Your complete guide to online booking
Practical answers to 35 questions on handling online bookings, written for both clients and businesses.
Booking for clients
Booking a salon appointment online, step by step
Pick your service and timing on the salon’s booking page; the request stays pending until the salon confirms it.
Booking a doctor’s appointment online
Request a consultation on the clinic’s booking page at any hour; the clinic confirms the request afterwards.
Booking a car servicing appointment online
Choose the job and a free timing on the workshop’s booking page; the workshop confirms the request afterwards.
Cancelling an appointment online
Use the management link from your confirmation screen to cancel in a few taps.
Rescheduling a booking online
Open your management link, pick a new free timing and confirm; no phone call is needed.
Managing your business
Managing client appointments with an online app
One panel for your bookings, providers and services, with a calendar you can read by day, week or month.
Preventing double-booked appointments
Only free timings are offered, and a request holds its timing from the moment it is sent.
How booking confirmation works
Each request stays pending until your team confirms it in the panel; 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 several staff members
Each provider has their own schedule and link, and the team calendar shows everyone together.
Calendar and availability
Setting up time slots for appointments
Set the weekly schedule, the duration of each service and the notice rules; clients then see only real free timings.
Setting days off and breaks in the calendar
Mark days off and breaks in “Availability” and they disappear from the timings clients can book.
Managing staff availability in a booking tool
Each provider has a weekly schedule of their own, and the booking page offers only the timings when that person is free.
Creating an online calendar for your clients
A public booking page showing free timings, with a link you can share wherever your clients are.
Payments and confirmed bookings
How payment works for appointments
Online payment is not part of the current plans; payment is arranged between you and your client.
Handling a deposit for online bookings
The tool does not collect deposits, but a pending booking holds the timing 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 an online appointment
4appointments issues no invoices; you export the booking data and invoice with your own tool.
Common problems
Why you are not receiving appointment notifications
4appointments does not email or message clients, so the final screen and the business itself are what count.
Why appointments are not showing 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 do not 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.
By type 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 bookings online
A calendar per doctor, consultation types as services and confirmation done by your reception.
Setting up a booking system for a car servicing workshop
Work types with set durations, one calendar per mechanic or bay and confirmation by your own team.
Creating an online calendar for consultations
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 across multiple locations
One provider per place gives each location its own calendar and link, as a practical workaround.
Linking your calendar to 4appointments
There is no direct Google Calendar or Outlook sync; three ICS options connect your calendars today.
Setup and integrations
How the public booking page works for clients
A link where clients see free timings 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 is no embed code or plugin.
Can I send a booking link on WhatsApp?
Yes: copy the link and paste it into any chat app. You send it, and 4appointments sends nothing itself.
Customising the booking page with your brand
Set your business name, logo and primary colour; other elements of the page are fixed for now.
Ready to begin?
Set up your booking page in 15 minutes.
Try 4appointments →