Appearance
Booking Settings
Configure your appointment types, fitting rooms, custom booking questions, checklist templates, and public booking link from Settings > Booking.
Page Layout
The Booking settings page is laid out as a 3-row, 2-column grid so each section sits in a focused half-width card:
| Row | Left | Right |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Public Booking Link card, with Per-Location Booking Links stacked below it | Payment Label, with Card on File for Free Appointments stacked below it |
| 2 | Appointment Types | Custom Booking Questions |
| 3 | Fitting Rooms | Checklist Templates |
On narrow screens the grid collapses to a single column. The legacy /settings/appointment-checklist URL now redirects here — checklist templates are managed inline as a card on this page rather than a standalone settings screen.
Public Booking Link
The Public Booking Link card sits in the top-left of the page. Share this URL with customers — on your website, social media, emails, or anywhere else — so they can book appointments online. Click Copy Link to copy it to your clipboard (the button briefly changes to "Copied" as confirmation).
Per-Location Booking Links
When you have more than one location, a second card titled Per-Location Booking Links appears underneath the public link. Each location gets its own direct URL of the form .../book/at/{slug} with an inline Copy button, so you can post location-specific links wherever you market each boutique. Customers using a per-location link skip the location-picker step on the booking form and go straight to that location's calendar.
Each location's booking slug is auto-generated from the location name and managed on the Locations settings page. If a location is missing its slug, the card shows an amber notice in place of the URL with a link straight to that settings page so you can set one.
The Per-Location Booking Links card is hidden entirely for single-location boutiques.
Payment Label
The Payment Label card sits in the top-right of the page. By default, customers see the word "Deposit" everywhere a booking deposit is shown. Use this card to swap it for terminology that matches your boutique — for example, Booking Fee, Retainer, or Appointment Deposit.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Label | Up to 50 characters. Placeholder shows example values (Booking Fee, Retainer, Appointment Deposit). Leave blank to fall back to "Deposit". |
A live preview under the field shows exactly how the label will read to customers — Shown as: "$50.00 {Label} required" — so you can see the result before saving.
The label appears in three places on the customer journey:
- The appointment type selection cards
- The review / summary step during booking
- The payment checkout page
Click Save to apply.
Card on File for Free Appointments
This card sits in the top-right of the page, stacked underneath Payment Label. It's a single toggle that controls whether your free appointment types collect a card on file at booking time.
| Toggle | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Card on file for free appointments | When on, the public booking page asks the customer to save a card on file before confirming a free appointment. The card is stored on the customer's profile but not charged at booking. When off, free appointments confirm with no payment information collected. |
Useful for reducing no-shows on consultations and other free-of-charge appointments — the customer knows you have their card on file, even though nothing is charged today.
Paid appointments always save the card
You don't need this toggle on for paid appointments. Whenever a customer pays a deposit (or full price) at booking, BridalOp always saves that card to the customer's profile automatically — the toggle only affects free appointments where there's no payment to capture.
The saved card lives on the customer's profile under the Payment Methods tab and can be used for future invoice payments, layaway auto-charges, or POS Card-on-File charges.
Appointment Categories
Pinned at the top of the Appointment Types area, the Appointment Categories card lets you group your appointment types into bigger buckets — Bridal, Bridesmaid, Service Visits, etc. When at least one category exists, brides see a new What are you here for? step on the public booking page (after picking a location, before picking a type) and only see the types in the category they choose.
Each row shows the category name with ↑ / ↓ reorder buttons, an Edit link, and a Delete link. Click Add Category in the section header to add a new one.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Customer-facing name shown on the booking step (e.g., "Bridal", "Bridesmaid", "Service Visits") |
Once categories exist, every appointment type can be assigned to one via a new Category dropdown on the type form (see below).
Backward compatible
If you don't create any categories, the public booking page keeps its existing flat list of appointment types — no extra step. Categories only kick in once you add at least one.
Uncategorized types automatically surface under a synthetic Other bucket on the public booking step whenever at least one category exists. So you can roll out categories incrementally without losing any types.
Appointment Types
Appointment types define the services you offer (e.g., "Bridal Appointment", "Bridesmaid Fitting", "Bubbly Appointment"). Each type controls how long the appointment lasts, how it appears on the calendar, and what the customer sees when booking.
The Appointment Types section displays as a card grid rather than a wide table — one card per row on narrow screens, two cards per row at the xl breakpoint and above. Each card shows:
- A color dot + the appointment type name
- An Active / Inactive badge
- A Staff only badge when Show on public booking page is unchecked (see Public visibility below)
- A row of stats: duration in minutes, buffer in minutes, and max party size
- An optional second row with Price and Deposit (only shown when at least one is set)
- Edit and Delete buttons
The card itself doesn't show the assigned checklist template — that's set on the edit form (see below) and surfaces on the appointment slide-over once the appointment exists.
Click Add Type in the section header to add a new appointment type.
Creating & Editing an Appointment Type
Click Add Type or Edit to open the form.
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes | Display name (e.g., "Bridal Consultation") |
| Color | Yes | Pick from 10 preset colors or use the color picker for any custom hex color. This color appears on calendar events and the booking page. |
| Duration (minutes) | Yes | How long the appointment lasts (15–480 minutes) |
| Buffer (minutes) | Yes | Grace period after the appointment ends before the next one can start in the same room (0–120 minutes). Use this to build in cleanup or transition time between back-to-back appointments. |
| Max Party Size | Yes | Maximum guests allowed (1–20). Customers can select their party size up to this number when booking. |
| Price | No | Service price displayed to customers on the booking page. This is informational — it doesn't trigger payment on its own. |
| Deposit to Book | No | Amount charged at booking time. If greater than $0 and a payment gateway is connected, customers are prompted to pay before the booking is confirmed. If $0, no payment is required. Cannot exceed the price. |
| Category | No | Pick an Appointment Category for this type. Leave blank to surface this type under the synthetic Other bucket on the public booking page (only when at least one category exists). |
| Available Days | No | Restrict this appointment type to specific days of the week (Mon–Sun). Leave all unchecked to allow every day. Restricted days are greyed out on the booking calendar. |
| Requires Fitting Room | Yes | Controls whether this appointment type needs a fitting room for availability. See the Fitting Rooms section below for details. Default is on. |
| Checklist Template | No | Pick one Checklist Template to attach to every appointment of this type. Leave blank for no checklist. A single template can be reused across multiple appointment types. |
| Show on public booking page | — | When unchecked, this type stays usable by staff (calendar, manual appointment creation) but is hidden from the public booking page. Use this for types like Pickup, Alterations Fitting, or Trunk Show that staff schedule manually. The card on the Appointment Types list shows a Staff only badge when this is off. Default is on. |
| Active | — | Inactive types are hidden from the public booking page and staff dropdowns. (Use Show on public booking page if you only want to hide from the public side.) |
Public Visibility
Two flags control where an appointment type shows up:
| Flag | Hides from public booking | Hides from staff |
|---|---|---|
| Active off | Yes | Yes |
| Show on public booking page off | Yes | No — staff can still pick it manually |
When you turn Show on public booking page off for every appointment type, the public booking page falls back to an empty-state message: "Online booking is currently unavailable — Please call the boutique to book your appointment. We'd love to hear from you."
Price vs. Deposit to Book
- Price is the total cost of the service. It's displayed to the customer for transparency but doesn't require payment at booking time.
- Deposit to Book is the amount charged when the customer books online. If a payment gateway is connected and the deposit is greater than $0, the customer must pay before the booking is confirmed. If the deposit is $0, no payment is required.
The deposit amount cannot exceed the price. Price and Deposit to Book appear as side-by-side fields on the appointment type form.
The customer-facing label for the deposit amount is configurable via the Payment Label card at the top of the page.
Fitting Rooms
Fitting rooms represent the physical spaces in your boutique where appointments take place. They control how many appointments can happen at the same time — BridalOp uses fitting room availability to calculate which time slots to offer customers.
When to Use Fitting Rooms
Use fitting rooms when:
- Your boutique has a limited number of private rooms or suites
- Appointments need dedicated space that can't overlap
- Different rooms accommodate different party sizes
- Certain rooms are only suitable for certain appointment types
Don't use fitting rooms when:
- Appointments don't require a specific physical space (e.g., phone consultations)
- You want unlimited concurrent bookings for a service
For appointment types that don't need a room, uncheck "Requires Fitting Room" on the appointment type. Those appointments will be available based purely on business hours and calendar blocks, with no room constraints.
How Fitting Rooms Affect Availability
When a customer books an appointment type that requires a fitting room, BridalOp checks:
- Are there eligible rooms? — rooms at the right location, that are active, that allow this appointment type, and that fit the party size
- Are any of those rooms free? — no existing appointment in that room during the requested time (including buffer)
If all eligible rooms are occupied during a time slot, that slot won't be shown. If no eligible rooms exist at all for an appointment type (e.g., no rooms allow "Bridal Fitting"), no slots will be available — the customer will see "No available time slots for this date."
Table Columns
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Room name (e.g., "Family Room", "Suite") |
| Max Party | Maximum party size the room can accommodate |
| Allowed Types | Which appointment types can use this room (shown as colored badges) |
| Status | Active or Inactive |
| Actions | Edit and Delete |
Creating & Editing a Fitting Room
Click Add Room or Edit to open the form.
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes | Room display name |
| Location | Yes | Which boutique location this room belongs to |
| Max Party Size | No | Maximum number of people the room fits. If left blank, there's no limit. Rooms with a max party size smaller than the customer's party will be excluded from availability. |
| Allowed Appointment Types | No | Check the appointment types this room can host. Leave all unchecked to allow all types. If you check specific types, only those types can be booked into this room. |
| Active | — | Inactive rooms are excluded from availability calculations and room selection |
Example Setup
A boutique with two rooms:
| Room | Max Party | Allowed Types |
|---|---|---|
| Family Room | 6 | Bridal Appointment, Bubbly Appointment |
| Suite | 20 | Bubbly Appointment |
- A Bridal Appointment for a party of 4 → only "Family Room" is eligible
- A Bubbly Appointment for a party of 10 → only "Suite" is eligible (Family Room only fits 6)
- A Bubbly Appointment for a party of 4 → both rooms are eligible, so two can run concurrently
Custom Booking Questions
Add custom fields to your booking form to collect additional information from customers — like "How did you hear about us?", dress preferences, wedding venue, or any other details you need.
Table Columns
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Order | Up/down arrows to reorder the field's position on the form |
| Label | The question or field label |
| Type | Field type (Text Field, Select Box, Checkbox, etc.) |
| Required | Whether the field is required on the public booking form |
| Status | Active or Inactive |
| Actions | Edit and Delete |
Reordering
Use the ↑ and ↓ arrows in the Order column to change where a field appears on the booking form. Fields at the top of the list appear first on the form. The order updates immediately when you click an arrow.
Creating & Editing a Field
Click Add Field or Edit to open the form.
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Label | Yes | The question text (e.g., "How did you hear about us?") |
| Field Type | Yes | The type of input (see all types below) |
| Placeholder | No | Hint text inside the field (e.g., "e.g., Instagram, Google...") |
| Default Value | No | Pre-filled value when the form loads |
| Options | For Select/Multi-Select | Comma-separated list of choices (e.g., "A-Line, Ball Gown, Mermaid") |
| Required | No | When checked, the field is marked with a red asterisk and must be filled before submitting |
| Active | — | Inactive fields are hidden from both the public booking form and staff appointment creation |
| Show only for specific appointment types | No | When enabled, the field only appears when the customer selects one of the chosen appointment types (see Conditional Fields below) |
Field Types
| Type | Renders As | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Text | Single-line text input | Short answers (name, reference number) |
| Phone | Phone number input | Phone numbers |
| Number | Number input | Dress size, guest count |
| Textarea | Multi-line text area | Detailed notes, special requests |
| Select | Dropdown (single choice) | "How did you hear about us?", dress style, size |
| Multi-Select | Checkboxes (multiple choices) | Service add-ons, preferences, multiple selections |
| Checkbox | Single yes/no checkbox | Terms agreement, opt-ins |
| Address | Autocomplete address field | Wedding venue, delivery address |
| File | File upload | Reference photos, inspiration images |
| Hidden | Not visible to customer | Internal tracking values (UTM parameters, source codes) |
Conditional Fields
Check "Show only for specific appointment types" to make a field appear only for certain appointment types. For example:
- A "Dress Style Preference" select field that only shows for Bridal Appointment — not for Bridesmaid or Bubbly appointments
- A "Number of Bridesmaids" number field that only shows for Bridesmaid Fitting
When the condition is enabled, a list of your active appointment types appears as checkboxes. Select which types should show this field. If no types are selected (or the condition is off), the field shows for all appointment types.
Where Custom Fields Appear
Public booking form — customers see the fields after selecting their appointment type, date, and time. Required fields must be filled before they can proceed to review and confirm their booking.
Staff appointment creation — the same fields appear under a "Custom Fields" section when staff create appointments manually. However, all custom fields are optional for staff regardless of the required setting — this gives your team flexibility to skip fields when creating appointments on behalf of customers.
Customer profile — custom field responses are stored with the appointment and visible when viewing appointment details.
Checklist Templates
Checklist Templates are reusable lists of tasks that staff tick off during an appointment — fit-check steps, accessory pairing, photo capture, payment collection, anything that should be consistent every time. Define a template once and assign it to as many appointment types as you want.
The Checklist Templates card sits in the bottom-right of the Booking settings grid. The card lists every template you've created as a single row each, showing:
- The template name
- A subtitle reading
{N} task(s) · {assigned appointment type names}so you can see at a glance how many tasks the template has and which appointment types use it - Edit and Delete controls on the right
If you haven't created any templates yet, the card shows an empty-state message: "No templates yet. Add one and assign it to an appointment type."
Click Add Template in the card header to add a new one.
Creating a Template
Clicking Add Template (or Edit on an existing row) opens the template modal. The modal uses a 2-column layout:
| Side | Contents |
|---|---|
| Left | Template name + the list of tasks. After roughly 7 tasks the list scrolls inside the modal so the modal height stays predictable. |
| Right | Multi-select checklist of all your active appointment types — tick every type that should use this template. |
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Template Name | The display name shown on the Checklist Templates card, in the appointment type dropdown, and on the appointment slide-over (e.g., "Standard Bridal Fitting") |
| Tasks | Ordered list of task labels. Click Add Task to append a row; the trash icon removes a row. |
| Assigned to Appointment Types | Multi-select. Assigning a template here is the same as picking it on the appointment type's edit form — both sides stay in sync. |
A single template can be assigned to multiple appointment types. Each appointment type can only point to one template (or none).
Editing and Deleting
Click Edit on any template row to reopen the modal. Editing a template's tasks affects future appointments only — completions already recorded on past appointments are preserved.
Click Delete to remove the template. Doing so clears the template assignment from any appointment types that referenced it. Existing appointments retain their recorded completions for the audit trail.
How Checklists Appear on Appointments
When an appointment is created from a type that has a template assigned, the appointment slide-over shows a Checklist section listing the template's tasks. See Appointments → Checklist for the full staff-facing behavior — ticking stamps the staff member's first name + timestamp, unticking removes the stamp, and every action is written to the appointment's activity log.