# Location Blackout Periods

#### What is a Blackout Period?

Unlike your standard Operating Hours (which define your regular weekly schedule), a Blackout Period is a temporary exception that overrides your availability.

When a blackout period is active:

* Customers cannot select dates within this period on your public booking page.
* You avoid the risk of customers booking a vehicle when no one is at the location to hand over keys or process returns.

{% hint style="success" %}
Note: Blackout periods are set on a per-location basis. This gives you the flexibility to keep some branches open while closing others during the same holiday period.
{% endhint %}

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#### How to Add a Blackout Period

Follow these steps to configure a blackout period for a specific branch:

1. Navigate to Settings in the main menu.
2. Select Locations.
3. Click on the specific Location/Branch you wish to manage.
4. Scroll to the very bottom of the page to find the Location Blackout Periods section.
5. Click Add Blackout Period.
6. Enter the details for the closure:
   * Name: Give the period a reference name (e.g., "Christmas Closure 2025").
   * Start Date: The first day the location is closed.
   * End Date: The last day the location is closed.
7. Click Save.

Your location is now set as "temporarily closed" for the selected dates.

***

#### Important: How Blackout Periods Affect the System

It is vital to understand the scope of this feature to ensure it aligns with your operational needs.

**1. Customer-Facing Only**

The primary function of this tool is to update the date picker on your customer-facing booking page. Customers will visually see these dates as unavailable and cannot select them for pickup or return.

**2. Operator Overrides**

This feature does not prevent you or your staff from creating bookings internally. As an operator within Loopit, you retain the ability to manually set pickup and return dates during a blackout period if necessary.

**3. Reporting and Utilization**

Blackout periods do not impact vehicle availability data in your reports.

* Your utilization reports will not be artificially lowered.
* The system treats the vehicles as technically "available" for reporting purposes, even though the location is closed for customer transactions.


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