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Frequently Asked Questions

Installation & Setup​

Do I need WooCommerce to use WpBookingly?​

  • Yes, WooCommerce is required as a dependency for payment processing
  • Even free bookings use WooCommerce for order management
  • Install and activate WooCommerce before WpBookingly
  • Any WooCommerce-compatible theme works

How do I display the booking form on a page?​

  • Use the shortcode [wpbookingly_booking] on any page or post
  • Create a dedicated booking page in WordPress
  • Use the Gutenberg shortcode block or classic editor
  • Set the booking page URL in WpBookingly settings

Can I install the Pro version alongside the free version?​

  • No, deactivate and delete the free version first
  • The Pro version includes all free features and more
  • Your existing services and bookings are preserved
  • Upload the Pro zip via Plugins > Add New > Upload

What are the minimum server requirements?​

  • PHP 7.4 or higher (PHP 8.0+ recommended)
  • WordPress 5.8 or later
  • MySQL 5.6+ or MariaDB 10.1+
  • cURL and JSON PHP extensions enabled

Services & Booking​

How do I create a new service?​

  • Go to Service Booking > Add New Service Booking
  • Enter a title, description, price, and duration
  • Assign the service to a category for organization
  • Publish when ready for customers to book

Can I offer free consultations?​

  • Yes, set the service price to $0 for free consultations
  • Free bookings skip the WooCommerce payment step
  • Customers still receive confirmation emails
  • Track free and paid bookings separately

How do I handle cancellations or rescheduling?​

  • Admins can cancel or reschedule from the booking edit screen
  • Customers can self-service from My Account or email links
  • Configure your cancellation and rescheduling policy in settings
  • Refund payments through WooCommerce if needed

How do I enable recurring bookings?​

  • Requires the Recurring Appointment Builder addon
  • Set a service as recurring in the service editor
  • Choose frequency: daily, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly
  • Customers select the recurrence pattern during booking

Staff & Scheduling​

How do I add staff members?​

  • Navigate to WpBookingly > Staff in the admin menu
  • Click Add Staff and enter name, email, and photo
  • Assign staff to relevant services
  • Staff appear on the booking form for customer selection

Can I integrate with Google Calendar?​

  • Yes, uses the Staff and Resource Scheduler addon
  • Connect via OAuth 2.0 for two-way sync
  • New bookings create calendar events automatically
  • Cancellations and reschedules stay in sync

How do I set staff working hours?​

  • Go to WpBookingly > Schedule > Staff Schedule
  • Select a staff member and configure weekly hours
  • Add breaks, split shifts, and off days
  • Override specific dates for holidays

Can I import staff via CSV?​

  • Yes, use the CSV import feature in WpBookingly > Staff
  • Prepare columns for name, email, photo, and service IDs
  • Map CSV columns during the import process
  • Review imported data before finalizing

Shortcodes & Display​

What shortcode displays the main booking form?​

  • [wpbookingly_booking] renders the complete booking flow
  • Shows service selection, date picker, and checkout
  • Place on a dedicated page for best results
  • Supports layout and styling parameters

How do I show only specific services?​

  • Use [wpbookingly_services category="your-category"]
  • Filter by service IDs with the service_id parameter
  • Combine with staff_id for filtered availability views
  • Set column count and display options

Can I embed the booking form in a sidebar?​

  • Yes, use a WordPress text widget with the shortcode
  • Elementor users can use the Shortcode widget
  • Gutenberg block editor has a shortcode block
  • Test mobile responsiveness after embedding

How do I customize shortcode appearance?​

  • Use parameters like layout, columns, and show_progress
  • Override colors and typography via custom CSS
  • Use the form style settings in WpBookingly options
  • Add custom CSS classes via shortcode parameters

Payments & Orders​

Which payment gateways are supported?​

  • All WooCommerce-compatible payment gateways are supported
  • PayPal, Stripe, bank transfer, and cash on delivery
  • Configure gateways in WooCommerce > Settings > Payments
  • Stripe supports Apple Pay and Google Pay

How do I set up deposit payments?​

  • Configure deposit options per service in the service editor
  • Set a fixed amount or percentage-based deposit
  • Remaining balance is due on a configured date
  • Automatic payment reminders are sent to customers

How do I process a refund?​

  • Go to WooCommerce > Orders and find the booking order
  • Click Refund and enter the refund amount
  • The booking status automatically updates
  • Customers receive a refund confirmation email

Can I accept payments in multiple currencies?​

  • Yes, with WooCommerce multi-currency extensions
  • Configure currencies in WooCommerce settings
  • Prices convert based on exchange rates
  • Customers select their preferred currency

Troubleshooting​

The booking form is not showing up​

  • Verify the shortcode is correctly typed on the page
  • Check that WpBookingly is activated
  • Ensure WooCommerce is installed and active
  • Clear any page caching plugins for the booking page

Customers are not receiving email notifications​

  • Check your WordPress email settings and SMTP configuration
  • Use an SMTP plugin (WP Mail SMTP, Post SMTP) for reliable delivery
  • Verify email templates in WpBookingly > Email Settings
  • Check spam folders for test emails

Time slots are not showing up​

  • Verify working hours are configured for the selected day
  • Check if the staff member is available
  • Ensure the booking cutoff time has not passed
  • Confirm slots are not fully booked

Plugin update causes errors​

  • Always back up your site before updating
  • Update addons at the same time as the core plugin
  • Clear WordPress and browser caches after updating
  • Contact MagePeople support if issues persist