What Are Schedulers? (And Why You Need Them)

Learn what schedulers are, how they differ from sessions, and when to create multiple scheduler types

What a scheduler actually is

A scheduler is your bookable service configuration—a template that defines what athletes can book, at what price, with what rules.

Think of a scheduler like a product listing in a store:

• The product listing = The scheduler (what’s for sale, price, description)
• Individual items on the shelf = Available time slots (when it can be purchased)
• Items in shopping carts = Bookings (actual purchases)

Simple definition: A scheduler is a session type that athletes can book. It defines the “what” (service details) while availability defines the “when” (time windows).

Scheduling terminology in CoachIQ

The biggest source of confusion in CoachIQ scheduling is understanding these three related but different concepts:

Scheduler

What it is: The configuration/template for a bookable service

What it defines:

• Session name and description
• Duration (30, 45, 60 minutes)
• Price or credit cost
• Capacity (1-on-1 or group)
• Booking rules and limits
• Which availability it uses

Analogy: A product listing on Amazon

Example: “60-Minute Private Training - $75 - Max 1 athlete”

How many exist: You create 1-20+ schedulers depending on your business

Visibility: Athletes see scheduler name, description, price when deciding what to book

Session

What it is: An available time slot OR a confirmed booking

What it includes:

• Specific date and time
• Duration (inherited from scheduler)
• Which scheduler it came from
• Participant(s) if booked

Analogy: A specific showing time at a movie theater

Example: “Monday, Oct 2 at 4:00 PM - 60-Minute Private Training”

How many exist: Hundreds or thousands, automatically generated by CoachIQ

Visibility: Athletes see available sessions as time slots they can click to book

Confusing part: “Session” refers to BOTH available time slots (before booking) AND confirmed bookings (after booking). Context determines which meaning.

Booking

What it is: A confirmed reservation by an athlete for a specific session

What it includes:

• Athlete name
• Specific date/time
• Which scheduler/session type
• Payment or credit transaction
• Status (upcoming, past, canceled)

Analogy: A confirmed movie ticket with your name on it

Example: “Jake Smith - Monday, Oct 2 at 4:00 PM - 60-Minute Private Training”

How many exist: Depends on how many athletes book

Visibility: Appears on your calendar and athlete’s schedule

Key insight: Booking is a session that has an athlete assigned to it. Before booking, it’s an available session. After booking, it’s a confirmed booking.

How they work together: The complete flow

1. You create a scheduler

   Configure: “60-Minute Private Training”

   • Duration: 60 minutes
   • Price: $75
   • Capacity: 1 athlete
   • Connected to your M/W/F 3-8 PM availability

   This is the template for a bookable service.

2. CoachIQ generates sessions

   Based on your scheduler + availability, CoachIQ automatically creates bookable time slots:

   Generated sessions:

   • Monday, Oct 2 at 3:00 PM
   • Monday, Oct 2 at 4:00 PM
   • Monday, Oct 2 at 5:00 PM
   • Wednesday, Oct 4 at 3:00 PM
   • Wednesday, Oct 4 at 4:00 PM
   • (continues for all M/W/F slots)

   These are available sessions (not yet booked).

   You don’t manually create these: CoachIQ does this math automatically. Your 5-hour availability window + 60-min duration + 15-min buffer = specific number of slots per day.

3. Athlete views available sessions

   When athlete visits your booking page, they see:

   • “60-Minute Private Training - $75”
   • Available times: Oct 2 at 3:00 PM, 4:00 PM, 5:00 PM…
   • Click a time to book

   
4. Athlete books a session

   Jake selects Monday, Oct 2 at 4:00 PM and completes booking.

   This creates a booking (confirmed reservation):

   • Jake Smith
   • Monday, Oct 2 at 4:00 PM
   • 60-Minute Private Training
   • Paid $75
   • Status: Upcoming
5. That time slot becomes unavailable

   After Jake’s booking:

   • Oct 2 at 4:00 PM is no longer available to other athletes
   • Oct 2 at 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM remain available
   • Your calendar shows Jake’s confirmed booking

   Complete cycle: Scheduler (template) → Available Sessions (time slots) → Booking (confirmed reservation)

Visual comparison: Scheduler vs Session vs Booking

Aspect	Scheduler	Session	Booking
What it is	Template/configuration	Time slot (before or after booking)	Confirmed reservation
How many	1-20+ per business	Hundreds/thousands	As many as athletes book
Created by	You (coach)	CoachIQ (automatically)	Athlete or coach
Visibility	Athletes see when choosing what to book	Athletes see as available times	Only booked athlete sees
Example	”60-Min Private Training"	"Monday 4:00 PM"	"Jake - Monday 4:00 PM”
Contains	Rules, pricing, duration	Date/time, from which scheduler	Athlete name, payment info
You manage	Configuration, settings	Indirectly via availability and scheduler settings	Cancellations, rescheduling

The relationship: One scheduler generates many sessions. Some sessions become bookings when athletes book them.

Why you need schedulers (not just one “training session”)

New coaches often ask: “Why do I need multiple schedulers? Can’t I just have one ‘Training Session’ that athletes book?”

Here’s why schedulers matter:

Reason 1: Different durations need different schedulers

The problem: You offer 30-minute, 45-minute, and 60-minute sessions, all at different prices.

Why one scheduler won’t work:

• A scheduler has ONE duration setting
• Athletes booking “30 minutes” vs “60 minutes” need different options

Solution: Create three schedulers:

• “30-Minute Quick Session - $50”
• “45-Minute Standard Session - $70”
• “60-Minute Deep Dive - $90”

Result: Athletes choose their preferred duration, you charge appropriately.

Reason 2: Different pricing requires different schedulers

The problem: You charge 75 for private sessions & 40 for group sessions.

Why one scheduler won’t work:

• A scheduler has ONE price
• Different session types have different value

Solution: Create separate schedulers:

• “Private 1-on-1 Session - $75”
• “Small Group Session - $40 per person”

Result: Correct pricing, clear differentiation.

Reason 3: Different capacities need different schedulers

The problem: Private sessions allow 1 athlete, group sessions allow 6 athletes.

Why one scheduler won’t work:

• A scheduler has ONE capacity setting
• Can’t have both “max 1” and “max 6” in same scheduler

Solution: Different schedulers per format:

• “Private Training - 1 athlete max”
• “Small Group Training - 6 athletes max”

Result: Proper capacity management, no overbooking.

Reason 4: Different services have different rules

The problem: Free assessments have no cancellation restrictions, paid sessions require 24-hour notice.

Why one scheduler won’t work:

• A scheduler has ONE set of booking rules
• Different services warrant different policies

Solution: Service-specific schedulers:

• “Free Assessment - No cancellation restrictions”
• “Paid Session - 24hr cancellation required”

Result: Appropriate policies per service type.

Bottom line: Schedulers give you the flexibility to offer diverse services with different configurations. One scheduler = one set of rules. Multiple services = multiple schedulers.

When NOT to create separate schedulers

Don’t create multiple schedulers when:

❌ Same service, different athletes

• Bad: “Session for Jake”, “Session for Sarah”
• Better: One “Private Training” scheduler that all athletes book

❌ Same everything except date

• Bad: “October Sessions”, “November Sessions”
• Better: One scheduler with ongoing availability

❌ Minor description variations

• Bad: “Hitting Practice”, “Batting Practice” (same service, different words)
• Better: One “Hitting/Batting Practice” scheduler

❌ You just want organization

• Bad: Creating 10 schedulers to categorize types
• Better: Use program groupings for organization

❌ Different athletes should pay different amounts

• Bad: “Premium Athlete Session”, “Standard Athlete Session”
• Better: One scheduler with custom pricing at booking time OR use access codes

Scheduler bloat: Creating too many schedulers confuses athletes and makes your system harder to manage. Only create a new scheduler when there’s a functional difference in duration, price, capacity, or rules.

Scheduler naming best practices

The name athletes see matters. Good naming helps athletes understand what they’re booking instantly.

Formula for effective scheduler names

Pattern 1: Duration + Service + Price

• “60-Min Private Training - $75”
• “30-Min Quick Session - $45”
• “90-Min Intensive Training - $120”

Pattern 2: Service + Details + Price

• “Small Group Strength Class (Max 8) - $30”
• “1-on-1 Speed Development - $85”
• “Team Practice Session - Contact for pricing”

Pattern 3: Service + Coach + Price

• “Private Training with Coach Mike - $90”
• “Youth Development with Coach Emma - $60”
• “Speed Training with Coach Sarah - $80”

Pattern 4: Service + Age/Level + Price

• “Youth Skills (Ages 8-12) - $50”
• “Advanced Training (High School+) - $85”
• “Beginner Strength Class - $25”

What to include in scheduler names

Always include:

• ✅ Clear service type (what they’re getting)
• ✅ Price or “Free” (no surprises)
• ✅ Duration (if not obvious from context)

Consider including:

• Coach name (if coach-specific)
• Age range or skill level (if service is targeted)
• Group size or capacity (if relevant to value)
• Location (if you have multiple facilities)

Avoid:

• ❌ Internal codes (“PT-60-A”)
• ❌ Vague terms (“Session 1”)
• ❌ Overly long descriptions (save for description field)
• ❌ All caps or excessive punctuation

Test your names: Show your scheduler names to someone unfamiliar with your business. Can they understand what each scheduler is within 3 seconds? If not, simplify.

Common scheduler mistakes

Avoid these common pitfalls:

Creating too many schedulers

Mistake: 20+ schedulers with minor variations

Problem: Athletes overwhelmed by choices, can’t decide what to book

Example of excess:

• “Monday Morning Session”
• “Tuesday Morning Session”
• “Wednesday Morning Session”
• (Separate scheduler per day)

Better approach: One “Morning Training Session” with availability covering all morning days

Rule of thumb: If the only difference is WHEN (not what/price/rules), don’t create separate schedulers.

Creating too few schedulers

Mistake: One “Training Session” for everything

Problem: Can’t differentiate pricing, capacity, or duration

Example of inadequate:

• Only “Training Session” but you offer 30-min, 60-min, private, and group

Better approach: At minimum:

• “30-Min Private - $50”
• “60-Min Private - $85”
• “Group Class - $30”

Rule of thumb: If services have different prices, durations, or capacities, they need separate schedulers.

Poor naming conventions

Mistake: “Session A”, “PT-1”, “Training 60”

Problem: Athletes don’t understand what they’re booking

Why it happens: Using internal shorthand instead of customer-facing language

Better approach:

• “60-Minute Private Training”
• “Small Group Strength Class”
• “Free Assessment Session”

Rule of thumb: If athlete’s grandparent couldn’t understand the name, it’s too unclear.

Not organizing schedulers

Mistake: 10+ schedulers in random order with no categorization

Problem: Athletes scroll through unorganized list, analysis paralysis

Better approach: Use program groupings:

• “Private Training” group (3 schedulers)
• “Group Classes” group (4 schedulers)
• “Specialty Services” group (2 schedulers)

Rule of thumb: Once you have 5+ schedulers, implement program groupings.

Inconsistent scheduler configuration

Mistake: Same service type but different settings across schedulers

Example:

• “Private Training - Coach Mike” has 15-min buffer
• “Private Training - Coach Sarah” has 30-min buffer
• Causes scheduling conflicts and confusion

Better approach: Standardize settings across similar schedulers

• All private sessions: 15-min buffer
• All group classes: 20-min buffer
• All assessments: 30-min buffer

Rule of thumb: Create configuration standards and document them.

How schedulers connect to other CoachIQ features

Schedulers don’t exist in isolation—they integrate with the broader platform:

Availability

Connection: Schedulers pull from availability templates

Relationship: One availability template can power multiple schedulers

Example: “Weekday Availability” powers both “30-Min Session” and “60-Min Session” schedulers

Products & Payment

Connection: Schedulers link to payment products or credit packages

Relationship: Scheduler specifies which product athletes must purchase or how many credits to redeem

Example: “Private Training” scheduler charges 1 credit OR $75 direct payment

Calendar

Connection: Booked sessions from schedulers appear on calendar

Relationship: Each booking shows which scheduler it came from

Example: Calendar displays “Jake - 60-Min Private Training - 3:00 PM” (scheduler name visible)

Credits

Connection: Schedulers specify credit cost per booking

Relationship: Scheduler determines how many credits are deducted when athlete books

Example: “Premium Session” costs 2 credits, “Standard Session” costs 1 credit

Website Builder

Connection: Embed specific schedulers on your website

Relationship: Choose which schedulers appear on which website pages

Example: Homepage shows “Free Assessment”, Services page shows all paid schedulers

Athlete Portal/App

Connection: Athletes view and book schedulers through portal

Relationship: Schedulers appear as bookable options in athlete’s app

Example: Athlete opens app, sees all schedulers they’re eligible to book

Reminders

Connection: Configure automated reminders per scheduler

Relationship: Each scheduler has its own reminder settings

Example: “Premium Sessions” get 24-hour reminder, “Group Classes” get 1-hour reminder

Programs

Connection: Group schedulers into logical categories

Relationship: Program groupings organize multiple schedulers for easier athlete navigation

Example: “Private Training” program contains 3 related schedulers

What’s next

Now that you understand what schedulers are and when to create them, you’re ready to build your first scheduler:

Create Your First Scheduler

Complete step-by-step guide to building your first bookable scheduler

Payment Options

Configure free, paid, or credit-based scheduling

Scheduler Settings

Configure limits, permissions, and booking rules

Related articles

Scheduling Overview

Complete overview of the three-layer system

How Availability Works

Understand the foundation layer

Your First Session

10-minute guide to first bookable session

Credit System

How credits work with schedulers

Questions about planning your scheduler structure? Our support team can help you design the optimal setup for your coaching services. Contact Support