Your complete guide to booking online
Practical answers to 35 questions about handling online bookings, whether you’re a client or a business.
Booking for clients
Book a salon appointment online
Request your time from the salon’s booking page at any hour; the salon confirms it afterwards.
Booking a doctor’s appointment online
Request your visit from the clinic’s booking page whenever it suits you; the clinic confirms it afterwards.
Book an auto repair appointment online
Choose the job and an open time on the shop’s booking page; the shop confirms the request afterwards.
Cancelling an appointment online
Use the management link from your confirmation screen to cancel in a few clicks, with no phone call.
Rescheduling a booking online
Open your management link, pick a new open time and confirm, with no phone call.
Running your business
Managing client appointments in an online app
One panel for your bookings, team members and services, with a calendar you can read by day, week or month.
Avoiding double-booked appointments
Only open times are offered, and a request holds its time from the moment it is sent.
How booking confirmation works
Each request stays pending until your team confirms it; telling the client is up to you.
Keeping clients informed about appointments
4appointments sends no messages to clients, so here is a simple manual routine that works.
Managing appointments for multiple employees
Each provider has their own schedule and link, and the team calendar shows everyone together.
Calendar and availability
Setting up appointment time slots
Set your weekly schedule, service lengths and notice rules; clients then see only real open times.
Setting days off and breaks in the calendar
Mark days off and breaks in “Availability” and they drop out of the times clients can book.
Managing staff availability in a booking system
Every provider has a weekly schedule of their own, and the booking page offers only the times when that person is free.
Creating an online booking calendar for clients
A public booking page showing open times, with a link you can share wherever your clients are.
Payments and confirmed bookings
How payment works for appointments
Online payment isn’t part of the current plans; payment is arranged between you and your client.
Handling a deposit on online bookings
The tool doesn’t collect deposits, but a pending booking holds the time until you have your payment.
Reducing no-shows for appointments
Confirm each booking yourself, contact clients before the visit and make cancelling easy.
Invoicing for online appointments
4appointments issues no invoices; you export the booking data and invoice with your own tool.
Common problems
Why you’re not getting appointment notifications
4appointments doesn’t email or message clients, so the final screen and the business itself are what count.
Why appointments don’t appear in the calendar
Check the view and date range, the booking status, calendar visibility and your external ICS calendars.
Fixing overlapping appointments
Find where the overlap came from, move one booking and keep every booking in a single place.
Handling clients who don’t turn up
Confirm by hand before the day, review your cancellations and agree clear terms with clients.
Reminding clients before an appointment
4appointments sends nothing to clients, so a short daily routine with your own channels does the job.
Specific types of business
Taking online bookings for a beauty salon
A calendar per stylist, services with set durations and one link to put in your social media bio.
Managing patient appointments online
A calendar for every doctor, visit types set up as services and confirmation done by your reception.
Building a booking system for an auto repair shop
Job types with set durations, one calendar per mechanic or bay and confirmation by your own team.
Building an online calendar for consulting work
A personal booking link, session types as services and your other calendar as busy time.
Special questions
Setting up a complete online booking system for your business
Account, services, providers, public page and a simple daily routine, step by step.
Keeping clients informed about appointments
The tool sends no emails or texts to clients, so a short routine of your own covers each step.
Managing appointments for multiple locations
One provider per place gives each location its own calendar and link, as a practical workaround.
Linking your calendar to 4appointments
There’s no direct Google Calendar or Outlook sync; three ICS options connect your calendars today.
Setup and integrations
How the public booking page works
A link where clients see open times and ask for a booking by themselves, at any hour.
Adding the booking system to your website
Add a “Book now” link or button that opens your booking page; there’s no embed code or plugin.
Sending a booking link on WhatsApp
Yes: copy the link and paste it into any chat app. You send it, and 4appointments sends nothing itself.
Customizing the booking page with your brand
Set your business name, logo and primary colour; other elements of the page are fixed for now.
Want to get started?
Set up your booking page in 15 minutes.
Try 4appointments →