**Yes, you can configure break and vacation times for each professional directly in the Papo Services module (https://papo.global/).** Simply access the professional's availability management, define their working hours, and add specific blocks for intervals, lunch, or extended absence periods such as vacation. Papo's Artificial Intelligence automatically respects these blocks when suggesting times on WhatsApp.

| Step | Action in the Services module | Result in the calendar |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **Define base working hours** | Configure the working days and times for each professional. | Creates the default availability the system will use for bookings. |
| **Add break blocks** | Insert fixed intervals (e.g., lunch from 12 PM to 1 PM) in the professional's calendar. | The system does not offer these times for new bookings. |
| **Register vacation** | Create a long-duration block (e.g., 10 to 20 days) for the vacation period. | The calendar becomes unavailable throughout the entire period, preventing bookings. |
| **Check with AI** | Papo's AI checks the calendar before suggesting times on WhatsApp. | Clients only see times that are truly free, respecting breaks and vacation. |

## How break and vacation management works

The Services module centralizes services, professionals, calendar, and clients. Each registered professional has their own availability, which can be adjusted to reflect their actual working hours. In addition to service hours, you can create blocks — periods when the professional is not available for new bookings. These blocks can be recurring (such as a daily lunch break) or one-off (such as a holiday or vacation).

When a client requests a booking via WhatsApp, Papo's AI checks the configured calendar and automatically ignores blocked times. This means that if a professional is on vacation or on their lunch break, those periods simply won't appear as options for the client. The same applies to manual bookings made by the team in the panel: the platform prevents scheduling on top of blocks.

## Step-by-step setup

1. **Access the Services module and locate the professional.**  
   Inside the module, go to the professionals list and select the one whose availability you want to adjust.

2. **Define the standard working hours.**  
   Enter the days of the week and the times when the professional provides service (e.g., Monday to Friday, from 8 AM to 6 PM). This will be the base on which blocks are applied.

3. **Add blocks for recurring breaks.**  
   Create a fixed block, such as a lunch interval (e.g., 12 PM to 1 PM), and check the option to repeat it on the desired days. The system will then consider this period unavailable.

4. **Register vacation or extended absences.**  
   For vacation, create a block with a start date and an end date. You can select the entire day or just a time range if the absence is partial. This block will prevent any bookings during the period.

5. **Save your changes.**  
   After saving, the professional's calendar is updated immediately. Papo's AI and human agents will already see the free times respecting the new blocks.

## Who it's for

Configuring breaks and vacation is essential for any business that uses the Services module with multiple professionals, such as clinics and medical offices, beauty salons, law or accounting firms, pet shops, and repair services. If your operation depends on an organized calendar and you want to prevent clients from booking times during the team's lunch break or a specialist's vacation, this feature keeps bookings accurate without requiring constant manual checking.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can I configure different lunch times for each professional?
Yes. Availability is managed individually. Each professional can have their own break blocks, with specific times and days.

### Does Papo's AI automatically respect breaks and vacation?
Yes. The AI checks the updated calendar before suggesting times on WhatsApp, ignoring any blocked period, whether a lunch break or vacation.

### How do I block a holiday?
Create a one-off block on the holiday date, setting the entire day as unavailable. The system will not offer that day for new bookings.

### Is it possible to set partial vacation, such as only a few hours of the day?
Yes. When creating the block, you can select a time range (e.g., from 8 AM to 12 PM) instead of the entire day, allowing the professional to provide service during the rest of the day, if desired.

### Do blocks affect already confirmed bookings?
No. Blocks only prevent new bookings. Bookings already in the calendar remain unchanged.

### Do I need to connect Google Calendar to use blocks?
It's not mandatory. Blocks work directly in the Services module. However, connecting Google Calendar allows you to sync external events and ensure that personal commitments are also considered as unavailable.

## Read also

- [How to use Papo for dental clinics to manage appointments and reminders](/hc/papo/articles/papo-dental-clinics-appointments-reminders)
- [How to use Papo for psychology and mental health practices](/hc/papo/articles/how-to-use-papo-for-psychology-and-mental-health-practices)

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Organize professionals' breaks and vacation without conflicts and let the AI schedule on autopilot.