# Plus2 Calendars, Time Bands and Opening Hours

HTML version: [Plus2 Calendars, Time Bands and Opening Hours](https://support.gladstonesoftware.cloud/plus2/plus2-calendars-time-bands-and-opening-hours)

## Problem
Administrators need to control **when** products, activities, classes and resources can be bought or booked, including different opening hours by day, using Plus2 calendars and time bands.

## Resolution

1. **Choose the right calendar for each record**
   - **Price products** and **subscriptions**: the **Standard** calendar (open almost 24 hours).
   - **Activities**: their own calendar controls when they can be booked. Several activities can share a calendar (e.g. sports hall, badminton, basketball); they then all change together. The calendar lists every activity and product using it.
   - **Classes / reservations**: create their own calendar from their dates (the calendar field is greyed out).
   - **Resource products**: normally the Standard calendar, with the activity's calendar controlling times and booking-sheet exceptions handling closures.

2. **Use separate resource calendars only where needed (if applicable)**
   - Give a resource its own calendar only where it genuinely runs different hours, so it can be closed or re-timed without affecting others.
   - Share a calendar only when resources always have identical hours and always close and reopen together. Create a separate one when hours differ, when maintenance or events may close one resource on its own, when staff need to take one resource off sale, or when patterns may diverge.
   - Keep resource calendar open times aligned with activity start times (both on the hour). A resource calendar starting on the half hour while the activity starts on the hour causes booking problems.
   - Check with Gladstone Support if you're unsure which model your site uses, and record in the go-live handover which calendars are shared.

### Creating an activity calendar with a time band

3. **Create the calendar**
   - Create one per activity if needed (e.g. `ABCPT001`, "PT session 14:00–16:00"): standard week against the standard time band.

4. **Create a time band**
   - Create a **time band** (e.g. 14:00–15:59, ID `1400`; paste the ID into the description to find it easily).
   - Tick **Restrict entry** (see Notes).

5. **Add the band to each allowed day**
   - Drop it into each allowed day and save.

6. **Select the calendar on the activity**
   - Select the calendar on the activity. Bookings outside the band are refused.

### Creating a calendar for a resource product (if applicable)

7. **Create the resource calendar**
   - Open the resource product and go to **General Details > Calendar**, then select **New**.
   - Enter an ID using the naming standard and a clear description.
   - Open the **Standard Week** tab and enter the bookable opening and closing times for each day.
   - Add known exceptions or closures if supported, then save the calendar.
   - Select it on the resource product.

8. **Or copy a verified calendar**
   - Open a verified calendar with the right weekly hours and select **Save As** (or the copy shortcut).
   - Change the ID and description.
   - Review every day and time; don't assume the copy is right. Save.
   - Confirm the correct resource products use it.

### Setting different opening hours by day

9. **Change the activity's calendar**
   - The booking sheet's open period is the same every day. For different hours by day (e.g. sports hall 08:00–22:00 weekdays, 08:00–21:00 weekends), change the **activity's calendar**.
   - Create a time band within the standard band (e.g. ID `0800-2200`) and drop it onto the relevant days.
   - For the last hourly slot to start at 20:00, the calendar must be open until 20:59.
   - A double-click in a closed slot then snaps to the first open time. Blocked resources (e.g. courts let to a club all year) show as not available online.

## Notes

- **Time band rules:**
  - When creating a new time band (for a class, closure or instructor block), always tick **Restrict entry**. Otherwise it can't be used as a booking-sheet exception, and this can't be changed later.
  - Only the **Standard** and **Off-peak** bands, which control membership access times, are left unrestricted.
  - Time bands can't be deleted once a product using them has been sold, so don't create more than you need. Hide unneeded time bands from front-of-house staff with user-group permissions.
  - The Sisense **Configuration** dashboard lists time bands as *restrictive* (e.g. closed or cleaning) or *financial* (e.g. peak and off-peak).
- **Resource calendars:** guidance differs on whether resource products should use the Standard 24-hour calendar (with the activity's calendar controlling times and booking-sheet exceptions handling closures) or, for operationally independent resources, their own calendars. Confirm which model your site uses before advising or changing it.
- An edit to a shared calendar affects **every** product listed against it. Always check the calendar's associated-products list before changing it.
- **Impact on 360 and Go Book:** slots outside the activity calendar don't show in 360 or on Go Book. Extra time bands added to a price product can also hide slots.
- **Impact on Go Join:** the Go Join **Times** tag (peak/off-peak) is display only; actual access times come from the Plus2 calendars and time bands.
- Related: [How to Create and Apply Time Bands in Plus2](how-to-create-and-apply-time-bands-in-plus2.md); [Closures, Exceptions and One-Off Sessions in Plus2](closures-exceptions-and-one-off-sessions-in-plus2.md); [Creating Resource Products in Plus2](creating-resource-products-in-plus2.md).