How to Automatically Prevent Overlapping Bookings for Shared Staff or Resources

When multiple scheduled multiple booking services rely on the same staff member or resource, this feature ensures that as soon as one option is booked, all conflicting options are removed from availability.

How This Feature Works

As soon as a customer books a service or service option, that becomes the only available option for that duration—all other conflicting schedules are automatically removed from availability by automatically closing to prevent bookings.

Example Scenario:

A fishing tour operator offers three booking options:

1. ​Morning Trip (8:00 AM - 12:00 PM)
2. Afternoon Trip (1:00 PM - 5:00 PM)
3. Full-Day Trip (8:00 AM - 5:00 PM)​
   
   

They only have one boat, so they need to prevent multiple bookings that would conflict.

• If a customer books a Morning Trip, others can still book an Afternoon Trip, but the Full-Day Trip becomes unavailable.
• If a customer books a Full-Day Trip, both the Morning and Afternoon Trips become unavailable for that day.

📌 Once the first booking is made, it determines which options remain available for that day—customers cannot override this selection.

This setting applies only to scheduled multiple booking services that share the same availability and resources (or staff). It does not apply to single booking services or individual resource-based rentals.

How to Enable Overlapping Schedules

1️⃣ Go to Inventory > Services.
2️⃣ Click the ••• (three dots) action menu next to the service and select Edit.
3️⃣ Navigate to the Booking Preferences tab.
4️⃣ Locate the option "Limit availability for overlapping schedules " and select Yes.
5️⃣ Click Update to save changes.

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Why are overlapping bookings still being accepted?

Confirm that Overlapping Schedules is enabled in the Booking Preferences tab.

Ensure that all competing schedules share the same assigned staff or resource.

Check if the service has available capacity—if a service allows multiple bookings, it will remain available until full.

What happens if I disable this setting after bookings have been made?

The system will stop preventing overlapping bookings, meaning multiple services may be booked at the same time again. Previously restricted bookings will not be automatically reinstated.

Can I use this feature for services with different durations?

Yes, as long as all schedules use the same staff or resource, the system will block conflicting options once one is booked.

---

Need Help?

If you need assistance, contact our support team:
💬 Live Chat: Click the chat icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
📧 Email: support@nabooki.com

• Related Articles

• How to Set Up and Manage Resources

  Resources are non-staff assets required to deliver a service, such as treatment rooms, vehicles, rental equipment, or restaurant tables. Assigning resources ensures accurate availability management and prevents overbooking when multiple services rely ...

• How to Prevent Bookings at Certain Times of the Day Using the 'Busy Time' Feature

  Need to block out specific times when bookings aren’t available? The Busy Time feature allows you to prevent customers from booking during specific hours of the day, ensuring your schedule remains flexible and under control. This guide explains how ...

• What Are Resources and How to Utilise Them?

  Resources are non-staff assets that can be assigned to a service to help manage availability. They work similarly to staff members in that they: ✅ Have their own availability schedule ✅ Are assigned to specific services ✅ Determine when a service can ...

• How to Assign Two or More Staff Members for a Service

  Assigning multiple staff members to a single service is useful when: A service requires two or more staff to be available at the same time, such as a couples massage or tandem personal training session. A service can be provided by multiple staff ...

• How to Switch Bookings Between Staff or Resources in Timeline View

  In Timeline View, you can easily reassign bookings between staff or resources. This feature is useful when a staff member is unavailable, schedules need balancing, or last-minute changes are required. Step 1: Access Timeline View 1️⃣ Navigate to ...