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# How Table Reservation Hours and Booking Lead Time Work Together

# How Table Reservation Hours and Booking Lead Time Work Together

## Overview

Table reservation hours determine when your restaurant accepts reservations, while booking lead time determines how close to a reservation time customers can make a booking.

Understanding how these settings work together helps you configure realistic reservation availability on your storefront.

## Where to Find It

* **Reservation hours:** Settings → Table Reservation → Book a table Hours


![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/e/c/2/fec2bb2c3e13f800/screenshot-2026-10-11-at-95426_bpwow7.png =900x700)

* **Booking lead time:** Settings → Table Reservation → General


![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/e/c/2/fec2bb2c3e13f800/screenshot-2026-10-11-at-95340_rp8pyf.png =900x700)

## 1. Configure Reservation Hours

1. Open **Book a table Hours**.
2. Enable **Set different operating hours for Book a table service** if you want separate reservation hours.
3. Enable the **Open** toggle for each day when reservations are accepted.
4. Set the opening and closing times.
5. Use **+ Add slot** if reservations are accepted during multiple periods on the same day.
6. Click **Save Hours**.

## 2. Configure Booking Lead Time

1. Open **Settings → Table Reservation → General**.
2. Find **Booking Lead Time (mins)**.
3. Enter the minimum number of minutes required before a reservation can be made.
4. Click **Save changes**.

For example, a lead time of 60 minutes means customers must book at least one hour before their selected reservation time.

## 3. How the Settings Work Together

* **Reservation hours** define the operating periods available for bookings.
* **Booking lead time** limits how close to the selected time a reservation can be made.
* **Time Interval (mins)** controls the spacing between available reservation slots.
* **Maximum Days Ahead** controls how far into the future customers can reserve.

The storefront's available booking times depend on these settings working together.

## Example

Suppose your restaurant accepts reservations from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM and from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM.

You configure:

* Booking lead time: 60 minutes
* Time interval: 30 minutes

A customer attempting to book at 11:30 AM may not be able to select a 12:00 PM reservation because it is less than 60 minutes away. The next available slot will depend on the configured interval and other booking rules.

## Important Notes

* Booking lead time does not change your restaurant's opening or closing times.
* Reservation hours do not override the minimum booking lead time.
* Multiple reservation periods should be configured separately when your restaurant closes between services.
* Review the storefront after saving to verify that available reservation slots match your intended schedule.

## Final Checklist

* Reservation hours are correct for each day.
* Multiple operating periods are configured where needed.
* Booking lead time reflects your reservation policy.
* Time intervals are configured appropriately.
* You clicked **Save Hours** and **Save changes** in the relevant sections.