How the wait estimate is calculated
Each location chooses one of two ways to estimate the wait (the wait time customers see on their phone, the TV and the status page):
- Average method: NextUp multiplies the number of people ahead by your average visit time, then divides by the number of team members on duty. For example, 6 people ahead with a 30 minute average visit and 3 staff on duty is about 60 minutes. If you use the staff roster, the people marked on duty on the staff screen are counted; without a roster, the "staff on duty" number in Location settings is used.
- Services method: NextUp plays the line forward. Each customer's chosen services (and add-ons) set how long their visit takes, including a team member's own time for a service where you've set one. It counts how long current visits have been going, routes customers only to staff who do their services, and keeps a customer who asked for a specific person in that person's line. Visits with no services chosen use the average.
You pick the method per location on the Services (Catalog) page, Locations tab. Both methods also account for time someone is blocked (appointments or time off) and stop quoting starts after closing time. Insights shows how close quoted waits came to real ones, so you can see which method fits you. Estimates are estimates only.
Why is the wait estimate wrong or too long?
If the estimated wait looks off, check these settings:
- Average visit time: in the average method, this number drives every quote. Set it in Location settings (1 to 240 minutes) to how long a typical visit really takes. Insights shows your real average serve time and flags services whose real time is well off what you set.
- Who's on duty: the wait is divided by the number of team members on duty. Mark people on or off duty in the "Who's working today" panel on the staff screen. If someone went home but is still marked on duty, waits will look too short; if someone working isn't marked on duty, waits will look too long.
- Service durations: in the services method, each service's duration in the catalog feeds the estimate. The more accurate the durations, the better the quotes.
- Blocked time and appointments: a person who is booked or blocked isn't counted as free during that time.
You can also post a short wait message (up to 100 characters) that shows on every customer's status page, for example "Running about 15 minutes behind today."
What happens when the line is full (maximum queue size)
You can cap how many people can be waiting at once. In Location settings, set the maximum waiting (also called "most people in line" or the capacity cap) to any number from 1 to 500, or leave it at no limit.
When the line reaches the cap, online check-in pauses automatically: customers who try to join from the QR code, your link, the website widget or the door tablet see that you are at capacity right now and should check back soon. As people are served and the line gets shorter, joining opens again by itself. You don't need to do anything.
This is useful on very busy days so you don't take on more walk-ins than your team can serve before closing.
Stop taking walk-ins before closing (auto close and close lead time)
Set your opening hours, then choose how long before closing time to stop taking walk-ins (the close lead time). It can be 0 to 240 minutes before closing; the default is 20 minutes. With automatic closing on, the line closes itself at that time each day so you aren't serving past closing. Customers who try to join then see "Closed for walk-ins" instead of the join form.
Automatic opening is a separate switch: with it on, the line opens again at opening time. With it off, you open the line yourself on the staff screen when you're ready.
Each automatic change happens once per day's opening, so your team can still reopen late or close early by hand with the Open or Closed toggle, and the schedule won't undo it until the next day. Customers already in line stay in line when it closes, and staff can still add people manually.
How long someone keeps their place if they step away (maximum wait time)
The maximum wait time (also called the dwell limit, or "someone steps away" in the setup wizard) controls how long a customer can stay in line before NextUp checks on them. You can set it from 60 to 720 minutes, or turn it off for no time limit.
Here's how it works: once a customer has been waiting for about three quarters of the limit, their status page shows a "still here?" check (and a text where texting is active). If they confirm they're still coming, their clock resets. If they don't respond and pass the limit plus a 30 minute grace period, they are taken out of the line automatically so stale entries don't clog your queue and inflate wait estimates. Test visits are never touched.
Separately, any entry that nobody closed out expires after 12 hours.
Can I pause the line without closing?
Yes. Use the Open or Closed toggle at the top of each location card on the Locations page, or open and close the location from the staff screen. Closing stops new walk-ins from joining online while keeping everyone already in line. Staff can still add people manually from the staff screen. This is handy for an early closing, a break, or an unexpected rush.
The toggle overrides your opening hours schedule right away. If automatic opening or closing is on, the schedule makes its next change at the next opening or closing time.
Can customers see where they are in line?
Yes. After joining, each customer gets their own live page showing their position in line, how many people are ahead of them, and their estimated wait. It updates in real time without refreshing. When they are called, the page shows it's their turn, and which team member is ready for them if you use the staff roster.
From that page customers can also add an optional photo (if you allow it), tell you they're running late, answer "Are you still coming?", leave the line, and after the visit leave a private star rating. The TV and other public screens only show a first name and last initial.
How walk-ins join the line
Walk-ins can join four ways:
- Scan the QR code on your window, counter or TV with their phone camera.
- Open your link (your status page), for example from your Instagram bio, Google Business Profile or website widget.
- Type their name on the door tablet (kiosk) at your entrance.
- Be added by your team from the staff screen, by name (for walk-ups or phone-ins).
On the join form they enter their name, an optional US mobile number with a consent box for texts, and their party size. Depending on your settings they may also choose services, choose a team member, answer intake questions, or add a photo. Returning customers who saved their details can have their name filled in from their phone number.