Set up online booking and the website button

Overview#

Online booking lets customers book a visit 24/7 into your real availability. They pick a service, enter their ZIP code, choose a day and arrival window, and give their details. TradesWork checks capacity again at the moment they confirm, so two people can't take the last slot. Each booking creates a job with an unassigned appointment in the chosen window and the campaign Online booking, ready for a dispatcher to assign.

You can share a booking page link, add a button to your website that opens the form over your page, or embed the form in a page.

Before you start#

• Only Owners and Admins can open Settings › Communications › Web Appointments. (The same page is also listed as Settings › Integrations › Booking Providers & Lead Sources.)

• You need at least one job type with a duration. Online booking uses each job type's duration and required skills.

• Set technician hours first in Settings › People › Technicians. With no hours, there is nothing to book.

• Confirmation texts to customers need customer texting set up. Without it, bookings still work and the customer is told you will be in touch.

Steps#

Choose your bookable services#

1. Open Settings › Communications › Web Appointments (page title Online booking).

2. In Bookable services, tick Online for each job type customers may book.

3. For each ticked row, set:

   • Name customers see, for example "AC tune-up" instead of an internal job type name.

   • Short description (optional).

   • Price ($) (optional). Leave blank for "No price". Tick From to show it as "From $149".

   • Business unit, if you use them (defaults to the job type's).

4. Click Save services.

Set the rules#

1. In the Rules card, tick Accept online bookings. The badge at the top changes from Off to Live when you save.

2. Check Arrival windows (for example 8-10, 10-12, 12-14, 14-16) and Drive time between jobs (minutes). These are shared with office capacity; see "Capacity and arrival windows".

3. Set the online-only rules:

   • Minimum notice (hours): a window must start at least this long from now. Default 2 hours.

   • No same-day bookings after: pick a time, or No cutoff.

   • Book up to (days ahead): 1 to 90. Default 21.

   • Max online bookings per window: keeps room for phone calls. Blank means book until the window is full.

   • Service area ZIP codes: ZIP codes separated by commas or spaces. Blank means any ZIP can book. Customers outside the list are asked to call.

4. Click Save rules.

Share the booking page or add it to your website#

1. In Share your booking page, use Copy link to copy the booking page address, or Open to see it as a customer would. Use the link in Google, Facebook and texts.

2. To add a button that opens the form over your website, copy the Website button snippet and paste it where the button should appear.

3. To show the form inside a page instead, copy the Or embed the form in the page snippet.

4. No other setup is needed. Until Accept online bookings is on, the page shows "Online booking isn't available".

What the customer sees#

1. What do you need? They pick a service.

2. Where do you need us? They enter a ZIP code and tap See open times.

3. Pick a day and arrival window. Closed windows can't be picked.

4. Your details: Name, Mobile phone, Email (optional), Street address, City, State, ZIP, Anything we should know? and Add a photo (both optional). Then Review booking.

5. Confirm your booking, then Book it.

6. You're booked shows the service, day, window and a reference number. It says "We just texted you a confirmation." when the text went out, or that your company will be in touch.

Work the bookings#

1. Each online booking is a job with status Scheduled and an appointment in the chosen window, with no technician. Find them on the dispatch board's Unassigned tab, or in Schedule › Jobs & Appointments with the campaign Online booking.

2. Assign a technician. The customer's notes are in the job description, followed by "Booked online by the customer." A photo, if sent, is on the job.

3. Returning customers are matched by phone or email, so you don't get duplicates.

Settings that change this#

• Settings › People › Technicians: who works when.

• Settings › Dispatch Board › Board & Skills: skills a job type needs. A service needing a skill nobody working has shows no times.

• Schedule › Non-Job Events: meetings and training remove people from online availability.

Tips#

• Start with two or three simple services with fixed durations, such as a tune-up or a diagnostic visit.

• Use Max online bookings per window in busy season so phones still have room.

• Keep Minimum notice at least long enough to review a booking before the window starts.

• Booking is limited to 10 tries per hour from one internet address and 5 per day per phone number, which stops spam without bothering real customers.

Troubleshooting#

• The page says "Online booking isn't available". Accept online bookings is off, or the link is wrong. Turn it on and use Copy link again.

• "No job types yet. Add job types (with durations) before turning on online booking." Create job types first.

• A customer sees "We don't book that area online yet." Their ZIP isn't in Service area ZIP codes. Add it or leave the list blank.

• No open times at all. Check technician hours, time off, required skills, Book up to (days ahead) and Minimum notice. Windows close with a reason such as "Too soon to book online. Call us for the soonest visit."

• A customer saw "Online bookings for this window are full." The per-window online limit was reached. Raise it or leave it blank.

• "Too many booking attempts." The rate limit was hit. The customer should call.

• The customer didn't get a text. Texting isn't set up or the send failed. The booking itself still went through.

FAQ#

Are online bookings assigned to a technician automatically? No. They land unassigned in the chosen window. Capacity already reserved room for them, and a dispatcher assigns the technician.

Can customers see how many slots are left? No. The public page only shows whether a window is open.

Do the online rules affect the office? No. Minimum notice, same-day cutoff, days ahead and the online limit apply only to online and partner bookings. The office only can't book windows that have already started.

What campaign do online bookings get? Online booking (created automatically, website channel).

Coming from ServiceTitan#

• Same: customers book into real capacity and arrival windows, and bookings land for dispatch.

• Different: the booking page, website button and embed come built in, priced per service with an optional "From" price, with no separate product to buy. Bookings become jobs directly instead of booking requests to accept.

• Where it lived: ServiceTitan Scheduling Pro and its scheduler settings, plus web booking requests in Calls › Bookings.