How to start taking online bookings: a one-afternoon checklist
Updated November 12, 2026 · Aegleres
Online booking means clients can book at 11pm without messaging you, and you stop playing phone tag. Setting it up properly takes an afternoon. Work through this list in order.
1. List your services clearly
- A short name clients would recognise
- How long it takes — including any cleanup or travel time between bookings
- The price, or 'from' price if it varies by size or length
- Optional extras clients can add on
2. Set your working hours (and each person's)
Only offer times you genuinely want to work. It's easier to open more slots later than to cancel bookings you didn't want.
3. Decide your rules
- How far ahead people can book, and the minimum notice you need
- Your cancellation and no-show policy
- Whether some services need a deposit
4. Turn on reminders
Automatic confirmations and reminders do more to prevent no-shows than anything else. Switch them on before you share your link.
5. Make your booking page look like you
Add your logo or a photo of your work, a sentence about what you do, your address or service area, and a few reviews if you have them.
6. Book a test appointment yourself
Go through the whole thing as a client on your phone. Check the confirmation arrives and the times look right.
7. Share your link everywhere
- Instagram, Facebook and TikTok
- Google Business Profile
- Your voicemail and email signature
- A QR code at your front desk or on your van
With Aegleres
- Pick your industry and start with ready-made services and wording
- Your booking page and link are ready straight away
- Reminders, deposits, policies and a waitlist built in
- $19.99 a month, everything included, after a 14-day free trial with no card
Questions
Do I need a website?
No. Your booking page can be your website: services, prices, photos, reviews and booking in one link.
What if a client books a time I can't do?
Only open the hours you really work and set a minimum notice period. You can still move or cancel a booking, and the client is told.
Can clients book on their phone?
Yes — most clients will. Always test your booking page on a phone before sharing it.
Try it in Aegleres
Booking, reminders, deposits and payments for appointment businesses. $19.99 a month, everything included — free for 14 days, no card.