Libro is designed to manage your availability automatically: time slots open when you have space and close once you reach capacity. The Time Slot Locking feature gives you the power to override this automation, allowing you to "freeze" a slot's status to fit your specific workflow for the night.
This guide explains how to use the padlock system to maintain total control over your dining room flow.
Key Benefits of Locking Time Slots
Manual Override: Stop the system from automatically re-opening a slot after a cancellation.
Workflow Flexibility: Tailor your availability for special events or specific shifts without changing your global settings.
Operational Control: Manually close slots to manage kitchen pacing or floor staff workload.
Visual Management: Identify service status at a glance with intuitive color coding.
🔓 Open Padlock
The time slot is dynamic. It opens or closes automatically based on your real-time availability.
Example: If a time slot reaches its limit, it closes. If a guest cancels, the system instantly re-opens that slot to ensure you stay at maximum capacity.
đź”’ Closed Padlock
The time slot is static. It ignores capacity changes and stays exactly as you set it.
Example: If you lock a red (closed) time slot, it will remain closed—even if a reservation is canceled and space becomes available. This is ideal if you have a different workflow for a specific night and don't want the system to fill that gap automatically.
Note: When you manually close a slot or use the "ALL" button to close a day, the system automatically locks the padlocks to ensure your manual intervention is respected.
How to Lock or Unlock a Slot
Open your dashboard in List View or Floor Plan View.
Look for the icon next to the specific time slot.
-
Toggle the Status:
Click an Open Padlock to lock it (freezing its current state).
Click a Closed Padlock to unlock it (returning the slot to automatic mode).
-
Monitor the Status Colors:
White: Automatic (follows your capacity rules).
Yellow: Manually forced OPEN (stays open even if standard limits are met).
Red: Manually forced CLOSED (stays closed even if space frees up).
Best Practices
Custom Nightly Workflows: If you are expecting a large walk-in group, lock your peak slots to Red so no online bookings can take those spots, even if other tables cancel.
In-House Reservations: If you want to hold a specific time window for phone-in bookings only, lock that slot to Red to stop the online system from assigning it.
Managing Staffing Changes: If you are running with a smaller team than usual, use the manual locks to "cap" certain times, ensuring your staff isn't overwhelmed by automated re-openings after cancellations.