Appointment Desk — Documentation
Table of Contents
Video overview of the sections
Appointment Desk
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Complete guide to setting up and using the Appointment Desk WordPress plugin.
Getting Started
- Create a team and add staff members (Teams tab)
- Create a calendar and assign your team (Calendars tab)
- Add services to the calendar (click a calendar card)
- Add the booking form using
[appointment-desk]or use the auto-generated booking page
/appointment-desk/. Change the slug in Settings.Teams & Staff
Creating a Team
- Go to the Teams tab
- Click Add Team
- Enter a team name
Adding Members
- WordPress users — Administrator, Editor, or Booking Staff role
- Virtual members — name only, no WordPress account needed
Calendars
Calendars represent locations, rooms, or resources.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Shown to customers |
| Description | Public description on booking page |
| Color | Calendar color in admin view |
| Active | Inactive calendars hidden from booking |
| Business Hours | Per-weekday open/close times |
| Capacity | Fixed number or 1 per staff member |
Services
Click a calendar card, then Add Service.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | e.g. “Haircut”, “Consultation 30min” |
| Duration | Minutes. Determines slot size. |
| Price | Optional. Enables paid booking with WooCommerce. Pro |
| Buffer Before/After | Prep/cleanup time. Pro |
Appointments
Calendar view with day, week, month, and list modes. Filter by calendar, team, or member.
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Pending | Awaiting confirmation |
| Confirmed | Scheduled |
| Completed | Done |
| Cancelled | Cancelled by admin or customer |
| Declined | Admin declines, customer notified |
CSV and Print buttons in the calendar toolbar export the current view with all active filters.
Booking Page
Shortcode
[appointment-desk]— all calendars[appointment-desk calendar="3"]— specific calendar[appointment-desk ids="1,3,5"]— multiple calendars
Slot Holds
Selected time slots are temporarily reserved while the customer fills out the form. Prevents double bookings.
Reception Cockpit
Standalone page for front desk staff. No WordPress login needed — access via auth token URL.
- Day/Week/Month view
- Quick-book for walk-ins
- Check-in / Check-out
- Next Up sidebar
- Dark mode
- Audio notifications
Walk-in Queue System
Enable per calendar in calendar settings.
| Page | URL | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Kiosk | /appointment-desk/queue/{id}/ | Customer pulls a number |
| TV Display | /appointment-desk/display/{id}/ | Waiting room screen |
| Counter | /appointment-desk/counter/{id}/?auth=TOKEN | Staff calls next |
Display modes: Single number or per-counter table. Orientation: Portrait or Landscape.
The counter page is PWA-capable — install as app on mobile/tablet.
QR Check-in
Customers scan QR code at the door. Scanner at /appointment-desk/scanner/. Staff can also check in from cockpit.
Customer CRM
- Automatic customer numbers
- Search by name, email, phone
- Full appointment history
- Average rating
Email Notifications
| To | |
|---|---|
| Confirmation | Customer |
| Admin Notification | Admin / staff |
| Cancellation | Customer |
| Reschedule | Customer |
| Declined | Customer |
| Rating Request Business | Customer |
All emails include an ICS calendar file.
Attachments Pro — attach files from media library per email type.
Custom templates Business — full HTML control with placeholders.
Custom Fields
Dropdowns or text fields on the booking form. Examples: “Preferred masseur”, “Special requests”.
Blocked Times
- One-time — specific date range (holidays)
- Recurring — weekly pattern (lunch breaks)
Apply to one calendar or all.
ICS Calendar Feed
Subscribe from Google Calendar, Outlook, or Apple Calendar. Click the RSS icon on a calendar card.
Rating System
1-5 stars after appointment. Link in confirmation email. With Business a dedicated rating email is sent.
Settings
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Business Name/Email/Phone | Shown in emails |
| Auto-confirm | On: instant confirmation. Off: pending. |
| Cancellation Deadline | Hours before appointment |
| Buffer Before/After Pro | Prep/cleanup time |
| Delete data on uninstall | Default off. |
| Remove branding Pro | Hide “Appointment Desk” link |
Shortcodes
| Shortcode | Description |
|---|---|
[appointment-desk] | Booking form |
[appointment-desk calendar="3"] | Specific calendar |
[appointmentdesk_cockpit] | Cockpit (needs auth) |
[appointmentdesk_queue_display calendar_id="1"] | Queue TV display |
Premium Features
Pro Pro
- Unlimited calendars, services, staff, teams, custom fields
- Unlimited cockpit auth tokens
- WooCommerce paid appointments
- Buffer times
- Queue themes + custom CSS
- Email attachments
- Remove branding
Business Business
- Everything in Pro
- Custom HTML email templates
- Rating emails
- Priority support