Quick Answer
Mark unavailable dates and times in the calendar’s availability settings
Open the calendar, select Edit, open the Availability tab, choose the dates or time ranges that should be unavailable, save the changes, and preview the booking calendar to confirm those slots no longer appear.
Preventing Unwanted Bookings Without Changing Your Entire Schedule
You may have times when you are unavailable, but it is not always clear how to prevent bookings without changing the full calendar setup.
Blocking off time allows you to mark specific dates or hours as unavailable while leaving the rest of the calendar availability unchanged.
If unavailable time is not blocked correctly, appointments may still be scheduled during periods you intended to keep free.
This guide explains how to block time so the calendar reflects your real availability and prevents unwanted bookings.
Blocked Time at a Glance
Why Block Off Time?
Blocking time prevents appointments from being booked during hours or dates when you are not available.
This keeps the public booking calendar aligned with your actual schedule without requiring you to deactivate the entire calendar.
- Protect lunch breaks or personal appointments.
- Reserve focused work periods.
- Block travel time between meetings.
- Remove vacation days or holidays from availability.
- Prevent bookings during internal meetings or events.
- Keep preparation or follow-up time open between appointments.
Before You Begin
Review the calendar and time-zone settings before creating blocked time.
- Confirm that you are editing the correct calendar.
- Identify the exact date and time that should be unavailable.
- Confirm the calendar’s time zone.
- Decide whether the block is temporary or recurring.
- Check whether a connected calendar already blocks the same time.
- Decide whether the entire day or only part of the day should be unavailable.
Check the time zone first
An incorrect time zone can cause blocked hours to appear at the wrong time. Confirm the user and calendar time-zone settings before saving the block.
How to Block Off Time in a Calendar
Use the calendar availability settings to remove specific times from the public booking schedule.
Open Calendars
From the BizStackPro dashboard, open the Calendars area.
Calendars → Calendar SettingsSelect the Calendar
Find the calendar whose availability you want to update.
Open the Calendar Editor
Select Edit or the pencil icon to open the calendar settings.
Open Availability
Open the Availability tab or section.
Select the Unavailable Time
Choose the date, dates, or time ranges that should no longer accept appointments.
Save the Changes
Save the calendar settings so the blocked time becomes active.
Preview the Booking Calendar
Open the public booking link and confirm that the unavailable time no longer appears as a selectable appointment slot.
Block the Same Time Every Week
Use recurring availability settings when the same period should be unavailable every week.
This can be useful for regular lunch breaks, internal meetings, administrative work, travel periods, or personal commitments.
- Select the weekday that should contain the blocked period.
- Enter the start and end time for the unavailable period.
- Apply the setting as a repeating availability rule.
- Save the calendar.
- Check several future weeks to confirm the block repeats correctly.
Use date-specific overrides for exceptions
A recurring rule is useful for a regular schedule. Use a date-specific availability override when only one particular day needs different availability.
Blocking Full Days
Use a full-day block when no appointments should be available on a specific date.
- Holidays
- Vacation days
- Conferences or business travel
- Office closures
- Training or internal events
After saving, check the public booking calendar to confirm that no appointment slots appear for the blocked date.
Test the Updated Availability
Always check the public booking experience after changing availability.
- Open the public booking link or embedded calendar.
- Navigate to the date containing the blocked time.
- Confirm that the blocked period is unavailable.
- Confirm that the remaining appointment times still appear.
- Check the date in the visitor’s expected time zone.
- Review future dates when the blocked period is recurring.
Troubleshooting Blocked Time
The blocked time still appears as available
Confirm that the calendar changes were saved. Reopen the availability settings and verify the blocked date, start time, end time, and time zone.
The wrong hours are blocked
Review the calendar and user time-zone settings. A time-zone mismatch can shift the blocked period.
The entire day became unavailable
Review the start and end times and confirm that a full-day block was not selected accidentally.
The blocked time does not repeat
Confirm that the unavailable period was saved as a recurring availability rule rather than a one-time date override.
More time is blocked than expected
Check connected conflict calendars, existing busy events, appointment buffers, and other availability rules that may also remove booking slots.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I block off multiple days at once in my calendar?
Yes. You can block multiple dates or create recurring blocked times by configuring the calendar availability settings in BizStackPro.
Will clients be able to book during blocked time slots?
No. Once a time is blocked, it will not appear as available to clients in the scheduling calendar.
Related Help Guides
Need More Help?
Browse the Calendar help category for more availability, appointment, scheduling, and calendar configuration guides.
