The time cycle determines the intervals at which available times are shown in your online booking. For example, if you set the time cycle to 15 minutes, clients will see available times at 9:00, 9:15, 9:30, 9:45, and so on. In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at how to conveniently set your time cycle’s length and starting point in SalonLife.

Why Does the Time Cycle Matter?

  • Clear overview of available times: Clients can quickly see when it’s a good time to come in for a service.
  • Efficient schedule management: You avoid overlapping bookings and keep your workday’s structure clear.
  • Flexibility for different services: A short time cycle (5–15 min) works well when you offer many services with varying durations. A longer interval (30–60 min) is convenient for longer, more thorough services.

How Do You Change the Time Cycle?

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  1. Go to SalonLife’s Apps page
  2. Open Staff
  3. Select the staff member whose time cycle you want to change, and click their profile.
  4. Once their page opens, find the “Settings” button and click it
  5. In settings, go to the “Available Time Display” category.
  6. Find Time Cycle in the dropdown or input field and select the interval you want (for example 5, 15, 30 minutes, or even longer intervals).
  7. Changes save automatically, or click Save (depending on your settings).
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‍ Each staff member can choose their own time cycle independently. If several people with different work schedules work at the salon, each of them can prefer a different interval.

Time Cycle Start: Midnight or Workday Start?

In addition to the length of the time cycle, you can set whether available times start counting from the top of the hour or from your set workday start time.

From the Top of the Hour

  • The system always starts counting from the top of the hour.
  • If the time cycle is 30 minutes, times are shown, for example, as: 8:00, 8:30, 9:00, 9:30…
  • This suits you if you want all times to run evenly and always line up with the top of the hour.

From the Workday’s Start Time

  • The system starts counting time cycles from the exact time your workday is set to begin.
  • If your workday starts at 8:15 and the cycle is 30 minutes, times are shown as: 8:15, 8:45, 9:15, 9:45…
  • This suits you if your workday doesn’t start on the hour and you want the first bookable time to fall right at the start of your workday.

How Do You Avoid “Gaps” in Your Calendar?

If you offer services of varying lengths and a client books a longer appointment in the middle of the day, you may end up with the occasional short gap in your calendar. SalonLife has several features that help prevent or fill gaps like these.
You’ll find the “Avoid Gaps in Your Schedule” settings on the Apps page under “Online Booking,” or check out the HERE guide, which explains the interval and time-display settings in more detail.
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‍If you want to try more advanced settings or get more information, check out the more detailed guides on “Time Display” and other online booking settings.


Flexibly setting your time cycle helps every staff member plan their time efficiently and makes serving clients more convenient. Happy configuring, and smooth online booking!