AutoOps has many built in capabilities that ensure your scheduling tool is displaying the exact times and services your shop offers. The Capacity Blockers page is a powerful tool for controlling when customers can or cannot schedule appointments. It allows you to set specific rules and limits to manage your capacity effectively.
Closed for a Holiday? Have a tech out which is limiting your shop capacity? Need to limit availability for a particular service? Capacity Blockers allow you to factor all of these items, and more, into your scheduling tool availability.
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Navigating the Capacity Blockers Page
1. Time Based Blockers (Holidays, Full Days, Specific Times, Etc.)
2. Appointment Quantity Blockers (Caps for # of Appointments)
3. Service Specific Blockers (Availability by Service type)
4. Booking Window Control (Manage Lead Time for Booking Availability)
Navigating the Capacity Blockers Page
When you first access the Capacity Blockers page, you will see a list of all your current blockers.
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View Current Blockers: See all existing rules.
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Review Details: Check the specifics of each blocker, such as:
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The type of blocker (e.g., Scheduling Blocker).
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The time and day it is blocking (e.g., 12 PM to 1 PM every weekday).
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Any Internal Notes you added when creating the blocker.
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Edit Existing Blockers: Click Edit next to any current blocker to modify its settings.
Creating a New Capacity Blocker
To create a new blocker, you will choose from various Capacity Blocker types and settings. Always remember that if you click into any option, there will be a detailed description of exactly what that blocker does.
1. Click the + when on the Capacity Blockers page to begin creating your blocker.
2. You will be prompted to select your blocker type. Continue reading to determine which blocker type best fits your needs.
3. Fill in the required information and save your capacity blocker.
Your blocker will now help control your shop availability.
1. Time-Based Blockers
These options are used to block out specific periods of time.
| Blocker Type | Purpose | Tips: |
| Schedule Blocker | Blocks out full, non-repeating chunks of time. | Use this for short-term closures or specific days off (e.g., blocking out July 3rd to the 5th). |
| Schedule Blocker (Repeating) | Blocks out time slots that occur on a regular schedule. | Use this for recurring meetings or lunch breaks (e.g., blocking 12 PM to 1 PM every Monday). |
| Holiday Blocker | Blocks out specific holidays that repeat annually. | Allows you to set annual U.S. holidays like New Year's Day. |
2. Appointment Quantity Blockers (Maximum Caps)
These options set limits on the number of appointments you can handle whether that is by overall volume or your volume based on specific days and times.
| Blocker Type | Purpose | Tips |
| Max Appointment Cap Per Day | Sets the total maximum number of appointments that can be taken per day. Applies to all days of the week. | Use this to limit overall daily volume (e.g., 10 total appointments per day). |
| Max Appointment Cap Per Day (Repeating) | Sets a different maximum appointment limit for specific days of the week. | Useful for days with limited staff (e.g., limit to 5 appointments every Monday and Friday). |
| Max Appointment Caps at Once | Limits the number of appointments per time slot. | This is a combined limit for all appointment types (Waiters, Drop-offs, Pickups) at a specific time (e.g., only 5 appointments total at 8 AM). |
| Max Appointment Caps at Once (Repeating) |
Set a maximum number of bookings allowed for a specific time per day of the week.
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This is a combined limit for all appointment types at a specific repeating time (e.g., only 5 appts. total at 8AM on Mondays and Wednesdays). |
| Max Scheduled Hours | Limits the total number of service hours scheduled per day. | This is a combined limit across all appointment types (e.g., only 10 total scheduled service hours per day). |
💡 Advanced Options: On most blockers, you can restrict the rule to specific appointment types (e.g., only Drop-offs or Waiters) or customer types (e.g., Current Customers or New Customers). You can also set automatic Start and End Dates for the blocker so you don't have to manually remove it later.
3. Service-Specific Blockers (Service Caps)
These options allow you to cap the number of specific services you can perform.
| Blocker Type | Purpose | Key Features |
| Service Cap (Repeating) | Limits the total number of a specific service(s) per day. | Use this to manage resources for heavy services (e.g., only 10 combined brake and battery services per day) or routine maintenance (e.g., only 5 oil changes per day). |
| Service Cap at Once | Limits the total number of a specific service(s) per specific time slot. | Useful for services that can only be done in one bay/lift at a time (e.g., only 1 oil change per time slot throughout the day). |
| Service Cap at Once (Repeating) | Limits the total number of a specific service(s) per time slot per day. | Use this to fine tune availability to match your resources (e.g., only 3 tire services per 8AM slot on Mondays and Wednesdays). |
4. Booking Window Control
The Scheduling Window setting is crucial for managing lead time.
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Soonest Booking Time: Set the minimum notice required before a customer can book.
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Example: Set a one-day notice for Waiter appointments.
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Farthest Booking Time: Set how far out customers are allowed to schedule.
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Example: Block after 30 days so no one can schedule more than a month in advance.
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This allows you to set different window requirements for different appointment types (e.g., 2-hour notice for Drop-offs vs. 1-day notice for Waiters).
Please reach out to Customer Support if you have any questions.
- or chat with our team via the AutoOps platform (fastest response time).