Book a date and time
This example demonstrates an appointment-style booking, where customers choose an available date and a specific time.
This booking format can be used for consultations, appointments, treatments, classes, activities, lessons, tours and other services that take place at a particular time.
Creating your own booking? Choose Date and time appointment when customers need to reserve a specific time slot.Set when appointments are available
You can create availability rules to control exactly when customers can book.
Availability can repeat:
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
On a custom cycle
On a specific date
For example, you could offer appointments every weekday, every Saturday, on the first available date of a special event, or according to a custom repeating schedule.
You can add multiple availability rules when your schedule changes throughout the week.
Example: Offer 60-minute appointments from 9am–5pm Monday to Friday, then add a separate rule for shorter Saturday opening hours.Appointment length
Choose how long each appointment lasts.
This could be a short consultation, an hour-long session or a longer activity.
Time between bookings
Add a gap between appointments when you need preparation, cleaning, travelling or simply a little breathing room.
Capacity
Choose how many customers can reserve the same time.
Use a capacity of one for individual appointments or increase it for classes, tours and group activities.
Add booking options
Bookings don't have to be identical for every customer.
You can add optional or required booking options and give each one its own description and price adjustment.
For example:
Optional extra
Additional service
+£10
Let the customer add something to their appointment.
Required choice
Booking requirement
Make an option required when the customer must select or acknowledge it before booking.
Discount
Eligible discount
−£10
Options can also reduce the booking price where appropriate.
Decide whether to take payment
An appointment can be booked with or without online payment.
If you want customers to pay when booking, set an online payment amount. This can be useful for securing appointments and reducing unpaid reservations.
If no online payment is required, set the payment amount to zero.
Your visible price label can also describe the price to customers — for example, “£45”, “From £25” or another useful description.
Payment is a separate choice from the booking format. An appointment doesn't have to require payment simply because it can be booked online.Control cancellations
Each availability rule can determine whether customers are allowed to cancel their booking and how much notice they must give.
For example, you might allow online cancellations until 24 hours before the appointment.
Choose a policy that suits your business, then explain any important terms clearly to customers before they book.
Make exceptions when your schedule changes
Your regular availability doesn't have to apply every day.
Use unavailable and override dates for:
Holidays
Closures
Special opening hours
One-off events
Different appointment lengths
Different gaps between appointments
Increased or reduced capacity
This means you can establish a normal schedule and only manage the dates that are different.
Choose how customers select a date
Appointment bookings can present availability using a date and time dropdown or a colour calendar.
When using the calendar, you can choose a day, week, month or year period and configure the colours used for available, selected and unavailable dates.
Choose whichever presentation makes your particular booking easiest to understand.
Complete your booking page
Alongside the booking settings, you can add the information customers need before making their decision.
Consider including:
What the appointment is for
Who it's suitable for
What happens during it
Where it takes place
Anything customers should bring or prepare
Your cancellation terms
What happens after booking
You can also add a main image and gallery to help show the service, experience, venue or activity.
Appointment booking at a glance
Use an appointment-style booking when customers need to choose a particular date and time.
Set your recurring or one-off availability, appointment length, gaps and capacity. Add booking options if required, decide whether to take payment, set your cancellation rules and choose how availability should be presented to the customer.
The booking system handles the schedule. Your page content explains what they're booking.
