Ask clients your own questions when they book
Custom booking questions let you ask clients a few things of your own, like hair length or the occasion. Here is how, and when an intake form fits better.
Custom booking questions let you ask clients a few things of your own while they book. They appear on the Your details step of your booking page and in your website widget. Apps that book through the API have to answer the required ones too.
A booking question or an intake form?
Use a booking question for a quick fact that helps you plan. Is your hair past your shoulders? Is this your first visit? How many are in the bridal party?
Use an intake form for health history, allergies, medication, consent or anything clinical. A form is kept apart from the booking and signed by the client. The question editor says the same, and a question that reads as medical is flagged when you save it. Our post Client intake forms your clients can finish on a phone shows how forms work.
How to add a question to your booking form
- 01Open Booking questions
In your admin, open Catalog, then Forms, and press Booking questions. You need Manage the business to add questions.
- 02Choose who is asked
Under Asked for, pick All services or one service.
- 03Choose the answer
Under Answer, pick Short text, Long text, Single choice, Multiple choice, Yes / no, Number or Date. For a choice, type one option a line under Choices.
- 04Write the question
Type your Question. Add Help text if it needs a reason, like So we book enough time.
- 05Save it
Tick Clients must answer it to book online if it has to be answered, then press Add question. Use Up and Down to set the order.
Where your team reads the answers
- On the booking's own page, under Booking questions. Anyone who can edit the calendar can fill them in or change them there.
- In the calendar's booking panel, as a short summary.
- In Export bookings (CSV) on the calendar, one column per question, for someone who can see everyone's calendar.
- In the client's own data export.
Each answer keeps the question as the client saw it. So rewording a question later never changes an answer already given.
Questions owners ask
How many booking questions can I ask?
Up to 10 for any one service, counting its own questions and the ones for all services.
Do bookings I make myself need answers?
No. Your team can leave any question blank on bookings they make, or fill the answers in.
What happens on a waitlist or Quick swap claim?
A one-tap claim has nowhere to answer. If the service has a required question, the client is sent to your booking page to answer it and book there. Optional questions are not asked on a claim.
Do repeat bookings ask the questions again?
No. A repeat booked online keeps the first visit's answers on every visit it sets up.
Where to start
Add one optional question to your most-booked service, make a test booking, and read the answer on the booking. When a client books several services in one visit, each question is asked once. Our post Let clients book multiple services in one appointment explains those visits, and our help article Intake and consent forms covers the health side.
