What Is the Claim Window and How Do I Change It?
What Is the Claim Window and How Do I Change It?
The claim window is how long a client has to respond after receiving a notification before their claim expires. The default is 15 minutes, and it's configurable per appointment type.
How it works
When a cancellation is detected, FullSlot notifies clients on your waitlist. The first person to click the link and confirm gets the slot.
The claim window controls how long each client's claim link stays active. Once it closes:
- Unfilled slots return to "Available" status — you'll see them on the Cancellations page and can re-send notifications manually if you want
- Clients who didn't respond stay on the waitlist for the next opening — they don't lose their place. After 3 missed notifications (where nobody claimed the slot), a client is automatically removed from the waitlist. See When is a client removed from the waitlist? for the full picture.
Claim window vs. group timing
These are two separate things:
Claim window (this setting) — how long an individual client's claim link stays active after they're notified. Configured in Settings per appointment type. Default: 15 minutes.
Small-group timing — how long FullSlot waits before notifying the next group when you use Notify a small group first. You control these timings in Settings. FullSlot may still shorten them automatically for urgent same-day openings.
The claim window applies to all modes. Group timing only applies to Notify a small group first.
How to change the claim window
Go to Settings → Appointment Types, click Edit on the appointment type, and update the Claim Window field. It's set per appointment type, so you can have different windows for different services.
Recommended settings by service type
| Service type | Suggested window | |---|---| | Quick services (30 min or under) | 10–15 minutes | | Standard appointments (60–90 min) | 15–30 minutes | | High-ticket or longer services | 30–60 minutes |
The reasoning: clients who want a 90-minute facial may need a few minutes to check their schedule or arrange childcare. A 10-minute window may be too short. For a quick lip filler touch-up, 10–15 minutes is plenty.
What if nobody responds within the window?
The slot status changes back to Available. It stays in your Cancellations list with an "Available" badge. From there you can:
- Click Send notification to notify the waitlist again
- Or leave it — the slot will stay in your history