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](/hc/djs/articles/1786047501-using-the-client-relations-manager-crm).

## 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](/hc/djs/articles/1786141515-what-happens-to-scheduled-payouts-when-an-event-is-canceled).