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DaySmart Booking Start Guide (New - Cloud)

Learn how to set up and customize your new online booking settings directly in DaySmart Cloud.

Written by Kyle Goodman

📝 Overview

We've made it easier than ever to manage your Online Booking settings!
With this update, you can now customize and control your Online Booking preferences directly in the Cloud website without needing to switch between systems.


This improvement consolidates your online booking setup, appearance, and management tools into one central location for a faster, more streamlined experience.

🚀 What's New

This improvement consolidates your online booking setup, appearance, and management tools into one central location for a faster, more streamlined experience.

  • New Navigation: Access Online Booking directly from the Cloud navigation bar.

  • Integrated Settings: Manage all booking preferences, appearance, and policies without leaving Cloud.

  • Custom Colors: Choose from preset themes or create a custom color with the Advanced Color Picker.

  • Simplified Access:

    • The old Add-ons → Settings path has been removed.

    • The former Online Booking Preferences page now redirects to the Cloud version.

    • Users can still temporarily access the legacy site via Manage Online Booking under their profile.

  • Streamlined Management:

    • Configure appointment approval, card requirements, and cancellation settings.

    • Adjust employee and service display order.

    • Set cancellation policies independently of payment settings.

⚙️ Accessing Online Booking Settings

These instructions explain how to access the new Online Booking settings in DaySmart Cloud.

  1. Log into your DaySmart Cloud account.
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  2. From the navigation menu, click Online Booking.
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  3. Here you'll see options for Booking Site Design and Online Booking Settings.

🎨 Booking Site Design

These instructions explain how to find your booking link, preview your booking site, and customize its appearance directly within the Cloud.

🖥️ Desktop


On the Booking Site Design tab you will see the following options:

  • Manage your website: If you have our website builder add on ($15/month) enabled this link will allow you to edit your website appearance.

    • Learn more about Website Builder in the Help Center article for full instructions.
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  • Direct Booking Link: A copyable link to your booking website that can be pasted or shared directly with clients as needed.
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  • Integrate with external website: A toggle to access your Booking Plugin Code to be embedded on an external website.
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  • Booking Site Preview: A preview of the styling applied to your booking plugin in real time before saving.
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  • Customize Color: Choose from preset color themes or select your own using the Advanced Color Picker.
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📱 Mobile App

Access the Booking Site settings from the mobile app by tapping Online Booking in the navigation menu, then selecting the Booking Site tab. From here you can:

  • Direct Booking Link — Tap the link to copy it, or tap Share to send it directly to clients.
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  • Customize Color — Tap Customize Color under Options to choose from preset color swatches or use the Advanced Color Picker for a custom color. Tap Save when finished.
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  • Add to External Site — Tap Add to External Site under Options to access your plugin code. Tap Copy Plugin Code to copy it to your clipboard, then paste it into your website.
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  • Booking Site Preview — Scroll down to see a live preview of your booking site. Tap View Site to open the full booking site in your browser.
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🛠️ Online Booking Settings

These instructions explain how to manage Online Booking settings in DaySmart Cloud. You'll learn how to configure appointment preferences, adjust how services and employees display, set independent cancellation policies, and customize email notifications for booking requests all from one streamlined settings page.

🖥️ Desktop

Click the arrow to learn more about the online booking settings on desktop

📋 Appointment Settings

Click the arrow to learn more about appointment settings

From the Online Booking Settings tab, you can configure:

  • Require Approval: Choose whether appointments must be reviewed before confirmation.

    • Manage all requests from the new "Requests" button at the top of your software. Online Booking requests appear as translucent "ghost appointments" in the requested time slot until accepted or rejected, preventing double-booking. You'll receive a pop-up alert for new requests, and double-clicking a ghost appointment shows the accept/reject screen with details.
      ​

  • Require Card to Book: Toggle on/off based on your payment preferences.

    • If you use DaySmart Payments, you can securely collect credit card information from clients during the booking process, ensuring that you have their details readily available when needed.

Please Note:

To require credit card information for online bookings, you'll need to sign up with DaySmart Payments (CardConnect or Stripe) to enable credit card processing. To set up DaySmart Payments, follow the guides below:

Then, to ensure clients enter payment details when submitting requests, you must enable client account access to your booking site.

  • Allow Clients to Enter Home Address: Allow clients to enter their address when booking appointments online.
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  • Allow Client Online Account Access: Allow clients to log in, view upcoming appointments, and update contact info.

    • Allow Rescheduling: Clients can reschedule their own appointments online (when enabled).

    • Allow Cancellation: Let clients cancel through their online account.

Disclaimer:

This feature is enabled by default for cloud customers. If you'd like it disabled, please contact support.

Please Note:

Clients can only cancel scheduled appointments through the portal. This does not apply to past or already completed appointments.

  • Booking Time Window: Set minimum and maximum notice windows for online booking.
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  • Appointment Intervals: Choose appointment time increments for availability display.
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🧩 Display Options

Click the arrow to learn more about display options

Organize how services and employees appear on your booking site:

  • Employee Order: Rearrange staff display order easily.
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  • Customize Service Visibility and Order: Choose and reorder services or categories directly in the same window.
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  • Show Prices: Toggle price visibility for online visitors.
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  • Cancellation Policy: Previously linked to card requirements, the Cancellation Policy can now be managed independently.
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🔔 Notifications

Click the arrow to learn more about notification settings

Manage notification preferences just like before but now, all within Cloud:

  • Appointment Accepted: Customize Accepted email messages.
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  • Appointment Rejected: Customize Rejected Appointment email messages.
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  • Always Email Scheduled Employee: Toggle on/off to have employees emailed when an appointment is booked with them.
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  • Allow Request Approval via Email: Include an option in the employee notification email that allows the request to be approved or rejected.
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  • Additional Recipients: These employees will receive a notification when appointment requests are made.
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📱 Mobile App

Click the arrow to learn more about the online booking settings on mobile

  1. Open the mobile app and tap More.

  2. Tap Settings.

  3. Tap Online Booking Settings.

  4. Tap the Settings tab.​

📋 Appointment Settings

Click the arrow to learn more about appointment settings on mobile

Booking Policies

Click the arrow to see all booking policy settings

  • Require Approval — Choose whether appointments must be reviewed before confirmation.

    • Manage all requests from the new "Requests" button at the top of your software. Online Booking requests appear as translucent "ghost appointments" in the requested time slot until accepted or rejected, preventing double-booking. You'll receive a pop-up alert for new requests, and double-clicking a ghost appointment shows the accept/reject screen with details.
      ​

  • Require Card to Book — Toggle on/off based on your payment preferences.

    • If you use DaySmart Payments, you can securely collect credit card information from clients during the booking process, ensuring that you have their details readily available when needed.
      ​

⚠️ Please Note:

To require credit card information for online bookings, you'll need to sign up with DaySmart Payments (CardConnect or Stripe) to enable credit card processing. To set up DaySmart Payments, follow the guides below:

Then, to ensure clients enter payment details when submitting requests, you must enable client account access to your booking site.

  • Allow Client Online Account Access — Allow clients to log in, view upcoming appointments, and update contact info.

    ⚠️ Please Note:

    Clients can only cancel scheduled appointments through the portal. This does not apply to past or already completed appointments.

    • Allow Rescheduling — Clients can reschedule their own appointments online (when enabled).

    • Allow Cancellation — Let clients cancel through their online account.

⛔ Disclaimer:

This feature is enabled by default for cloud customers. If you'd like it disabled, please contact support.

Booking Timing:

Click the arrow to see all booking timing settings

  • Booking Time Window — Set minimum and maximum notice windows for online booking.
    ​

  • Appointment Intervals — Choose appointment time increments for availability display.
    ​

🧩 Display Options

Click the arrow to learn more about display options on mobile

Organize how services and employees appear on your booking site:

  • Employee Order — Rearrange staff display order easily.
    ​

  • Customize Service Visibility and Order — Choose and reorder services or categories.
    ​

  • Show Prices — Toggle price visibility for online visitors.
    ​

  • Cancellation Policy — Manage your cancellation policy independently of card settings.
    ​

🔔 Notifications

Click the arrow to learn more about notification settings on mobile

⚠️ Please Note:

The Appointment Accepted and Appointment Rejected email messages cannot be edited from the mobile app. To customize those notification templates, log into your Cloud account and go to Online Booking → Online Booking Settings → Notifications.

The following notification settings are available on mobile:

  • Always Email (Scheduled Employee) — Toggle on/off to have employees emailed when an appointment is booked with them.
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  • Allow Request Approval via Email — Include an option in the employee notification email to approve or reject the request.
    ​

  • Additional Recipients — These employees will receive a notification when appointment requests are made.
    ​

📅 Managing Online Requests

Learn how to review pending online appointment requests and take action by approving them to the Appointment Book, adding them to the waitlist, or rejecting them.

  1. From the Appointment Book, navigate to the Online Requests tab.

  2. Review the pending request details, including the client name, requested service, employee, and time.

  3. Select an action:

    • Approve — adds the appointment to the Appointment Book in the requested time slot.

    • Waitlist — holds the request without booking it.

    • Reject — declines the request and notifies the client.

👀 Client View

A clear, start-to-finish walkthrough of how clients book online, plus a summary of what changed in the redesigned flow.

⚠️ Phased rollout: This updated booking experience is planned to roll out in phases. If you don't see the redesigned flow yet, your account may still be using the previous booking experience.

🧑‍💻 How Clients Book Appointments (New Booking Flow)

  1. The client opens your online booking link.
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  2. They choose a service (services are organized by category to make browsing easier).
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    • If you add a service description, clients will see it while selecting a service during online booking. You can manage descriptions in your software by going to Services, selecting the service you want to edit, and updating the Service Description field.
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  3. They choose an employee, or they select a "first available" option if they don't have a preference.
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  4. If they want to book more than one service, they can add another service (all selected services must be booked with the same employee).
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  5. They choose a date and time from the available openings.
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  6. They continue by logging in, creating an account, or booking as a guest (depending on your settings).
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  7. They enter their contact details and can add an optional comment (some fields, like address, may be optional).
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  8. Enter your pet's information then select Add Pet.
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  9. If a deposit or card is required, they enter payment details (and any applicable surcharge is shown during payment entry).
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  10. After they select Book Appointment they will see:

    • A confirmation message along with a note that an email will be sent.

    • Booking details including date, time, employee, service, and price.

    • Company name & address

✨ Key Updates:

  • Fewer screens: The "step-by-step" style flow has been removed to reduce back-and-forth.

  • Services + employees together: Clients can browse services and select employees from the same area, instead of bouncing between separate steps.

  • Service categories: Services are grouped by category to make the list easier to scan.

  • Clearer deposit visibility: If a service requires a deposit, it's called out more clearly during selection and again during checkout.

  • Service summary panel: Clients can review what they've selected, remove a service, or add another service without restarting.

  • Improved date/time selection: The calendar opens in a month view first, then shows times grouped by morning/afternoon/evening after a date is selected.

  • Next available option: If a selected day has no openings, clients can jump to the next available date or change the employee selection without starting over.

  • Checkout is streamlined: Client info and booking confirmation happen closer to the end, with clear "action required" messaging when payment is needed.

  • Service descriptions: Service descriptions added within the software will be shown to clients using this new online booking flow!

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Find answers to common questions or additional details that may not be covered in the main instructions.

Click the arrow to view frequently asked questions

Will I still be able to access the old Online Booking system?

Click the arrow to view the answer

Yes, temporarily. You can reach it through Manage Online Booking in your account menu.

What if I use Website Builder?

Click the arrow to view the answer

If your account includes Website Builder, the Manage Your Website button in Cloud will take you directly there with no separate login required.

Can I customize colors and branding?

Click the arrow to view the answer

Yes! You can select from preset Cloud color themes or use the Advanced Color Picker to match your brand.

Where can I manage my cancellation policies now?

Click the arrow to view the answer

Cancellation policies are available in the new Booking Settings tab and can be configured independently of card settings.

Can clients book packages through Online Booking?

Click the arrow to view the answer

No. Packages are not available through Online Booking at this time. Clients can only book individual services online. If a client wants to purchase or redeem a package, you'll need to handle that within the software.

Can clients purchase products through Online Booking?

Click the arrow to view the answer

No. Products are not available for purchase through Online Booking at this time. Clients can only book services online. If you'd like to explore options for showing product availability on your booking site, contact our support team.

How do I change the email that receives Online Booking appointment request notifications?

Click the arrow to view the answer

Request notifications are sent based on the scheduled employee's email on their Employee Profile (if Always Email Scheduled Employee is enabled) and any emails listed under Additional Recipients in your Notifications settings.

Where do I add service descriptions for online booking?

Click the arrow to view the answer

Service descriptions shown in the new DaySmart Booking flow are pulled from the service description on the service itself (not from the online booking page).

To add or update a service description:

  1. Open Services in the software.

  2. Select the service you want to update (or create a new one).

  3. Enter or edit the Service Description.

  4. Save your changes.

Once saved, the updated description will appear in the online booking flow for clients.

How do I turn off online booking?

Click the arrow to view the answer

It depends on what you're looking to do:

  • To fully disable online booking: You can cancel the Online Booking feature through your Account Management portal at https://account.daysmart.com. This will remove the feature entirely from your account.

  • To keep your website live but disable the booking page: If you'd like to keep your online presence active (for example, for verification purposes) but simply prevent clients from booking appointments through it, you'll want to disable the booking page itself. Please reach out to our support team for assistance with this option.

How do I change the name that shows for an employee on my online booking site?

Click the arrow to view the answer

The name displayed for each employee comes from their Display Name field on their Employee Profile. To update it, go to Employee Profiles, select the employee and click Edit, edit the Display As field, then click Save Employee. The updated name will automatically reflect on your booking site.

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