Use this article when you need to find a Scheduler setting. For a full first-time walkthrough, see Scheduler Settings: Complete Setup Guide. To choose the right capacity model (rooms, staff pool, named staff), see Scheduler Setup Patterns: Match How Your Center Works.
The key idea: a time is bookable only when every required layer is available — location hours, appointment type rules, staff, resources, and closures. The narrowest rule wins.
Two ways to open Scheduler Settings
1. From the CoolFocus home screen, select the Settings gear, then Scheduler Settings.
2. Open Scheduler and select its settings gear for the quick settings panel.
Quick settings panel (from Scheduler)
The panel includes Overview, Types, Locations, Resources, Location hours, Blocks, Visits, and Positions.
Types opens the Appointment Types list.
Blocks opens the full Availability Blocks page.
Visits can jump you to Manage Visit Statuses.
Positions lists active positions and links to Serve so you can assign qualified staff.
Full Scheduler Settings sidebar
Go to Settings → Scheduler Settings (not Care Settings). You will see groups such as:
Schedule: Locations, Appointment Types, Resources, Availability, Availability Blocks, Reminders, and Calendar Feeds
Client Portal: General, Booking Widget, and Online Booking
Intake & documents: Intake Message, Client Form Templates, Consent Documents, and After-Appointment Surveys
Visit Board: Visit Statuses (front-desk stages such as arrived, lobby, in a room, complete)
Important: Appointment Types and Visit Board settings are under Scheduler Settings, not Care Settings. Care Settings is for Care and client configuration, for example client portal branding and chart templates. If the Appointment Types list looks empty, you are most likely in Care Settings. Open Settings → Scheduler Settings → Schedule → Appointment Types instead. The same applies if you do not see Visit Board or Visit Statuses.
Appointment type duration
Duration is not a setting on the Appointment Types list itself. Open the appointment type you want to change, go to its Rules section, and update Duration there.
See Appointment Types and Booking Rules for every field on an appointment type, including the full Rules section.
Location time zones
Each location uses a Time Zone picker (not a numeric UTC offset).
1. Open Settings → Scheduler Settings → Schedule → Locations.
2. Edit a location and choose the correct time zone (for example America/Chicago).
3. Reminders, calendar feeds, and online booking use this time zone when determining and showing times.
If your organization previously used a UTC offset, common values were migrated automatically.
Which control should I use?
Location hours — when a site is open
Appointment type schedule or rules — when a service is offered only part of the site’s hours, or to change duration, lead time, or booking window
Positions and staff work schedules — when a qualified person must be working
Resource — when appointment types share limited capacity or must not overlap
Availability Blocks — temporary closures; use date exceptions for one-time hour changes
Visit Statuses — columns and stages on the Visit Board
For real-world examples of each pattern, see Scheduler Setup Patterns: Match How Your Center Works.
Topic guides
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