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How to Let Microsoft Bookings Customers Choose Only Scheduled Sessions

Steve K Sep 30, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user needs to configure Microsoft Bookings so that customers can only select predefined training meetings with available capacity, rather than seeing generic open appointment times.

How to Restrict Microsoft Bookings Customers to Scheduled Sessions Only

Product: Microsoft Bookings
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Configuring customer scheduling options for predefined group training meetings.
Observed behavior: Microsoft Bookings displays open appointment times instead of limiting customer choices to specifically scheduled group sessions.

Before you start

Ensure you have Administrator permissions for the specific Microsoft Bookings calendar, as standard staff or viewer roles cannot modify service availability and scheduling policies.

Solution 1Recommended

Configure Service Availability for Specific Sessions

Adjust the specific service settings in Bookings to block general availability and only open predefined date and time ranges for your group sessions.

By default, Bookings uses standard business hours for appointment availability. To offer distinct scheduled group sessions, you must override these general hours and define custom availability windows for the specific service.

Access Service Settings

Modify the Target Service

Click on the specific training or group session service you want to edit. Under the 'Availability options' section, change the general availability to 'Not bookable'.

Add Specific Time Slots

Click on 'Set different availability for a date range'. Enter the specific start and end dates for your scheduled session, and assign the exact time window for that class.

Configure Attendee Limits

Scroll to the 'Maximum attendees' field and enter your capacity limit. This ensures the session stops accepting bookings once the predefined capacity is reached.

Configure Service Availability for Specific Sessions

Testing Your Setup: After saving, click 'Open published page' to view the customer-facing booking page and verify that only your specific training times are available.

Solution 2

Submit a Support Request via Microsoft 365 Admin Center

If the Bookings configuration does not restrict the times as expected or if you encounter backend syncing issues, escalate the problem to Microsoft Business Support.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why are customers seeing open time slots instead of my specific class times in Bookings?

By default, Bookings uses your standard business hours to determine availability. To restrict this to specific classes, you must set the general availability for that service to 'Not bookable' and manually add specific date and time ranges.

Can non-administrators change Microsoft Bookings availability settings?

No. Only users who are assigned the 'Administrator' role within the specific Bookings calendar have the necessary permissions to modify service availability, staff scheduling, and calendar policies.

How do I ensure a group session doesn't get overbooked?

Within the specific service settings, look for the 'Maximum attendees' option. Enter the maximum number of people allowed for that session. Once this limit is reached, Bookings will automatically remove that time slot from the customer-facing page.

Where can I get specialized help if my Bookings page still shows incorrect times?

If adjusting the service availability options does not resolve the issue, non-administrators should contact their IT administrator. Administrators can open a service request in the Microsoft 365 admin center or seek advice from engineers in the Microsoft Bookings community.

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