Bookster

<p>Managing appointments through phone calls, texts, and emails is chaotic.</p>
<p>You lose track of bookings, double-book appointments, and spend hours on scheduling instead of serving customers.</p>
<p><strong>Bookster turns your WordPress site into a 24/7 booking system.</strong></p>
<p>🌐 <strong><a href="https://demo.wpbookster.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">View All Demos</a></strong></p>
<p>Customers book appointments themselves, see real-time availability, and receive automatic confirmations.</p>
<p>You manage everything from one dashboard.</p>
<p>📌 <a href="https://docs.yaycommerce.com/bookster/management/admin-dashboard" rel="nofollow ugc">Documentation</a> | <a href="https://docs.yaycommerce.com/bookster/price-plans" rel="nofollow ugc"><strong>Core Pro</strong> vs <strong>All Access</strong></a></p>
<h3>💫 Perfect For</h3>
<ul>
<li>Hair salons and barbershops</li>
<li>Spas and beauty clinics</li>
<li>Massage therapists and wellness centers</li>
<li>Personal trainers and fitness coaches</li>
<li>Consultants and coaches</li>
<li>Tutors and education services</li>
<li>Medical and dental practices</li>
<li>Any service business that takes appointments</li>
</ul>
<h3>💙 How It Works</h3>
<p>Customers visit your booking page, choose a service, pick their preferred staff member, select an available time slot, and <strong>book instantly</strong>.</p>
<p>You receive an <strong>email notification</strong> and can view all appointments in your calendar dashboard. No more back-and-forth scheduling.</p>
<h3>🔥 Key Features (100% Free)</h3>
<h3>Unlimited Bookings & Services</h3>
<ul>
<li>Create unlimited services with custom names, descriptions, and photos</li>
<li>Set individual duration and pricing for each service</li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/bookster-taxation/" rel="ugc">Add taxes</a>, <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/bookster-discounts-fees/" rel="ugc">fees and discounts</a> to bookings</li>
<li>No limits on number of appointments per month</li>
<li>Offer <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/bookster-extra-options/" rel="ugc">service add-ons and upsell options</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Smart Scheduling</h3>
<ul>
<li>Set your working hours for each day of the week</li>
<li>Configure different availability for different services</li>
<li>Add buffer time between appointments (e.g., 15-minute cleanup)</li>
<li>Block off days for vacations or holidays</li>
<li>Set minimum advance notice for bookings (e.g., require 24-hour notice)</li>
</ul>
<h3>Customer Booking Experience</h3>
<ul>
<li>Clean, mobile-friendly booking form that works on all devices</li>
<li>Multi-step process: choose service <span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-exclude-emoji">→</span> select staff <span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-exclude-emoji">→</span> pick time <span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-exclude-emoji">→</span> enter details <span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-exclude-emoji">→</span> confirm</li>
<li>Customers see only available time slots (no double-booking)</li>
<li>Optional customer account dashboard to view and manage their bookings</li>
<li>Customers can cancel or reschedule appointments themselves</li>
</ul>
<h3>Payment Options</h3>
<ul>
<li>Accept cash/check for in-person payment</li>
<li>Accept PayPal payments online (customers pay when booking)</li>
<li>Stripe integration available via premium addon for credit card payments</li>
<li>Mark bookings as paid or unpaid manually</li>
<li>Track revenue in the analytics dashboard</li>
</ul>
<h3>Automatic Notifications</h3>
<ul>
<li>Email confirmation sent to customers immediately after booking</li>
<li>Reminder emails sent before appointment</li>
<li>Email notifications sent to admin when new bookings arrive</li>
<li>Customize email templates with your branding</li>
<li>All emails sent automatically – no manual work required</li>
</ul>
<h3>Admin Dashboard</h3>
<ul>
<li>View all appointments in <strong>Bookster <span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-exclude-emoji">→</span> Calendar</strong> menu</li>
<li>Switch between day, week, and month calendar views</li>
<li>Click any appointment to view or edit details instantly</li>
<li>Filter appointments by status (confirmed, pending, cancelled)</li>
<li>Search for specific customers or appointments</li>
<li>Drag appointments to different dates to reschedule</li>
<li>Color-coded by service or staff member for quick overview</li>
</ul>
<h3>Analytics & Reports</h3>
<ul>
<li>Track total bookings and revenue right from dashboard</li>
<li>View performance by service (which services are most popular)</li>
<li>Monitor individual agent performance</li>
<li>Make data-driven decisions about staffing and services</li>
</ul>
<h3>Premium Addons (Optional)</h3>
<p>Upgrade your booking system with these customizable options:</p>
<p><strong>Staff Management</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Add unlimited team members from <strong>Bookster <span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-exclude-emoji">→</span> Agents</strong> menu</li>
<li>Set individual working hours for each staff member</li>
<li>Assign specific services to specific team members</li>
<li>Let customers choose their preferred agent or assign automatically</li>
<li>Track performance and bookings per agent</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Booking Form</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Customize booking form steps (reorder, add, or remove steps)</li>
<li>Add custom fields to collect specific information</li>
<li>Enable recaptcha, brand logo, timezone selector, and more for your booking system.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Advanced Features</strong> (coming in future addons)</p>
<ul>
<li>Group bookings and classes</li>
<li>Recurring appointments</li>
<li>Multiple locations management</li>
<li>SMS notifications via Twilio</li>
<li>Design Toolkit for Block Editor and Elementor</li>
</ul>
<h3>Getting Started</h3>
<h3>Adding the Booking Calendar to Your Site</h3>
<p><strong>Method 1: Shortcode (Works Anywhere)</strong><br />
Add <code>[bookster_booking_form]</code> to any page, post, or widget area.</p>
<p><strong>Method 2: Block Editor</strong><br />
1. Edit the page where you want the booking form<br />
2. Click the <strong>+</strong> button to add a block<br />
3. Search for “Bookster”<br />
4. Select the <strong>Bookster Booking Form</strong> block<br />
5. Publish the page</p>
<p><strong>Method 3: Classic Editor</strong><br />
Paste <code>[bookster_booking_form]</code> directly into your content.</p>
<h3>Viewing and Managing Appointments</h3>
<ol>
<li>Go to <strong>Bookster <span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-exclude-emoji">→</span> Calendar</strong> in your WordPress dashboard</li>
<li>You’ll see all appointments in calendar format</li>
<li>Click any appointment to view details or make changes</li>
<li>Use the view buttons at top to switch between day/week/month views</li>
<li>Use filters to show appointments based on agents or booking status</li>
</ol>
<h3>Creating a Manual Booking (For Walk-Ins or Phone Bookings)</h3>
<ol>
<li>Go to <strong>Bookster <span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-exclude-emoji">→</span> Calendar</strong></li>
<li>Click the <strong>+ New Appointment</strong> button (or click an empty time slot)</li>
<li>Select the service and staff member</li>
<li>Choose date and time</li>
<li>Enter customer information (name, email, phone)</li>
<li>Select payment method</li>
<li>Click <strong>Create Appointment</strong></li>
<li>Customer automatically receives confirmation email</li>
</ol>
<h3>Troubleshooting</h3>
<h3>Booking calendar not showing on my page</h3>
<p><strong>Check 1: Verify the shortcode</strong><br />
Make sure you added <code>[bookster_booking_form]</code> exactly (with square brackets).</p>
<p><strong>Check 2: Clear cache</strong><br />
If using a caching plugin, clear your cache: <strong>WP Rocket <span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-exclude-emoji">→</span> Clear Cache</strong> or similar.</p>
<p><strong>Check 3: Theme conflict</strong><br />
Temporarily switch to a default WordPress theme (Twenty Twenty-Five) to test. If it works, there’s a theme conflict.</p>
<h3>Customers not receiving email confirmations</h3>
<p><strong>Check 1: Email settings</strong><br />
Go to <strong>Bookster <span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-exclude-emoji">→</span> Integrations <span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-exclude-emoji">→</span> Email tab</strong> and confirm email notifications are enabled.</p>
<p><strong>Check 2: Check spam folders</strong><br />
Ask customers to check spam/junk folders. Add your domain to their contacts.</p>
<p><strong>Check 3: WordPress email issues</strong><br />
WordPress email can be unreliable. Install an SMTP plugin like <strong>YaySMTP</strong> to improve email delivery:<br />
1. Install YaySMTP plugin<br />
2. Connect it to Gmail, SendGrid, or Mailgun<br />
3. Send a test email to verify</p>
<p><strong>Check 4: Test with yourself</strong><br />
Create a test booking using your own email to confirm emails are sending.</p>
<h3>Time slots not showing as available</h3>
<p><strong>Check 1: Working hours configured</strong><br />
Go to <strong>Bookster <span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-exclude-emoji">→</span> Settings <span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-exclude-emoji">→</span> Schedule</strong> and verify hours are set for the day in question.</p>
<p><strong>Check 2: Agent availability</strong><br />
If using staff members, check <strong>Bookster <span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-exclude-emoji">→</span> Agents</strong> and verify the agent works on that day.</p>
<p><strong>Check 3: Minimum advance notice</strong><br />
Check <strong>Bookster <span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-exclude-emoji">→</span> Settings <span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-exclude-emoji">→</span> General <span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-exclude-emoji">→</span> Restrictions</strong>, if you require 24-hour notice, today’s appointments won’t show.</p>
<p><strong>Check 4: Service duration</strong><br />
If your service is 2 hours but only 1 hour remains before closing time, that slot won’t appear.</p>
<h3>Double bookings happening</h3>
<p>This shouldn’t happen with Bookster. If it does:</p>
<p><strong>Check 1: Multiple admin users</strong><br />
If multiple people manage bookings, ensure everyone refreshes the calendar before creating appointments.</p>
<p><strong>Check 2: Contact support</strong><br />
If this persists, contact Bookster support with specific examples.</p>
<h3>PayPal payments not working</h3>
<ol>
<li>Go to <strong>Bookster <span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-exclude-emoji">→</span> Settings <span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-exclude-emoji">→</span> Payments tab</strong></li>
<li>Verify your PayPal email address is correct</li>
<li>Confirm PayPal is enabled (toggle should be blue/on)</li>
<li>Test in PayPal sandbox mode first</li>
<li>Check if PayPal account is verified and can accept payments</li>
<li>Review PayPal transaction logs for error messages</li>
</ol>
<h3>Calendar showing wrong timezone</h3>
<ol>
<li>Go to <strong>Settings <span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-exclude-emoji">→</span> General</strong> in WordPress</li>
<li>Set your city timezone correctly (e.g., “New York” or “Berlin”)</li>
<li>Save changes</li>
<li>Go to <strong>Bookster <span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-exclude-emoji">→</span> Settings</strong> and verify timezone matches</li>
<li>Clear browser cache and reload</li>
</ol>
<h3>Third-Party Services</h3>
<p>Bookster uses these external services to provide full functionality:</p>
<p><strong>FullCalendar.io</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Purpose: Renders the interactive booking calendar</li>
<li>Privacy: No personal data sent to FullCalendar</li>
<li>Terms: https://fullcalendar.io/license</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Stripe.com</strong> (Optional – only if using Stripe addon)</p>
<ul>
<li>Purpose: Process credit card payments</li>
<li>Data shared: Customer name, email, payment amount</li>
<li>Privacy: https://stripe.com/privacy</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>PayPal.com</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Purpose: Process PayPal payments</li>
<li>Data shared: Customer name, email, payment amount  </li>
<li>Privacy: https://www.paypal.com/privacy</li>
</ul>
<p>When customers make payments, they’re redirected to Stripe or PayPal’s secure servers. Bookster does not store credit card numbers.</p>
<h3>Support</h3>
<p>Need help? We’re here for you:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Documentation</strong>: Visit Bookster’s <a href="https://docs.yaycommerce.com/bookster/management/dashboard" rel="nofollow ugc">detailed guides</a></li>
<li><strong>Support Forum</strong>: Post questions in the <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/bookster/" rel="ugc">WordPress.org support forum</a></li>
<li><strong>Email & Live Chat Support</strong>: Contact us through the <a href="https://wpbookster.com/support/" rel="nofollow ugc">Bookster website</a></li>
<li><strong>Video Tutorials</strong>: Watch setup videos on our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@wpbookster" rel="nofollow ugc">YouTube channel</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Response time: We typically respond within 4 hours on business days and 12 hours on weekends.</p>
<h3>We’d Love Your Feedback ❣️</h3>
<p>If Bookster helps your business, please leave us a review on WordPress.org! It takes 60 seconds and brightens our day. <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/bookster/reviews/?filter=5" rel="ugc">Click here ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to share your experience</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Have a feature request?</strong> We’re actively developing new features based on user feedback. <a href="https://feedbo.io/board/bookster/" rel="nofollow ugc">Submit your ideas here</a>.</p>
<h3>Compatibility</h3>
<p><strong>Works With All Major WordPress Themes:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Brandy</li>
<li>WP Shadcn</li>
<li>GeneratePress</li>
<li>OceanWP</li>
<li>Divi</li>
<li>Avada</li>
<li>And thousands more</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Page Builders:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Elementor</li>
<li>Gutenberg (Block Editor)</li>
<li>Classic Editor</li>
<li>Beaver Builder</li>
<li>WPBakery</li>
</ul>
<h3>What’s Next?</h3>
<p>After installing Bookster:</p>
<ol>
<li>Run the setup wizard</li>
<li>Add the booking calendar to a page</li>
<li>Create a test booking to see the customer experience</li>
<li>Customize email templates with your branding</li>
<li>Share your booking page link with customers</li>
<li>Start accepting appointments 24/7!</li>
</ol>
<p>Your new booking system is ready to help you grow your business. Welcome to Bookster! 🚀</p>


Bookster – WordPress Appointment Booking Plugin

Manage real-time bookings with ease. Multi-step booking form, multiple services and locations, built-in customer dashboard.

Stylemix

Gustavo Bordoni

The Events Calendar

<p>Bookit adds an appointment booking system and event calendar to your WordPress site. You define services, staff, working hours, and prices; visitors pick a date and time and submit a booking. The plugin prevents double-booking and sends configurable email notifications.</p>
<p><strong>What you can do:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Define multiple services with duration and price; assign staff and set their working hours and days.</li>
<li>Show availability in daily, weekly, or monthly calendar views.</li>
<li>Place a booking form on any page via shortcode or with Elementor and WPBakery widgets.</li>
<li>Let customers choose a service and staff, see available slots, and submit a booking (no account required unless you enable it).</li>
<li>Receive and send email notifications for new, updated, or upcoming appointments; templates are editable in settings.</li>
<li>Manage all appointments from the admin dashboard; optional Stripe payments in the free version.</li>
</ul>
<p>Optional <a href="https://bookitwp.com/bookit-pro/" rel="nofollow ugc">BookIt Pro add-ons</a> add WooCommerce integration, Google Calendar sync, drag-and-drop custom fields, and additional payment options (e.g. PayPal). Documentation and support are available at <a href="https://bookitwp.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">bookitwp.com</a>.</p>


Bookit — Booking & Appointment Calendar


Worked great for me. Even the free version offers lots of features that others charge for. Also, seeing the Events Calendar team picking this up means future updates coming up rock solid. Thanks!


Powerful little tool

Appointment booking and event calendar for WordPress. Services, staff, availability, shortcodes, and email notifications. Prevents double-booking.

Bookster – WordPress Appointment Booking Plugin vs Bookit — Booking & Appointment Calendar