Questions and answers
What owners ask before they set up their booking page. If your question isn't here, send us a message.
Getting started
- What is TidyBookings?
- TidyBookings is online booking software for small service businesses. You get a booking page with your name, logo and colors, plus a back office for services, staff hours, booking rules and client records. Your clients book, reschedule and cancel on their own.
- Who is it for?
- Businesses that run on appointments, from a solo practitioner to a team of about ten: hair salons, barbershops, nail salons, dental offices, family doctors, personal trainers, pet groomers, massage therapists, tutors and cleaning services.
- My trade isn't on the list. Can I still use it?
- Yes. Start from the trade closest to yours, then rename, add or remove services until the menu matches what you offer. Every preset is only a starting point.
- How do I get started?
- Create an account, name your business and pick your trade. The setup wizard fills in starting services, opening hours and booking rules for that trade. Change anything you like, then share your booking page link.
- Can I try it before signing up?
- Yes. The demo page lists a sample business for every trade, and you can book, reschedule and cancel test appointments on their booking pages. Demo data is reset every day.
Your clients
- Do my clients need an account?
- No. Clients book as guests with their name and email address; a phone number is optional. Their confirmation email holds a private link for managing the booking.
- How do clients reschedule or cancel?
- Every confirmation and reminder email includes a private manage link. Clients can move or cancel their booking themselves until the cutoff you set, for example 12 or 24 hours before the appointment. After the cutoff, the online options close and they contact you directly.
- Does TidyBookings send reminders?
- Yes. Clients get a reminder email a day before their appointment, or a day before online changes close if your cutoff is a day or longer. It includes the manage link. Text message reminders aren't available.
- What happens when a day is fully booked?
- Clients can join the waitlist for that day. If a booking on that day is canceled or moved, everyone on the waitlist for the day gets an email saying a spot has opened.
- Does it sync with Google Calendar or Outlook?
- Confirmation emails include add-to-calendar links for Google, Outlook and Yahoo, so clients can save the appointment in one tap. Two-way calendar sync isn't available.
- Can clients pay online or leave a deposit?
- Not at the moment. TidyBookings handles booking, not payments, so clients pay you the way they do today.
Running your business
- Can my staff have their own logins?
- Yes. Each staff member gets their own login, sets their weekly working hours and blocks off time away. Clients can pick who they book with or take whoever is free.
- Which booking rules can I set?
- How much notice you need before a booking, how far ahead clients can book, and how close to the appointment clients can still cancel or reschedule online. Each service also has its own duration, buffer time, price and capacity.
- Can I run more than one business?
- Yes. One account can run several businesses, each with its own booking page, staff and settings.
- Does it work in my country and timezone?
- Each business has its own timezone, and times on its booking page are shown in that timezone. TidyBookings is available in English only.
Pricing and your data
- How much does it cost?
- TidyBookings is free to use, with common-sense limits for now. There are no paid plans today, and every account gets every feature.
- Do I need a card to sign up?
- No. You sign up with your name, email address and a password, and nothing in TidyBookings asks for payment details.
- Is every feature included?
- Yes. Staff logins, the waitlist, client records and running several businesses are open to every account, along with everything else TidyBookings does.
- Do my clients pay anything to book?
- No. Booking, rescheduling and canceling are free for your clients, and they don't need an account.
- What are the common-sense limits?
- [Describe the usage limits here once they are decided.] If your business needs more, get in touch through the contact page.
- Where is my data stored?
- [Hosting provider and data location.] Each business's data is kept separate from every other business, and you can turn on two-factor login for your account.
- Can I delete my account?
- Yes. You can delete your account from your settings at any time. [Describe what happens to booking and client data after deletion.]
Try it on a demo board
Every trade has a demo business you can book with, so you can see exactly what your clients will see.