Booking window
How far ahead and how late players can book a slot.
Last updated
The booking window is how many days ahead players can book. It is a rolling number, not an end date: with a window of 60 days, there are always 60 days of sessions open, every day. Tomorrow the window moves one day further.
The default is 84 days (12 weeks). You can choose anything from 1 to 365 days.
How far ahead#
The booking window decides how many days of slots exist. Slots that are further away than the window do not exist yet, so players cannot book them. MyEscapeRoom creates the extra days from your weekly schedule as time passes. This runs every hour.
Groups plan an escape room a few weeks ahead (team outings, birthdays, the December rush), so twelve weeks suits most venues. A very long window means more booked sessions standing in the way each time you change your opening hours.
How late#
There is no separate cut-off for last-minute bookings. A free session stays bookable until it starts. If you do not want last-minute bookings, remove or block the sessions in time, or use the staffing rule so that only sessions a host has said they can work are offered in the coming days.
Set the booking window#
The setting is on the Schedule page, in the Booking window panel. An owner or an admin can change it. A host sees the current value but not the controls.
Open the Schedule page
Go to DashboardOperateSchedule and find the Booking window panel. It says what applies to the room you picked, for example "All rooms: 84 days".The Booking window panel: what applies now, the choice of days, and who it applies to. Choose how many days
In Open for booking choose 1 month (30 days), 2 months (60 days), 3 months (90 days) or 6 months (180 days). For another number, choose Another number of days… and type a whole number from 1 to 365 in Days ahead.
Choose who it applies to
Applies to is This room only or All rooms. See below.
Save
Choose Save booking window. For all rooms, a confirmation asks first: "Set the window for all rooms?". Confirm with Set N days for all rooms. The calendars are brought up to date straight away.
One setting for the venue, or one for a room#
| Choice | What happens |
|---|---|
| All rooms | Sets the venue's window. Every room follows it. Any room that had a window of its own loses it and follows the venue again. |
| This room only | The room gets its own window. Other rooms are not touched. A room with its own window shows Follow the venue (N days), which gives the room back to the venue's setting. |
A room without a schedule has no sessions at all, whatever the window says. See the schedule guide.
Making the window longer or shorter#
- Longer. The extra days of sessions are created straight away.
- Shorter. Free sessions beyond the new window are removed. Sessions that people have already booked stay, and they are not reported as a problem. Players who booked beyond the new window are not told anything; their booking stands.
Things that work alongside the window#
- Closed days and special schedules only create or remove sessions inside the window. A special schedule that starts beyond it takes effect as the window reaches it.
- One-off sessions you add by hand can be up to a year ahead, even beyond a shorter window.
- The staffing rule is a separate setting. It only affects the first days ahead. Beyond them, every free session in the window is offered.
Frequently asked questions#
Why can players not book next Christmas?#
Because it is further away than your booking window. Make the window longer, or add a one-off session for that day.
Does it change what my booking widget shows?#
Yes. The widget and the API read the same sessions as your public page, so they follow the same window.