Set up online scheduling

Use this guide when you are turning on online booking for a shop.

Before you start

• Your shop code is set.
• Your shop time zone is set in Settings → Shop. The entire Foundation step is locked until this is done.
• Your business hours are set in Calendar → Shop Hours.
• You know which services customers should be able to book.
• You know whether customers should book through TracsConnect, AutoOps, or Setmore.

Caution

Do not turn on online booking until the review step shows that all required items are complete.

Step 1: Open Scheduling

1. Sign in to your dashboard.
2. Choose the shop you want to configure.
3. Click Scheduling in the sidebar.
4. You land on the Foundation step.

Step 2: Choose the booking profile

1. Find Booking Profile.
2. Choose TracsConnect Native, AutoOps, or Setmore.
3. Save the change.

Choose TracsConnect Native when TracsConnect should handle the full booking flow. Choose AutoOps or Setmore when that provider should be the customer-facing booking surface. With an external provider selected, the hours, services, and policies steps are hidden — they only apply to native booking.

Step 3: Set hours and booking windows

1. Review Business Hours. These are read-only here.
2. Go to Calendar → Shop Hours if the hours look wrong.
3. Choose a Slot Interval — how often booking times appear (15, 20, 30, or 60 minutes).
4. Under Public Booking Windows, click Add window for each day customers may book online.
5. Enter a start and end time for each window.
6. Leave a day empty when customers should not book online that day.
7. Save the change.

Business hours are your operating schedule. Public booking windows are the part of that schedule you open to online booking. Most shops make them a bit narrower than their actual hours to leave room for opening tasks, lunch coverage, and end-of-day wrap-up.

Step 4: Set capacity

1. Still in Foundation, scroll down to the capacity fields.
2. Fill in the limits your shop wants.
3. Leave a field blank when you do not want that particular limit.
4. Use Reserved Internal Capacity to hold back slots for phone calls, walk-ins, or advisor-entered appointments.
5. Save the change.

Capacity keeps online booking from filling every slot your staff needs for normal shop work.

Step 5: Add services

1. Open Services.
2. Click Category if you want to group services on the booking page.
3. Click Add.
4. Pick a TRACS labor or job item.
5. Review the customer-facing name and duration.
6. Turn on Enabled for online booking.
7. Choose whether waiters, drop-offs, or advisor approval are allowed for this service.
8. Save the service.

At least one service must be enabled for online booking before you can activate the scheduler.

Step 6: Review policies

1. Open Policies.
2. Set Minimum Lead Time — how many minutes ahead a customer must book (default 120 minutes).
3. Set Booking Horizon — how many days into the future customers can book (1–365 days, default 30).
4. Choose the Same-Day Booking behavior.
5. Review Customer Rules and Vehicle Rules.
6. Save any changes.

These rules keep out too-soon appointments, unsupported vehicle types, and requests that need advisor review before confirming.

Step 7: Add exceptions and messages

1. Open Exceptions & Notifications.
2. Add closed days, holidays, or partial blocks when needed.
3. Read through the four customer messages — they come pre-filled with sensible defaults.
4. Edit any message you want to personalize.
5. Save any changes.

At least one notification message must have text before the setup checklist will clear.

Step 8: Preview and activate

1. Open Review & Activate.
2. Check the Pre-flight check list — every item should show a green checkmark.
3. Run an Availability Preview to confirm customers will see the times you expect.
4. Fix any incomplete item that the pre-flight check flags.
5. Turn on Activate online scheduler when the preview looks right.

Customers can book only after the scheduler is active.