Description

Online scheduling and booking plugin

At Start Booking, we believe that a simple online booking experience is critical to any highly converting website. Start Booking is a WordPress booking plugin that is focused on helping individuals and businesses manage customers, book more appointments, and sell their services.

The appointment scheduling plugin seamlessly connects with the Start Booking cloud platform to power your online booking and display your services or classes anywhere on your WordPress site. The plugin has been developed to adopt and inherit your WordPress theme styles, so minimal (if any) updates are needed to give your website a performant and professional looking booking calendar.

With appointment booking from Start Booking, you will find a nice balance between the booking tools available to you straight from the WordPress admin and that which is available from within the Start Booking platform itself. From our experience, most businesses don’t want to run the day-day of their business directly within their WordPress admin. Because of this, we developed the Start Booking online scheduling software to help you manage your services, appointments, classes and business better while leveraging your WordPress website as a tool and integral part of the experience.

Embedding the booking system

Once the plugin is installed, there are a few options for displaying your booking calendar. If you are using the Gutenberg editor (WordPress 5.0+), you will have the option to use our blocks to embed your booking form. If you are not using Gutenber, we still support shortcodes for the legacy booking experience.

Gutenberg Blocks

To use the Gutenberg blocks, navigate to any page or post that you want to display your booking form.

Services Block

The first and most popular option is the services block. This block will display a booking flow (which is configurable) for a user to select a service and date they want to book and the plugin will return available openings based on your Start Booking settings.

Single Service Availability

The second appointment booking option is a lot like the services block except with the single service availability shortcode, you predefine what service you want selected so that the user skips selecting a service and only selects a date & time.

Example usage for this would be if you have single pages on your website for each of your services. You could embed the single service availability shortcode directly into each page so your user could book that service in context. This really helps your user by not having to search for the service in the general service availability booking experience.

To use this shortcode, place [startbooking_cta services="YOUR SERVICE ID" ]Book Now[/startbooking_cta] shortcode in your post, page, widget etc. Be sure to replace “YOUR SERVICE ID” with your actual service ID. You can view your service ID’s directly from the plugin wp-admin settings page. Lastly, you can add multiple service ID’s (comma separated) to have a bundle of services preselected for booking appointments.

Class & Group Booking Block

The third booking calendar option is to display a list of your classes that your users can join. Classes can be anything from yoga classes to group meetups. The main difference between the service and class booking experiences is that services will display to your customers available openings (times that you have open) where as the classes experience displays times that were predefined and can support multiple users joining a class.

To use the the classes block, add the block in any of your posts or pages that you want.

For each of these options, there are additional settings such as the ability to change the booking button colors so they better match the look of your online calendar, changing the text in the flow, etc. To learn more about the available options of the WordPress booking plugin please visit the Start Booking WordPress plugin knowledge base.

Booking Integrations

Google Analytics

With the Google Analytics integration, you’ll be able to understand how and when customers are booking appointments with you.

Google Calendar (Two-way Sync)

The Google Calendar integration takes all your appointments and pushes them (including a brief description) directly into your Google Calendar.

Stripe Payments

Accepting payments from your customers has never been easier with the Start Booking Stripe integration.

The Stripe integration enables you to accept payments from customers directly from your website and gives you the flexibility to require payment to book appointments if you want. In addition, the Stripe Booking integration gives you the ability to review customer payments, storing customer credit cards all from your own Stripe account.

Learn more about how to setup Stripe payments for online booking.

Mailchimp

With the Mailchimp integration, all your customers will be automatically added to the Mailchimp list of your choosing.

Webhooks

As a developer, you have the option to configure webhooks for your online booking, which makes it incredibly easy to integrate the scheduling plugin with other systems and applications. This feature enables developers to receive real-time notifications as soon as events occur, such as new bookings or cancellations. The webhooks are straightforward to set up and can be customized to meet individual requirements. As a result, developers can create a booking system that caters to their specific needs and integrates smoothly with their existing systems and workflows. You can learn more from the Start Booking developer center.

Zapier

Start Booking is seamlessly linked to over 5,000 applications and services through Zapier. These include CRM systems, payment gateways, communication apps, and more. Enhance your Start Booking experience by integrating it with the tools you’re already accustomed to, simplifying the management of your bookings within your established workflow.

Zoom

Automatically create Zoom meetings with the Start Booking Zoom integration. Stay connected with Zoom meetings and start offering virtual appointments. Learn more about the Zoom and Start Booking integration.

Online Booking Feature List

Streamlined Online Booking: Start Booking offers a user-friendly and intuitive booking process, allowing customers to easily schedule appointments and services.
Calendar Integration: Seamlessly integrate Start Booking with popular calendar platforms, such as Google Calendar, ensuring accurate scheduling and preventing double bookings.
Multiple Service Offerings: Efficiently manage and offer a wide range of services with different durations, prices, and availability.
Automated Notifications: Keep customers informed with automated email and SMS notifications for appointment reminders, confirmations, and rescheduling updates.
Resource Management: Easily allocate and manage resources, such as staff members or rooms, to ensure efficient scheduling and utilization.
Payment Integration: Integrate with Stripe payment gateway, enabling secure and hassle-free online payments during the booking process.
Reporting and Analytics: Gain valuable insights into your business performance with comprehensive reporting and analytics features, allowing you to make data-driven decisions.
CRM Integration: Connect Start Booking with your CRM system to streamline customer management, capture client information, and enhance personalized customer experiences.
Zapier Integration: Seamlessly connect Start Booking with over 5,000 applications and services via Zapier, expanding its capabilities and integrating it into your existing workflow.
Mobile-Friendly: Access Start Booking and manage appointments on the go with a responsive and mobile-friendly interface.
Customizable Booking Rules: Set specific rules and restrictions for your bookings, such as minimum or maximum lead times, cancellation policies, or booking prerequisites.
Booking Integrations: Integrate Start Booking with other third-party software, such as communication tools, marketing platforms, or project management systems, to create a seamless workflow.
Custom Fields: Collect additional information from customers during the booking process, providing a personalized experience for you and your customers.

What’s Next

The team at Start Booking have assembled an aggressive roadmap and look to provide you and your customers the best WordPress booking plugin on the market.

While we strive to provide the best calendar booking plugin, we know sometimes issues happen. During those times we will do everything we can to resolve your issues and problems as quick as possible. You can find us at the Start Booking help center.

Screenshots

Start Booking Dashboard
Start Booking Service Management
Start Booking Form Editor
Start Booking Gutenberg Blocks
Start Booking Services Example
Start Booking Date Example
Start Booking Details and Payment Example
Start Booking Thank You Example

Installation

Install the Start Booking Calendar Booking plugin either via the WordPress.org plugin repository or by uploading the files to your server. (See instructions on how to setup booking for WordPress)
Activate the Start Booking plugin from the plugins page.
Navigate to the Booking tab in your admin menu and you should see the Start Booking connection screen.
If you already have an account, click the connect my account button and input your Start Booking credentials. If you don’t have an account, click the Get Started button to get an account started.
After you have connected your Start Booking account, the connection screen will go away and we will create a page on your domain at /book-now where you can see your default calendar booking flow.
Feel free to make changes to the settings and configuration for your calendar booking experience from wp-admin and the Start Booking platform.

Reviews

millenniumllc 19. September 2023 1 reply

tried installing it multiple times and would not allow me to setup the plugin. The plugin would show as installed but i would get a blank grey screen upon clicking the plugin. I was really hoping this would work.

Anonymous User 17884717 20. Mee 2023 1 reply

this just doesn't work. keeps loading forever the stettings and the other settings as weel. can't configure anything!

BIrdie 20. Februar 2023

So far, this is a great plugin. I have the free version installed right now to help potential clients schedule a day/time to chat about their website redesign projects with me. I created a custom thank you page (for my Gravity Form) that includes this scheduling app. People fill out an inquiry first, then schedule a meeting! It works brilliantly. Installation was pretty easy, and I appreciate that they included the Google Calendar integration in the free version. Pro Tip! When you install the application, they let you try the Pro version for free, so many features are available. When your trial expires, you don't have to upgrade. You can still use the free version! You just won't have access to pro features.

puciriusanikola 27. Dezember 2021

With so many scheduling plugins out there, I tried my fair share of them before finding Booking Calendar. The plugin is easy enough for even someone with no experience in design or coding to use and it has an intuitive interface that makes managing your services on your website as simple as can be!

tonyperes 14. Oktober 2021

My designer told me about this plugin and I was very pleased with how quickly I could set it up. The calendar looks modern and professional and now my clients can book with me directly online. I’m on the free version now and loving it. Going to test the premium features since I have a free trial and may upgrade at a later date if needed. I’ll be sure to update my review accordingly.

wearedropoutz 14. Oktober 2021

After testing a few different scheduling plugins I finally found the best! StartBooking was the easiest to integrate and very intuitive. I had a couple of questions about the upgraded plan and their support team was very fast and helpful both times I reached out. The calendar looks great and didn't require any heavy customization which I loved. The backend is also very easy to use (even for a novice like myself). I can't recommend this plugin highly enough - it's been a lifesaver for my business!

Read all 17 reviews

Contributors & Developers

“Scheduling Plugin – Online Booking for WordPress” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.

Start Booking Team

Translate “Scheduling Plugin – Online Booking for WordPress” into your language.

Interested in development?

Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.

Changelog

3.5.10 Oct 29th 2023

Fixed how provider parameter filters the service list on the booking flow

3.5.9 Aug 22nd 2023

Updated compatibility with WordPress version 6.3

3.5.8 May 29th 2023

Updated plugin description
Added integrations into plugin

3.5.7 May 13th 2023

Updated plugin description

3.5.6 April 25th 2023

Fixed how locales get set with new account trials

3.5.5 April 22nd 2023

Updated strings for translations in the booking flows
Added translations for sr_RS, fr_CA, nl_AW, nl_BE, fr_BE, hr, el, es_MX locales

3.5.4 April 8th 2023

Updated compatibility with WordPress version 6.2
Release new version of onboarding

3.5.3 March 12th 2023

No plugin changes. Build process update.

3.5.2 March 12th 2023

Fix single appointment screen when Zoom enabled
Update quick links in class block

3.5.1 November 19th 2022

Improve single service block and shortcode button styles
Update phone input package, better support international numbers
Remove back button on service list when types skipped

3.5.0 November 15th 2022

WPCOM integration, subscription, & connection process
Fix initialization to include authed user
Fix phone input fallback logic

3.4.3 November 6th 2022

Fix displayed date when changing month
Fix phone input for international format
Add prompt before clearing appointment when calendar changes

3.4.2 August 26th 2022

PHP 8.1 compatibility improvements

3.4.1 July 21th 2022

Update Start Booking settings to use site connection

3.4.0 July 20th 2022

Add appointment management to wp-admin
Add Class, Schedule, & Session management to wp-admin
Onboarding improvements

3.3.3 May 29th 2022

Pass customer timezone when registering
Display class thumbnails when available

3.3.2 May 18th 2022

Fix branding colors on single service items
Fix timeslot background color
Add timeslot ranges on openings
Fix missing media attribute on single service block
Reduce duplicate CSS files

3.3.1 May 13th 2022

Fix onboarding step completion issues
Fix PHP notices when API request fails
Add timeslot

3.3.0 May 6th 2022

Release thumbnail support in plugin for services
Code improvements
Fixed user selects not displaying users name
Don’t show return button at the end of flow if no value

3.2.19 April 22nd 2022

Implemented ability to change quantity of classes on initial load

3.2.18 April 18th 2022

Fixed issue with translations and ability to book in past classes

3.2.17 April 17th 2022

Make button branding apply to span inside button to avoid being overwritten by theme

3.2.16 April 16th 2022

Tie in application customization & translation

3.2.15 April 10th 2022

Implement branding settings
Update block_categories filter to use block_categories_all
Remove more than 12 tags in plugin tags

3.2.14 December 10th 2021

Fix date select visual on class calendar day mode
Fix broken link in readme

3.2.13 October 27th 2021

Fixed register process to more accurately set account country

3.2.12 October 2nd 2021

Fix date format issue causing some opening timeslots from not being available
Fix date that does not handle timezone properly causing some opening timeslots from not being available
Booking window improvements

3.2.11 August 16th 2021

Fix issue when datalayer is not defined or enabled in class upsells

3.2.10 August 13th 2021

Fix single class shortcode and add additional params

3.2.9 August 11th 2021

Update property name to event from type on dataLayer push

3.2.8 August 8th 2021

Resolved automated build issue

3.2.7 August 8th 2021

Add DataLayer support for GA integration
Fixed Booking window with Visitor Timezone issues

3.2.6 July 27th 2021

Fix loading issues with custom fields

3.2.5 July 12th 2021

Added support for a checkbox custom field
Added missing icon font
Fixed loading and validation states

3.2.4 July 5th 2021

Fixed sporadic issue of the booking flow skipping the services step

3.2.3 July 2nd 2021

Added PHP 8 linter to the build tests
Fixed availability blur issue saving
Fixed service for limited plan

3.2.2 June 28th 2021

Fixed issue with attaching room to appointments when required

3.2.1 June 17th 2021

Leverage editor setting on Class Calendar to determine initial loading behavior

3.2.0 June 11th 2021

Loads month availability in booking flow
New Availability options
Fixes links to settings pages

3.1.14 May 12th 2021

Extend the default max range from 1 year to 3 years for classes on calendar

3.1.13 May 3rd 2021

Fix service type logic loading

3.1.12 April 21st 2021

Fix endless loading on single shortcode
Fixed book and pay later
Fixed customer spam setting

3.1.11 April 20th 2021

Fix endless loading on single shortcode

3.1.10 April 13th 2021

Version Bump issue via GH action

3.1.9 April 13th 2021

Fixed tagged version issue

3.1.8 April 9th 2021

Fixed issue with booking navigation

3.1.7 April 7th 2021

Fix issue displaying service type all

3.1.6 Mar 25th 2021

Fix issue with booking multiple services

3.1.5 Mar 19th 2021

Fix issue with calendar step being skipped

3.1.4 Mar 16th 2021

Class booking flow needs to honor editor scroll setting

3.1.3 Mar 4th 2021

Onboarding timezone bug fixes
Channel/WordPress isset check to avoid notice

3.1.2 Mar 2nd 2021

Fixes race condition that loads the channel settings before they are populated during register

3.1.1 Mar 1st 2021

Fix style enqueue hook so that default styles load first, resolves hidden elements in admin
Adds a more prominent button to connect an existing account
Populates customer details based on existing channel setting

3.1.0 Feb 24th 2021

Updated Onboarding
New dashboard in wp-admin
Removed the depricated legacy class flow (originally depricated in v2.0)
Single Sign On to StartBooking.com application

3.0.5 Jan 20th 2021

Update the hash_group logic to include more ingredients to avoid duplicate bookings

3.0.4 Jan 13th 2021

Do not display no available slots message when a single slot is available
Update hash_group logic to avoid linking appointments on a public computer
Better feedback on failed payments

3.0.3 Jan 10th 2021

Displays fields that have been assigned to classes
Improves Payment logic to accomidate more use cases

3.0.2 Jan 8th 2021

Allow appointment to be created when payment is required but service is free

3.0.1 Jan 7th 2021

Address CSS dependency issue on Single Service CSS file
Adds an early process fork when the payment form is not visible

3.0.0 Jan 5th 2021

Dependency updates
Performance improvements
SCA & 3DS Payment compatibility

2.9.5 Dec 16th 2020

Adds check for editor setting related to scrolling
Adds another check to ensure the scrollto position is a number

2.9.4 Dec 14th 2020

Fixes scroll issue when offset is undefined or non-numeric
Removes console log from reducer

2.9.3 Dec 10th 2020

Single Service button style
Single Service scrollto fix
Single Service calendar border radius fixed

2.9.2 Nov 20th 2020

Implement disable_multiple_service setting
Reimplements scrollto between steps with multiple embeds per page solution
Fixes form paint issue when custom fields load

2.9.1 Nov 5th, 2020

Move booking window to reference redux instead of window variable
Avoid error and provide debug when service_url_string is invalid in single shortcode
Remove trailing slashes from axios calls because the application 301s the options request and makes it look like a cors issue.
Remove locale setting from form editor
Fixes Upsell tab destination

2.9.0 Nov 4th, 2020

Release Upsells Feature

2.8.3 October 29th 2020

Fix bad URL linking to application settings

2.8.2 October 23rd 2020

Fix invalid date issue in 2021
Fix off by one date in class flow

2.8.1 October 10th 2020

Fixes duration floats
Fixes service type race condition
Fixes 100% off coupons
Adds missing setting to skip_provider in the Form Editor

2.8.0 August 31st 2020

Add updated Addons & Integrations pages
Fixes JS math rounding issue
Fix phone numbers
Update dependency libraries
Define user agent for direct connection
Allow basic markup in service description
Pass additional timezone information when a class is joined
Update skip provider logic to resolve race condition
Improve logic around banner

2.7.9 August 5th 2020

Fix reducer that overwrote skip value when using Book and Pay later feature

2.7.8 July 24th 2020

Flip booleon condition preventing price from showing on single service shortcode

2.7.7 July 15th 2020

Update connection endpoint

2.7.6 July 9th 2020

Fix hourly window
Remove orphaned code
Add messaging about free onboarding when account is paid

2.7.5 July 6th 2020

Fix bug in single short code payment

2.7.4 June 26th 2020

Update timezone utility to use the correct display time for preventing appointments today on times that have already past
Update the service edit slidouts to support rooms

2.7.3 June 24th 2020

More details payment error messages
Updated logic inside the navigation for skipped steps
Cleaned up CSS in block editor
Update single shortcode when no service is selected
Fix success screen button default
Add missing checkboxes to editor -> types screen
Add provider options for disabling multiple providers to editor
Add provider bio option to editor

2.7.2 June 16th 2020

Multiple CSS fixes
Convert more function to new API
Cache tuning

2.7.1 June 15th 2020

Convert some default api calls from the service api to the rest proxy.
Add more checks to logic to avoid notices
Update logic in rest proxy to always leverage runtime cache to avoid multiple api calls

2.7.0 June 11th 2020

Added global API CDN to improve performance

2.6.9 June 10th 2020

Fix type juggling issue with disable booking channel setting

2.6.8 June 1st 2020

Fix duplicate success button

2.6.7 May 31st 2020

Added IE poly for better support
Added Russian translations
Integrated editor setting for thank you button

2.6.6 May 20th 2020

Add CSS class to legacy class instance
Make Single Service honor provider settings

2.6.5 May 19th 2020

Fix bug with skipped provider step
Allow new class shortcode to have a default filter
Navigation Cleanup

2.6.4 May 18th 2020

Fix editor skip setting for types & services

2.6.3 May 13th 2020

Fix CSS on signup page
Fix Single Use Token during signup for smoother connection
Update non-connected onboarding redirect to go to connect page not signup
Update double negative that caused single service shortcode to not display the service description

2.6.2 May 12th 2020

Update translations for (pt_PT, pt_BR, nl_NL, fr_FR, es_ES, de_DE, it_IT)

2.6.1 May 11th 2020

Fix class availability when customer added manually via app
Class occurrence button style
Use multiple single service shortcodes on same page
Wrap all strings with translation functions
Preload account details for store
Remove fallback values in js since API now contains defaults for all keys

2.6.0 May 4th 2020

Classes v2 flow
Move previous class flow to a legacy block
Updated Editor & Class Editor
Add Zoom to interations page

2.5.7 April 22nd 2020

Fix selected checkmark as Object bug

2.5.6 April 16th 2020

Remove duration in class list that rounded times
Expose provider bio if enabled

2.5.5 April 7th 2020

Fix bug with success button when customized

2.5.4 March 25th 2020

Fix bug in util/redux store related to timezones
Fix classses link / plan lookup
Fix button styles on slideouts
Fix missing checkboxes

2.5.3 March 21st 2020

Fix noOpenings logic
Fix classes image paths
Onboarding updates

2.5.2 March 18th 2020

Update calendar locale path for props
Remove placeholder text

2.5.1 March 7th 2020

Add InspectorControl to blocks
Resolve “this.activateMode is not a function” conflict between lodash and underscores
Add additional links to platform for features that do not exist in the plugin
Fixes onboarding duplicate hours

2.5.0 Febuary 25 2020

Updated Onboarding
Connect to the WordPress Channel on the app
Integration page improvements
Fix window date calculation

2.4.5 January 31 2020

Only show Service Types when they have services

2.4.4 January 2 2020

Change how appointments are processed to avoid accidental duplicate creations
Normalize the booking window options
Add translation to moment text
Free services no longer attempt optional payment

2.4.3 December 8 2019

Unwind promotion
Utilize formatMoney in pricing.js

2.4.2 December 6 2019

Update integrations content
Disable floating nav continue if time has not been selected
Allow contextual nav be placed above or below the form
Disable days on calendar if no one is working that day

2.4.1 December 1 2019

Add filter for default class range
Force startbooking global to load on class form
Update promotional message

2.4.0 November 29 2019

Coupon Support
Google Analytics Support

2.3.0 November 4 2019

Account wide 24 hour clock
Spam Prevention

2.2.12 Novemeber 1 2019

Update payment logic for require payment scenario
Update dependencies

2.2.11 October 25 2019

Fix display and overbooking of classes under situation where attendees were added manually

2.2.10 October 23 2019

Fix stripe error on class form when stripe not connected

2.2.9: October 18 2019

Add check that variable is array before mapping over it

2.2.8: October 18 2019

Trim whitespace from shortcode atts
Remove phone from registration form

2.2.7: October 12 2019

Update dependency libraries
Fix bug causing plugin to not understand which plan the customer is on
Fix bug preventing class block from displaying in block editor
Update content that referenced legacy shortcode
Fix responsive nav issues
Add feedback for form validation
Reset visual errors on update of field
Fix error preventing service create slideout from showing when there was no rooms

2.2.6: September 18 2019

Fix required phone validation

2.2.5: September 13 2019

Fix form validation for customer.url_string
Pass additional timezone details with appointment create

2.2.4: September 12 2019

Fix scrolltop top margin
Fix inaccurate timezone on customer details screen
Fix customer validation
Update markup for consistency

2.2.3: September 9 2019

Fix default class range
Fix edit service resources

2.2.2: September 6 2019

Fix scrollto positioning issue
Fix logic issue for confetti & legal settings

2.2.1: September 5 2019

Fix scrolltop error on single service block

2.2.0: September 1 2019

Flows as widgets
Anchor to top on view change
Hash change in url on view change
Editor API performance improvements
Fix CTA invalid markup on shortcode
Default page uses shortcode or block depending on active editor
New hooks on proxy endpoints
Optional direct api communication

2.1.0: August 25 2019

Introduction of custom form fields
Payment and SSL improvements
Improved API error handling
Improved timezone support

2.0.5: July 27 2019

Fix bug with Start Booking Rest API & page cache

2.0.4: July 25 2019

Allow new booking form to be used with shortcode
Dashboard graph is now a rolling 30 days
Single service block is exposed
CTA shortcode markup syntax fixed
Fix bug with bottom nav when processing appointment

2.0.3: July 16 2019

Fix linked appointments
Minor calendar CSS improvements

2.0.2: July 15 2019

Fix telephone flags on signup
Suppress notices on Booking specific admin pages
Allow menu strings to be translated

2.0.1: July 12 2019

Minor bug fixes

2.0.0: July 12 2019

Updated design and booking experience
Implemented Gutenberg blocks for booking

1.7.2: April 22 2019

Fix bug with second appointment after reset
Add support for 24 hour display time

1.7.1: April 19 2019

Payment improvements
Better error communications

1.7.0: March 20 2019

Service Type Descriptions
Service Cache
Added strings for translation/customization
Add Calendar Locale
Fixed: notice on booking window setting being a non-integer

1.6.3: March 12, 2019

Fixed: Add additional checks for customer details and solve race condition for appoitment submitting before customer info assigned to a variable.

1.6.2: March 10, 2019

Fixed: Prevent duplicate appointment creation

1.6.1: March 10, 2019

Fixed: Fix bug with optional payments

1.6.0: March 8, 2019

Release payments for classes
Release booking window
Add targetable classes
Add optional payments

1.5.6: February 12, 2019

Fixed: Fix bug with payment required and zero dollar carts

1.5.5: February 11, 2019

Fixed: Typo & payment bug

1.5.4: February 11, 2019

Fixed: Payment bug caused by falsy response

1.5.3: February 11, 2019

Fixed: Missing variable on initialState

1.5.2: January 16, 2019

Fixed: Conflict between mixpanel and stripe

1.5.0: January 4, 2019

Released: Payments via Stripe

1.4.0: November 24, 2018

Release: Allow provider to be selected during booking flow

1.3.0: November 11, 2018

Release: Group / Class booking for one to many booking

1.2.0: August 11, 2018

Release: Progress bar to indicate where you are in the booking flow