How do you build a complete online booking system for your business?

Account, services, providers, public page and a simple daily routine, set up one step at a time.

Other questions

A complete online booking system covers the whole path: the client finds a free time and asks for it, you confirm, and the appointment takes place. With 4appointments this is done in a handful of steps. Be clear from the start about what it doesn’t do: it sends no emails or messages to clients and takes no online payments, so those parts stay with you.

Step 1: create the account. The first 12 months are free, with no card, on all plans, which run from €1 to €8 per month, and the pricing page lists the limits. Then fill in the business identity under Branding: the name, a logo (given as a web address) and the primary colour. Step 2: set up services and providers. Add each service with name, duration and price, and each provider with a weekly schedule, then use Availability for exceptions, days off and blocks. Choose the notice rules for the whole page and, if needed, for single services.

Step 3: share the booking link. Copy the link of the business, or the separate link of each provider, and use it on your website, in your Instagram bio and in your messages. Clients book without an account, and the page is open day and night. Check the language of the page before you share it, as it depends on the link.

Step 4: work the pending requests. Every public booking starts as pending and holds the slot. Confirm or reject it in the Bookings section, and tell the client yourself, by phone, email or message. Staff can also create bookings, including weekly or fortnightly series.

Step 5: follow the results. Reports show confirmed, cancelled and pending bookings, the cancellation rate, figures by day, service and provider, and the estimated revenue from list prices. You can export the list as CSV, XML or PDF.

The essentials

  • ✓The first 12 months are free, with no card, then plans from €1 to €8 per month
  • ✓Public page, calendar, team permissions and reports in one tool
  • ✓You confirm each request and inform clients yourself

Common questions

What does an online booking system cost?+

The first 12 months are free on all plans, with no card. After that the plans are €1, €2, €4 and €8 per month, and their limits are panel users, companies, storage and emails. There’s no permanent free plan. See the pricing page for details.

Can I switch from another booking system?+

You can import a one-off .ics file: events starting within the next 60 days, up to 2 MB, arrive as confirmed bookings with the client’s name as the title. Add your client list by hand.

More guides you may find useful

Time to launch your booking system?

Create the account, add your services and share the link. The first 12 months are free, with no card.

Give 4appointments a go