--- title: Session types and studio defaults description: Configure photography session types, timing modes, booking rules, reminders, deposits, and forms. url: "https://shootcal.com/docs/session-types-and-studio-defaults/" updated: "2026-11-13" category: The ShootCal app / Start here --- # Session types and studio defaults # Session types and studio defaults Session types are reusable recipes for the work you photograph: Family, Engagement, Wedding, Studio Portraits, Real Estate, and anything else. They keep event creation and public booking consistent across devices. ## Where to edit them Open **Booking setup** in the web app to add, edit, delete, or reorder session types. In the Apple and Android apps, you can view your saved types and choose a type when creating or editing an appointment. Use **Edit session types on the web** to open the web editor and its walkthrough. Return to the app afterward to refresh your list. Your types are saved with your ShootCal account. ## Change booking hours without duplicating a session type If you already have a session type such as Family Portraits, open **Booking setup**, find its existing card, and choose **Edit**. Keep that type rather than adding another one. Check **Timing**. For a type already using **Studio hours**, change **Opens** and **Closes** to set its booking hours. Review **Session length** and **Turnover between sessions** only if those also need changing. Keep the existing timing mode when it still fits your work: **Fixed time** uses **Start time**, **Sunset** and **Sunrise** follow the sun, and **All day** does not offer timed slots. You do not need to switch to Studio hours just to edit a type. If you mean which weekdays clients can book, open **Advanced booking rules** and review **Limit bookable days** and **Bookable days**. **Min. notice** controls how soon clients can book; **How far ahead** controls the booking window. These are separate from opening and closing times. Choose **Save session type** to update the existing type. Leave unrelated settings unchanged. Opening Help or the editor does not save changes for you. ## Timing modes - **Sunset:** the prime session ends at sunset and additional slots cascade earlier. - **Sunrise:** the prime session begins at sunrise and additional slots cascade later. - **Studio hours:** sessions tile between your open and close times with a turnover gap. - **Fixed time:** one session at the clock time you choose. - **All day:** for weddings or work that should not offer timed public slots. ## Per-type booking rules Each type can be hidden from public booking, accept requests, or instant-book. Set duration, break or turnover time, price text, maximum sessions per day, lead time, booking horizon, and bookable weekdays. Choose the **Primary Business Calendar** for new online bookings in the booking settings on the same page. Public submission rechecks availability and capacity before accepting a slot. ## Your first session type The quickest way is **Help** (**?** at the top of the screen) **> Set up with AI**: it asks what you shoot, how long your sessions run and whether you work around sunset or at set hours, then proposes your session types and booking hours as cards you approve, edit or skip. The step-by-step version is [Set up your booking calendar](/docs/app/online-booking-and-availability#set-up-your-booking-calendar-step-by-step). A new account starts with no session types. On the web, the first time you open **New Event**, ShootCal offers a short walkthrough that creates your first type in five steps (name and timing, calendar defaults, booking page, booking rules, review) and then returns you to the event with that type selected. Choose **Add personal event** instead if you only want a plain calendar entry; that choice is remembered on that device. On the web, **Booking setup** shows a faded example of booking cards while your session list is empty. Your saved logo appears above it, or **Add logo** opens logo settings. Use **Add with walkthrough** or **Add manually** beside **Your sessions** to set up your calendar defaults. Clicking the example cards is another shortcut to guided setup. You can choose whether to offer each type for online booking. The example creates no records and does not change what your booking page offers. Once you save a session type, your real session cards replace it. ## Session cards and booking preview Each saved session type has a photo above its details. Choose **Edit** to manage all settings and its **Thumbnail photo**, or **Edit photo** on the image for a shortcut. **Online booking** controls whether clients can choose that type. The booking page must also be active and set to **Session types and consultation** before clients can book it. A new account starts with an active **Consultation only** page, so you can accept inquiries while preparing your session offerings. On the web, drag the grip to reorder the cards; the whole card follows while dragging. The visible move buttons offer another way to change the order. **Your booking page** shows the saved public page when active; an unpublished page shows a preview of the sessions offered for booking. In the web event editor, a session type's default location fills a new event until you enter or clear the location yourself. Changing session types preserves that custom location. Existing events keep their saved location. ## Email, deposit, and forms - Review the client invitation setting for one-off appointments on a connected, writable Google or Microsoft calendar. Ordinary business confirmations and add-to-calendar attachments remain available without a calendar connection. - Set a confirmation or reply message and whether client reminder email is enabled. - Attach a questionnaire created on the web. It can be sent manually, or go out automatically once the booking's linked ShootCal invoice reaches its deposit amount through confirmed payments; marking a deposit by hand only records status and sends nothing. - Client galleries are created separately, only when you ask for one: in Galleries, where you select the client. See [Getting started with Galleries](/docs/galleries/getting-started). ## Session status The web session-type editor no longer includes follow-up task templates. New web appointments use the session settings without creating a task plan. Existing saved tasks and retained recovery attempts are preserved. Use [Projects](/docs/app/projects) on the web to review the status of each session, its linked invoice and final gallery. ## Client page information and tips Use **Client page setup** on a session-type card to open **Clients > Client page setup** with that type selected. Choose **All sessions** to set shared public information and preparation tips, or customize the selected type. Select a type and edit directly to save different content for it. Types without custom content follow later changes to **All sessions**. Choose **Use All sessions** to return a customized type to shared content. Choose **Save setup** when ready. These public blocks appear on automatic client pages and stay separate from private preparation notes. Existing customized client pages keep their published content. ## Studio defaults Open the **Studio defaults** card below your session cards. Studio defaults supply values a type leaves unset, including reply text, reminder timing, and common booking limits. A type’s explicit value wins. Review inherited values whenever you change the studio default because that change intentionally affects every type still inheriting it. For the exact slot calculation, read [Golden-hour and sunset scheduling](/docs/app/golden-hour-sunset-scheduling). For the public workflow, see [Online booking and availability](/docs/app/online-booking-and-availability). --- ### Discover more from ShootCal Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.