How to create a complete online booking system for your business

Account, services, providers, public page and a simple daily routine, step by step.

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 takes 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. Add each provider with a weekly schedule, then use “Availability” for exceptions, days off and blocks, and choose the notice rules for the whole page and, if needed, for single services.

Step 3: share the booking link. Copy the link for the business, or the separate link for each provider, and use it on your website, social media and 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 text. Staff can also create bookings, including weekly or fortnightly series. Then follow the results in the reports: confirmed, cancelled and pending bookings, the cancellation rate, and figures by day, service and provider.

What to remember

  • ✓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. See the pricing page for details.

Is it possible to move over 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 to read

Keen 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