1. Availability opens the window
Weekly availability per instructor sets the hours that can be booked at all. Without matching availability, there are no slots. Set it under More → Settings → Student platform → Manage availability times.
Students only see free times. Outdrive calculates them like this: availability opens a window first. Then lessons, courses, and blocking calendar events are cut out. Exceptions and booking rules can restrict further.
Keep this order in mind. Then it is clear why something is bookable or not.
Weekly availability per instructor sets the hours that can be booked at all. Without matching availability, there are no slots. Set it under More → Settings → Student platform → Manage availability times.
Anything already taken in that window: lessons, tests, private appointments, courses, and events from calendars with “Block availability”. Pending booking requests also hold the time.
An availability exception changes individual days. In booking settings, earliest/latest booking and break time apply for everyone. Approved vacation and absences automatically close online booking – full day, several days, morning, afternoon, or a custom time range. Pending vacation requests do not yet.
Three steps with screenshots: weekly hours, booking mode, and what students can then book.
More → Settings → Student platform → “Manage availability times” → choose the instructor. Per weekday, set when online booking is allowed.
In the calendar, open the gear at the top left. Under Student platform, enable “Enable booking mode”. You then see bookable times in the calendar and can add exceptions.
With booking mode on, the week view shows which times are still free and bookable online. Use “+” to add an availability exception (available or unavailable).
Choose by situation. You will often use several options together.
Use weekly availability (e.g. Mon–Fri 8–17). Path: More → Settings → Student platform → Manage availability times → choose the instructor. Slots only appear inside that window.
Use an availability exception: finish earlier, lead time before a course, or open extra time. Applies once for the chosen period. Easiest to create in booking mode.
Create the appointment in Outdrive and assign yourself. Exactly that time is then not bookable.
Create the course in Outdrive and assign yourself to the session. The session time blocks online booking. For prep before the course, add an exception or a blocking appointment.
Put the event on a calendar that has “Block availability” enabled in Outdrive (open the calendar in the list and check the setting). Common pattern: work calendar blocks, personal calendar does not.
Use a calendar with blocking turned off (e.g. personal or family). The event shows in Outdrive but stays bookable online.
Short answers to the usual sticking points.
Open Calendar → gear → “Enable booking mode”. Then use “+” or tap the period, choose “Availability exception”, and set available or unavailable. Set the weekly baseline under More → Settings → Student platform → Manage availability times.
With separate calendars. Per calendar you set in Outdrive whether it blocks availability. Events that should close booking go on the blocking calendar. Info-only events go on the other. You decide by calendar choice, not by busy/free in Google or Outlook.
No. Outdrive does not read busy/free on individual events. What matters is which connected calendar the event is on, and whether that calendar blocks availability.
Yes, when the course is created in Outdrive and you are assigned to the session. Only the session time is blocked. Three hours of prep beforehand still needs an availability exception or a blocking appointment.
It sets how many hours from now a booking may start (e.g. not sooner than in 2 hours). That is different from lead time before a specific course. To keep Thursday morning free before a course, use an availability exception.
Break time mainly applies after Outdrive appointments and between offered slots. It does not replace prep before a course or an availability exception.
Approved vacation and absences automatically close online booking: full day, several days, morning, afternoon, or a time range such as 1–2 hours. Pending vacation requests do not yet. You can also use an availability exception for shorter windows.
Recommended order: set weekly availability. Keep lessons and real courses in Outdrive. Put external blockers on their own calendar with “Block availability”. Handle one-off cases with availability exceptions.