Release tables for online booking later (table release rules)

Table release rules hold some tables back from online booking until a moment you choose, for example "the bar tables go online on the day itself at 12:00". Until then, only your team can book those tables.

Where to find it

• Set the rules: Backoffice › Planning › Booking Rules › Online table release rules.
• See and override them per day: Backoffice › Planning › Service Calendar › click a date › Table release rules (online).

What it does

Each rule group has a Group name, the Tables and/or Table types it covers, and a Rule type:

• Same-day at time: the tables go online on the day of the reservation at the Local time you set.
• Days before at time: they go online a number of Days before the reservation date, at the Local time.
• Fixed date/time: they go online from a Local date/time onwards.
• Always: available online immediately.

Times use your location's time zone. Without any rule, every online-bookable table is available immediately.

In the Service Calendar, the panel shows each group's status for that date (Released, Not yet, Manually released) and the release moment ("Releases for this day: …"). Click Release now to put a single table online early for that date.

How to keep the window tables for walk-ins until noon

1. Go to Planning › Booking Rules › Online table release rules and click Add rule.
2. Enter a Group name, for example "Window".
3. Under Tables, select the window tables, then Done.
4. Choose Same-day at time and set Local time to 12:00.
5. Click Save in the "Unsaved booking rules" bar.

Good to know

• If a table is in several groups, the latest release time applies.
• Selecting a table type covers all its tables, including ones you add later.
• Staff and phone bookings are not limited by these rules.
• 10Seat refreshes widget availability every 15 minutes for releases that just happened; a released table can take a short moment to appear online.
• Check release (next to the rules) runs a diagnostic and Release now refreshes the online availability for dates that should already be released.

Troubleshooting

"A table can only have one release rule" The same table is selected in two groups. Remove it from one group.

"Each rule needs at least one table or table type" / "Each rule group needs a name" Select tables or types and give the group a name.

"Same-day rules require a local time", "Days-before rules require days before (0+)", "Days-before rules require a local time", "Fixed date/time rules require a local date/time" Fill in the missing field for that rule type.

"Overlapping table types detected between rule groups." The same table type is used in two groups. Keep each type in one group.

Guests can't book although the room is empty All tables that fit the party may still be waiting for their release. Check the date in the Service Calendar, or use Release now.

"Legacy per-table rules are still stored." Older rules exist from a previous setup. Save the booking rules on this page once to switch to groups only.