A schedule template can be used as a guide for your team when they are scheduling appointments on the main calendar. Alternatively, the scheduling template can also be used to define rotating doctor availability for set time periods.

The schedule template can be enabled from a single setting.

To enable the schedule template feature, please navigate to: Admin > Clinic Settings > Settings > General subtab > Enable Schedule Template toggle. Once the associated toggle is on, scroll to the bottom of the settings page to save your changes.

Before you can begin configuring your schedule template, you must first have defined your appointment types and providers with their routine availability. Provider availability can further be customized within the schedule template using block offs.

Learn more in our schedule settings guide.

Once the schedule template features are enabled, they will now be accessible for configuration.

You can access the schedule template settings by following: Admin > Scheduling > Scheduling Templates.

At the top of your scheduling templates page is a customization setting for allowing scheduling modifications while the schedule template is in use on the main calendar.

When disabled, meaning modifications during scheduling is not permitted, your team cannot schedule an appointment for a different appointment type than what is indicated by the predefined schedule template.

When enabled, meaning modifications during scheduling are permitted, your team can modify or update the appointment type of the scheduled appointment, even if that contradicts the suggested schedule template.

The schedule templates are organized by day. You can create a new schedule template either by selecting the blue Add New button or the plus mark icon at the end of a specific day's row.

Within the New Scheduling Template page, you are first offered a confirmation of the day of the week which you are designing the template for. If you begin your new template from a specific day of the week, it will be predefined for you, but you can update this selection if needed.

Next, you'll define the time period which the scheduling template will be applicable. A start and end date are required. However, you can select Ongoing End Date if your scheduling template should be applicable routinely.

The start and end date define how long this template will apply to the main calendar for the specified day. Multiple templates for the same day can be created; however, start and end dates cannot overlap.

Finally, select the blue Open Calendar button to begin designing your schedule template using appointment types.

Providers and their predefined routine availability are considered in the calendar display.

Within the calendar display, click within a row, or click and drag across a time period to open the customization modal. The start time will be predefined based on your initial selection within the calendar, but can be updated manually by either entering the start time using your keyboard, or by selecting the clock icon.

The next field, duration, will indicate in minutes how long the appointment type will be applicable for.

Finally, confirm the appointment type which will be applicable for the specified time period and click Save. You will repeat this process for each appointment in your template.

To block off time for a provider, meaning time which appointments should not be scheduled, follow similar steps as when applying an appointment type reservation. However instead of selecting an appointment type, you'll enable the toggle titled Block Off Time offered at the top of the customization modal.

The color of the block off reservation can be customized.

Before exiting the calendar display, ensure to select the green Save button to retain your provider and appointment type or block reservations.

You'll be offered a table to review the provider and reservation assignments before confirming your template for the specified day.

Once all settings for the day's template appear correct, select the final Save button before exiting back to the main scheduling template page.

You may need to update existing provider availability, unavailability, and break settings if you prefer to indicate unavailability and breaks from the schedule template. Block offs can be used to indicate routine or repeating out of office, or unavailability events.

Any previously defined routine provider unavailability or breaks will be recognized within the schedule template. If you place an appointment type reservation over an indicated provider unavailability, you will be alerted about the overlap, but the provider unavailability will take precedence.

If you use a rotating doctor schedule for a set time period, you can use block off reservations and schedule template features to manage and define the rotating schedule.

Under provider availability settings of your main scheduling settings, you'll first want to indicate the normal complete hours a provider is available for each day, disregarding the rotating time period schedule at this time. For example, 9am - 5pm, Monday - Friday.

Next, within your schedule template settings, you'll create a template for each day for the same rotating time period. For example, for each applicable day you would indicate the same 5 week time period.

Then, within each day's template, you'll utilize block off's and appointment type reservations to indicate which doctor has availability or unavailability for each day.

If you use a rotating doctor schedule for a set time period, for example 5 weeks, but each week within that rotation contains a different schedule by day for each provider, you will need to prepare your schedule template time range by each week of the larger rotation. The reason for this is each week within the rotation is unique and no repetition of the daily shifts are predictably occurring within that time range. You'll think of each week as its own 'rotation' time period.

From the main scheduling template page, you can review, edit, or delete existing schedule templates.

Under each day's collapsible title card, you will have a row offered for each specified template and time period. Centrally located, is a Template Version column, which indicates the number of templates defined per day for easy overview and management of schedule alignment needs.

At the end of each template row on the right, you will be offered action icons which include an edit pencil icon and a trash bin icon.

Selecting the edit pencil icon will open the existing template's settings so you can complete any necessary changes.

Selecting the trash bin icon will erase the template.

Direct booking offered through the Pet Portal recognizes both provider availability and schedule template assignments. Meaning, if a client specifies a need for an appointment of a certain type, they will only be offered appointment availability that aligns with the predefined schedule template.

Once all schedule template settings have been saved, they will immediately apply to the main appointment calendar for usage within the specified time period. Defined schedule template reservations will appear as a muted highlight of the main appointment type's color.

A small calendar clock icon will appear in the upper right hand corner of the muted block to indicate it is present as a part of schedule template settings. The main appointment type's name is also present in the upper left hand corner for added clarity.