> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.owlery.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Block a Dock Slot

> Reserve one dock for a specific time range so no one can book it, without attaching an order.

**Where to find it:** `Dock Scheduling → Add Appointment → Block slot`

Blocking a slot reserves one specific dock for one time range — a placeholder with no order, load, or customer attached. Use it for a maintenance window, a trailer that's sitting in the door, or any time you need to hold a door open for something that isn't a booked appointment.

<Note>
  The **Block slot** switch only appears when the facility you selected is one your organization operates.
</Note>

## Create a Block

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Add Appointment">
    Start a new appointment as you normally would, and select the facility you operate.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Turn on Block slot">
    The order field is replaced by an alert explaining that you're reserving a dock and time without an order. The slot stays reserved until you unblock it or convert it into a real appointment.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fill in the required details">
    A block needs all of the following:

    * **Facility**
    * **Pickup or dropoff**
    * **Live or drop**
    * **A specific dock**, active and able to handle that stop type
    * **Start and end time**

    The dock is required here even though it's optional on a normal booking, because the block reserves that physical door.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    The block appears on the calendar immediately and the slot stops being bookable.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Saving is rejected if the dock is already occupied during that window, or if the block would push the facility past its [concurrent appointment capacity](/facilities/dock-appointment-settings#concurrent-appointment-capacity). Blocks count against that cap like any other appointment.
</Warning>

<Note>
  Blocks don't send booking confirmation emails, and they skip the reschedule bypasses that apply to owner-created appointments.
</Note>

## Unblock a Slot

On the calendar, a block appears as a clickable **Dock 3 — Blocked** event with the subtitle **Reserved**.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Click the blocked event">
    The **Blocked Slot** dialog opens, showing the facility, dock, appointment type, and date and time.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Unblock Slot">
    The placeholder is deleted and the dock and time become bookable again right away. There's no undo — create a new block if you unblocked by mistake.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Turn a Block Into a Real Appointment

If the block was a placeholder for a load you've now confirmed, you can update it in place into a real appointment rather than unblocking and rebooking.

<Note>
  You can't apply **Blocked** through the normal appointment status flow — it's rejected, with a prompt to use **Block slot** on the Add Appointment screen instead.
</Note>

## What Bookers See

Owners see blocks as clickable **Dock N — Blocked** events. Carriers and other bookers don't see the block at all — they only see reduced availability for that dock and time, with no reason given. If a carrier needs to know why a door is held, tell them directly.

## Who Can Do This

Only the facility's owning organization can block and unblock slots. Owlery admins can place a block on an owner's behalf.

<Note>
  **Show Same Order Appointment Action** under `Shipper Settings → Quoting → Dock Scheduling` is unrelated to blocking, even though it sits under a similar heading.
</Note>

## Related Settings

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Holiday & Closure Dates" icon="calendar-xmark" href="/facilities/holiday-and-closure-dates">
    Change hours for a whole date across the facility instead of holding one door.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Dock Appointment Settings" icon="gear" href="/facilities/dock-appointment-settings">
    Operating hours, appointment length, and the capacity cap that blocks are checked against.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>