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Creating Booking Links for Clients

Creating Booking Links for Clients

Learn how to create secure, one-time booking links that make it easy for clients to schedule appointments with you.


Overview

Booking links are a powerful tool that streamlines the appointment booking process. Instead of back-and-forth messages about availability, you can send a client a secure link where they can view your real-time availability and book their appointment in minutes.


When to use booking links vs. your public booking page:


  • Booking Links: Use for existing clients or specific projects. These are one-time, secure links tied to a specific client and optionally to a tattoo project. They expire after a set time (7-30 days) or when used.
  • Public Booking Page: Share your public artist page (/artist/[your-name]) for general inquiries and new clients. Anyone can view your portfolio and request to book.


Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Open the Project Action Drawer

  1. Navigate to Dashboard > Projects
  2. Find the project you want to create a booking link for
  3. Click the three-dot menu or Quick Actions button
  4. Select Send Booking Link


This opens the Project Action Drawer with the Booking tab active.

You'll see a form with the following options:


Client Selection:

  • The client associated with the project is automatically selected
  • If you're creating a link without a project, you'll need to select a client first


Expiration Date:

  • Default: 7 days
  • Range: 1-90 days
  • Tip: Use shorter expiration (1-3 days) for urgent bookings, longer (30-90 days) for advance scheduling


Estimated Duration:

  • Default: 1.0 hour
  • Range: 0.5-12 hours
  • Why it matters: This helps the system show appropriate time slots and prevents double-booking


Location (if you have multiple):

  • Select which location this appointment will be at
  • Defaults to your primary location


Reminder Preferences:

  • ✅ Email Reminders: Client receives automated reminder emails
  • ✅ SMS Reminders: Client receives text message reminders (if they opt in)
  • Note: Clients can adjust their preferences when booking


  1. Click Create Booking Link
  2. The system generates a secure, unique token (impossible to guess)
  3. You'll see three sharing options:


Option A: Copy Link

  • Click Copy Link button
  • Paste into your chat with the client (via Apprentice chat, text, Instagram DM, etc.)


Option B: Send via Email


  • Click Send Email
  • The system automatically sends a professional email with:
    • Your name and project details
    • The secure booking link
    • Instructions for the client
    • Expiration date reminder


Option C: Send via SMS

  • Text message delivery for urgent bookings


After creating the link, you can track its status:


Link Status Types:

  • Pending: Link created but not yet sent
  • Sent: Link has been shared with client
  • Consumed: Client successfully booked an appointment
  • Expired: Link passed its expiration date without being used
  • Revoked: You manually canceled the link


To view your links:


  1. Go to Dashboard > Clients > [Client Name]
  2. Scroll to Booking Links section
  3. See all links for that client with their current status


Tips

Making Clients More Likely to Book

  • Set realistic expiration dates: 7 days gives clients time to check their schedule without forgetting
  • Enable reminders: Clients with email reminders are 3x more likely to complete booking
  • Include project context: Link booking links to projects so clients see design references when booking
  • Send during business hours: Links sent between 9 AM-5 PM have higher conversion rates


  • One active link per client: If you send a new link, consider revoking the old one to avoid confusion
  • Use descriptive project names: This helps you identify which link is for which tattoo when managing multiple clients
  • Check link status before following up: Save time by checking if a client has already booked before sending a reminder


  • Tokens are cryptographically secure: Each link uses a 32-byte random token that's impossible to guess
  • Links are single-use: Once a client books, the link is automatically consumed and cannot be reused
  • Expiration is automatic: You don't need to manually clean up old links—they expire on their own


Buffer Time Considerations

Your booking links automatically respect your buffer time settings:

  • If you have a 15-minute buffer between appointments, time slots will reflect this
  • Clients won't see slots that conflict with your breaks or existing appointments
  • Your availability settings (days off, hours, blocks) are all enforced


Common Issues

Solution: Check the link status in your dashboard. If it's Expired, create a new link with a fresh expiration date. If it's Consumed, check if they already booked an appointment.


Issue: Client can't find any available time slots

Solution: This usually means:

  • You're fully booked during the link's valid period
  • Your availability settings need updating (check Dashboard > Settings > Availability)
  • The estimated duration is too long for your available gaps


Fix: Either:

  1. Adjust your availability to open more slots
  2. Create a new link with a shorter estimated duration
  3. Create a new link with a later expiration date when you have more openings


Solution: You cannot edit an existing link's expiration. Instead:

  1. Revoke the old link (prevents client from using it)
  2. Create a new link with the correct expiration
  3. Share the new link with your client


Issue: Client booked but I need to change the appointment time

Solution: Booking links create confirmed appointments. To reschedule:

  1. Go to Dashboard > Appointments
  2. Find the appointment
  3. Use the Reschedule action
  4. The client will receive a notification about the change




Updated on: 16/01/2026

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