your calendar.
- Limits that count other calendar events
- Frequency limits count meetings booked through SavvyCal, not other events on your calendar.
- Preferred times on links with several hosts
- Preferred times work on links with one host, not on collective or round robin links with several.
“Multiple scheduling options, with smart control over availability.”
Rohit B.
Operations Manager, in a review on G2
Availability, answered
Trying to set up a tricky schedule? Drop us a line, and we’ll help you get it right.
Which plan includes these controls?
All of them are on Basic: $10 per user per month billed annually ($120 per year), or $12 monthly. Premium includes them too. You can sign up and set them up for free; letting people book from your links needs a paid plan.
Do buffers apply to events that weren’t booked through SavvyCal?
Yes. A link’s buffers apply next to every busy event on your connected calendars.
Can SavvyCal add travel time between meetings?
Not based on location. If you add travel time to an event in Apple Calendar on a connected iCloud calendar, SavvyCal counts it as busy.
Can I limit back-to-back meetings?
You can’t cap how many meetings happen in a row. Use buffers to keep a gap after each meeting, and a daily limit to cap the total.
Does SavvyCal block holidays automatically?
No. Block holiday dates on your schedule, or add busy all-day events to your calendar.
Can I stop people from rescheduling at the last minute?
Yes. “Prevent last-minute changes” stops the person who booked from rescheduling or canceling within a window you choose, from 15 minutes to a week before the meeting.