Fill cancellations automatically with the waitlist

What it is

The waitlist collects clients who want an earlier appointment. When a booking is cancelled, Bookatu automatically offers that freed slot to your waiting clients with a one-tap claim link - no phone calls needed.

Why it helps

Gaps fill themselves while you keep working, so you lose far less revenue to last-minute cancellations. Offering openings to your highest-value clients first also keeps your best regulars coming back.

How to use it

1. 1Open Waitlist in the left admin menu and click "View public form" to get your waitlist link. Share it (it also sits on your booking page) so clients can join and pick a service, an optional staff member, and the dates that suit them.
2. 2Go to Channels and connect SMS so offers go out by text as well as email - texts tend to get claimed fastest. Email works out of the box, so this step is optional but recommended.
3. 3That is the whole setup - auto-fill now runs on its own. The moment an appointment is cancelled, Bookatu offers the freed slot to the top waiting clients, ranked by lifetime value, each with their own one-tap claim link.
4. 4The first client to tap their link books the slot; everyone else simply sees "already filled." Nothing is ever double-booked, and clients are not pestered again for the same opening.
5. 5To offer a specific opening by hand, open Waitlist and use the "Offer a slot" button on the client at the top of the list - they are your highest-value match.
6. 6Check the Waitlist page to watch entries move from Waiting to Offered to Booked, so you can see gaps filling themselves.