Learn how to create and manage appointments in your Petboost calendar. This guide covers the two main booking modes and the complete appointment creation workflow.

Creating a New Appointment

Click the New button in the top-right corner of the Appointments page to access the creation menu:

Four creation options:

Appointment (Keyboard: A) - Regular service booking
Stay (Keyboard: M) - Multi-day boarding/daycare
Blocked Time (Keyboard: B) - Block calendar availability
Customer & Pet - Quick customer creation

Two Booking Modes

When creating appointments, choose between two scheduling modes:

1. Magic Schedule (Recommended)

System finds available time slots automatically based on:

Team member availability
Resource availability
Service requirements
Working hours
Existing bookings

Best for:

Multi-pet appointments
Services requiring specific team members or resources
Avoiding scheduling conflicts
Maintaining optimal calendar utilization

How it works:

Select customer and pets
Choose services for each pet
Click Find Available Times
System presents conflict-free slots
Select preferred time
Book instantly

2. Quick Force

Manual scheduling without availability checks.

Best for:

Emergency bookings
Walk-in customers
Override calendar conflicts
Experienced schedulers who know availability

How it works:

Select customer and pets
Choose services
Manually enter date and time
Assign team members and resources
Book (system shows warnings if conflicts exist)

Step-by-Step: Create a Regular Appointment

Step 1: Choose Customer & Pets

Click New → Appointment
Search and select customer
- Click the magnifying glass to open search
- Type customer name, email, or phone
- Select from results
Select pets (checkboxes appear after customer selection)
- Check each pet to include
- All checked pets will receive services

Step 2: Choose Services

For each selected pet:

Click "Choose service" dropdown
Select appropriate service
Service pricing and duration display automatically

Multi-Pet Pricing:

Discounts apply automatically if configured
Total updates in real-time

Step 3: Set Date & Time

Magic Schedule Mode:

Click Find Available Times
System analyzes availability
Select from presented time slots
All fields auto-fill (team, resources, duration)

Quick Force Mode:

Enter Date manually
Enter Start Time and End Time for each service
Assign team members (optional or required based on service)
Assign resources (optional or required based on service)

Step 4: Add Details (Optional)

Location:

Select service location
For mobile services: Enter customer address

Notes:

Customer instructions (visible to customer)
Internal notes (staff-only)

Attachments:

Upload photos or documents

Step 5: Review & Create

Review summary:

Pets & Services: Verify all selections
Date & Time: Confirm schedule
Team & Resources: Check assignments
Total Price: Review pricing including discounts

Action buttons:

Create Appointment - Standard creation
Create & Notify Customer - Creates and sends confirmation
Save as Draft - Save for later completion

Understanding Appointment Statuses

Appointments progress through these statuses:

Status	Meaning	Actions Available
Pending	Awaiting confirmation	Confirm, Decline, Edit
Confirmed	Accepted and scheduled	Start, Cancel, Reschedule, Edit
In Progress	Service currently being performed	Complete, Add Notes
Completed	Service finished	Finalize Invoice, Issue Receipt
Ready to Pay	Invoice finalized, awaiting payment	Charge Payment, Issue Refund
Paid	Payment received successfully	Issue Receipt, Refund
Payment Declined	Payment method failed	Retry Payment, Change Method
Cancelled	Appointment cancelled	Rebook
Declined	Business declined the booking	Archive

Quick Tips

Keyboard Shortcuts:

A - New Appointment
M - New Stay
B - Block Time
Esc - Close dialog

Best Practices:

Use Magic Schedule for conflict-free booking
Enable Pro Automations to reduce manual steps
Add customer notes for special requests
Verify payment method before finalizing

Common Issues:

"No slots available" → Check team/resource availability, expand search window
"Service not available" → Verify service is active and meets pet eligibility
Multiple pets, one fails → Check individual pet restrictions (age, weight, breed)