;
};
The HoopAI Platform's calendar feature offers tailored solutions to streamline appointment scheduling. Whether you need one-on-one bookings, round-robin distribution across a team, or group class registrations, the calendar system handles it all — and every confirmed appointment triggers automatic confirmations and reminders.
## Why this matters
Manual appointment scheduling — back-and-forth emails, forgotten follow-ups, missed bookings — wastes hours every week and loses leads who give up waiting. A self-booking calendar lets prospects choose a time 24/7, automatically confirms the appointment, and sends reminders — all without any manual effort from you.
## Calendar types
Before creating your calendar, choose the type that fits your use case:
Distributes incoming bookings evenly across multiple team members based on availability. Best for sales teams where any qualified rep can handle a discovery call.
All listed team members must be available for the appointment to show as open. Best for meetings that require multiple people to attend simultaneously.
A standard individual booking calendar. One contact books with one specific person. Best for consultations, coaching sessions, and personal appointments.
A group session calendar where multiple contacts can book the same time slot up to a set maximum. Best for workshops, group coaching, or fitness classes.
## How to create a calendar
Go to **Calendars** > **Calendar Settings** in the left sidebar. Click **Create Calendar**.
Select the calendar type that matches your scheduling needs — Round Robin, Collective, Service, or Class Booking. Give your calendar a clear name that will make sense to the contacts booking it.
Configure when appointments can be booked:
* **Working hours:** Set the days and time windows when you are available
* **Slot duration:** How long each appointment is — 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, etc.
* **Buffer time:** Gap between appointments — prevents back-to-back bookings
* **Minimum notice:** How far in advance a contact must book — prevents last-minute appointments
Configure what the contact sees when they open your booking link:
* **Calendar title and description**
* **Questions to ask before booking** — collect name, phone, company, or custom fields
* **Confirmation message** — what is displayed after a successful booking
* **Logo and brand colors** for a professional, branded experience
Under the calendar's integration settings, connect your **Google Calendar** or **Outlook Calendar** to check real-time availability and prevent double-bookings. See the [Sync Integrations](/academy/calendars/sync-integrations) guide for setup.
Always connect your Google or Outlook calendar before going live. Without the integration, the calendar cannot check your real availability — contacts may book times when you are already occupied.
Set up automatic messages that fire when appointments are booked:
* **Confirmation email or SMS** — sent immediately after booking
* **Reminder messages** — sent 24 hours and 1 hour before the appointment
* **Follow-up messages** — sent after the appointment to collect reviews or next steps
See the [Configure Your Appointment Automation](/academy/calendars/configure-your-appointment-automation) guide for detailed workflow setup.
Once saved, the calendar generates a unique booking URL. Copy it and share it anywhere:
* Add it to your website or funnel pages
* Include it in email signatures and SMS messages
* Add it to your social media bio
* Embed the booking widget directly on a page using the embed code
## Key benefits
Optimize appointment booking for both you and your clients without manual coordination.
Contacts can book any time — even outside business hours — without waiting for a response.
Every booking triggers immediate confirmation messages and reminders automatically.
Brand the booking page with your logo and colors for a professional client experience.
Round Robin and Collective options distribute bookings fairly and prevent scheduling conflicts.
