A client can end a booking in two ways, and they have very different consequences for you.
Dropped
The client withdrew before the booking was locked in — or while it was still inside the cancellation window you set. The status becomes Event Dropped.
- No charges are applied, or anything already paid is refunded
- Any completed documents are voided
- You're released from any obligation to perform
- The date frees up on your calendar
- No further action is possible on that proposal
A client can drop a request at any point before paying, so an unanswered request that disappears is normal rather than a fault.
Canceled
The client cancelled a confirmed event after the cancellation window closed. The status becomes Event Canceled, and the Progress tab shows:
- Cancellation Window and the date it closed
- Cancellation Reason — what the client wrote
- Payments Retained — what you keep
On a full-amount proposal, the client forfeits what they paid and the proposal states the retained figure. On a deposit proposal, the deposit is forfeited, and any remainder they'd already paid is refunded.
The cancellation window is yours to set
Cancelable Until is a required field in the Terms step of the proposal builder, seeded from the Cancellation Period on your profile. Everything above follows from that date, so it's worth setting deliberately per booking rather than always taking the default. A wedding booked a year out justifies a longer window than a bar gig next Friday.
What to do next
Free the date properly. A dropped or canceled event releases your calendar automatically, but check Calendar if you'd also blocked travel time around it.
Don't chase it in messages. If a client cancels inside their rights, the terms have done their job. Arguing rarely recovers the booking and does show up in reviews.
If something was wrong — the client was abusive, or you think the cancellation was made in bad faith — report it rather than absorbing it. See Reporting a Problem With a Client.
Scheduled payouts
If a cancellation happens before a payout has been released, that scheduled transfer is cancelled with it. Money already paid out to your bank isn't clawed back. See What Happens to Scheduled Payouts When an Event Is Canceled.