Buffer time is the time gap that can be added before and after a meeting. This feature helps you schedule your availability, allowing you to prepare for a meeting and take a breather between two meetings. This is also known as "padding time".
Let's take a few examples to understand this.
Buffer time is set to 0 minutes (default)
Client has booked a time slot from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM. Since there is no buffer time, anyone can book a time slot from 09:00 AM to 10:00 AM and 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
"Before buffer time" is set to 15 minutes
Client has booked a time slot from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM. At this point, timeframe looks like as shown the below.
This booking requires 15 minutes of "before buffer time". Therefore, the time slot from 9:45 AM to 10:00 AM is blocked. Now, the timeframe looks like this.
Now let’s assume that another client books the time slot from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM. If that happens then the host will not have 15 minutes of “Before buffer time”. Hence, NeetoCal will also block the 11:00 AM to 11:15 AM slot to allow the host 15 minutes of “before buffer time” for the next meeting.
The final result is that a “before buffer time” ends up adding buffer time before the meeting and also after the meeting as shown in the diagram below.
"After buffer time" is set to 30 minutes
Client has booked a time slot from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM. At this point, timeframe looks like as shown the below.
This booking requires 30 minutes of “after buffer time”. Therefore, the time slot from 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM is blocked. Now, the timeframe looks like this.
Now let’s assume that another client books the time slot from 09:00 AM to 10:00 AM. If that happens then the host will not have 30 minutes of “after buffer time”. Hence, NeetoCal will also block the 09:30 AM to 10:00 AM slot to allow the host 30 minutes of “after buffer time”.
The final result is that an “after buffer time” ends up adding buffer time before the meeting and also after the meeting as shown in the diagram above.
"Before buffer time" is set to 15 minutes and "After buffer time" is set to 30 minutes.
Client has booked a time slot from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM. At this point, timeframe looks like as shown the below.
This booking requires 15 minutes of “before buffer time” and 30 minutes of “after buffer time”. Therefore, the time slots from 09:45 to 10:00 AM & 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM are blocked. Now, the timeframe looks like this.
Let’s say that another client books a time slot from 09:00 AM to 10:00 AM. If that happens then host will not have 30 minutes of “after buffer time”. Hence, NeetoCal will also block the 09:15 AM to 09:45 AM slot.
If the client books a time slot from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM, the host will not have 15 minutes of “before buffer time”. Hence, NeetoCal will also block the 11:30 AM to 11:45 AM slot to prevent this conflict.
Buffer time and events from connected calendars
By default, NeetoCal also applies buffer time to events on your connected calendars.
If you turn it off, calendar events will still block their scheduled time, but NeetoCal won't add any buffer around them. Meetings booked through NeetoCal will always have the buffer time.
For example, if you have a 30-minute after buffer and a Google Calendar event from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM:
Setting on: The next available slot is 3:30 PM.
Setting off: The next available slot is 3:00 PM.
This setting affects the time slots clients see on your booking page.
Adding buffer time
Go to Scheduling links and open the meeting link.
Go to the Where tab and find Buffer time.
Set your preferred before and after buffer time.
Keep Apply buffer time to events booked outside NeetoCal checked if you also want buffer around calendar events. Otherwise, uncheck it.
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Click Save.
