Online Booking

How do I set default buffer times for all services?

In Bella Booking, go to Settings > Booking Policies and set default buffer before and buffer after values at the location level. All services inherit these defaults automatically. Override individual services only where they need different timings.

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Location-level defaults

Setting buffer times at the location level means every service picks up the same defaults without manual per-service configuration.

1Go to Settings > Booking Policies
2Find the Processing Time & Buffer Time section
3Set the default Buffer Before value (e.g., 5 minutes for setup)
4Set the default Buffer After value (e.g., 10 minutes for cleanup)
5Optionally set a default Processing Time if most services need one
6Save — all services at this location now inherit these values

If you have multiple locations, each location can have different defaults. A day spa might need 15 minutes of buffer after for room turnover, whilst a hair salon might only need 5 minutes.

Overriding per service

Some services need different timing. A quick blowdry might not need any buffer, whilst a full body treatment needs extended cleanup time. Override the location default on individual services without affecting others.

Go to Service Catalog > select the service
In the timing section, toggle the override for buffer before, buffer after, or processing time
Set the custom value for that service
Services without overrides continue to use the location default

How inheritance works

The system resolves timing values in order: service override, then location default, then zero. If you change the location default from 5 minutes to 10 minutes, every service that hasn't been individually overridden automatically updates to 10 minutes. Services with explicit overrides are unaffected.

For bundles, the resolution adds another layer: bundle override, then service override, then location default, then zero. This gives you fine-grained control where you need it and sensible defaults everywhere else.