Next Open – Appointment Booking for Multi-Location Businesses

What is Next Open?

Next Open is a WordPress appointment booking plugin that allows businesses to accept online bookings. It’s designed specifically for businesses with one or multiple locations.

Do I need coding knowledge to use Next Open?

No! Next Open is designed for non-technical users. Simply install, add your locations, and insert the shortcode on a page.

Is the free version actually free?

Yes! The free version is completely free with unlimited locations, unlimited appointments, and email notifications forever.

What’s the difference between free and Pro?

The free version handles core booking functionality. Pro adds staff management, services with pricing, payment processing, customer portal, and custom form fields.

How do I add the booking form to my website?

Create or edit a page and add the shortcode [next_open_booking] where you want the form to appear.

Can I customize the appearance of the booking form?

Yes! The form inherits your theme’s styling automatically. For custom styling, you can add CSS to your theme.

How do I set up my first location?

Go to Next Open > Locations > Add New. Enter your location details, set business hours, and configure time slot preferences.

How does the booking process work for customers?

Customers select a location (if you have multiple), choose a date from the calendar, pick an available time slot, and fill out their contact information. They receive an instant email confirmation.

Can customers book the same time slot at different locations?

Yes! Each location has its own independent schedule.

What happens if two customers try to book the same slot?

Next Open uses real-time availability checking. The first person to complete their booking gets the slot.

Can I manually add appointments for phone bookings?

Yes! Go to Next Open > Appointments > Add New to manually create appointments.

How do I view all my appointments?

Go to Next Open > Dashboard for a calendar view, or Next Open > Appointments for a list view with filtering.

Can I edit or cancel appointments?

Yes! Click on any appointment in your admin panel to edit details or cancel it.

How do I block out time for lunch or personal appointments?

Create a manual appointment with a note like “Lunch Break” to block that time slot.

Can each location have different business hours?

Yes! Each location has its own business hours configuration.

Can I set different hours for different days of the week?

Yes! Each day of the week can have different hours.

What time slot intervals can I use?

You can choose 15, 30, or 60-minute intervals.

How do I handle holidays and days off?

Go to Next Open > Holidays and add specific dates when you’re closed.

Can I temporarily close a location?

Yes! Edit the location and set all business hours to “Closed” or temporarily delete the location.

What email notifications are sent?

When an appointment is booked, confirmation emails are sent to both the customer and the administrator.

Can I customize the email content?

The Pro version includes customizable email templates.

What if emails aren’t being received?

Check spam folders first. If emails still aren’t arriving, we recommend using an SMTP plugin like WP Mail SMTP for reliable email delivery.

How many locations can I add?

Unlimited! Add as many locations as you need.

Can each location have its own contact information?

Yes! Each location can have unique address, phone number, email, and other details.

Do I need separate booking forms for each location?

No! One booking form shows all locations. Customers select their preferred location first.

Can customers book appointments with specific staff members?

This requires the Pro version which includes staff management.

Can I assign different services to different staff members?

Yes, with Pro! Each staff member can be assigned specific services.

How do I set different prices for different services?

This requires Pro version which includes services and pricing management.

Can I offer services of different lengths?

Yes, with Pro! Each service can have its own duration.

Can I accept payments through the plugin?

Payment processing requires Next Open Pro which includes Stripe integration.

What payment methods are supported?

Pro version supports all major credit cards through Stripe.

Can I require a deposit instead of full payment?

Yes, with Pro! You can set deposit amounts or require full payment upfront.

Is payment information secure?

Yes! When using Pro with Stripe, all payment data is handled by Stripe (PCI Level 1 certified).

Can customers cancel or reschedule their own appointments?

Yes, with Pro! The customer portal sends secure magic links for self-service appointment management.

How does the magic link system work?

Customers receive a unique, secure link in their confirmation email. Clicking this link takes them to their personal portal.

Do customers need to create accounts?

No! The magic link system provides secure access without requiring account creation.

What are the minimum requirements?

WordPress 5.0 or higher, PHP 7.4 or higher, MySQL 5.6 or higher, and a modern web browser.

Does it work with my theme?

Yes! Next Open is designed to work with any properly coded WordPress theme.

Does it work with page builders?

Yes! Next Open works with Elementor, Divi, Beaver Builder, and all major page builders.

Is it compatible with multisite?

Yes, Next Open works on WordPress multisite installations.

Does it support multiple languages?

Yes! Next Open is translation-ready and works with WPML, Polylang, and other translation plugins.

Is it GDPR compliant?

Next Open stores minimal customer data required for appointment bookings. You should add appropriate privacy disclosures.

Can I import appointments from another plugin?

Yes, with Pro! The CSV import feature lets you bulk import appointments.

Will it slow down my website?

No! Next Open is optimized for performance. Styles and scripts only load on pages where the booking form appears.

The booking form isn’t showing up

Make sure you’ve added the shortcode [next_open_booking] to your page and that the plugin is activated.

No time slots are appearing

Check that you’ve created at least one location with business hours set, and the selected date falls within your business hours.

Customers aren’t receiving emails

Check spam folders first. If still not working, install an SMTP plugin like WP Mail SMTP to improve email delivery.

Times are showing in wrong timezone

Check your WordPress timezone setting (Settings > General). Next Open uses your WordPress timezone for all appointments.

The form looks broken or unstyled

This usually indicates a theme conflict. Try temporarily switching to a default WordPress theme to test.

How do I get support?

Free plugin support is available through the WordPress.org support forums. Pro customers receive priority email support at [email protected]

How often is the plugin updated?

Next Open receives regular updates for bug fixes, security patches, and new features.

How do I upgrade to Pro?

Visit oiopublisher.com/next-open to purchase Pro.

Do I need to keep the free version installed?

Yes! Pro is an add-on that extends the free version. Both plugins work together.

What happens to my existing appointments when I upgrade?

All your existing data remains intact. Pro simply adds new features on top of what you already have.

Is there a money-back guarantee?

Yes! We offer a 30-day money-back guarantee on Pro.