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How to Schedule Microsoft Bookings Appointments on the Hour

Adam Davis Oct 12, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to configure Microsoft Bookings so that appointment times are only available exactly on the hour.

How to Schedule Microsoft Bookings Appointments on the Hour

Product: Microsoft Bookings
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Setting up scheduling availability for clients or team members to ensure time slots are neat and predictable.
Observed behavior: The booking page displays off-hour appointment times such as 11:45 or 12:30 instead of restricting them to the top of the hour.

Before you start

Log in to your Microsoft 365 account with admin or Bookings administrator privileges to access and edit your Bookings calendar settings.

Solution 1Recommended

Configure Time Increments in Bookings Service Settings

Adjust the scheduling time increment to 1 hour to ensure appointments only start on the hour.

Microsoft Bookings generates available time slots based on your defined time increments, service duration, and staff availability. Standard Exchange or Outlook calendar settings do not control this behavior. By changing the time increments directly in the Bookings service settings, you force the system to only offer start times at the top of every hour.

Access Microsoft Bookings

Open Microsoft 365 and navigate to the Bookings app from your app launcher.

Navigate to Services

In the left-hand navigation menu of your Bookings dashboard, click on 'Services'.

Edit the Target Service

Click on the specific service you want to restrict to on-the-hour scheduling.

Modify Scheduling Policy

Scroll down to the 'Scheduling policy' section. Locate the 'Time increments' dropdown menu and change it to '1 hour' (or 60 minutes).

Save Your Changes

Click 'Save' at the top of the page. Review your published booking page to confirm that time slots like 11:45 or 12:30 no longer appear.

Configure Time Increments in Bookings Service Settings

Additional Support: If adjusting the time increment does not fully resolve the issue, verify your custom Monday-through-Friday availability windows. For complex scheduling conflicts, posting in the Microsoft Bookings community forum is recommended by Microsoft specialists.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Microsoft Bookings showing random available times like 11:45?

This happens when the time increments in your scheduling policy are set to smaller intervals (like 15 or 45 minutes) and the service duration allows for overlapping or uneven appointment endings. Changing the increment to 1 hour resolves this and forces slots to start on the hour.

Can I set custom availability for specific days in Microsoft Bookings?

Yes, under the 'Availability' section of a service, you can set custom hours for different days. However, to ensure appointments start exactly on the hour, your time increments must still be properly configured in conjunction with your custom hours.

Does Outlook calendar availability affect Bookings time slots?

Yes, if your Bookings calendar is synced with your staff's Outlook calendars, any existing meetings will block out time. However, the exact start times offered to customers are strictly dictated by the Bookings service time increment settings, not Outlook.

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