HelpAppointmentsHow appointments are called
How appointments are called
An appointment and a walk-inSomeone who joins the line on the spot (QR, link, or kiosk) without a booking. live in the same line, so when a walk-in and someone with an appointment arrive together, a rule decides precedence. Switch the rule in the demo above to Appointments first and watch the appointment (blue) take its place ahead of the walk-ins.
Serving rule Served in arrival order — the appointment waits its turn.
Walk-in Appointment Now being called
Who's called first
Your serving order decides it.
| Appointments first | Keep it fair | |
|---|---|---|
| A due appointment | Always called ahead of walk-ins | Still holds its reserved spot |
| A not-yet-due appointment | Waits its turn like anyone else | A walk-in past the max-wait safety netA max-wait limit — a walk-in who has waited longer than it is bumped ahead of other walk-ins, but never past an emergency or a due booking. can go ahead of it |
How early an appointment appears
Show appointments this early (minutes) — in Line settings → Appointments
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| 120 (the default) | An upcoming appointment joins the live line two hours before its slot. |
| 0 | An appointment shows only once it's due. |
| Why it's not always 0 | Far-future appointments stay hidden so they don't inflate walk-in waits. |
When check-in opens
Check-in opens (minutes before the slot) — in Line settings → Appointments
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Blank (the default) | A booked visitor can check in from the start of the appointment's day (for a late-night venue, its trading day) — and keeps that right until the no-show grace after the slot has passed and the appointment is marked a no-show, unless you honour late arrivals. |
| 60 | A 3 pm appointment can check in from 2 pm. |
| Any value from 5 minutes to a full day | Sets how early a booked visitor can check themselves in. |
Check-in is always same-day — never a different date. Staff are not held to the minutes setting: the desk can check a booking in at any time on its own day. See Manage a booking.
Appointments not showing in the line? If they're further out than your "show appointments this early" window, they simply haven't surfaced yet — they'll appear as their slot approaches.