Default Availability in TidyCal
Default Availability sets the general hours TidyCal can use when offering booking slots. This isn’t your business hours, and it doesn’t override anything in your external calendars. TidyCal always checks your connected calendars first to determine when you’re actually free.
Note: This feature was previously called Default Availability. If you’ve seen older guides or watched our earlier YouTube walkthrough, it’s the same feature — only the name has changed.
This guide explains what Default Availability actually does, why it's helpful, and how to set it up.
What is Default Availability?
Default Availability defines the broad window when you're open to taking bookings. It acts as a starting point — not a business-hours setting and not a way to force availability if your real calendar is busy.
Here’s what TidyCal does behind the scenes:
- You choose the general hours you want TidyCal to consider.
- TidyCal checks your connected calendars (Google, Outlook, Apple).
- Only the time slots where you're truly free are shown to clients.
Your external calendars always win. If you’re busy, TidyCal blocks the slot — even if Default Availability says it’s open.
In Teams, each member's actual availability still comes from their own connected calendars. Default Availability only defines the range of hours TidyCal is allowed to check for them.
Key Benefits
Set your hours once and they automatically update across all your booking types, preventing conflicts and keeping your schedule organized.
Setting up Default Availability
1. Go to your TidyCal homepage and click Availability
2. Configure Your Default Availability
Configure your availability as you would for individual booking types. These settings will automatically apply to all booking types where you've enabled Use Default Availability.
3. Click Save
You're halfway there!
4. Click Booking Types in the navigation panel
5. Edit the booking type you want to enable Default Availability for
6. Toggle on Use Default Availability
Have you noticed that your previous availability settings have disappeared when it was switched on?
That's because this booking type is now using the default availability schedule you've just created.
7. Hit Save and you're all set!
8. Repeat for other booking types if needed
Any settings you've configured in Default Availability will automatically apply to your booking types.
And that's it! You've successfully enabled Default Availability across your TidyCal booking types.
💡 Turn on Default Availability
Your Default Availability settings will only apply to booking types that have the Use Default Availability option turned on. If it's not turned on, it won't work on that booking type! Instead, it will use the individual booking type's availability settings.
✅ Solution
- Edit your booking type
- Click the Use Default Availability switch to turn it on
- Save the booking type
➕ Add availability dates
In your Default Availability settings, a date (Specific Date booking type) or days of the week (Weekly recurring booking type) must be added.
⚠️ A default availability setting with no dates or days added will result in a booking calendar that cannot be booked. No dates will be selectable.
✅ Solution
- For Specific Dates: a date into the future must be added
- For Weekly Recurring: days of the week must be enabled
- Save the setting
⏳ Sufficient time in blocks
Make sure your Default Availability time blocks have enough time to accommodate the meeting durations of your booking types.
⚠️ If a meeting duration exceeds the time blocks in Default Availability, the booking calendar will have no selectable dates.
✅ Solution
- Extend the time block in Default Availability
- Save the setting
By following these tips, you'll ensure everything runs smoothly with Default Availability.