Articles on: Shipping

Shipping: Configure Availability

Configure when customers can schedule shipping orders. Set operating hours, time slots, date/time selection types, and order limits to match your business schedule.



Table of Contents




What Shipping Availability Configuration Does


Shipping Availability configuration controls when customers can schedule shipping orders.


What this feature does:

  • Sets operating hours and time slots for shipping
  • Defines how customers select dates/times (date only, specific time, time range, no date/time)
  • Limits maximum shipping orders per day or time slot
  • Enables/disables specific weekdays for shipping
  • Allows customization of shipping schedules by day of the week


What this feature does NOT do:

  • Does not set shipping preparation time (configured separately)
  • Does not block specific dates for shipping (configured separately)
  • Does not manage inventory (inventory is managed in Shopify)
  • Does not set shipping rates (configured in Shopify shipping settings)



Step-by-Step Configuration


Step 1: Access Availability Settings


  1. Go to Bird Settings > Shipping
  2. Scroll to Configure Availability section



Step 2: Configure Date and Time Selection Type


Choose how customers will select their shipping time. See Date and Time Selection Types section below for detailed explanations of each option.


  1. Select one of the following options:
  • Only Date: Date selection only (no time slots needed)
  • Date & Time: Specific time slots (requires adding time slots)
  • Date & Time Range: Time windows (requires adding time ranges)
  • No Date & Time: Disables calendar widget completely



Step 3: Choose Availability Schedule Type


Select how you want to configure your schedule:


Option A: Customize Availability by Day


  1. Select Customize Availability by Day
  2. Day-specific settings will appear (see Step 4A below)
  3. Best for stores with varying shipping hours (e.g., no shipping on Sundays, shorter Saturday hours)


Option B: Same Availability for All Days (Mon to Sun)


  1. Select Same Availability for All Days (Mon to Sun)
  2. Use identical schedule for every day of the week
  3. Best for stores with consistent shipping hours every day
  4. Configure time slots and limits globally (see Step 4B below)




Step 4A: Configure Day-Specific Settings (If "Customize Availability by Day" Selected)


If you selected "Customize Availability by Day", configure each day individually:


  1. Click on each day tab (Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat)
  2. For each day:
  • Enable/Disable: Checkmark the day to enable shipping (uncheck to disable)
  • Time Slots: If using "Date & Time" or "Date & Time Range", add time slots or time ranges for that specific day
  • Maximum Orders: Optionally set maximum orders for that day (e.g., "Max orders on Sunday")




Step 4B: Configure Global Settings (If "Same Availability for All Days" Selected)


If you selected "Same Availability for All Days", configure settings that apply to all days:


Add Time Slots (If Using Date & Time or Date & Time Range):


For Date & Time:

  1. Click Add Slot
  2. Select starting time (e.g., 10:00 AM)
  3. Optionally set Maximum Orders per time slot
  4. Click Save on the top of the window
  5. Repeat for each time slot you want to offer


For Date & Time Range:

  1. Click Add Slot
  2. Select starting time (e.g., 2:00 PM)
  3. Select ending time (e.g., 3:00 PM, then the range will be 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM)
  4. Optionally set Maximum Orders per time range
  5. Click Save on the top of the window
  6. Repeat for each time range you want to offer


Set Maximum Order Limits (Optional):

  • Maximum Orders per Day: Enter the maximum number of shipping orders allowed per day (leave blank for unlimited)
  • Maximum Orders per Time Slot: When adding time slots, optionally set maximum orders per slot (leave blank for unlimited)


Important: When limits are reached, the day or time slot becomes unavailable for selection. See Setting Maximum Order Limits section below for detailed explanations and examples.




Step 5: Save and Preview


  1. Review all your settings
  2. Click Save to apply changes
  3. Go to Bird Settings > Widget Design > (Widget Preview) to see how the shipping calendar appears to customers
  4. Test selecting different dates and times to verify your configuration




Date and Time Selection Types


Choose how customers will select their shipping time. Configure this in Step 2 above.


Only Date


Customers select a shipping date only (no specific time).


When to use:

  • Flexible shipping windows throughout the day
  • No need for specific dispatch times
  • Orders can be processed anytime during business hours
  • Standard shipping where specific times don't matter


Configuration:

  • No time slots needed
  • Checkmark the available days (if customizing by day)
  • Customers see calendar with available dates only


Example: "We ship Monday-Friday anytime between 9 AM - 5 PM. Select your preferred dispatch date."



Date & Time


Customers select a specific shipping date and time slot.


When to use:

  • Scheduled dispatch times
  • Need to control when orders are processed
  • Limited processing capacity per time slot
  • Want to spread out order processing throughout the day


Configuration:

  • Add specific time slots (e.g., 10:00 AM, 2:00 PM, 4:00 PM)
  • Optionally set maximum orders per time slot
  • Customers see calendar with dates and time slot dropdown


Example: Customer selects "Monday, January 20" and chooses "2:00 PM" from available time slots.



Date & Time Range


Customers select a shipping date and time window (e.g., 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM).


When to use:

  • Flexible shipping windows with time constraints
  • Need to spread out order processing
  • Want to offer time ranges instead of fixed slots
  • More realistic dispatch time expectations


Configuration:

  • Add time ranges with start and end times
  • Optionally set maximum orders per time range
  • Customers see calendar with dates and time range dropdown


Example: Customer selects "Monday, January 20" and chooses "2:00 PM - 3:00 PM" from available time ranges.



No Date & Time


Disables the calendar widget completely.


When to use:

  • Don't need date/time selection for shipping
  • Using shipping for other purposes (e.g., method selection only)
  • Advanced use cases


Configuration:

  • No calendar appears
  • No date/time selection available
  • Use only if you don't need date/time functionality



Setting Maximum Order Limits


Control your shipping capacity by setting daily or time slot limits.

  • If using "Customize Availability by Day": Configure maximum orders per weekday per time slot in Step 4A above (per-day settings)
  • If using "Same Availability for All Days": Configure maximum orders per day together and per time slot in Step 4B above (global settings)



Maximum Orders per Day


Limit total shipping orders allowed per day:


  1. Enter the maximum number in Max Orders per Day field
  2. When limit is reached, day becomes unavailable for selection
  3. Leave blank for unlimited daily orders


Example: Set to 30 orders per day. Once 30 shipping orders are scheduled for Monday, all Monday time slots become unavailable.


Use cases:

  • Limited processing capacity
  • Staff availability constraints
  • Want to control total daily shipping volume



Maximum Orders per Time Slot


Limit shipping orders allowed per specific time slot:


  1. When adding time slots, find Maximum Orders field
  2. Enter the maximum number for that specific time slot
  3. When limit is reached, that time slot becomes hidden
  4. Leave blank for unlimited orders per slot


Example: Set "2:00 PM" slot to 10 orders maximum. Once 10 orders are scheduled for 2:00 PM on a specific date, that time slot becomes hidden for that date.


Use cases:

  • Limit orders per time window
  • Spread orders throughout the day
  • Control processing workload per time slot



How Limits Work Together


Both limits are enforced:


  • Daily limit reached: All time slots for that day become unavailable
  • Time slot limit reached: Only that specific time slot becomes hidden (other slots on that day remain available)


Example:

  • Daily limit: 30 orders
  • 2:00 PM slot limit: 10 orders
  • If 10 orders are scheduled for 2:00 PM, that slot becomes hidden, but other slots remain available until daily limit is reached.



Quick Reference


Availability Schedule Types:

  • Same Availability for All Days: Identical schedule every day
  • Customize Availability by Day: Different schedule per day


Date/Time Selection Types:

  • Only Date: Date selection only
  • Date & Time: Specific time slots
  • Date & Time Range: Time windows
  • No Date & Time: Disable calendar


Order Limits:

  • Per Day: Total orders allowed per day
  • Per Time Slot: Orders allowed per specific time slot


Navigation: Bird Settings > Shipping > Configure Availability

Updated on: 01/18/2026

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