Equipment

Equipment Groups - Allocation and Same Equipment Item Rules

Emily Zhang

By Emily Zhang

August 9, 2026 · Updated October 5, 2026 · 3 min read

Use an equipment group when a class can use any one of several items. The group decides who chooses the equipment, the allocation order, and whether everyone in one booking must use the same equipment item.

#equipment groups#allocation#same equipment item

Build a Group

  1. Create the equipment items and set each one's Linking Mode (in Settings) to Via group — previously called Part of Group.
  2. Open Equipment → Groups and select New.
  3. Choose the member items and drag them into order — this order is the allocation priority for the sequential modes.
  4. Set Allocation, the allocation mode, Same Equipment Item and Optional/Required (below).
  5. Save, then link the group to its classes or appointment services.

A group and its location-specific members must have compatible locations.

Automatic and Customer Choice

OptionWhat it doesUse it when
AutomaticOB assigns an available unit during booking; the customer never picks.Any unit will do.
Customer ChoiceThe customer picks a unit from the group where the booking flow supports it. Nothing is auto-assigned, but the group's available capacity still decides whether the booking fits.Customers care which unit they get.
OptionWhat it does
RequiredBookings for the linked classes must include equipment from this group.
OptionalWith Customer Choice, customers may add equipment from this group; it never blocks the main booking.

A Customer Choice group ignores the allocation mode and Same Equipment Item, so the Groups list leaves those cells blank.

Allocation Modes and Same Equipment Item

Keep Groups Together is now Same Equipment Item, and the Optimized mode is now Sequential (preferred). Only the labels changed; saved settings behave the same.

Allocation mode

OptionWhat it doesUse it when
SequentialFills available units in group order, taking Same Equipment Item into account.You want a predictable fill order.
BalancedSpreads one booking's units across different items unless Same Equipment Item is Required. Does not balance across past bookings.One booking's attendees should be spread over items.
Sequential (preferred)Sequential, preferring one equipment item; fixes Same Equipment Item to Preferred. No later automatic reassignment.Parties should usually stay together but never be rejected for it.

Same Equipment Item

OptionWhat it doesUse it when
RequiredAll attendees in one booking use the same equipment item, across several of its units if needed. If no single item fits everyone, the booking is rejected.Splitting a party across items would spoil the session.
PreferredDifferent items are allowed. The sequential modes first try to keep everyone on one item; Balanced spreads them.Staying together is nice to have, not essential.

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