Scheduling Quick Start Checklist

Pre-launch checklist to ensure your scheduling system is ready for athletes to book

Use this checklist before going live

Before you share your booking link with athletes, use this checklist to verify everything is configured correctly. Catching issues now prevents confusion, failed bookings, and frustrated athletes later.

Estimated time: 5-10 minutes to complete this checklist

Phase 1: Account & Platform Setup

These are one-time setup items that affect all your scheduling.

✅ Account & Payment Processing

What to verify:

• CoachIQ account is active and accessible
• Payment processing is connected (if using paid sessions)
• Bank account linked for payouts (if using paid sessions)
• Test payment processed successfully (if using paid sessions)

Why it matters: Without payment processing set up, athletes can’t complete paid bookings.

How to check: Go to Payments → Settings and verify your payment processor is connected and active.

First-timer tip: If you’re starting with free sessions, you can skip payment setup for now and add it later when you’re ready to monetize.

✅ Timezone Settings

What to verify:

• Your timezone is set correctly in account settings
• Calendar displays times in your correct timezone

Why it matters: Incorrect timezone settings cause scheduling chaos—athletes booking at wrong times, missed sessions, confusion all around.

How to check:

1. Go to Settings → Account Settings
2. Verify timezone matches your location
3. Check calendar to confirm displayed times are correct

Common mistake: Forgetting to update timezone after traveling or relocating.

✅ Athlete List

What to verify:

• At least one test athlete added to your system
• Test athlete has valid email address
• You can access athlete portal/app to see their view

Why it matters: You need a test athlete to properly verify the booking experience before going live.

How to check: Go to People → Athletes and confirm you have at least one athlete listed.

Create a test athlete: Use your own email (or a test email) to create a fake athlete so you can test bookings without bothering real athletes.

Phase 2: Scheduler Configuration

Verify your scheduler (session type) is configured correctly.

✅ Session Details Are Clear & Compelling

What to verify:

• Session name is descriptive and includes duration
• Description explains what athletes will get/learn
• Duration is set correctly (30, 45, 60 min, etc.)
• Session type matches your coaching style (1-on-1 vs group)

Good session name examples:

• ✅ “60-Minute Private Hitting Lesson”
• ✅ “45-Minute Small Group Speed Training”
• ✅ “30-Minute Free Assessment Session”

Weak session name examples:

• ❌ “Session 1”
• ❌ “Training”
• ❌ “PT-60-A”

How to check: View your scheduler in the Schedulers list—does it clearly communicate what athletes are booking?

✅ Availability Is Set Correctly

What to verify:

• Days and times match when you actually want to coach
• Availability extends far enough into the future
• No accidental gaps or missing days
• Blackout days are set for known time off (vacation, holidays)

Common mistakes:

• Setting availability only 1-2 weeks out (athletes can’t book far ahead)
• Forgetting to block vacation days
• AM/PM confusion (setting 3:00 AM instead of 3:00 PM)
• Not accounting for time zone differences

How to check:

1. Go to Schedule → Calendar
2. Switch to Week or Month view
3. Verify available slots appear on correct days/times

Critical check: Look at your calendar for the next 2-4 weeks. Do available slots appear when you expect them? If you see gaps or wrong times, edit your availability.

✅ Buffer Time Is Set (Recommended)

What to verify:

• 10-15 minutes of buffer time between sessions
• Buffer accounts for your setup/cleanup needs
• Back-to-back sessions have adequate spacing

Why it matters: Buffer prevents burnout, allows bathroom breaks, and gives you time to prepare between athletes.

How to check: Look at your calendar when multiple sessions are booked—are they too close together?

Recommended buffer times:

• 1-on-1 sessions: 10-15 minutes
• Group sessions: 15-20 minutes
• Complex setups (video, equipment): 20-30 minutes

Pro tip: Athletes never see buffer time—they just see available slots properly spaced. Buffer is invisible to them but saves your sanity.

✅ Capacity Settings Match Your Intent

What to verify:

• Max athletes per session is correct (1 for private, 4-20 for groups)
• Group size matches your facility/equipment capacity
• You’re comfortable coaching that many athletes simultaneously

How to check: Edit your scheduler and review the “Max Athletes Per Session” setting.

Common mistake: Setting capacity to 10 for a “private” session, then being surprised when 10 athletes book the same slot.

Phase 3: Payment Configuration

Critical verification if you’re charging for sessions.

✅ Payment Method Is Configured Correctly

What to verify:

• Free vs Paid vs Credit-based is set as intended
• Price/credit cost is correct
• Payment product is connected (if using direct payment)
• Credits are issued properly (if using credit-based)

Decision framework:

Use Free When…	Use Direct Payment When…	Use Credits When…
Trial sessions	Drop-in/one-time bookings	Ongoing relationships
Team practices	New/unproven athletes	Monthly memberships
Assessments	Event registrations	Session packages
Makeup sessions	Testing pricing	Subscription models

First session recommendation: Start with FREE to learn the system, then add payment once comfortable.

✅ Credit System Is Set Up (If Using Credits)

What to verify:

• Credit-issuing product exists (session package or subscription)
• Credit price is set on scheduler (e.g., 1 credit per session)
• Test athlete has credits to test booking
• Credit restrictions are configured (if any)

How to check:

1. Go to Payments → Products
2. Verify you have a product that issues credits
3. Manually grant test credits to your test athlete
4. Attempt a test booking with credits

Credit setup is complex: If using credits for your first session, expect to spend extra time learning the credit system. Consider starting with free or direct payment first.

✅ Pricing Makes Sense

What to verify:

• Price matches your market and experience level
• Price is competitive with local coaches
• You’re comfortable charging this rate
• Group pricing reflects per-athlete value vs 1-on-1

Pricing reality check questions:

• Would you pay this price for this session?
• Is this sustainable for your business?
• Does this match or beat your previous hourly rate?
• For groups: Is the per-athlete price compelling?

Common pricing mistakes:

• Underpricing to attract athletes (hurts perceived value)
• Overpricing without proven results (discourages bookings)
• Same price for 1-on-1 and group sessions (should differ)
• Forgetting to account for your time, travel, equipment costs

Phase 4: Booking Experience Testing

The most critical phase—see what athletes see and experience.

✅ Booking Link Works

What to verify:

• Booking link opens correctly
• Page loads without errors
• Session information displays properly
• Available times are showing

How to check:

1. Copy your scheduler’s booking link
2. Open in a new browser tab (or incognito/private window)
3. Verify everything displays as expected

Critical: If no available times show, your availability isn’t configured correctly. Go back and verify your availability settings.

✅ Athlete View Is Clear & Professional

What to verify:

• Session name and description are compelling
• Price or credit cost is clear
• Duration is obvious
• No confusing or technical jargon
• Mobile-friendly display

What athletes should immediately understand:

1. What they’re booking (session type)
2. How long it lasts (duration)
3. What it costs (price or credits)
4. What they’ll get out of it (value)

How to check: Show your booking link to someone unfamiliar with your business—can they understand what they’re booking within 5 seconds?

Pro tip: Test on mobile! Many athletes will book from their phones. Your booking experience must work perfectly on small screens.

✅ Test Booking Completes Successfully

What to verify:

• Can select an available time slot
• Can complete the booking process
• Receive booking confirmation (email/notification)
• Booking appears on your calendar correctly
• Test athlete receives confirmation

How to test:

1. As your test athlete, book a session
2. Complete the full booking flow
3. Verify confirmation notifications
4. Check your calendar for the booking
5. Verify all information is correct (time, athlete name, session type)

If payment required:

• Payment processes successfully
• Amount charged is correct
• Receipt is generated
• Funds appear in your account (or marked as pending)

If credits required:

• Credits are deducted properly
• Credit balance updates correctly
• Booking confirmation shows credit usage

✅ Cancellation Flow Works (If Enabled)

What to verify:

• Athletes can cancel (if you allow it)
• Cancellation policy is clear
• Credits refund properly (if applicable)
• Cancellation notifications are sent
• Calendar updates after cancellation

How to test: After creating a test booking, cancel it and verify the process works smoothly.

Phase 5: Calendar & Management

Ensure you can effectively manage bookings once they start coming in.

✅ Calendar Is Accurate & Readable

What to verify:

• Bookings display correctly in calendar
• Day/Week/Month views all work
• Session information is complete
• Athlete names are visible
• Times are correct (timezone check)

How to check: Navigate to Schedule → Calendar and verify your test booking appears correctly in all views.

✅ You Can Manually Book Athletes

What to verify:

• Can access booking builder
• Can select athletes, sessions, and times
• Manual bookings appear on calendar
• Notifications are sent to athletes

Why it matters: Even with self-service booking, you’ll occasionally need to manually book athletes for makeups, special requests, or VIP clients.

How to check:

1. Go to Schedule → Calendar
2. Click Book Session
3. Walk through the manual booking process
4. Verify the booking appears correctly

✅ Notifications Are Working

What to verify:

• Booking confirmations sent to athletes
• Booking notifications sent to you
• Reminder notifications configured (if desired)
• Cancellation notifications work

How to check: After your test booking, verify both you and the test athlete received notifications.

Reminder setup: If you want automated reminders (1 day before, 1 hour before, etc.), configure these in your scheduler settings under “Reminders.”

Phase 6: Sharing & Distribution

Make your booking link accessible to athletes.

✅ Sharing Strategy Is Ready

What to verify:

• Booking link is saved and accessible
• Know where you’ll share the link (social media, website, SMS)
• Have a system for ongoing distribution
• Considered embedding on website (if applicable)

Sharing checklist:

• Booking link saved in notes/document
• Added to email signature
• Posted on social media profiles
• Sent to current athlete roster
• Added to website (if you have one)
• Shared in messaging apps (WhatsApp, Discord, etc.)

URL shortener tip: If your booking link is long, use a URL shortener (bit.ly, tinyurl) to create a cleaner link like “bit.ly/CoachMikeBooking”

✅ Website Integration (If Applicable)

What to verify:

• Scheduler embedded on your CoachIQ website
• Booking section appears correctly
• Athletes can book without leaving your site
• Website is published and live

How to check: Visit your website and test the embedded booking experience.

If not using CoachIQ website: You can still share direct booking links via social media, email, SMS, or embed on external websites using an iframe.

Common Setup Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

1. No Availability Set

Symptom: Booking link shows “No available times”

Fix: Edit your scheduler and add availability (days/times you coach)

2. Availability Too Far in Past/Future

Symptom: No slots showing even though availability exists

Fix: Check your scheduler’s date range—ensure it includes today and extends into future

3. Minimum Notice Too High

Symptom: Athletes complain they can’t book

Fix: If you set “24-hour minimum notice,” athletes can’t book sessions within 24 hours. Reduce or remove this restriction.

4. Wrong Timezone

Symptom: Sessions booked at weird times, athletes/coaches confused

Fix: Verify timezone in Settings → Account Settings matches your actual location

5. Payment Not Configured

Symptom: Athletes can’t complete booking

Fix: If requiring payment, ensure payment processor is connected and products are set up

6. Buffer Time Too Long

Symptom: Very few available slots showing

Fix: 60+ minutes of buffer time dramatically reduces available slots. Keep buffer to 10-20 minutes.

7. Capacity Set Incorrectly

Symptom: Multiple athletes booking same “private” session slot

Fix: Verify “Max Athletes Per Session” is set to 1 for private sessions

8. Credits Not Issued

Symptom: Athletes with credit-based sessions can’t book

Fix: Ensure test athletes have credits granted, or credit-issuing products are set up

Decision Framework: Credits vs. Direct Payment

Start with FREE

Best for:

• Your very first session while learning CoachIQ
• Testing the system before charging
• Building initial athlete relationships
• Trial sessions for new athletes

Pros:

• Zero setup complexity
• Focus on learning the scheduling mechanics
• No payment processor configuration needed
• Easy to upgrade to paid later

Cons:

• No immediate revenue
• May attract less committed athletes
• Need to add payment later when ready

Recommendation: ✅ Best choice for first session

Use DIRECT PAYMENT

Best for:

• Drop-in sessions
• One-time bookings
• New athletes (haven’t purchased packages)
• Event registrations
• Workshops or clinics

Pros:

• Immediate revenue per booking
• Simple athlete understanding (pay per session)
• No credit management complexity
• Good for trying out pricing

Cons:

• Per-session friction (athletes decide each time)
• No pre-commitment from athletes
• Potential for cancellations

Setup required:

• Payment processor connected
• Product created with price
• Test payment processed

Recommendation: ✅ Good for solo coaches with variable athletes

Use CREDITS

Best for:

• Ongoing coaching relationships
• Monthly subscriptions
• Session packages (5-pack, 10-pack)
• Committed athletes
• Reducing no-shows (pre-paid investment)

Pros:

• Pre-commitment from athletes
• Reduced booking friction (already paid)
• Better cash flow (upfront payment)
• Lower no-show rates
• Encourages package purchases

Cons:

• More complex setup
• Athletes must understand credit system
• Requires managing credit balances
• Initial learning curve

Setup required:

• Credit-issuing products created
• Credit price set on schedulers
• Athletes granted or purchase credits
• Understanding credit restrictions/expiration

Recommendation: ⚠️ Best AFTER mastering basics—not for first session

Final Pre-Launch Checklist

Before you share your booking link with real athletes, confirm:

Critical Must-Haves

• ✅ Test booking completed successfully
• ✅ Booking appears on calendar correctly
• ✅ Confirmations/notifications are working
• ✅ Availability shows correct days/times
• ✅ Pricing/payment is configured properly
• ✅ Session name and description are clear
• ✅ Tested on mobile device

Important Nice-to-Haves

• Buffer time set (10-15 min recommended)
• Blackout days added for known time off
• Reminders configured for athletes
• Cancellation policy set
• Booking limits configured (if needed)
• Program groupings created (if multiple schedulers)

Launch Readiness

• Booking link saved and ready to share
• Communication plan for sharing with athletes
• First week availability looks good
• Mentally prepared for bookings to come in
• Know how to manually book if needed
• Support contact saved (if you need help)

All set? You’re ready to launch! Share your booking link and start accepting bookings.

What to monitor after launch

After sharing your booking link, keep an eye on these for the first week:

Daily checks:

• Are bookings coming through?
• Do bookings appear correctly on your calendar?
• Are athletes receiving confirmations?
• Any error messages or athlete complaints?

Weekly review:

• Booking volume (higher or lower than expected?)
• Popular time slots (adjust availability if needed)
• No-show rate (may need to adjust policies)
• Athlete feedback about booking process

Pro tip: After your first 5-10 bookings, ask athletes for feedback: “Was the booking process easy? Any confusion?” Use this feedback to improve your scheduler descriptions and settings.

Troubleshooting Quick Reference

Problem	Most Likely Cause	Quick Fix
No available times showing	Availability not set	Add availability to scheduler
Athletes can’t book	Payment/credits not configured	Set session to free, or fix payment setup
Wrong times displaying	Timezone incorrect	Fix timezone in account settings
Too few slots available	Buffer time too long	Reduce buffer time to 10-15 min
Multiple athletes in “private” session	Capacity set wrong	Set max capacity to 1
Booking confirmation not received	Notifications disabled	Check notification settings
Can’t share booking link	Scheduler not saved/active	Save scheduler and get fresh link

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Next steps

Create Schedulers

Add more session types with different durations, prices, or formats

Set Up Credits

Learn how to create credit-based packages and subscriptions

Calendar Management

Master your scheduling command center

Related articles

Your First Session

Step-by-step guide to creating your first bookable session

Understanding Scheduling

Complete overview of how scheduling works

Availability Setup

Set up your coaching availability

Still not sure if you’re ready? Walk through this checklist with our support team. Contact Support