Creating Events
Scheduling events is one of the most common tasks you will do in Conductly. Whether you are booking a private lesson, setting up a weekly group class, running a program, or adding a staff meeting to the calendar, the process is straightforward.
Two Ways to Create an Event
1. Using the Schedule Button
Click the Schedule button in the top-right corner of the calendar page. A dropdown appears with four options:
- Lesson -- Create a private, one-on-one lesson
- Class -- Create a group class
- Recital -- Create a performance with a printed program
- Event -- Create a general event
Select the type of event you want, and the full event form will open.
:::tip Scheduling a program? Program isn't in this dropdown. Select Lesson or Class to open the form, then click the Program chip at the top -- see Selecting an Event Type below. :::
2. Clicking a Time Slot
In Day or Week view, click directly on an empty time slot to start creating an event at that specific date and time. Conductly places a draft card on the calendar at that slot and opens the event form with the date and time pre-filled.
While the form is open, you can adjust the draft card directly on the calendar instead of using the date and time fields -- drag the card to move it to a different time, or drag its bottom edge to resize it and change the end time. The form's date and time fields update to match as you drag.
Clicking a time slot is the fastest way to create an event because the date and time are already set for you -- the event starts out at your school's default event duration (30 minutes unless changed under Settings → Calendar), and you can drag or resize the draft card on the calendar, or adjust the date and time fields, to change it. Just fill in the remaining details and save.
The Event Form
When you create or edit an event, the event form opens in a modal window. The fields you see depend on the type of event you are creating.
Selecting an Event Type
At the top of the form, you can choose or switch between event types:
- Lesson -- A private, one-on-one lesson with a student
- Class -- A group class with multiple students
- Program -- A recurring group offering, such as a camp or workshop
- Recital -- A performance with a printed, shareable program -- see Recitals
- Event -- A general event (staff meetings, open houses, etc.)
:::info Time off chip A sixth chip, Time off, appears after Event -- but only when your school has turned on Instructor Time Off and you either teach at the school or can approve requests. It opens a different form for requesting time away, not a calendar event. :::
:::info Instructors have a narrower Schedule The Schedule button and clicking an empty slot only work for an instructor when their school has turned on Schedule lessons (Settings > Team > Instructor permissions). Even then, they only see Lesson -- no Class, Program, or Event -- and only for students already enrolled with them in a lesson they teach. See Instructor Permissions. :::
:::tip Not enough room for every chip? If the window is narrow, or your school has several event types turned on, there may not be room to show every type as its own chip. The types that don't fit collapse into a More menu at the end of the row -- picking one from More still shows it as your selection at the top of the form. :::
Creating a Class, Program, Recital, or Event is Owner/Admin only. An instructor granted Schedule lessons (see Instructor Permissions) only sees the Lesson chip.
Common Fields (All Event Types)
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | A title for the event (e.g., "Piano Lesson", "Group Guitar", "Staff Meeting") |
| Date & Time | The start date, start time, and end time for the event (30 minutes by default -- your school can change this under Settings → Calendar) |
| Location | The location and/or room where the event takes place ("Add location", availability-aware) |
| Students | The student(s) attending ("Add students") |
| Recurrence | Whether this event repeats (see Recurring Events) |
If you pick a room set to The student's home (see Where Lessons Take Place), a note appears under the location field once a student is added, saying the lesson's address will come from that student's home.
Private Lesson Fields
When creating a private lesson, you will also see:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Lesson | The lesson (course session) this event belongs to, chosen with the "Add lesson" picker |
There is no instructor picker for private lessons -- the instructor comes from the lesson you choose. Each private lesson session already belongs to a specific instructor, so selecting the lesson determines who teaches it.
Linking a lesson to a session connects it to your billing workflow. When the lesson is associated with a session, it can be included in invoices automatically.
Group Class Fields
When creating a group class, you will also see:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Class | The class this event belongs to, chosen with the "Add class" picker |
| Instructors | One or more instructors assigned to the class ("Add instructor") -- required |
| Capacity | The maximum number of students who can enroll (optional) |
Program Fields
When creating a program, you will also see:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Program | The program (course session) this event belongs to, chosen with the "Add program" picker |
There is no instructor picker for programs -- like a private lesson, the instructor comes from the program session you choose. Each program session already belongs to a specific instructor, so selecting the session determines who teaches it. Programs have no capacity field.
Recital Fields
Recitals use the common fields only -- no separate picker, since a recital has no catalog item behind it. See Recitals for how the printed program works.
General Event Fields
General events use the common fields plus an optional instructor ("Add instructor") and an optional capacity field. They are the most flexible event type -- no student or course assignment is required.
Step-by-Step: Creating a Private Lesson
- Click the Schedule button and select Lesson, or click an empty time slot in Day or Week view.
- Use Add lesson to choose the lesson (course session). This also determines the instructor -- there is no separate instructor picker for private lessons or programs. Conductly copies the session's teacher onto each meeting it schedules, so the teacher appears on the calendar and under the teacher filter as well as on the roster and the invoice.
- Set the date and time. Adjust the start and end times as needed.
- Use Add students to select the student who will attend.
- Use Add location to select the location and room.
- Optionally, enter a name for the lesson (e.g., "Piano Lesson - Sarah").
- Optionally, set up recurrence if this lesson repeats.
- Click Save to add the lesson to the calendar.
Step-by-Step: Creating a Group Class
- Click the Schedule button and select Class.
- Use Add class to choose the class this event belongs to.
- Set the date and time.
- Use Add instructor to assign one or more instructors. At least one is required -- Conductly won't save a class without one.
- Set the capacity if there is a limit on enrollment.
- Use Add location to select the location and room.
- Optionally, enter a name for the class (e.g., "Beginner Group Guitar").
- Optionally, set up recurrence if this class repeats weekly.
- Click Save to add the class to the calendar.
Students enroll in group classes through the enrollment process, not directly on the event form. See the enrollment documentation for details on how students join classes.
Step-by-Step: Creating a Program
- Click the Schedule button and select Lesson or Class to open the event form.
- Click the Program chip at the top of the form to switch to that event type.
- Use Add program to choose the program session this event belongs to. This also determines the instructor -- there is no separate instructor picker for programs.
- Set the date and time.
- Use Add students to select the student(s) who will attend.
- Use Add location to select the location and room.
- Optionally, set up recurrence if this program repeats.
- Click Save to add the program event to the calendar.
Students usually join a program through the enrollment process rather than being added directly on the event form -- see the enrollment documentation for details.
Step-by-Step: Creating a Recital
- Click the Schedule button and select Recital.
- Enter a name for the event (e.g., "Spring Recital 2027") -- this becomes the printed program's starting title, which you can change afterward.
- Set the date and time and location.
- Use Add students to add each performer. Conductly gives every performer a blank line on the printed program automatically.
- Click Save to add the recital to the calendar.
See Recitals for building the running order and sharing the printed program.
Step-by-Step: Creating a General Event
- Click the Schedule button and select Event.
- Enter a name for the event (e.g., "Open House" or "Staff Meeting").
- Set the date and time.
- Optionally, use Add instructor to assign an instructor. An event with no instructor shows no teacher on the calendar and is left out when you filter or group by teacher.
- Optionally, set a capacity for the event.
- Use Add location to select the location and room.
- Click Save to add the event to the calendar.
Viewing Event Details
The Event Popover
Click any event on the calendar to open a quick-view popover. The popover shows key details at a glance:
- Event name and type
- Date and time
- Instructor(s)
- Location
- Students (for lessons, classes, programs, and recitals)
- Enrollment capacity (for group classes -- shows spots remaining and a capacity bar)
From the popover, you can:
- Edit -- Open the full event form to make changes
- Delete -- Remove the event from the calendar
- Email participants -- Send an email to the students and guardians involved
- Assign substitute instructor -- Assign a substitute teacher for this event (not offered for a general event or a recital, since neither has a teacher to cover for)
- Recital program -- For a recital, opens its printed program -- see Recitals
- Label -- Mark this occurrence as Trial, Attended, Missed (no show), Missed (with notice), or Makeup. Once a label is set, a Clear option appears so you can remove it. Choosing Makeup asks whether to use one of the student's make-up credits.
Labels do double duty: they feed the Attendance report (see Report Templates) and change how the occurrence looks on the calendar -- Trial lessons are dashed, either Missed label makes the lesson faded, and Makeup lessons get a double border.
If the room has an address on file -- its own, its building's, or (for a lesson taught at a student's home) the student's -- the popover shows it under the room name, linked to a map search. See Where Lessons Take Place.
The Billing Dot
Private lesson and program occurrences can show a small green dot next to the event type in the popover, labeled Invoiced. It appears once that specific occurrence has been itemized onto an invoice you've issued -- "invoiced," not "paid": the dot shows up as soon as the invoice goes out, whether or not the family has paid it yet. Check the invoice itself for payment status.
There's no "unbilled" state, so the absence of a dot doesn't mean anything is unpaid. Conductly only tracks invoicing occurrence by occurrence for courses billed Per Meeting and for tuition priced by session length -- a lesson on a Pay in Full, Payment Plan, or Subscription course simply shows no dot, even once it's fully paid. Group classes show a plain dot that just marks a scheduled meeting (it carries no billing meaning), and general events and recitals show no dot at all -- neither has a catalog item behind it to bill.
Missed (no show) and Missed (with notice) both count as a miss on the Attendance report. By default, both are also excluded from billing (on Per Meeting courses) and instructor pay, and issue no make-up credit -- but each of those three effects is configurable independently per label, including separately for no-shows vs. cancellations with notice, at Settings → Calendar → Lesson labels. The same choices exist for Trial and Makeup labels. See Calendar Settings.
If a student's status is Trial Lesson when you create their lesson or class, Conductly automatically applies the Trial label for you on the first occurrence -- you don't need to set it by hand. This only happens when the event is created; adding a trial-status student to an event that already exists won't trigger it. On a recurring lesson or class, only the first occurrence is marked, since a trial is one lesson. General events aren't affected. Once the Trial label is applied, the popover and event form stop showing the separate "Trial Lesson" status badge for that student, so you won't see it flagged as a trial twice.
A family who books an Introduction lesson themselves through your store's Book online option also gets the Trial label automatically on that lesson, regardless of the student's status. Drop-in and recurring-series self-bookings get no label.
The Full Event Form
For detailed editing, click Edit in the popover to open the full event form. Here you have access to all fields and can make any changes to the event, including modifying recurrence settings.
Moving an Event to a Different Class
Once an event exists, its class, program, or lesson assignment is locked -- you can't just reopen the picker and choose a different one. If an event was booked under the wrong catalog item (for example, a family was enrolled -- and invoiced -- for the wrong class), use Move to another class instead of deleting and recreating the event.
Never delete a paid event to fix a wrong class. Deleting and rebuilding the event does not carry billing history forward, and the family's existing payments won't be linked to the new event -- they can end up billed a second time. Moving keeps enrollment and payment history attached to the event.
Because moving an event can change what a family is billed, this action is available only to Owners and Admins -- the same access level required to edit the Catalog. It is not available to Instructors, even those with scheduling permissions.
How to Move an Event
- Click the event on the calendar and select Edit to open the full event form.
- Next to the locked class, program, or lesson field, click the folder icon -- Move to another class (labeled "program" or "lesson" instead of "class" depending on the event type).
- In the dialog, use the Move to dropdown to pick a destination. Only destinations of the same type are listed (a class can only move to another class), labeled by catalog item and instructor. Destinations that already have events or students on them are marked (in use -- N events, N students) so you can tell apart two destinations taught by the same instructor.
- If you want to rename the event as part of the move, edit the Name field. It's prefilled with the event's current name, and leaving it untouched keeps that name -- Conductly never renames it for you to match the destination's catalog name.
- Review the preview that appears once you choose a destination:
| Row | Shows |
|---|---|
| Moving to | The destination's catalog item and instructor. If the destination has a single teacher, the moved event is reassigned to that teacher. |
| Students | How many enrolled students move with the event |
| Events | Total meetings, how many are already invoiced, and how many are still to invoice |
| Price | The price before and after the move, if it changes |
| Payments | Total already paid -- unaffected by the move |
| Left behind | The class, program, or lesson being left -- labeled by catalog item and instructor, same as Moving to -- and how many other events remain there. The instructor label is what tells apart two same-named classes taught by different teachers. |
- Click Move event to confirm, or Cancel to back out.
Events that have already been invoiced are never affected by a move, even when the price changes. Only meetings that haven't been invoiced yet pick up the new price. Any enrollment break (pause) for a moving student moves with them, so their billing pause keeps applying on the destination.
When a Move Is Blocked
Conductly refuses the move (and explains why) when:
- A student on this event is also booked on other events of the same class, program, or lesson. Their enrollment and payment cover both, so there's no way to split them -- move those events together first, or unenroll the student.
- A moving student is already enrolled on the destination. Moving would double their enrollment there -- resolve the existing enrollment first.
- The destination has no catalog item, or its catalog item has no active billing plan. Add a billing plan under Catalog first.
- The destination bills differently than the source (for example, Pay in Full vs. Per Meeting) and students are already enrolled on the event. Moving would leave them billed on a different plan than anyone who enrolls afterward.
If the only issue is that the destination's price is different, Conductly shows a warning instead of a block -- you can still move the event, and only the meetings still to be invoiced pick up the new price. If the source session has an instructor pay rule of its own, Conductly also warns that it won't follow the move -- future meetings on the destination pay by the destination's rules instead.
Conflict Detection
Conductly checks for scheduling conflicts whenever you select a location and room for an event. How conflicts are handled depends on your school's Prevent Double Booking setting (found in Settings → Calendar):
- Enabled (strict mode) — Conductly prevents you from saving an event that conflicts with another event in the same room at the same time. You'll see an error and must pick a different room or time.
- Disabled (soft mode) — Conductly warns you about conflicts ("Are you sure?") but lets you click Schedule Anyway to save the event. Useful for schools with flexible room usage (e.g., shared spaces, temporary overflow rooms).
By default, Prevent Double Booking is enabled -- conflicting events are blocked. Turn it off from Settings → Calendar if your school prefers a warning instead of a hard block.
:::info Per-room override A specific room or building can override the school-wide setting, following its own Block, Warn, or Allow rule instead. A room set to Allow is never treated as booked at all, so it never blocks or warns -- see Double Booking. :::
Cancelled lessons never trigger a conflict -- if you cancel a lesson, its room is immediately free to book again at that time.
:::info Room turnover time If a room has Buffer Time set, Conductly treats it as occupied for that long before and/or after every event booked there, even though nothing else is actually scheduled during it. A booking blocked or warned about only because of turnover time (no real overlap) gets a message telling you the room needs time to turn over, rather than saying it's already booked -- but it's still governed by the same Prevent Double Booking setting above. :::
Conductly separately checks the instructor's own weekly availability, if they've set any -- scheduling them on a day or time no Available block covers, over a Break, or at a location their blocks don't cover shows the same kind of warning, with a Schedule Anyway button of its own. Turn on Block scheduling outside availability at Settings → Calendar to make that a hard block instead -- see Scheduling Outside Availability. An instructor with no availability blocks at all is never checked.
Tips for Scheduling
Use courses and sessions for billing. Linking lessons to sessions ensures they are tracked correctly for invoicing. If a lesson is not connected to a session, it will not appear in automated billing.
Deleting an event is permanent for non-recurring events. If you delete a one-time event, it cannot be recovered. For recurring events, you will be asked to choose a scope: This event, This and following events, or All events.