# Where your session appears

> Choose whether a session shows in your calendar, is pinned as a featured event, is unlisted and shared by link only, or is archived.

Who can do this: admins only.

Every session type has a **placement** - where customers find it on your booking page. Set it in the **Visibility** section of the [session editor](/go/admin/sessions).

<Screenshot shot="session-visibility" alt="The Visibility section of the session editor showing the four placement options with a live preview of the booking page beside it" caption="Pick a placement and the preview beside it shows exactly what customers will see." />

## The four placements

- **In the calendar** - the session shows in your schedule for anyone to book.
- **Featured, and in the calendar** - in the schedule *and* as a pinned card at the top of your booking page.
- **Featured only** - a pinned card at the top, kept out of the schedule. Good for a one-off event.
- **Direct link only** - shown nowhere on your booking page. The only way in is the session's own link, which you share yourself.

## Featured sessions

A **featured** session gets a card pinned above your calendar. If several are featured, the soonest few show.

- **One upcoming date:** the card shows that date, time and spaces left, and opens straight onto that date. To hide the spaces left, set **Show spaces left** to **Never** ([what your session tiles show](/docs/booking-page-layout#choose-what-each-session-tile-shows)).
- **More than one upcoming date:** the card shows the first date ("From Sat 27th Sep") and **Choose a date**, and opens a page listing every upcoming date.

If every upcoming date is full, the card shows the soonest date so customers can join its waiting list. With [more than one location](/docs/locations), featured cards follow the location filter. On the [**List** layout](/docs/booking-page-layout#choose-your-booking-page-layout), featured sessions appear as rows at the top of the list.

<Callout variant="note">
Placement doesn't decide **who can book without paying**. A new session is covered by every membership and prepaid session by default. For a premium event, set both in the session's **Prices** panel before publishing: move each membership to **Not included** from its **⋯** menu, and turn off **Can be used on this session** under **Bundles & gift vouchers**. See [which sessions a membership applies to](/docs/membership#which-sessions-it-applies-to).
</Callout>

## Sharing a session by link

Every session has its own link, in the **Session URL** field under **Visibility** (see [your booking links](/docs/booking-links)). Use **Direct link only** for an invite-only session.

## Placement, hide, cancel, archive or close?

| | On booking page? | Bookable by link? | Refunds or emails anyone? | Reversible? | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Hide](/docs/instance-overrides#hide-a-single-session) | No | No | No | Yes - **Show and reopen bookings** | One date |
| [Cancel](/docs/instance-overrides#cancel-a-single-occurrence) | No | No | Yes - refunds and emails everyone booked | Partly - **Reinstate session** reopens the date, but not its bookings or refunds | One date |
| Direct link only | No | Yes | No | Yes | Whole session |
| Featured only | Pinned card only, not the calendar | Yes | No | Yes | Whole session |
| Archive | No | No - old links land on your booking page | No | Yes - **Unarchive** | Whole session |
| [Closed date](/docs/closed-dates) | Recurring sessions off, one-offs stay | No - shows "Not available" | No | Yes - **Reopen** | Whole day, every location |

## Archive a session

Archive a session type you've stopped running without deleting it.

<Screenshot shot="archive-a-session" alt="The sessions list with the actions menu open on a row, showing Duplicate, Share and Archive, and a collapsed Archived section at the bottom" caption="Archived sessions collect in the section at the bottom of the Session types view." />

<Steps>
  <Step>Open the **Session types** view on your [sessions page](/go/admin/sessions).</Step>
  <Step>On the session's row, open the **⋯** menu and select **Archive** (or use the **⋯** menu next to **Save & close** in the editor). It moves into the collapsed **Archived** section at the bottom of the list.</Step>
</Steps>

An archived session stops taking bookings and leaves the Sessions calendar and your [Bookings](/go/admin/home) day view. Existing bookings and revenue are untouched, and nobody is refunded or emailed. Old links land on your booking page instead of a "not found" message; a deleted session's link stops working altogether.

To bring it back, expand **Archived**, open the row's **⋯** menu and select **Unarchive**. The session opens in the editor set to **Direct link only**, so set its placement to **In the calendar** and save when you're ready.

## Common questions

1. **I set a session to "Featured only" but the card isn't showing.** A featured card needs an upcoming date, from a schedule or a future one-off.

2. **My featured event is priced higher, but people are booking it for nothing.** Placement doesn't govern price - see the note under [featured sessions](#featured-sessions). The summary at the foot of the **Prices** panel shows what the session gives away, and warns how many unspent prepaid sessions reach it before you save.

3. **An archived session still shows on my Bookings day view.** A date that still has people booked stays there with an archive icon so you can check them in. To clear it, cancel the date, which refunds and emails the customers.

4. **Can staff archive a session?** No. Archiving needs the same permission as editing sessions, which only admins have.

5. **Can I save a session without a schedule?** Yes. Leave **Schedule** empty and select **Save & close**. It shows "No schedule" in **Session types** and stays off your booking page until it has a schedule or one-off date - handy for keeping session types ready to schedule or **Duplicate** later. Removing every time from a schedule saves the same way.