> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.coachiq.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How to Manually Book Athletes into Sessions

> Step-by-step guide to using the Booking Builder for direct athlete scheduling, including credit handling and booking outside normal availability

## What you'll accomplish

Learn how to book athletes directly into sessions using CoachIQ's Booking Builder—perfect for VIP clients, makeup sessions, and special scheduling situations that require your direct involvement.

<Info>
  **Where to find this**: Schedule → Calendar → "Book Session" button, or direct URL: `/schedule/booking/builder/new`
</Info>

***

## When to use manual booking

Manual booking is your tool for handling scheduling situations that don't fit the standard athlete self-booking flow:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="VIP & High-Touch Clients" icon="star">
    Private clients who prefer you handle their scheduling rather than booking themselves
  </Card>

  <Card title="Makeup Sessions" icon="redo">
    Rescheduling after cancellations, no-shows, or special circumstances requiring accommodation
  </Card>

  <Card title="Special Requests" icon="calendar-plus">
    Booking outside your normal availability for one-off exceptions or emergency sessions
  </Card>

  <Card title="Walk-Ins & Phone Calls" icon="phone">
    Athletes who contact you directly instead of using the booking page
  </Card>

  <Card title="Complimentary Sessions" icon="gift">
    Free or comp sessions for referrals, trials, or special promotions
  </Card>

  <Card title="Administrative Corrections" icon="tools">
    Fixing booking errors or handling technical issues on athlete's behalf
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Tip>
  **Remember**: Manual booking uses the same payment/credit logic as athlete self-booking. The only difference is who initiates the process.
</Tip>

***

## Opening the Booking Builder

There are three ways to access the manual booking interface:

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="From Calendar">
    **Best for**: Booking at a specific time you can see on calendar

    1. Go to **Schedule → Calendar**
    2. Click the **"Book Session"** button (top right)
    3. Booking Builder opens

    <Frame>
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/coachiq/HOHx6taPCCFYz1vO/images/calendar-week-view.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=HOHx6taPCCFYz1vO&q=85&s=14aab41a06892049c7c4f8431c0b32c4" alt="Calendar week view showing Book Session button in top right" width="3544" height="1796" data-path="images/calendar-week-view.png" />
    </Frame>

    This is the most common entry point for manual booking.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="From Schedulers Page">
    1. Go to **Schedule → Schedulers**
    2. Click the **"Create"** button (top right)
    3. Select **"Manually Book an Athlete"**
    4. Booking Builder opens
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="From Client Profile">
    **Best for**: Booking a specific client

    1. Go to **People → Clients**
    2. Search for and click on the client you want to book
    3. Select the \*\*"Book" \*\*button at the top
    4. Booking Builder opens with that client pre-selected
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

***

## Step-by-step: Creating a manual booking

The Booking Builder has four main sections you'll complete in order:

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/coachiq/Ulr7N5vVczSfnUul/images/manual-booking.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=Ulr7N5vVczSfnUul&q=85&s=05fb51c29c7b849847200d9b95f3bcd5" alt="CoachIQ Booking Builder interface with client, scheduler, and date selection" width="2682" height="2602" data-path="images/manual-booking.png" />
</Frame>

<Steps>
  <Step title="Select the client">
    Search for and select the athlete you're booking for.

    **How to find clients**:

    * **Search by name**: Start typing athlete/parent name
    * **Search by email**: Type their email address

    **What you'll see**:

    * Client name
    * Email address
    * Associated tags
    * Profile picture (if set)

    **Select the athlete** by clicking on their name.

    <Note>
      Can't find the client? They may not be in your system yet. Go to **People → Clients → Add Client** to create their profile first.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose the scheduler">
    Select which type of session you're booking.

    The dropdown shows all your active schedulers with:

    * Scheduler name
    * Duration (e.g., "60 min")
    * Pricing (e.g., "\$75.00" or "1 Credit")

    **Two important checkboxes appear after selecting a scheduler**:

    ### Allow custom date selection

    <Accordion title="What this does">
      When **checked**: You can book the athlete at ANY date/time, even outside your normal availability.

      When **unchecked**: You can only book within your published availability windows.

      **Use case**:

      * Checked → Special accommodation outside normal hours
      * Unchecked → Standard booking within your schedule
    </Accordion>

    ### Redeem credits

    <Accordion title="What this does">
      When **checked**: Booking will consume athlete's credits (if scheduler is credit-based).

      When **unchecked**: Booking won't consume credits—useful for comp sessions or when you want to manually handle credit deduction later.

      **Important**: Only appears if the selected scheduler accepts credits.

      **Default**: Usually checked (credits will be consumed as normal).
    </Accordion>

    <Warning>
      **Credit availability**: If athlete doesn't have enough credits and "Redeem credits" is checked, the booking will fail. Either uncheck the box (comp session) or add credits to athlete's account first.
    </Warning>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select date and time">
    Choose when this session will occur.

    **What you'll see depends on the checkboxes**:

    <Tabs>
      <Tab title="Booking Within Availability">
        **When "Allow custom date selection" is unchecked**:

        * Calendar shows only available dates (dates with open slots appear clickable)
        * Select a date
        * Choose from available time slots
        * Duration options: 15 min, 30 min, 60 min, or custom

        This ensures you're booking within your normal schedule and availability rules.
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="Booking Outside Availability">
        **When "Allow custom date selection" is checked**:

        * Calendar shows ALL dates (not just available ones)
        * Select any date
        * Manually enter ANY time (not restricted to availability windows)
        * Set custom duration

        **Use case example**: Athlete needs Tuesday 2pm session, but you're normally only available Monday/Wednesday. Check the box, select Tuesday, enter 2:00 PM.

        <Warning>
          **Conflict risk**: Booking outside availability bypasses all scheduling rules. Check your calendar to ensure you're not double-booking yourself.
        </Warning>

        <Frame>
          <img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/coachiq/images/booking-builder-custom-date.png" alt="Custom date selection interface" />
        </Frame>
      </Tab>
    </Tabs>

    **Duration presets**:

    * Click **15**, **30**, or **60** for quick duration selection
    * Or set **custom duration** for non-standard session lengths

    <Tip>
      **Pro tip**: If booking a makeup session, match the duration to the original session they missed.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review and create booking">
    Before finalizing, review all details:

    **Booking summary shows**:

    * Athlete name
    * Scheduler name
    * Date and time
    * Duration
    * Credit consumption status (if applicable)
    * Any warnings or conflicts

    **If everything looks correct**, click **"Create"** or **"Book Session"**.

    <Check>
      **Success!** The booking is created instantly. Both you and the athlete receive confirmation notifications.
    </Check>
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## What happens after booking

### Immediate actions

1. **Calendar updated**: Booking appears on your calendar immediately
2. **Athlete notification**: Athlete receives confirmation via:
   * In-app notification
   * Email (if enabled)
   * SMS (if reminder settings configured)
3. **Credit deduction**: If "Redeem credits" was checked, credits are deducted from athlete's balance
4. **Availability blocked**: That time slot is now unavailable for other bookings (unless double-booking is enabled)

### Athlete receives

The athlete gets a booking confirmation that includes:

* Session date and time
* Session type (scheduler name)
* Duration
* Location (if set on scheduler)
* Your contact information
* Cancellation policy (if applicable)
* "Add to Calendar" option

<Note>
  The notification looks identical to a self-booked session—athletes can't tell if you booked them manually vs. they booked themselves.
</Note>

***

## Using Copilot for faster booking

CoachIQ Copilot can speed up the booking process by interpreting natural language:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Access Copilot">
    In the Booking Builder, look for the **"CoachIQ Copilot"** panel on the right side.

    <Frame>
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/coachiq/Yb11c8fRZsw0XQu6/images/copilot-ui.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=Yb11c8fRZsw0XQu6&q=85&s=dfddd2f0108ef88e2cc26e76c420eaac" alt="CoachIQ Copilot panel for natural language booking input" width="740" height="542" data-path="images/copilot-ui.png" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Describe the booking">
    Type a natural language description:

    **Examples**:

    * "Every Tuesday at 5pm"
    * "Next Monday at 3pm"
    * "Fridays at 10am for 4 weeks"

    <Note>
      Copilot works best for recurring patterns, but can also handle single bookings.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Generate and review">
    Click **"Generate Availability"** and Copilot will:

    * Interpret your description
    * Auto-fill date/time fields
    * Suggest booking pattern

    Review the auto-filled fields to ensure accuracy, then proceed with booking.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  **Copilot tip**: Be specific with times. "5pm" is better than "evening." "Next Tuesday" is better than "soon."
</Tip>

***

## Common manual booking scenarios

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Makeup session after athlete cancels">
    **Situation**: Athlete canceled last-minute due to illness. You want to give them a free makeup session.

    **Process**:

    1. Open Booking Builder
    2. Select athlete
    3. Choose same scheduler as original session
    4. **Uncheck "Redeem credits"** (so they're not charged twice)
    5. Select new date/time
    6. Create booking

    **Result**: Athlete gets makeup session without double credit deduction.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="VIP client who wants you to schedule">
    **Situation**: High-value client prefers you schedule their weekly sessions rather than them self-booking.

    **Process**:

    1. Open Booking Builder
    2. Select VIP athlete
    3. Choose their preferred scheduler
    4. Leave "Redeem credits" **checked** (normal credit consumption)
    5. Select their preferred day/time
    6. Create booking

    **Pro tip**: For weekly standing appointments, use recurring booking instead (covered in Article #19).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Walk-in or phone booking">
    **Situation**: Athlete calls asking if you have availability today at 4pm.

    **Process**:

    1. Check calendar for conflicts at 4pm
    2. If available, open Booking Builder
    3. Search for athlete by phone number or email
    4. Select appropriate scheduler
    5. Choose today's date, 4pm time
    6. Create booking

    **Result**: Instant booking, athlete gets confirmation notification before they hang up.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Special request outside normal hours">
    **Situation**: Regular athlete needs session Tuesday 7am, but you're normally only available 9am-5pm.

    **Process**:

    1. Open Booking Builder
    2. Select athlete
    3. Choose scheduler
    4. **Check "Allow custom date selection"**
    5. Select Tuesday, manually enter 7:00 AM
    6. Verify no conflicts on calendar
    7. Create booking

    **Result**: One-time exception without changing your normal availability for all athletes.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Complimentary or free session">
    **Situation**: You want to give new athlete a free trial session, but your scheduler normally charges 1 credit.

    **Process**:

    1. Open Booking Builder
    2. Select athlete
    3. Choose the credit-based scheduler
    4. **Uncheck "Redeem credits"**
    5. Select date/time
    6. Create booking

    **Result**: Athlete gets booked but doesn't lose any credits. Session appears as normal booking on calendar.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Fixing athlete's booking error">
    **Situation**: Athlete accidentally booked wrong scheduler. You need to correct it.

    **Process**:

    1. Cancel the incorrect booking (Article #21)
    2. Open Booking Builder
    3. Select athlete
    4. Choose correct scheduler
    5. **Check "Redeem credits"** if the original booking refunded credits
    6. Book at the same or corrected time
    7. Communicate the fix to athlete

    **Result**: Athlete is now in correct session type without credit loss.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## Troubleshooting manual booking issues

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Booking button greyed out or won't save">
    **Possible causes**:

    * Missing required field (client, scheduler, or date/time)
    * Athlete doesn't have sufficient credits (if "Redeem credits" checked)
    * Selected time conflicts with another booking (if double-booking disabled)
    * Selected scheduler is inactive

    **How to fix**:

    1. Verify all fields are completed
    2. Check athlete's credit balance (People → Client profile)
    3. Verify no calendar conflicts at selected time
    4. Confirm scheduler is Active status
    5. Try unchecking "Redeem credits" to isolate credit issue
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Athlete says they didn't receive confirmation">
    **Possible causes**:

    * Athlete's notification settings disabled
    * Email in spam folder
    * Incorrect contact information in athlete profile
    * System notification delay

    **How to fix**:

    1. Verify booking appears on YOUR calendar
    2. Check athlete's profile has correct email/phone
    3. Ask athlete to check spam/junk folder
    4. Manually send them confirmation (screenshot or message)
    5. Have athlete check notification settings in their account
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Credits weren't deducted when they should have been">
    **Possible causes**:

    * "Redeem credits" checkbox was unchecked
    * Athlete credit balance wasn't refreshed after booking

    **How to fix**:

    1. Check booking details to verify credit redemption setting
    2. View athlete's credit transaction history
    3. If credits weren't deducted but should have been:
       * Go to athlete's profile
       * Manually deduct appropriate credits
       * Add note explaining the manual adjustment
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can't find athlete in search">
    **Possible causes**:

    * Athlete hasn't been added to system yet
    * Typing name/email incorrectly
    * Athlete account is deactivated

    **How to fix**:

    1. Try searching by email instead of name
    2. Go to **People → Clients** and search there
    3. If athlete doesn't exist: **Add Client** to create their profile first
    4. If athlete exists but still not showing: Clear search and try again
    5. Check if athlete has "Customer" role assigned
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Booked outside availability but shouldn't have">
    **Situation**: Accidentally checked "Allow custom date selection" and created booking at impossible time.

    **How to fix**:

    1. Delete the incorrect booking
    2. Create new booking WITHOUT "Allow custom date selection" checked
    3. Notify athlete of time change
    4. Double-check calendar for actual availability

    **Prevention**: Only check "Allow custom date selection" when intentionally making an exception.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## Manual booking best practices

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Verify Before Booking" icon="check-circle">
    Always check your calendar for conflicts before manually booking, especially when using custom date selection. Double-booking yourself causes major problems.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Communicate Clearly" icon="comments">
    If manually booking for someone else, confirm the date/time with them before creating the booking. Prevents confusion and reschedules.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Document Special Cases" icon="file-alt">
    For comp sessions or exceptions, add a note in the booking details or athlete profile explaining why normal rules were bypassed.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Consistent Credit Handling" icon="coins">
    Decide on your policy: Do makeup sessions consume credits? Are trials always free? Be consistent so athletes know what to expect.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

## Related articles

* [**Setting Up Your First Scheduler**](/scheduling/creating-your-first-scheduler) - Learn about scheduler configuration and settings
* [**Managing Athlete Credits**](/scheduling/managing-athlete-credits) - Understanding credit balances, transactions, and manual adjustments
* [**Calendar Management**](/scheduling/calendar-overview-and-navigation) - Tips for avoiding conflicts and managing your schedule
* [**Cancellation & Rescheduling Policies**](/scheduling/canceling-bookings) - Setting up and enforcing cancellation rules
* [**Creating Recurring Bookings**](#) - Automate standing appointments for regular athletes

<Note>
  Need to change a booking after it's created? See [Editing & Rescheduling Bookings](/scheduling/editing-rescheduling-bookings).
</Note>