How to Set Up and Use Public Bookings

Public Bookings allow your customers to request an appointment through a shareable web page. Customers choose a day and appointment type, and you approve the request and assign a time and mechanic. This guide covers setting up the public booking page, customising appointment types, and approving booking requests.

Step 1: Configure Public Booking Settings

  1. Go to Settings > Public Booking.
  2. Your unique Public Booking URL is displayed at the top. Share this link on your website, Instagram, Google Business Profile, or anywhere customers can find you.
  3. Customise your Appointment Types. Two defaults are provided. Double-click to edit or delete them:
    • Enter the Name of the appointment type (e.g. “Standard Service”, “Logbook Service”).
    • Set the Estimated Duration.
    • Turn on relevant vehicle fields — these are the same fields used on the vehicle page for reminders (e.g. next service item).
  4. Press the + icon to create additional appointment types.

Step 2: Set Availability

  1. Set the Availability Threshold — this controls when a day stops accepting requests:
    • Percentage (recommended for new users) — e.g. 60% means once your diary is 60% booked for a day, customers can no longer request that day.
    • Specific hours — set a fixed number of hours available per day for public bookings.

Step 3: Link to Reminders (Optional)

  1. If using the reminder system, add the public booking URL to your email reminder templates so customers can book their next service directly from the reminder.
  2. For SMS reminders (where the URL may be too long), turn on Send Link in Reminders. This sends a follow-up text with the booking link after the reminder message.

Step 4: Customise Appearance

  1. Add your logo.
  2. Customise the colours to match your brand.

What Customers See

When a customer visits your public booking page, they:

  1. Select an Appointment Type.
  2. Fill in their details (name or company name, contact info, vehicle details).
  3. Choose an available day to make a request.
  4. Receive a confirmation that they will be contacted once the booking is confirmed.

Important: Public bookings are requests, not automatic diary entries. The customer chooses a day, but you choose the specific time and mechanic.

Approving Booking Requests

  1. A banner notification appears on your Booking Diary and Dashboard when a new request arrives.
  2. Click the banner and press the Magnifying Glass to view the request.
  3. The system tells you whether this is a new customer/vehicle or a returning customer.
  4. Confirm the day and time for the booking.
  5. Optionally assign a mechanic.
  6. Press Approve.
  7. Choose to send a confirmation (SMS or email using the template from your Messages settings page), or approve without sending if you have already spoken to the customer.
  8. The booking now appears in your Booking Diary.

Good to Know

  • Public bookings are requests — they do not automatically appear in your diary. You must approve each one and assign a time.
  • Start with a 60% availability threshold and adjust based on your experience.
  • The booking confirmation template can be customised in Settings > Messages.
  • The system automatically detects returning customers and vehicles, so you don’t end up with duplicates.
  • Share the public booking URL on your website, social media, and in reminder messages.

FAQ

Do public bookings go straight into my diary?
No. They are requests that you must approve. You choose the time and mechanic before adding them to the diary.

What does the availability threshold do?
It controls when a day stops accepting requests. At 60%, once your diary is 60% full for a day, customers can no longer select that day.

Can I include the booking link in service reminders?
Yes. Add the URL to email reminder templates, or turn on “Send Link in Reminders” to automatically send the link after SMS reminders.

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