Limiting bookings and covers per time slot

Use slot limits to control how many online bookings or covers the restaurant accepts at the same time.

Slot limits can protect the kitchen and front-of-house team from receiving too many arrivals together, even when tables are technically still available.

Opening the slot-limit settings

Open Settings → Booking rules → Slot limits.

The page displays the limits that are currently configured.

Creating a slot limit

Select Add another limit.

A limit can be configured using:

• Service
• Weekday
• Specific date
• Slot time
• Maximum bookings
• Maximum covers
• Internal note
• Active status

Choosing where the limit applies

Use the available fields to decide how widely or specifically the rule applies.

• Leave Service as Any to apply the rule to every service.
• Select a service to apply it only to that service.
• Leave Weekday as Any to apply it on every day of the week.
• Select a weekday to create a repeating weekly limit.
• Choose a Specific date to create a limit for one particular date.
• Choose a Slot time to restrict one particular booking time.

Fields that are not required can be left blank or set to Any.

Maximum bookings

Max bookings controls the number of separate online reservations accepted for the matching time slot.

For example, a maximum of 4 bookings closes the slot to further online reservations when four bookings have been received, regardless of the number of guests across those bookings.

Maximum covers

Max covers controls the total number of guests accepted online for the matching time slot.

For example, a maximum of 16 covers closes the slot when its online bookings contain 16 guests in total.

Using both limits together

The restaurant can configure:

• Maximum bookings only
• Maximum covers only
• Both limits together

If both are configured, the time slot closes to further online bookings as soon as either limit is reached.

For example, with a maximum of 4 bookings and 16 covers:

• Two bookings of 8 guests reach the 16-cover limit, so the slot closes.
• Four bookings of 2 guests reach the four-booking limit, so the slot closes even though only 8 covers have been booked.

This allows the restaurant to protect itself from both large numbers of guests and too many separate arrivals.

Which rule is used

If more than one rule could apply, Table Harmony uses the most specific matching rule.

The order of specificity is:

1. Exact time slot
2. Specific date
3. Weekday
4. Service

This allows the restaurant to create a general limit and then replace it with a more specific limit for a particular day, date or time.

For example, a restaurant could use a general limit of 20 covers per slot but reduce Friday at 20:00 to 14 covers.

The most specific matching rule takes precedence. The limits are not added together.

Adding a note

Use the optional Note field to record why the limit was created.

The note is for the restaurant’s internal reference and is not shown to guests.

Activating and saving the limit

Keep Active switched on for the rule to apply.

Select Save after configuring the limit.

An inactive rule remains saved but does not restrict online availability.

What guests see

When either limit has been reached, the time slot is closed to further online bookings.

Guests are not shown the restaurant’s internal maximum-booking or maximum-cover figures. They simply will not be able to select a slot that is no longer available.

Other times remain available when they satisfy the restaurant’s opening hours, table availability and other booking rules.

Staff bookings and overrides

Slot limits restrict online bookings only.

If staff add a booking that would exceed a configured limit, Table Harmony displays a warning. Staff can review the warning and choose to continue with the booking.

This allows the restaurant to make an informed exception when it knows the additional booking can be accommodated.

Existing bookings

Changing a limit does not cancel, move or alter existing bookings.

If a limit is reduced below the number of bookings or covers already accepted, those bookings remain unchanged. The affected slot stops accepting further online bookings.

Editing or deleting a limit

Select Edit beside a rule to change its settings.

Select Delete when the rule is no longer required.

If the restriction may be needed again later, switch Active off instead of deleting it.