Overriding Service Duration for Specific Situations

A service's default duration is a starting point, not a fixed rule for every situation. A specific staff member might work faster or slower than average, or a specific location might need more setup time. Duration overrides let you adjust length without creating a duplicate service.

When to use an override instead of a new service

If the work being done is identical and only the time required changes, use an override. If the price, add-ons, or actual scope of work also changes, you're better off creating a separate service or tier — overriding duration alone on a fundamentally different offering makes your reporting misleading.

Setting a duration override

1. Open the service and locate its duration setting.
2. If your setup supports staff-level overrides, open the specific staff member's assignment for that service and set a duration different from the default.
3. If the override is location-based, apply it at the location or calendar level instead.
4. Save and confirm the change by checking available slot lengths on the live booking page.

Buffers still apply on top

An override changes the core appointment length, but any pre- or post-appointment buffer time configured on the service is added on top of whatever duration you set — a shorter override doesn't automatically shrink the buffer around it.

Good to know: Always re-test the booking page after changing a duration override — a mismatch between the override and real-world time needed is one of the most common causes of appointments running into each other.