WordPress Time Sync
Set up the correct WordPress timezone so RepairPlugin shows accurate booking slots, sends emails on time, and handles daylight saving changes.
What can you do with this?
- Make sure your available booking time slots match your actual opening hours
- Fix reminder and follow-up emails that arrive at the wrong time
- Correct appointment timestamps that show the wrong date or time
- Prevent time slot issues that happen every spring and fall when clocks change
Where to find it
- Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard
- Go to Settings > General in the left sidebar
- Scroll down to the Timezone section
You can also check your current timezone in RepairPlugin:
- Go to RepairPlugin > Settings and look for the system information that shows your WP Timezone, WP Current Date, and WP Current Time
How to fix it
Set the correct timezone
- Go to WordPress Admin > Settings > General
- Scroll down to the Timezone section
- Select your correct timezone:
- Best option: Choose a city from the dropdown that matches your location (e.g., "Europe/Amsterdam", "America/New_York", "Asia/Tokyo")
- Alternative: Select a UTC offset (e.g., "UTC+1", "UTC-5") — but this won't adjust for daylight saving time automatically
- Check that the Local time shown below the dropdown matches your actual current time
- Click Save Changes
Why a city-based timezone is better
Pick a city (like "Europe/Amsterdam") instead of a UTC offset (like "UTC+1") because:
- City-based timezones automatically adjust for daylight saving time
- UTC offsets stay the same all year, so they'll be wrong for half the year if your region changes clocks
- RepairPlugin's appointment scheduling handles daylight saving time correctly when you use a city-based timezone
Verify everything works
After changing your timezone:
-
Check RepairPlugin's system info:
- Go to RepairPlugin > Settings
- Look for the system status showing WP Timezone, WP Current Date, and WP Current Time
- Make sure all three values are correct
-
Check your booking time slots:
- Visit your booking page
- Go to the date/time selection step
- Verify that available time slots match your opening hours for today
- Make sure time slots earlier today (in the past) aren't available
-
Test your email timing:
- If you have a cron job set up (see Setting Up Cronjobs), create a test appointment
- Set a reminder email for a short time before the appointment
- Check that the reminder arrives at the right time
Settings reference
| Setting | Description | Default | Customers see |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timezone | Sets the timezone for all time-related functions in WordPress, which RepairPlugin depends on for scheduling appointments, sending timed emails, and calculating available time slots Tip: Always choose a city-based timezone (like "Europe/Amsterdam") instead of a UTC offset. This way, daylight saving time changes are handled automatically and your booking slots stay accurate all year round. | UTC+0 | The available booking time slots on your website are based on this timezone. If it's wrong, customers may see time slots outside your opening hours, or valid slots may be hidden because the system thinks it's a different time of day. |
Frequently asked questions
Why do my available time slots change unexpectedly in spring or fall?
If you're using a UTC offset (like "UTC+1") instead of a city-based timezone, your site doesn't adjust for daylight saving time. Switch to a city-based timezone (like "Europe/Amsterdam") and the problem goes away.
What parts of RepairPlugin are affected by a wrong timezone?
Everything that depends on time: available booking slots, reminder emails, follow-up emails, appointment timestamps, and special dates like holidays and custom opening hours. It's one of the most impactful settings to get right.
I changed my timezone but appointment times still look wrong. What should I do?
First, check RepairPlugin > Settings and verify that the system info shows the correct WP Timezone, WP Current Date, and WP Current Time. If those are correct, clear any caching plugin caches and test in a private/incognito browser window. Existing appointments that were created with the wrong timezone won't automatically update — only new bookings will use the corrected time.