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Why Appointment Time Slots Are Missing on Your Calendar

If you've noticed that certain appointment time slots are either missing or appearing unexpectedly on your Stack calendar, you're in the right place. Whether you're using a standard or round robin calendar, this guide will help you identify common causes and solutions to ensure smooth booking.

Table of Contents​

Understanding Time Slot Visibility​

Time slot visibility determines whether appointment slots appear on your public calendar. This is influenced by various factors such as calendar settings, user availability, buffer times, external conflicts, and Round Robin logic. Misconfigurations can lead to issues like:

  • Available users not showing time slots
  • Open time ranges that aren't bookable
  • More or fewer time slots than expected

Understanding these interactions is key to resolving visibility issues.

Benefits of Understanding Time Slot Visibility​

Grasping how calendar logic works can help you:

  • Quickly identify configuration issues
  • Avoid overlapping or conflicting events
  • Optimize team availability with correct settings
  • Minimize client friction during booking

Troubleshooting Missing or Unexpected Time Slots​

Time slot issues often stem from multiple overlapping factors. Use the checklist below to diagnose and resolve visibility problems.

Calendar Settings​

Calendar configurations are crucial for availability logic. Incorrect settings are a common cause of visibility issues.

  1. Verify Calendar Selection: Ensure you're viewing the correct calendar by checking the calendar name, group, and type.
  2. Check Working Hours and Custom Date Availability:
    • Confirm weekly hours are set correctly.
    • Ensure date-specific overrides haven't blocked times.
  3. Confirm Assigned Users or Teams: Availability depends on assigned users. Verify this under the Service Details tab.

Slot Duration, Buffers & Interval Settings​

The spacing and buffering of your slots can create gaps or block slots entirely.

  • Check Slot Interval, Duration, and Buffer Settings: These control the frequency and length of time slots. Adjust them in the Availability tab under Calendars in Settings.

External Conflicts & Calendar Sync​

Connected calendars can block availability based on busy times. Check for events blocking slots in synced Google/Outlook calendars.

  • External Calendar Events: Events marked as busy will block slots on your internal calendar.

Timezones​

Timezone mismatches can be a hidden issue, especially across teams or international clients.

  • Align Timezones: Double-check both your user profile settings and the client's calendar view to ensure consistency.

Using the Calendar Troubleshooting Tool​

The built-in Troubleshooting Tool helps you understand slot logic by breaking down why a time slot is blocked.

  • Access the Tool: Navigate to Calendar Settings, locate the calendar you want to troubleshoot, and select the Troubleshoot Calendar (Wrench Icon).

Frequently Asked Questions​

Q: Why does a team member show available but isn't getting booked?
A: The Round Robin logic may be skipping them due to prior assignments or availability priority settings.

Q: Why are my booking slots not aligning with my working hours?
A: This could be due to slot intervals, buffer times, or hidden external calendar conflicts.

Q: Why do slots show up on some browsers but not others?
A: Browser caching or mismatched timezone display can cause these inconsistencies.

Q: Can I allow clients to pick their preferred team member?
A: Yes, enable staff selection under the calendar's settings if you're using Round Robin.

Q: What does the troubleshooting tool show me?
A: It lists every rule or condition blocking a specific slot, including time zone, buffer, user assignment, and more.