A step-by-step guide to adding the Status block to your UniLink page so visitors immediately know whether you are available, busy, or focused on something specific — and stop sending inquiries you cannot respond to.
- The Status block displays a short real-time-style message on your page — availability, current focus, travel status, or any context about how you are operating right now — with an optional icon, background color, expiry date, and link.
- Keep the status text under 50 characters; it is a glance, not a paragraph — if it requires reading rather than scanning, it is too long.
- Set an expiry date on any time-sensitive status; a status that says "Open for clients" when you have been fully booked for two months actively damages your credibility with every visitor who sees it.
- Link the status to a relevant action — a booking page, waitlist form, or contact link — so visitors who see "Open for new projects" have a direct next step without searching your page for a way to reach you.
There is a specific frustration that freelancers, consultants, and creators know well: someone lands on your page, sees nothing about your current availability, sends you a detailed project inquiry, and you have to write back explaining you are fully booked until next quarter. Both sides wasted time. Or the opposite happens — you are actively looking for new clients, but your page looks the same as it does when you are at capacity, so visitors who could not tell you were available just leave without reaching out. The Status block solves this by putting a clear, current, human signal at the top of your page. Not a wall of text. Not a form to fill out. Just a line that tells the visitor what they need to know about how you are operating right now: "Open for new clients," "Fully booked until March," "Recording — slow replies this week," "On vacation through the 15th." One line. Immediately visible. Immediately useful.
What the Status block does
The Status block displays a short status message on your UniLink page, styled to look like a live status indicator — similar to what you might see on a Slack profile or a calendar availability display, but integrated into your public page for visitors to see without being logged in to anything. The block contains a status text field (the message itself), an icon selector (an emoji or a custom icon that appears before the message), a background color picker (so the block is visually distinct from surrounding content), and an optional expiry date and time. When the expiry date passes, the block automatically hides itself from your live page — no manual update required. If you want the status to be actionable, there is also an optional link field: the entire status bar becomes clickable and takes visitors to whatever URL you specify.
The expiry date is the feature that makes the Status block reliably accurate rather than embarrassingly stale. Without it, a "Taking on new projects" status persists indefinitely even after your calendar fills up — every new visitor sees a false signal and may send an inquiry, waste time on a pitch, or feel misled when you respond that you are actually unavailable. With an expiry date set, the status disappears automatically on the date you choose, and your page returns to its baseline appearance. This means you can set a status for a two-week sprint, a conference trip, or a waitlist opening, and you never have to remember to remove it. The block manages its own relevance.
The optional link transforms a passive announcement into a conversion path. A status that reads "Open for new clients" with no link forces a visitor who is interested to search your page for a booking link or contact method. A status with a link takes that same interested visitor directly to your booking page or contact form in one tap. For any status that implies a next step — availability for bookings, a waitlist for a course, a waiting room for a limited offer — setting the link is the difference between a status that informs and a status that converts.
Before you start
- Decide on the message in plain language first: Before opening the Dashboard, write the status as a text message you would send to a colleague — "I'm open for new clients," "Fully booked until end of March," "Traveling this week, slow to respond." Then shorten it to under 50 characters. The goal is something scannable in under two seconds: a visitor should understand your current situation from a glance, not a read.
- Choose an emoji that adds meaning, not decoration: Pick an emoji that genuinely signals the status type — a green circle for availability, a red circle for fully booked, a calendar for a time-specific message, a plane for travel, a microphone for recording or broadcasting. The icon should make the message faster to parse, not just add color. If no emoji clearly fits the message, skip it.
- Set the expiry date before you go live: If the status has any time component — a deadline, a return date, a booking window — decide the expiry date now, before publishing. It is easy to forget to set it after the fact, and an unset expiry means a stale status that survives long past its useful life.
- Have the destination URL ready if you are adding a link: If you want visitors to be able to take action from the status — booking a call, joining a waitlist, sending an inquiry — have the URL for that destination ready. It should be the most direct path to the action you want them to take, not a general landing page.
How to add the Status block to your page
- Open your page in the Dashboard: Log in to UniLink, go to My Pages, and click Edit on the page you want to update.
- Add a new block: Click + Add Block. In the block picker, find Status — it is typically listed under Personal or Communication — and select it.
- Enter your status text: Type your message in the status text field. Keep it under 50 characters. It should communicate a single, clear fact about how you are currently operating.
- Add an icon: Click the icon selector and choose an emoji from the picker, or upload a custom icon. Place the icon before the text so it provides a visual signal before the visitor reads the words.
- Set the background color: Choose a color that makes the status bar visually distinct and communicates the right tone — a soft green for availability, a warm amber for "limited availability," a neutral gray for a non-availability status like travel or focus mode. Avoid colors so bright they feel alarming unless the status genuinely requires urgency.
- Set an expiry date (if applicable): If your status is time-sensitive, click the Auto-expire field and set the date and time when this status should stop being shown. After that moment, the block will hide automatically.
- Add a link (optional): If you want the status to be clickable, enter a URL in the link field. This is the destination visitors are taken to when they tap or click the status bar. Use a booking page, contact form, waitlist, or any other direct action destination.
- Save and publish: Click Save and then Publish Page. Check your live page to verify the status bar appears as expected — correct text, icon, color, and that the link works if you added one.
Key settings explained
| Setting | What it controls | Best practice |
|---|---|---|
| Status text | The message displayed in the status bar | Under 50 characters — this is a glance, not a sentence; if it requires more than that to say what you need to say, it belongs in a text block on your page, not a status indicator |
| Status icon | The emoji or custom icon displayed before the status text | Use a universally understood signal: green circle for open, red circle for unavailable, calendar for a deadline, plane for travel — avoid icons that require context your visitor does not have |
| Background color | The color of the status bar, which should visually distinguish it from other blocks on the page | Use color purposefully: green tones for positive availability, amber for limited or conditional availability, neutral gray for informational statuses; never use the same color as your page background or the status bar disappears |
| Auto-expire date | The date and time when the status block automatically hides from the live page | Set this for any status that is not permanently true — booking windows, travel periods, recording sessions, vacation — if you set a status without an expiry, put a calendar reminder on the day you plan to change it so it does not go stale |
| Link URL | Makes the status bar clickable and takes visitors to the specified destination | Always set this if the status implies a next step — "Open for clients" should link to your booking page; "Waitlist open" should link to the waitlist form; a status with an implied action but no link leaves interested visitors without a path forward |
| Visibility toggle | Shows or hides the block without deleting it or changing its content | Use this to quickly switch between active and inactive states when you cycle through recurring statuses — for example, toggle the status on when you open your booking calendar and off when it closes, then toggle on again next cycle without re-entering all the details |
How to maintain a status that stays accurate over time
A status that is accurate today and wrong next month is worse than no status at all. A visitor who sees "Open for new clients" when you are actually at capacity will send an inquiry, you will have to decline, and they will remember the wasted effort. A visitor who sees "Fully booked through Q2" when you are actually wide open will not reach out, and you lose a potential client to a false signal. The Status block is only as useful as it is accurate — which means building a maintenance habit around it, not treating it as a set-and-forget element.
The expiry date feature handles most of this automatically for time-bounded statuses. If you are fully booked until March 15th, set the expiry to March 15th. The status disappears on that date and your page returns to whatever it looks like without a status — which is a neutral signal that is better than a wrong one. For ongoing statuses that do not have a natural end date, like "Open for new clients" during a general availability window, build a habit of reviewing your Status block setting whenever you update your calendar or change your project load. Some creators do this weekly; others tie it to their monthly planning session. The cadence matters less than the habit being consistent.
One pattern that works well for creators who cycle through predictable states — teaching seasons, quarterly booking rounds, product launch periods — is to build multiple Status blocks in the editor, keep all of them saved (not deleted), and simply toggle the relevant one visible while keeping the others hidden. This means you do not have to re-type, re-link, or re-color a status you use repeatedly; you just flip the visibility switch. A coach who opens their calendar for new clients four times a year can build one "Open for new clients" status block and toggle it on and off rather than recreating it from scratch each cycle.
Troubleshooting common issues
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Status bar not visible on the live page after saving | Page saved but not published, or the visibility toggle is set to hidden | Return to the Dashboard editor, confirm the visibility toggle is enabled for this block, and click Publish Page — saving creates a draft, publishing makes it live |
| Status disappeared from the live page unexpectedly | The auto-expire date was reached and the block hid itself automatically | Open the block editor in the Dashboard, check the expiry date — if it passed, either update the expiry to a future date or clear the expiry field entirely if you want the status to persist indefinitely, then re-publish |
| Status bar link does not respond when tapped on mobile | No URL entered in the link field, or URL entered without the full protocol prefix | Open the block editor, verify that the link field contains a full URL starting with https://, save, and re-publish; a bare domain without the protocol will not resolve correctly |
| Status text is truncated or cut off on mobile | Status text exceeds the display width of the block on smaller screens | Edit the status text to be shorter — aim for under 50 characters; anything that requires wrapping or truncating on mobile is too long for a status indicator |
| Status color blends into the page and is not visually distinct | Background color chosen is too similar to the page's overall color scheme | Open the block editor, select a background color with stronger contrast against both the text and the surrounding page elements; test on the live page after saving |
Best fit for
- Freelancers and consultants who take on a limited number of projects at a time and need to communicate availability clearly without constant back-and-forth on inquiry calls
- Creators with time-sensitive states — recording periods, travel, conference weeks, product launches — where visitors need to know about the current situation to calibrate their expectations on response time
- Coaches and service providers with periodic booking windows who want to drive urgency and clarity when their calendar opens
- Anyone whose current workload or availability changes regularly and who wants their page to reflect reality rather than a static snapshot
Not the right tool if
- Your availability is permanently fixed and never changes — if you are always open or always closed, a static text block communicates the same information without the maintenance overhead
- You want a two-way scheduling tool — the Status block communicates state, it does not accept bookings; pair it with a link to Calendly or your booking platform for the actual scheduling step
- You need to communicate complex availability nuances (specific days, specific project types) — the Status block is built for brevity; detailed availability information belongs on a contact or booking page that the status links to
Frequently asked questions
Can I have more than one Status block active at the same time?
Yes, and there are legitimate reasons to do this — for example, one status for availability and a second for a current promotion or limited-time offer. However, two simultaneous status bars that cover different topics can feel visually busy and dilute the clarity that makes the Status block effective. If you have two pieces of time-sensitive information to communicate, consider whether one of them could live in a text block or a callout block instead, and reserve the Status block for the single most important current signal — typically your availability.
What happens to visitors who try to click the status link after the expiry date?
After the expiry date, the entire Status block is hidden from the live page — it is not visible to visitors, so there is nothing to click. The block still exists in the Dashboard editor with all its settings intact, and you can re-activate it by updating the expiry date and re-publishing. Visitors arriving after expiry see your page without the status, which is the correct default state rather than a stale or incorrect status.
Is the Status block the same as putting availability information in my bio text?
They serve similar information goals but behave differently on the page. Text in a bio block is static, visually integrated with the rest of the bio, and does not have an expiry or a dedicated link. The Status block is visually separate, uses color to draw attention, can be set to expire automatically, and can be made directly clickable for an action. For availability information that changes more than once every few months, the Status block is more maintainable because you do not have to edit your bio text — you just toggle the block. For permanent information ("I am not taking on freelance work"), the bio text is simpler and more appropriate.
Should I use the Status block for promotional messages like "Sale ends Friday"?
The Status block works well for this use case precisely because of the expiry date feature — you can set the block to disappear automatically on Friday at midnight without remembering to remove it manually. Set the expiry, write a short promotional message, link to the sale page, and let it run. The same logic applies to any time-boxed announcement: waitlist opens, limited spots, early access windows. The key constraint remains the same: keep the text under 50 characters and make it scannable at a glance.
- The Status block shows visitors a short, real-time-style message about your current availability, focus, or operating context — it is the fastest way to communicate something time-sensitive without editing your whole page.
- Keep status text under 50 characters and use an emoji that adds signal, not just decoration; the entire point is a glance-readable update, not a sentence to read.
- Set an auto-expire date on every time-sensitive status — a stale availability status that contradicts reality damages trust with every visitor who reads it.
- Link every actionable status to a booking page, waitlist, or contact form; a status that says "Open for clients" with no way to reach you is an announcement without a path forward.
Ready to let every visitor know exactly how you are operating right now? Create your free UniLink page and add a Status block — one line of honest, current context that saves both you and your visitors from a dozen unnecessary back-and-forth messages.