How the Boost System Works
Boost = better placement in the directory — your most powerful visibility tool
Last updated: April 2026
Quick Overview
Boosting is the single most effective way to get noticed on TheOtherBoard. When you activate a boost, your profile jumps to the top of the directory grid for the duration of the boost window. There's no separate "boosted" section and no "Boosted" badge on your card — placement at the top of the grid is the entire benefit. That's where clients look first.
How Boosting Works
The directory is one grid. Boosted providers sit at the top of that grid for the length of their boost; everyone else follows in fairly-rotated order. There's no separate "boosted" carousel — boost is just placement priority, and it ends cleanly when your session expires.
Boost vs. Available Now
These are two separate things. Boost controls where your card appears in the grid. Available Now is a public badge on your card that signals you're actively accepting requests right now. You control the badge — boosting alone does not turn it on, because a false "Available Now" is worse for clients than no badge.
Boost (placement)
Top of the grid. Your card jumps to the top tier of the directory for the length of your boost window (Base 2h, Plus/Pro 3h, extendable to 4h on Plus/Pro). No "Boosted" badge — placement is the benefit.
Available Now (badge)
A green "Available Now" badge on your card. Provider-controlled and independent of boost. Flip it on from the boost modal as an opt-in, or from the dashboard quick-availability toggle. Auto-expires when the time you set runs out.
Activating a Boost
Activating a boost is quick and straightforward from your provider dashboard. Here's how it works step by step:
Step-by-Step
Go to your Provider Dashboard. The Boost Panel is at the top of the page.
Check your remaining boosts for the day — they're shown below the panel (e.g., "2 boosts remaining").
Optionally tick "Show me as Available Now" if you want the public badge on for this session.
Tap the golden "Boost Now" button. Pro providers will see a city selector first.
Your card jumps to the top of the directory grid. A countdown timer and progress bar show your remaining time.
What You'll See on the Dashboard
The Boost Panel sits at the top of your provider dashboard. It shows different states depending on your current boost status:
- "Ready" — You have boosts available and can activate one. You'll see a golden "Boost Now" button, plus an inline "Show me as Available Now" checkbox if you want to flip the public badge on for this session.
- Active boost with countdown — Your boost is running. A progress bar shows the time remaining, along with options to extend (Plus/Pro) or stop early.
- "No boosts left" — You've used all your boosts for the day. The panel's "Resets in" timer counts down to when your next boost frees up (24 hours after you used it).
- "Scheduled" — You have a boost scheduled for a future time. You can cancel it if plans change.
The "Available Now" Badge
The green "Available Now" badge is a separate signal from boost. You control it; clients can filter by it. Use it when you're genuinely ready to take a request right now — not as a permanent setting.
Two Ways to Turn It On
- Inline with a boost. When you tap "Boost Now," there's a "Show me as Available Now" checkbox under the button. Tick it and the badge turns on for the boost window, then auto-clears when the boost ends.
- Standalone, from the dashboard. Use the quick-availability toggle on your dashboard to set yourself Available Now without boosting. Pick a duration; the badge auto-expires when that time runs out, so a forgotten toggle doesn't stay green forever.
Boost Limits by Subscription Tier
How many boosts you get per day and how long each one lasts depends on your subscription tier. Here's a breakdown:
| Feature | Base | Plus | Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boosts per day | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Boost duration | 2 hours | 3 hours | 3 hours |
| Can extend | -- | Yes | Yes |
| Max duration (with extend) | 2 hours | 4 hours | 4 hours |
| Multi-city boosting | -- | -- | Yes |
| Scheduling | -- | Yes | Yes |
| Recurring schedules | 1 | 3 | 3 |
Extending Your Boost
If you're on the Plus or Pro tier, you can extend an active boost to keep your top-of-grid placement going longer. Useful when business is flowing and you want to ride the momentum.
How Extending Works
Look for the "Extend" button
While your boost is active, an "Extend" button appears next to the "Stop Early" button on the Boost Panel. It only shows if your tier supports extending.
Tap "Extend"
Your boost session is extended by your tier's boost duration (up to the 4-hour maximum). The countdown timer and progress bar update immediately.
One credit is consumed
Extending uses one of your daily boost credits, just like starting a new boost. Your remaining credits update in the panel.
Key Rules
- Plus and Pro only — Base tier providers cannot extend boosts. Consider upgrading if you find 2 hours isn't enough.
- Maximum 4 hours total — You can extend a 3-hour boost once (adding up to 1 more hour, reaching the 4-hour cap). Once you hit 4 hours, no further extension is possible.
- Uses a boost credit — Extending costs one of your daily boost credits, just like activating a new boost does. Plan accordingly if you want to boost multiple times in a day.
- Extend any time during the session — You don't need to wait until the last minute. You can extend as soon as you activate if you know you'll want the full duration.
Multi-City Boosting (Pro)
If you're a Pro tier provider who tours or serves multiple cities, multi-city boosting lets you take top placement in a city other than your home base. This is perfect for touring providers who want visibility in whichever city they're currently visiting.
How It Works
Make sure your touring cities are configured in your Profile Settings. You can set up to 5 cities.
On your dashboard, tap "Boost Now." A city selector dropdown will appear.
Choose which city you want to appear in — your home city or any of your touring cities.
Tap "Boost Now" in the city selector to confirm. Your profile now sits at the top of that city's directory grid for the boost window.
Setting Up Your Cities
Before you can boost in a different city, you need to add it to your touring cities. Go to Profile Settings and configure your touring cities. You can have up to 5 cities total (including your home city). When you tap "Boost Now," a city selector will appear showing all your configured cities.
Scheduling Boosts
Plus and Pro providers can schedule boosts ahead of time, so your card jumps to the top of the grid automatically at the moment you choose, without you needing to be at your dashboard.
One-Time Scheduled Boosts
On your dashboard Boost Panel, tap the "Schedule" button (next to "Boost Now").
A scheduling modal opens. Pick the date and time you want your boost to start.
Pro providers can also select which city to boost in.
Tap "Schedule Boost" to confirm. The panel updates to show your scheduled time.
Scheduling Rules
- Scheduled time must be at least 15 minutes in the future
- You can schedule up to 24 hours ahead
- Only one scheduled boost can exist at a time — cancel the current one to schedule a new one
- The scheduled boost will use one of your daily boost credits when it activates
- Pro providers can select which city to boost in when scheduling
Recurring Daily Schedules
For providers with a consistent routine, you can set up recurring daily schedules that automatically boost your profile at the same time every day. This is the ultimate "set it and forget it" approach.
- Base tier: 1 recurring schedule
- Plus tier: Up to 3 recurring schedules
- Pro tier: Up to 3 recurring schedules (with city selection)
You can pause or resume individual recurring schedules without deleting them, which is handy if you take a day off. Manage your schedules from the Boost Panel on your dashboard — look for the "Daily Schedules" section or the "Set up daily auto-boost" link.
Tips for Effective Boosting
Boost During Peak Hours
Late morning through early evening in your local time zone tends to see the most client activity. Check your analytics to find your best times.
Use Recurring Schedules
Set up daily auto-boosts at your preferred times so you never forget. Pause them on your days off and reactivate when you're back.
Plan Your Credits Wisely
With Plus/Pro, you get 3 boosts per day. Consider using one in the morning, one in the afternoon, and saving one for extending if needed.
Boost in the Right City (Pro)
If you're touring, always boost in the city you're currently visiting. Clients search by city, so boosting in the wrong one means you won't be found.
Keep Your Profile Fresh
Boosting brings traffic to your profile. Make sure your photos, bio, and rates are up to date before you boost so visitors see your best presentation.
Track Your Results
Use your Analytics dashboard to see how boosts affect your profile views and messages. Over time, you'll find the patterns that work best for you.
Common Questions
Peak browsing times tend to be late morning through early evening in your local time zone. Boosting during these windows means more eyes on your profile. Experiment with different times and check your Analytics to see when you get the most profile views and messages.
Your card simply drops out of the top tier of the grid and rejoins the regular fairly-rotated order. You're still in the directory, still findable through search and filters — just no longer at the top. If you opted in to "Available Now" with this boost, the badge clears at the same time. The transition is fully automatic.
No. Once you activate a boost, the credit is spent regardless of how long you stay boosted. If you stop early, you won't get that credit back. The boost credit is consumed at the moment of activation, not based on duration used.
Each boost frees up a credit 24 hours after you used it — a rolling 24-hour window rather than a fixed daily reset. The Boost Panel on your dashboard shows how many boosts you have remaining and a "Resets in" countdown to when your next slot opens, so the reset time moves with when you actually boost.
Boosting requires an active subscription. If your plan has expired, you'll need to renew it from your Billing page before you can boost again. The Boost Panel will show a "Renew" or "Subscribe" button to get you started.
The extend feature is only available on the Plus and Pro tiers. Base tier boosts last 2 hours and cannot be extended. If you regularly need longer visibility windows, upgrading to Plus gives you 3-hour boosts with the ability to extend up to 4 hours total.
Multi-city boosting is a Pro-only feature. First, make sure you're on the Pro tier. Then go to your Profile Settings and add your touring cities. Once configured, when you tap "Boost Now" on your dashboard, a city selector will appear letting you choose which city to boost in.
No problem. The system checks your current status before activating a recurring boost. If you're already boosted, or if you've used all your daily credits, the scheduled activation is simply skipped. No credits are consumed and no errors occur — it just waits for the next day.
Ready to get seen?
Now that you understand how boosting works, head to your dashboard to activate your first boost. Want to learn how clients find you? Check out the browsing guide.
How Clients Browse