Complete guide to online booking
Practical answers to 35 questions about managing online bookings — for clients and for businesses.
Booking for clients
How to book a salon appointment online
Pick the service and the time on the salon’s booking page; the request stays pending until the salon confirms it.
How to book a doctor’s appointment online
Request a consultation on the practice’s booking page; the practice confirms the request afterwards.
How to book a car service appointment online
Choose the job and a free time on the garage’s booking page; the garage confirms the request afterwards.
How to cancel an appointment online
Use the management link from your confirmation screen to cancel in a few clicks.
How to reschedule a booking online
Open your management link, pick a new free time and confirm; no phone call is needed.
Management for business
How to manage client appointments in an online app
One panel for your bookings, providers and services, with a calendar you can read by day, week or month.
How to avoid double-booking appointments
Only free 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 in the panel; telling the client is up to you.
How to keep clients informed about appointments
4appointments sends no messages to clients, so here is a simple manual routine that works.
How to manage appointments for multiple employees
Each provider has their own schedule and link, and the team calendar shows everyone together.
Calendar & availability
How to set up appointment time slots
Set the weekly schedule, the duration of each service and the notice rules; clients then see only real free times.
How to set days off and breaks in the calendar
Mark days off and breaks in “Availability” and they disappear from the times clients can book.
How to manage employee availability in a booking system
Each provider has a weekly schedule of their own, and the booking page offers only the times when that person is free.
How to create an online calendar for clients
A public booking page showing free times, with a link you can share wherever your clients are.
Payments & firm bookings
How payment works for appointments
Online payment is not part of the current plans; payment is arranged between you and your client.
How to handle a deposit for online bookings
The tool does not collect deposits, but a pending booking holds the time until you have your payment.
How to reduce 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.
Real-world problems
Why am I not getting appointment notifications
4appointments does not email or message clients, so the final screen and the business itself are what count.
Why aren’t appointments showing in the calendar
Check the view and date range, the booking status, calendar visibility and your external ICS calendars.
How to fix overlapping appointments
Find where the overlap came from, move one booking and keep every booking in a single place.
How to handle clients who don’t show up
Confirm by hand before the day, review your cancellations and agree clear terms with clients.
How to remind clients before an appointment
4appointments sends nothing to clients, so a short daily routine with your own channels does the job.
Specific businesses
How to take online bookings for a beauty salon
A calendar per stylist, services with set durations and one link to put in your social media bio.
How to manage patient bookings online
A calendar per doctor, consultation types as services and confirmation done by your reception.
How to create a booking system for a car service garage
Work types with set durations, one calendar per mechanic or bay and confirmation by your own team.
How to create an online consulting calendar
A personal booking link, session types as services and your other calendar as busy time.
Special questions
How to create a complete online booking system for my business
Account, services, providers, public page and a simple daily routine, step by step.
How to keep clients informed about appointments
The tool sends no emails or texts to clients, so a short routine of your own covers each step.
How to manage appointments for multiple locations
One provider per place gives each location its own calendar and link, as a practical workaround.
How to link your calendar to 4appointments
There is no direct Google Calendar or Outlook sync; three ICS options connect your calendars today.
Setup & integrations
How does the public booking page work?
A link where clients see free times and ask for a booking by themselves, at any hour.
How do I add the booking system to my 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.
How do I customise the booking page with my brand?
Set your business name, logo and primary colour; other elements of the page are fixed for now.
Ready to start?
Create your booking page in 15 minutes.
Try 4appointments →