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The Scheduler Policies Overview

Oct 30 2025 | By: PhotoBiz Knowledge Base

How to Set Scheduler Policies in PhotoBiz

Overview

The Policies section in your PhotoBiz Scheduler allows you to control how and when clients can book or cancel appointments. These settings help you manage your availability, prevent last-minute bookings, and set clear expectations for your clients.

In this guide, you will learn how to configure your cancellation policy and booking lead time. By the end, your Scheduler will reflect your preferred booking rules and availability.

STEP ONE

Log into your PhotoBiz account and click SCHEDULER from the left-hand menu.

STEP TWO

At the top of your Scheduler control panel, click POLICIES.

STEP THREE

Choose your appointment cancellation policy based on how much notice you want clients to provide.

You can allow clients to cancel online or restrict cancellations entirely. After selecting your preferred option, click Save Changes to apply your settings.

Available cancellation options include:

  • Never (clients cannot cancel online)
  • Up to 24 hours before the appointment
  • Up to 48 hours before the appointment
  • Up to one week before the appointment
  • Anytime

If a client cancels a paid appointment, refunds must be handled manually through your merchant provider. PhotoBiz does not process refunds automatically.

STEP FOUR

Set your appointment lead time to control how far in advance clients must book.

Select the minimum amount of notice required, then click Save Changes to apply your setting.

Available lead time options include:

  • Anytime
  • 1 hour
  • 2 hours
  • 8 hours
  • 24 hours
  • 48 hours
  • 72 hours
  • 1 week
  • 2 weeks
  • 1 month

FINAL STEP

Once your policies are saved, your Scheduler will automatically follow these rules.

Clients will only see appointment times that meet your cancellation and lead time requirements, helping you stay in control of your schedule.

How Lead Time Affects Available Appointments

Lead time creates a rolling booking window based on the current time. This determines the earliest appointment a client can select.

The system calculates availability using:

Current time + lead time = earliest available appointment

For example:

  • If your lead time is 2 hours and the current time is 3:00 PM, the earliest available booking will be 5:00 PM
  • As time moves forward, the earliest available appointment will also shift forward

Because of this, available time slots may appear or disappear throughout the day. This is expected behavior and not a system issue.

How Service Duration Works with Lead Time

Your Scheduler availability is controlled by two settings working together:

  • Service Duration determines how long each appointment lasts and how often time slots appear
  • Lead Time determines which of those time slots are available to book

Together, these settings define what your clients see when booking.

Want Fixed Appointment Times?

If you want appointments to appear at specific times only, such as 4:30 PM or 5:30 PM, you should not rely on lead time alone.

Instead, you can:

  • Set specific availability windows within your service
  • Create separate services for each time block

This gives you full control over exactly when appointments can be scheduled.

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