Settings
Configure events and schedule settings
Understand the Events & schedule settings page so your team can set up services, plans, closed days, reminders, and booking tools in the right order.
Use this guide when you need to set up what customers can book, how staff schedule work, and which messages and reminders go out around appointments.
The Settings > Events & schedule page is the control center for services your facility offers. It is different from the Schedule calendar, where staff place events on specific days.
What you will accomplish
- Know what each section on Settings > Events & schedule does.
- Set up services and event types in the best order for your facility.
- Connect service plans, closed days, reminders, and optional photo or resource tools.
- Open the right detailed guide when you need step-by-step help for one topic.
Before you start
- You should be signed in as a team admin or someone with permission to edit schedule settings.
- Confirm General settings so your time zone is correct—appointments use this clock.
- Write down the services customers ask for most (storage intake, detail, pickup, transport, tours).
- Know whether customers will book online or only staff will schedule by phone.
Open Events & schedule settings
- Open Settings
From the Dashboard, click Settings in the left sidebar.
- Choose Events & schedule
In the Settings sidebar, click Events & schedule.
Direct link: Settings > Events & schedule.
Expected result: The page title is Events & schedule. You see Services & event types at the top, then more sections as you scroll down.
Set up Events & schedule in the best order
Follow this order on your first setup. Each step builds on the one before it.
- Create your core event types
In Services & event types, add the appointments your team books every week.
Why this matters: Staff cannot schedule work until at least one event type exists. Customer booking also depends on types you mark as customer-facing.
Expected result: Your list includes clear names such as Vehicle Drop Off, Detail Appointment, or Storage Intake.
Follow Configure event types for full steps.
- Add service plans (if you sell recurring care)
Scroll to Service plans and create bundles such as monthly wash or quarterly inspection tiers.
Why this matters: Plans tie recurring work to vehicles so the calendar can create future appointments automatically.
Follow Set up vehicle service plans.
- Set walkthrough photo defaults
In Walkthrough photos, choose whether damage annotation opens automatically when staff capture photos during a job.
Each event type can override this later in that type's own settings.
Expected result: Your team has a consistent default; detail bays might turn annotation on while quick drop-offs leave it off.
- Adjust Create event screen layout (optional)
Scroll to Create event screen layout on Settings > Events & schedule.
Choose how many columns appear on Desktop and Mobile when staff open Create event. Most facilities use 2 columns on desktop and 1 column on phones so buttons stay large enough to tap with gloves or on a moving cart.
Why this matters: A shop with many services may want 3 columns on a wide monitor so staff see more cards at once. A valet team on phones often prefers 1 column so each event type is easy to hit.
Expected result: Each team member can pick their own layout. Changes save automatically—there is no Save button on this section.
For a full walkthrough with examples, read Customize Create event screen layout.
- Block closed days for the whole facility
In Closed days for the whole shop, add holidays or full-facility closures.
Why this matters: Online booking and staff scheduling respect these dates so customers cannot book when you are closed.
Follow Set closed days for events.
- Set default messages for new services
Default texts & emails for new services are the starting on/off switches when you add a future event type.
You can still customize each service later.
- Set default reminders before appointments
Scroll to Default reminders before appointments (sometimes grouped under communications defaults on the same page).
Add at least one reminder—many facilities start with 30 minutes before on the calendar invite so technicians get a phone alert before a bay opens.
Use Add reminder to stack more nudges (for example 1 day before by email). Each new event type you create can inherit these defaults unless you override them inside that service's Edit screen.
Expected result: New services inherit sensible reminders without re-entering the same rules every time.
For message wording and per-service overrides, read Set up event notifications and reminders.
- Subscribe to your schedule (optional)
Scroll to Subscribe to your schedule near the bottom of Settings > Events & schedule.
Click Copy subscribe URL to paste into Google Calendar or Outlook, or Open in calendar app on a Mac or iPhone.
Why this matters: Each staff member gets their own read-only feed. The calendar refreshes on its own schedule—your team does not need to export PDFs every week.
Follow Subscribe to the team calendar for Apple, Google, and Outlook steps.
Extra booking tools (when you need them)
Scroll to the bottom of the page for Extra booking tools. Most facilities only need the sections above.
| Tool | When to use it | Detailed guide |
|---|---|---|
| Photo rules | Jobs must include required photos (intake, damage, completion) | Configure photo rules |
| Bookable resources list | Staff must reserve a specific bay, lift, or room when booking | Set up bookable resources |
What each section on this page does
- Services & event types
The master list of schedulable work. Add, rename, reorder, turn off, or open Edit for one service.
- Service plans
Recurring care packages (storage tiers, maintenance bundles) linked to vehicles.
- Walkthrough photos
Team-wide default for opening damage annotation during photo capture.
- Create event screen layout
Column layout for the staff Create Event picker on desktop and mobile.
- Closed days for the whole shop
Holidays and full-facility closures that block booking everywhere.
- Default texts & emails for new services
Starting notification switches applied to newly created event types.
- Default reminders before appointments
Calendar and message reminders before appointments start.
- Subscribe to your schedule
Personal calendar feed links for staff.
Test before customers book online
Walk through this short checklist after you finish the sections above. It catches the mistakes customers notice first.
- Create a test appointment on Schedule
Open Schedule and book a test event using a new event type.
Expected result: The event appears at the correct time in your facility time zone.
- Run through customer booking (if enabled)
If customers can self-book, open your booking widget or portal and try one test reservation.
Follow Test an event setup.
- Confirm reminders and messages
Check that confirmation or reminder settings match what you promised customers on the phone.
- Assign a service plan on one test car (if you use plans)
Open a vehicle on Cars, scroll to Service Plans, and assign the plan you created.
Expected result: The car record shows the plan name and start date. Optional: turn on the Service column on the Cars list to see plan health at a glance. See Assign service plans on a vehicle.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Do not turn on customer self-booking before hours and closed days are set—customers may book when you are closed.
- Do not create service plans before the underlying event types exist—plans need real services to schedule.
- Do not skip the facility time zone in General settings. Schedule always uses that clock.
- Do not edit only the page-level defaults when one service needs different rules—open that row with Edit in Services & event types.
Troubleshooting
What to do next
- Set up Operations checklists and statuses in Configure operations settings.
- Train staff on daily scheduling in Schedule overview.
- Return to Settings overview for the full first-week setup path.