Using the waitlist

Using the waitlist

The waitlist collects clients who want a time you cannot offer yet, so you can fill a gap the moment one appears.

The one big idea: clients put themselves on the waitlist. There is no way to add someone from your dashboard, so a caller has to join from your booking page.

Someone asks on the phone

1. Say you will send them your booking link.
2. Ask them to pick the service and the day they want.
3. When they reach a day that is fully booked, a join option appears and they fill in their details.
4. Their name then shows on your Waitlist screen as Waiting.

Tip: your booking link is under Settings, then Booking Page. Keep it saved in your phone so you can send it in seconds.

Offer a slot

1. Open Waitlist from the sidebar.
2. Find a client on the Active tab.
3. Click Offer spot.

They get an email or text with a link that books them in.

Good to know: once you send an offer for an appointment, that entry leaves the Active tab. Switch to All to see it.

Warning: an offer cannot be taken back. If you offer the wrong person, phone them and explain. The offer runs out on its own at its expiry time.

If the button is greyed out, a short note explains why. It usually means no slots are free on that date, or the service is no longer offered on any calendar.

When the client says yes

Only the link in the offer completes the entry.

• If they use the link, the entry turns Complete on its own and the appointment lands on your calendar.
• If they ring you instead, take the booking the normal way, then come back and click Cancel on their waitlist entry so it does not sit there.

What each status means

• Waiting: they are on the list and nothing has been offered.
• Offered: you have sent them a slot and are waiting for a reply.
• Complete: they booked.
• Expired: the offer ran out.
• Cancelled: you or they called it off.

Use the bin icon to tidy away Expired or Cancelled entries for good.

Turn the waitlist on

1. Open Settings, then the Booking Settings tab, as an admin.
2. Find Optional Booking features and turn on Appointment waitlist. It saves on its own.
3. Under When a slot opens, choose how clients are offered a free slot: Staff choose (you pick who gets it), First in line (the first matching client is notified automatically), or Offer to all (everyone matching is notified at once).

Good to know: if Appointment waitlist is not in that list, the waitlist is not available on your account yet. Use the Support link in the sidebar and ask us to switch it on.

You can also tailor the wording of waitlist invitations under Settings, then Communications.

Common problems & fixes

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
There is no way to add someone myself	Clients join the waitlist themselves	Send them your booking link and ask them to join from a full day
A client I offered has disappeared	Offered entries leave the Active tab	Switch to All
Offer spot is greyed out	No slots are free on that date, or the service is not on any calendar	Read the note beside the button, then check the service and its calendars
I offered the wrong person	Offers cannot be withdrawn	Phone them. The offer expires on its own
No Waitlist link in the sidebar	The waitlist is switched off	Turn it on under Settings, then Booking Settings
A cancellation did not offer anyone a slot	Cancelling frees the slot but does not offer it	Open Waitlist and click Offer spot on whoever should get it

Next steps

• Taking a booking
• Using the calendar
• Guest communications (email and SMS)