How Availability Powers Client Scheduling Requests
How provider availability controls the times shown to prospective clients and existing clients who request new sessions, rescheduling, or cancellations.
PracticeRunner uses one availability system for client-facing scheduling workflows. The same set of availability blocks can support new inquiry scheduling, existing-client session requests, reschedule requests, and staff scheduling, depending on the audience you choose for each block.
This helps keep client requests closer to times that actually work for your practice.
New inquiry scheduling
When a prospective client requests a time, PracticeRunner checks:
- whether public scheduling is enabled for the practice
- whether the provider can be shown publicly
- whether the requested service can be booked online
- which locations are visible for scheduling
- whether an availability block matches the provider, location, service, and audience
- whether the requested time fits notice, advance booking, and buffer settings
- whether another appointment already blocks that time
The client only sees times that pass those checks.
Existing-client reschedule requests
When an existing client requests a new appointment from the portal, PracticeRunner uses your portal scheduling settings and availability blocks for existing clients. When a client requests a new time for an existing appointment, PracticeRunner also uses the appointment context.
The flow can consider:
- the appointment provider
- the appointment service
- the location and session format
- availability blocks for existing clients
- minimum notice settings for portal rescheduling
- the practice's rescheduling window
- calendar conflicts and scheduling buffers
In Settings -> Portal, Allow clients to request scheduling and rescheduling controls whether clients can request new sessions or request a new time for an existing appointment. Automatically accept scheduling and rescheduling requests controls whether allowed requests are confirmed immediately or sent to the practice for review.
If automatic acceptance is off, the request still gives your practice a cleaner starting point because the client has chosen from available options.
Existing-client cancellation requests
When your practice allows cancellation requests from the portal, PracticeRunner can use your portal cancellation settings and planned absence policy to decide how automatically accepted cancellations are recorded.
In Settings -> Portal, Allow clients to request cancellations controls whether clients can submit cancellation requests. Automatically accept cancellation requests controls whether PracticeRunner cancels the appointment immediately when the request meets the policy, or sends it to the practice for review.
If planned absence allowances are enabled, PracticeRunner checks the case's calendar-year allowance. Cancellations within the allowance can be marked as Planned absence. Once the allowance is used, future accepted cancellations can be marked as Canceled by client instead.
For details, see Planned Absence Allowances and Client Cancellations.
Location and session format matter
Availability is location-aware. If a block is set for telehealth, it should not automatically create in-office availability. If a block is set for a specific office, it should not automatically create phone availability.
This is useful when:
- a provider works from different offices on different days
- telehealth is offered outside office hours
- phone consultations use shorter windows
- certain services are only offered in person
- existing clients may request different times than new inquiries
Recommended setup
- List the locations and session formats your practice actually offers.
- Confirm which services should be available for online inquiry scheduling.
- Create availability blocks for new inquiries.
- Create availability blocks for existing clients when client portal session requests should use different times.
- Add internal-only blocks for staff scheduling when needed.
- Review portal scheduling settings in Settings -> Portal.
- Test a public inquiry, a portal session request, a reschedule request, and a cancellation request with neutral test data.
Troubleshooting
If a client does not see the time you expect, check:
- the availability block is active
- the block matches the correct provider
- the block uses the correct location and session format
- the block includes the right audience
- the service is allowed for that block
- the service duration fits inside the block
- another appointment is not blocking the slot
- notice, advance booking, or buffer settings are not excluding the time
If a location does not appear, confirm that it is active and visible for scheduling.