Appointment Workflows
Understand how appointments move through different statuses and how each status affects availability, reminders, and system behavior.
Appointment Status Lifecycle
Appointments progress through different statuses from creation to completion or cancellation. Understanding these statuses helps you manage your calendar effectively.
Status Flow Diagram
Created: UnConfirmed or PendingVerification (if smart booking enabled)
↓
Confirmed: Appointment is confirmed and eligible for reminders
↓
Waiting: Client has arrived and is waiting
↓
InService: Service is in progress
↓
Completed: (Status may change or appointment may be archived)
At any point: Appointment can be cancelled → CancelAppointment
Status Details
UnConfirmed
Default status for new appointments (unless smart booking is enabled).
- Appointment exists but hasn't been confirmed
- Does not receive automated reminders
- Blocks availability for that time slot
- Can be changed to Confirmed manually
Confirmed
Active status for appointments that are confirmed.
- Eligible for automated reminders (24h and 2h)
- Blocks availability for that time slot
- Can progress to Waiting or InService
- Can be cancelled at any time
Waiting
Client has arrived and is waiting for service.
- Typically set when client arrives early or on time
- Blocks availability
- Usually progresses to InService
InService
Service is in progress.
- Service is currently being provided
- Blocks availability
- Indicates active appointment
CancelAppointment
Appointment has been cancelled.
- Frees up the time slot for new bookings
- System typically sends cancellation email
- Remains in calendar for record-keeping
- Does not receive reminders
- Expired appointments are typically cancelled every 15 minutes
PendingVerification
Smart booking enabled - awaiting client verification.
- Used when smart booking feature is enabled
- Client needs to verify appointment before it becomes active
- Does not receive reminders until verified and confirmed
- Blocks availability until verified or cancelled
Effects on Availability
Different appointment statuses affect provider availability differently:
- UnConfirmed, Confirmed, Waiting, InService, PendingVerification: These statuses block the time slot. The provider is not available for new appointments during these times.
- CancelAppointment: This status frees up the time slot. The provider becomes available for new bookings at that time.
When checking availability, the system considers all non-cancelled appointments when determining available time slots.
Reminder Logic
Automated reminders are only sent for appointments with a Confirmed status. The system:
- Checks every 10 minutes for appointments needing reminders
- Only processes appointments with Confirmed status
- Sends 24-hour reminder when appointment is 24 hours away
- Sends 2-hour reminder when appointment is 2 hours away
- Does not send reminders for other statuses
Smart Booking
When smart booking is enabled, new appointments are created with PendingVerification status instead of UnConfirmed. This requires clients to verify their appointment before it becomes active.
Once verified, the appointment status changes to UnConfirmed or Confirmed, depending on your settings.
Automatic Cancellation
The system cancels expired appointments (appointments that have passed their scheduled time without being marked as completed). This process:
- Runs every 15 minutes
- Finds appointments past their scheduled time
- Changes status to CancelAppointment
- Typically sends cancellation email to the client
- Frees up the time slot for new bookings