# Resources

Resources are the rooms, equipment or people that can be booked alongside an appointment — for example a consulting room, a piece of equipment, or an interpreter. Booking a resource with an appointment stops another user booking that same resource for the same time.

## Why this matters

Booking a resource with an appointment prevents another user booking the same room, equipment or person for the same time. Restricting who can book a resource, and when, keeps specialist rooms and equipment reserved for the staff and times they're needed.

## Before you start

Managing resources requires one of the **Account Owner**, **Account Administrator** or **Change Settings** privileges.

## The elements of a resource

| Field | Purpose |
|-------|---------|
| Resource Name | The name shown wherever the resource is selected, such as when booking an appointment. |
| Physical Location | Optionally, the [location](/docs/setting-up/locations/) the resource belongs to. |
| Public Field | A description shown to clients on Self-Check-In screens and [DiaryPage](/docs/reminders/diarypage/) pages — for example *Room 301 on third floor*. |
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## Managing resources

Go to the **Settings** area and select **Resources**. The screen shows a list of your resources, showing each resource's name and location.

### Adding or editing a resource

Click **Add Resource** in the toolbar to create one, or click an existing row to edit it.

> [!info]
> A resource with no Physical Location assigned is always available for selection, regardless of which location is chosen on the appointment.

### User access

Every resource has a **User Access** setting:

* **Allow All Users** — any user can book the resource
* **Allow Selected Users Only** — a list of users is shown; highlight the users allowed to book the resource

> [!info]
> Booking a resource as a user who isn't on that list is a conflict that can't be overridden — see [Resource Permission](/docs/appointments/time-conflicts/#resource-permission) in Time conflicts.

### Work hours

Every resource has a **Work Hours** setting:

* **Always Available** — the resource can be booked at any time
* **Available at selected times only** — a toolbar with **Add Available Time** and **Delete** buttons appears above a grid of checkbox, **From**, **To** and **Days** columns

Click **Add Available Time**, or an existing row in the grid, to open the **Work Hour Entry** form — a **Times** section (earliest time, latest time) and a **Days** section (days of the week).

> [!info]
> Booking a resource outside its available times is a conflict that can't be overridden — see [Resource Work Hours](/docs/appointments/time-conflicts/#resource-work-hours) in Time conflicts.

### Deleting a resource

Tick one or more resources in the list, then click **Delete**.

## What to watch for

### A resource with no location shows up everywhere

A resource with no Physical Location assigned is always available for selection, regardless of which location is chosen on the appointment. Assign it a location if it should only appear for one site.

### Booking outside User Access or Work Hours

Both the User Access and Work Hours restrictions on a resource create a conflict that **can't be overridden** — unlike most time conflicts, there's no way to double-book past them. See [Time conflicts](/docs/appointments/time-conflicts/) for the full picture of what can and can't be overridden.

## Related

- [Locations](/docs/setting-up/locations/)
- [Appointment elements](/docs/appointments/appointment-elements/#resources)
- [Time conflicts](/docs/appointments/time-conflicts/)

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Source: https://diarybook.com/docs/setting-up/appointment-resources/
