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Configuring Volunteer Hours Rules
Hours rules control how volunteer check-in, check-out, and credited time work across your organization. They live under Volunteer Management → Settings, in the Hours Settings form, and apply organization-wide.
Allow Self Check-In
Default: on.
Controls whether volunteers are allowed to check themselves in from the portal at all. When off, only admin/kiosk check-in is available.
Self Check-In Window
Default: 60 minutes.
How early before a shift's scheduled start time a volunteer is allowed to self check in. The portal's Check in button only appears once the volunteer is within this window of their shift start.
Clamp Buffer
Default: 60 minutes.
Credited time is not allowed to run away from the scheduled shift — it's clamped to the scheduled window plus or minus this buffer. For example, for a 9:00 AM–12:00 PM shift with a 60-minute buffer, credited time is only computed within an 8:00 AM–1:00 PM window. If a volunteer's actual check-in or check-out falls outside that range, it's clamped to the buffer boundary before hours are calculated.
Forgotten Checkout Grace
Default: 4 hours.
How long after a shift's scheduled end time an open (not-yet-checked-out) time entry is allowed to sit before it's automatically closed. A background job runs every 15 minutes looking for entries that have passed this grace period; when it finds one, it closes the entry at the scheduled end time, flags it as Needs Review, and notifies admins so the hours can be verified.
Allow Self-Log Hours
Default: on.
Controls whether volunteers can manually log hours themselves from the portal, rather than only through check-in/check-out.
Self-Cancel Cutoff
Default: 24 hours.
How close to a shift's start time a volunteer is still allowed to cancel their own sign-up. This is enforced in two places: the portal hides the cancel button once a volunteer is inside the cutoff window, and the server also rejects cancellation requests made after the cutoff, even if attempted directly.
Block Check-In Without Application
Default: off.
Applies when a volunteer has a mandatory Application-type requirement that isn't yet met at the moment of check-in (for example, during walk-in or kiosk check-in).
- Off — the check-in proceeds, but a warning is shown.
- On — the check-in is blocked entirely until the application requirement is met.
How these settings affect the volunteer experience
| Setting | What the volunteer notices |
|---|---|
| Allow Self Check-In | Whether a Check-in button appears in the portal at all |
| Self Check-In Window | When the Check-in button starts appearing before their shift |
| Clamp Buffer | Whether checking in very early or checking out very late still counts toward credited hours |
| Forgotten Checkout Grace | How long an entry stays open before it's auto-closed and flagged for admin review |
| Allow Self-Log Hours | Whether they can manually enter hours instead of using check-in/check-out |
| Self-Cancel Cutoff | Whether the Cancel button is available for an upcoming shift |
| Block Check-In Without Application | Whether a missing application warns them or stops check-in outright |