---
title: Setting booking rules
url: https://help.nfceez.de/en/bookings/setting-booking-rules/
language: en
topic: Bookings
updated: 2026-10-18
description: Decide whether you confirm requests yourself, how short-notice and how far ahead guests can book, and which buffers apply.
---

# Setting booking rules

The booking rules decide how your guests book. Each location has its own rules, so choose the right location at the top first.

## Open the rules
Open [[Guests › Bookings › Set up]]. At the top you see your rules at a glance, for example "You confirm" or "Confirmed instantly".

## Confirmation
- **Confirm requests yourself** switched on: you review every request, see [Confirming or declining requests](anfragen-bestaetigen-oder-ablehnen).
- Switched off: bookings are confirmed instantly.
- **Time to confirm**: how long you have to answer, from 15 minutes to 1 day. After that the request expires and the guest gets an email.

## Booking window
- **Earliest booking**: how short-notice guests can book, from **Immediately** to 2 days before.
- **Bookable in advance**: how far ahead, from 7 to 365 days.

## Buffer
**Before the booking** and **After the booking**: this time stays free before and after every booking, from **No buffer** to 60 minutes. Useful for clearing up or getting ready.

## Branch time
Under **Time zone** you choose the location's time zone (Berlin, Vienna, Zurich or London). All times follow it, including clock changes.

## Save
As soon as you change something, **Save settings** appears at the bottom. Tap it. If you see "Not saved", your entries are kept. Check your connection and try again.

## Good to know
- When guests can book at all is set under **Booking hours**, see [Setting up online bookings](buchungen-einrichten). If you change the hours, existing bookings stay.
- In food & hospitality, a reservation holds the table for 120 minutes by default. This can't be changed in the app.

## Common questions
**Why can't a guest book for tonight any more?** Check **Earliest booking**. If it says 2 days, for example, short-notice bookings aren't possible.