🗓️ Bookings & scheduling

Set up services and availability

1. Bookings → Services: add each offering with duration and price (and an optional deposit and contract).
2. Bookings → Availability: set your weekly hours and timezone; add buffers between sessions, minimum notice, and a max-per-day if you want breathing room.
3. Use date overrides for days off or special hours — an override replaces that day's weekly rules.
4. Flip on “Accept bookings” — your page is live at yourhandle.showpiece.studio/book.

Connect your calendar (two-way)

1. Bookings → Availability → connect Google Calendar or Microsoft/Outlook.
2. Out: confirming a booking creates a calendar event; cancelling removes it.
3. In: anything busy on your calendar — personal appointments, other jobs — blocks those booking slots automatically.
4. Also available: subscribe Apple Calendar (or anything) to your bookings via the iCal feed, and paste any external calendar's .ics URL to fold its busy times in.

The booking flow

A request comes in as pending (you get email + push). The slot is held instantly — no double booking during your decision. Confirm or decline from Bookings; the client is notified either way, and every booking has a built-in message thread the client can use without an account — including self-service reschedule and cancel.

Someone booked with you over Instagram, text or in person? Click "+ Add a booking" at the top of Bookings (or on their client page). Pick the service (or "Something else…"), the date and time you agreed — it doesn't have to be an open slot — and their details. For the deposit, email them an invoice, mark it already paid, or waive it. They get the usual confirmation email and booking link unless you untick it.

Mini-sessions

1. Bookings → Mini sessions: pick a date, a time window, and a slot length (anything from 1 minute up, e.g. 20 minutes). Add prep time between slots or a break (lunch, a backdrop change) if you need one.
2. Share the event page — clients grab slots first-come-first-served, with a deposit if you set one on the mini session.
3. Giving someone a slot yourself? Click "+ Book someone in" on the mini session, pick an open time, and enter their name and email. Leave "No deposit" ticked to confirm them straight away, or tick "Complimentary" for a free session (no deposit, and never a balance invoice).
4. Giveaway? Make a single-use 100%-off promo code (Payments → Getting paid → Promo codes) and post it; whoever uses it first books a free session, with no deposit. Promo codes work on mini sessions and regular bookings alike: they come off the session price, the deposit stays the same, and the discount shows on the balance invoice.

Getting told about new bookings

You're emailed about every new request and every client reply. For a ping on your phone or computer too, turn on Push notifications under Bookings → Setup. On iPhone, add Showpiece to your Home Screen first (see the Dashboard, notifications & phone guide).

Booking on your own website

Bookings → Setup has a one-line embed snippet — paste it into any website (Squarespace, WordPress, custom) and your booking flow appears right there, auto-sized.