---
title: "Booking terms clients tick before they book"
description: "Add a booking terms and conditions checkbox to your booking page. Clients tick it before booking online, and each booking keeps the version they accepted."
url: "https://bookatu.com/en-nz/blog/booking-terms-clients-tick-before-they-book"
language: "en"
section: "Blog"
category: "Product"
author: "The Bookatu team"
published: "2026-10-30"
updated: "2026-10-30"
tags: ["booking terms and conditions", "terms and conditions checkbox", "online booking terms", "who made this booking", "booking history"]
---

# Booking terms clients tick before they book

Add a booking terms and conditions checkbox to your booking page. Clients tick it before booking online, and each booking keeps the version they accepted.

> **The short version**
>
> - Write your terms once in Settings, under Booking terms.
> - Your booking page and website widget show them above Confirm, with a box the client ticks.
> - Each booking keeps when the terms were accepted, and which version.
> - Leave it empty and nobody is asked. Bookings you make yourself are never asked.
> - Booked by and the History card show who made a booking and what changed since.

To add a terms and conditions checkbox, open Settings and choose Booking terms. Once you save some terms, every online booking needs a tick before the client can confirm.

## Why a tick box beats terms in your footer

A policy in your footer is easy to miss. A box above Confirm puts your rules in front of clients at the moment they commit: when to arrive, what happens if they run late, a patch test before colour. For help with the wording, see our post Salon Cancellation Policy Examples You Can Copy Today.

## How to add your booking terms

1. **Open Booking terms.** Go to Settings and choose Booking terms, under Essentials.
2. **Paste your terms.** Type or paste them into Your booking terms. It is plain text, up to 5,000 characters, and line breaks are kept.
3. **Save.** Press Save booking terms. The note under the box shows the version in force now.
4. **Check it.** Open your booking page and look above Confirm.

Saving terms needs Manage the business, which owners and admins have by default.

## What clients see

Your terms appear above Confirm on your booking page and in your website widget, with a box that starts unticked. The client must tick it to book. Clients taking a time from your waitlist or from a Quick swap see the same box. Apps that book through the API have to say the client accepted.

## Proof a client accepted your terms

Open a booking and you see Terms accepted, with the date and a short version code. The same record is in the client's data export. Any change to the words makes a new version, and bookings already made keep the one their client accepted. If you change the terms while a client has the page open, they are asked to read them and tick again. Keep a copy of each version you use.

## See who made a booking, and what changed

Each booking shows Booked by on its page and in the calendar panel, with how it came in. It names a team member, Client online, an API key or connected app by the name you gave it, or AI assistant, with who on your team confirmed it when someone did. A client is never named.

The History card on the booking lists each change, who made it and when, on your business's clock. It is shown to roles with Manage the business: owners always, and admins by default. Our post Salon staff permissions: what each role should see explains the roles.

## Questions owners ask

### Do clients tick the box when I book them in myself?

No. Bookings you or your team make are never asked.

### What happens to old bookings when I change my terms?

Nothing. Each keeps the version its client accepted, and new bookings take the new one.

### Can I put links or formatting in my terms?

No. Terms are plain text and always shown as text. Line breaks are kept, so short paragraphs work well.

## Where to start

Paste the policy you already use into Booking terms and make a test booking. Then read our post How to handle late cancellations without losing clients.