Fixed slots vs generated slots — which should you use?

When you first set up availability in BookAndGo, you'll hit a choice that's easy to skim over: Fixed Slots or Generated Slots. It looks like a minor preference. It isn't. The mode you pick changes how your calendar behaves, how clients see availability, and how much admin you end up doing.

Fixed slots — you choose the start times

In Fixed Slots mode, you explicitly define when each appointment can start. Monday 9:00, 10:30, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00. That's it. Clients can only book at those exact times, regardless of service duration.

This mode is brilliant for businesses where the rhythm of the day matters more than packing in every available minute. Massage therapists, personal trainers, and solo practitioners love it because it gives them predictable breaks and protects against the 'my last client ran over and now I have no lunch' problem.

Generated slots — the system calculates them

In Generated Slots mode, you set your working hours (e.g. 9am–5pm) and BookAndGo calculates available start times from the selected service's duration plus your buffer time. A 60-minute service with a 15-minute buffer gives a 75-minute cadence: 9:00, 10:15, 11:30, and so on.

This mode shines for businesses that offer many services of very different lengths. A medical practice might offer a 15-minute consult, a 30-minute review, and a 60-minute procedure — generated slots flex to whichever service the client picks, so you maximise calendar utilisation without manually defining dozens of slot combinations.

Which should you pick?

• Solo operator, similar-duration services: Fixed Slots.
• Multi-service practice, mixed durations: Generated Slots.
• Team with per-provider calendars: either works — Generated is slightly easier to maintain.
• You want predictable breaks between clients: Fixed Slots.