Petboost scheduling mirrors what happens in your business rather than forcing a generic template. The schedule is the outer boundary, sessions are the structure inside it, and pets at a time is the limit at any moment.
| Concept | Real-life question | Example answer |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule | When am I available? | Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm |
| Sessions | How do I chunk my day? | Morning grooms, afternoon training |
| Pets at a time | How many at one time? | 3 pets at once |
For example, a 9am to 5pm schedule can hold a morning grooming session from 9am to 12pm at 2 pets at a time, a lunch break, and an afternoon session from 1pm to 5pm at 3 pets at a time.
Set up scheduling for a new account
A new account can build its first team members and calendars with the Schedule Setup wizard, then add hours and sessions.
- Open Schedule Setup and select Guide me through it.
- Answer the questions on the step, then select Continue.
- Repeat for each step on the rail.
- On Review, check Review Your Setup, then select Save & Add Your First Service.
The wizard does not set working hours. Set them next, as below. Schedule Setup and Health Check describes each step of the wizard.
Schedule
The schedule is your weekly working hours template: the days and times you are available. For example:
| Day | Hours | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 9am to 5pm | Working |
| Tuesday | 9am to 5pm | Working |
| Wednesday | None | Day Off |
| Thursday | 9am to 7pm | Working |
| Friday | 9am to 3pm | Working |
| Saturday | 10am to 2pm | Working |
| Sunday | None | Day Off |
Set your schedule
Each team member and resource has its own schedule.
- Open Schedules & Sessions.
- On the team member's or resource's week, switch each day to Working or Day Off.
- Select Publish Changes, tick the box in Before You Publish, then select Publish Changes.
The same week is under Working Hours on each team member's and resource's own page. A working day takes no bookings until it has a session.
Sessions
A session is a focused time block within your schedule where appointments can start.
| Without sessions | With sessions |
|---|---|
| Random gaps in your diary | Bookings fill structured blocks |
| Same rules all day | Different pets at a time or services per block |
| Customers see confusing availability | Customers see clear booking windows |
| Hard to plan your day | Predictable structure |
A groomer might run these sessions:
| Session | Time | Pets at a time | What is allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning Groom | 9am to 12pm | 2 | Full grooms only |
| Afternoon Express | 1pm to 4pm | 4 | Bath, nails, tidy-up |
| Late Booking | 4pm to 6pm | 1 | Any service |
A daycare might run these:
| Session | Time | Pets at a time | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drop-off Window | 7am to 9am | 15 | High traffic intake |
| Morning Play | 9am to 12pm | 12 | Active supervision |
| Rest Time | 12pm to 2pm | 12 | Quiet period |
| Afternoon Play | 2pm to 4pm | 12 | Active supervision |
| Pick-up Window | 4pm to 6pm | 15 | High traffic departure |
Add a session
- Open Schedules & Sessions.
- On the team member's or resource's week, select Add Session on a working day.
- Set Start Time and End Time.
- Optional: set Pets at a time for this session. Left empty, the session uses the default.
- Select Add Session.
- Select Publish Changes, tick the box in Before You Publish, then select Publish Changes.
Besides its own pets at a time, a session can limit its services and pets under Advanced options: Services in this session, and Which pets can book with Weight Restrictions (kg), Age Restrictions, Included Breeds and Excluded Breeds. See Managing Rosters & Schedules.
Pets at a time
Pets at a time is how many pets can be handled at the same moment, not a daily limit: "3 dogs at any given moment" is right, "3 dogs per day" is wrong. Ask yourself how many dogs you can physically handle right now.
With 3 pets at a time, a 3-hour session and services of about 1 hour, one session can take 9 dogs: 3 at a time, three times over.
| Business | What limits you? | Typical pets at a time |
|---|---|---|
| Solo groomer | Number of tables | 1 to 2 |
| Grooming salon | Number of stations | 3 to 6 |
| Daycare | Play area size | 10 to 20 |
| Dog walker | Safe walking group | 4 to 6 |
| Trainer (private) | One-on-one attention | 1 |
| Trainer (group) | Class size | 6 to 10 |
| Boarding | Number of kennels | Varies |
Set pets at a time
A team member and a resource each have their own number, and a session can override it.
- Open Team Members and select Manage on the team member.
- Choose Capacity.
- Set Pets at a Time.
- Select Publish Changes, tick the box in Before You Publish, then select Publish Changes.
A resource has the same setting under Capacity on its own page, and a session has Pets at a time in the session editor. See Pets at a Time and Resource Capacity Management.
How the three connect
Here is one Monday, 9am to 5pm, with a morning grooming session at 2 pets at a time and an afternoon express session at 3:
| Time | Session | Pets booked | Pets at a time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00am | Morning Grooming | 2 (full) | 2 |
| 10:00am | Morning Grooming | 2 (full) | 2 |
| 11:00am | Morning Grooming | 1 | 2 |
| 12:00pm | Lunch break | None | None |
| 1:00pm | Afternoon Express | 3 (full) | 3 |
| 2:00pm | Afternoon Express | 2 | 3 |
| 3:00pm | Afternoon Express | 3 (full) | 3 |
| 4:00pm | Afternoon Express | 1 | 3 |
That is 14 dogs across the day, and never more than 3 at once.
Eligibility rules
Schedule, sessions and pets at a time decide when bookings can happen. Eligibility rules decide who can book. When a customer books online, Petboost checks each of these layers before it offers a time:
| Layer | What Petboost checks |
|---|---|
| Service | The service can be booked online, and the notice period is met |
| Initial service | When the service has a prerequisite, the pet has completed it, such as a temperament test before daycare |
| Pet eligibility | The pet's age, weight and breed are allowed, and its vaccinations are up to date |
| Team member | Working hours apply, no leave or blocked time, a place free at that time, and assigned to the service when it lists specific team members |
| Resource | Working hours apply, no blocked time, a place free at that time, and assigned to the service |
| Geographic | For mobile services only, the customer is in the service area |
These are the common eligibility rules:
| Rule | What it does | Example use |
|---|---|---|
| Initial service requirement | Pet must complete a prerequisite first | Temperament test before daycare |
| Age restriction | Limits by pet's age | Puppy classes (8-16 weeks only) |
| Weight restriction | Limits by pet's weight | Size-based grooming pricing |
| Breed restriction | Allows or blocks specific breeds | Specialist grooming for Poodles |
| Vaccination requirement | Requires proof of vaccination | Daycare, boarding, group classes |
| Suburb restriction | Limits by customer location (per service) | Mobile services with travel limits |
Each rule is set on the service, which you open from Services with Manage:
| Rule | Where |
|---|---|
| Initial service requirement, age, weight and breed | The service's Who Can Book tab |
| Vaccination requirement | The service's Policies & Paperwork tab |
| Suburb restriction | Service area on the service's Who Can Book tab, for mobile services |
For detailed configuration, see Booking Settings & Availability.
Rules have consequences
The more rules you add, the narrower your availability becomes, because each rule filters out some bookings. The impact below is illustrative, and yours depends on your setup:
| Rule | Impact on available times |
|---|---|
| Working hours | Big: they define when you can be booked at all |
| Pets at a time | Big: it limits bookings at the same time |
| Pet eligibility rules | Moderate: they filter out some pets |
| Geographic restrictions | Moderate: they filter by location |
| Booking notice period | Small to moderate: it filters out short notice |
The more you stack, the tighter it gets. Rather than asking which rules you can add, ask which rules you need to run your business safely. Every rule should prevent a real problem you have had or genuinely expect. If you cannot name the problem, you probably do not need the rule.
These are signs of too many rules:
- Customers say they cannot find available times
- Rules added just in case have never been triggered
- Your schedule looks empty online when you are available
- Rules were added to match a previous system, not to solve a problem
Review your rules
- Open Services and select Manage on a service.
- Choose Who Can Book and read each rule.
- For each rule, name the problem it solves.
- If you cannot, consider removing it.
- Check your available times after the change.
For a complete framework on choosing the right level of rules, see The Booking Rules Spectrum.
Real-world setups
These setups show how the three settings fit common businesses:
| Business | Schedule | Sessions | Pets at a time | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A solo groomer with one table | Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm | One all-day session, or morning and afternoon | 1 | One dog at a time |
| A busy daycare with a drop-off rush | Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm | Drop-off 7am to 9am, play 9am to 4pm, pick-up 4pm to 6pm | 20, 15 and 20 by session | More pets at a time in the rush hours, fewer during play for safety |
| Private training mornings, group classes evenings | Monday to Thursday, 9am to 8pm | Private 9am to 4pm, group class 6pm to 8pm | 1, and 8 on the group class | One-on-one attention by day, full classes by night |
| A diary without random gaps | Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm | Morning 9am to 12pm, afternoon 1pm to 5pm | Set per session | Bookings cluster within sessions, with no 10:15am booking and then nothing until 2pm |
Check your setup
Run the health check once at least one team member or resource has working hours.
- Open Schedules & Sessions.
- Open the settings menu and select Health Check.
- Read Overview, then select Next.
- Read How it works, then select Next.
- Work through the findings on What to review.
Then create a test booking, check that the right times appear, and try booking a time that is full to confirm it is blocked.
Common questions
Do I need sessions if I am a solo operator?
They are optional but helpful. Even one session gives you control of pets at a time and a predictable structure, and it is easy to split later as you grow.
What if my pets at a time changes by day of the week?
Set Pets at a time on that day's sessions, so Monday can differ from Friday. For a set date range, use special dates.
How does this affect online booking?
Customers only see times where:
- You are within your schedule's hours
- A session is running
- A place is free at that time
- The service is allowed in that session
You do not need to filter anything by hand.
Can team member and resource capacity both apply?
Yes, both are checked. If Sarah Mitchell takes 2 pets at a time and the grooming room takes 3, a booking with Sarah allows at most 2 at once, because her limit is lower.
Related articles
- The Booking Rules Spectrum: choose the right level of rules
- Pets at a Time: set up team member capacity
- Resource Capacity Management: set up resource capacity
- Managing Rosters & Schedules: sessions, copying and special dates
- Booking Settings & Availability: configure eligibility rules
- Self-Service Readiness Checklist: check self-service readiness
- Availability Troubleshooter: understand why a time is not offered
Need help? Contact support or select Get Help in your dashboard to chat with our team.