How to set up Appointments to take bookings for 1:1 meetings

There are 2 steps to creating an option for people to book an appointment with you:

Written By bookthatin

Last updated 5 months ago

  1. Set up the Appointment Type (what it's for, how long it lasts, what it costs etc)

  2. Set up availability for you or your staff

This video walks you through the set up process:

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Access the Booking Types

  1. Log into your BookThatIn account.

  2. Go to the Business area at the top of the screen.

  3. Select Booking Types, then choose Appointments.

  4. You’ll now see a list of existing appointment types.

2. Create a New Appointment

  1. Click New Appointment Type (top left).

  2. Enter a name for the appointment (e.g. Horse Riding Lesson).

  3. Add a description so clients know what they’re booking.

  4. Optional: Add text for the confirmation email if you want clients to receive specific information when they book.

3. Add Appointment Details

  1. Choose the address for the appointment. Select an existing location or add a new one.

  2. Set the cost (enter 0 if it’s free).

  3. Assign a category (e.g. “Riding Lessons”). If your category doesn’t exist, create a new one.

  4. Leave Archive turned off unless it’s an old booking type.

  5. (Optional) Add age limits if the appointment is only for certain age groups.

4. Define Appointment Timing

  1. Set the duration (e.g. 30 minutes).

  2. Choose how often booking slots should start. For example:

    • Every 30 minutes → slots at 9:00–9:30 and 9:30–10:00.

    • Every 15 minutes → overlapping slots like 9:00–9:30, 9:15–9:45, etc.

  3. (Optional) Add blocked time after booking if you need a buffer (e.g. travel or follow-up).

    • Example: a 30-minute lesson with a 30-minute buffer blocks 1 hour in your diary, but the client only sees 30 minutes.

5. Add Custom Fields (Optional)

  1. If you’d like clients to provide extra information (e.g. “What would you like to cover in the lesson?”), click Add New Field.

  2. If not, simply click Save.

At this point, your new appointment type is created.

6. Set Staff Availability

Appointments won’t show on your booking widget until availability is added.

  1. Go back to the Business area.

  2. Select Manage Staff.

  3. At the top, choose Availabilities.

    • Availabilities = when you are free.

    • Diary = when you are booked.

7. Add Single Availability

  1. Double-click on the date you want to make available.

  2. Set the time range (e.g. 12:00 to 12:30).

  3. Select which appointment types are available (e.g. Horse Riding Lesson).

  4. Click Save.

8. Add Recurring Availability

  1. In the Availabilities section, click Recurring.

  2. Choose a frequency:

    • Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or Annually.

  3. Select which days apply (e.g. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays).

  4. Set an end date.

    • To include the last day in your schedule, set the end date to the day after (e.g. select Friday to include Thursday).

  5. Click Save.

  6. Your booking widget will now display recurring availability for those dates.

Conclusion

You’ve now created a new appointment type in BookThatIn and set your availability so clients can book directly. You can always edit the details, costs, or schedule later from the Business area.

For further help, you can contact BookThatIn support at support@bookthatin.com