--- title: Self-Serve Booking | Avara description: Let patients schedule online on your public booking page — custom URL, appointment types, payments, promos, and booking rules. --- ## Overview Organizations can **optionally enable self-serve booking** so patients schedule certain visits themselves — without calling the front desk or waiting for staff to find an open slot. Self-serve booking is powered by a **dedicated public booking page** for your organization. Link it from your website, email campaigns, or patient outreach so inbound patients **book directly on your calendar** with the rules and pricing you define. That lowers friction for new and returning patients and **alleviates operational burden** on schedulers and front-office staff who would otherwise handle every request by phone or portal message. Everything patients see on the public page flows from **[appointment types](/clinical-platform/appointment-types/index.md)** you configure under Operations — you choose which services are offered online and how each one behaves at checkout. ## Your Public Booking Page Each organization can configure a **custom booking URL** in **Settings** under **Organization configuration** — a branded, patient-facing page that lists the appointment types you expose for self-schedule. **View example booking pages:** [avarasoftware.com/booking](https://www.avarasoftware.com/booking) Examples show how practices present services, availability, and checkout. Your live page uses your organization’s name, branding context, and the appointment types you enable for public booking. Embed or link the URL anywhere patients discover your practice — homepage “Book now” buttons, specialty landing pages, Google Business Profile, and post-visit follow-up emails. ## What You Can Configure Self-serve booking inherits the full **[appointment type](/clinical-platform/appointment-types/index.md)** configuration model. For each type you show on the public page, you control: ### Which Appointments Are Bookable Mark an appointment type as **publicly bookable** to include it on your self-serve page. Types that are staff-only or [Connect](/connect/overview/index.md) referral-only stay off the public list — patients only see what you intentionally open for direct online scheduling. Attach **rooms**, **providers**, and **availability windows** so the calendar reflects real capacity. The scheduling engine prevents double-booking across types that share the same room or provider. ### Payments and Refunds - **Payment required** — Collect payment at booking time when you want upfront commitment (requires [Stripe Connect](/clinical-platform/stripe-connect/index.md) setup) - **Price** — Default charge shown at checkout for the visit - **Refund policy** — How cancellations and reschedules are handled when patients book online - **Promo codes** — Create **any number of promo codes** for public booking to run promotions, partner offers, or seasonal pricing adjustments at checkout ### Booking Rules and Timing Fine-tune when and how slots appear to patients: - **Future booking window** — How far in advance patients can schedule - **Minimum advance booking** — How close to appointment start time a booking is allowed (for example no same-day bookings within two hours) - **Buffer time between appointments** — Padding **after** each slot for turnover, prep, or cleaning - **Cancellation notice** — Required notice period when patients cancel online These rules keep self-serve scheduling aligned with how your clinic actually operates — not just “open calendar.” ### Patient Communication After a patient books themselves, automated workflows keep them informed: - **Booking confirmation emails** — Customizable rich text templates per appointment type - **Appointment reminders** — Scheduled reminders (for example 24 hours and 2 hours before the visit) - **Intake forms** — Attach [patient forms](/clinical-platform/patient-forms/index.md) so patients complete paperwork after booking, before arrival, or at check-in on [office tablets](/clinical-platform/office-tablets/index.md) Staff **scheduling notifications** can alert the right team members when a new self-serve booking lands — so front desk and clinical leads stay in the loop without watching the calendar all day. ## Benefits for Your Practice Self-serve booking is optional — many practices mix online and staff-scheduled appointments. When you enable it, you gain: - **Less phone and email volume** — Patients who prefer self-service book without tying up front desk staff - **Lower friction for inbound patients** — Prospective patients convert faster when they can reserve a slot immediately from your site - **Consistent rules** — Payment, cancellation, buffers, and promos apply automatically - **Digital intake from day one** — Forms and confirmations start as soon as the appointment is booked, reducing day-of paperwork Self-serve booking works alongside staff scheduling, [Connect partner booking](/connect/referrals/index.md), and in-office workflows — each channel can have different appointment types, payment rules, and promo codes configured independently. ## Incomplete Bookings and CRM Not every visitor who starts your public booking flow completes an appointment — and that is still valuable information. When someone enters **contact information** on your public booking page but **does not finish booking**, Avara **captures what they provided** and **automatically surfaces it on your CRM page** as a lead. Your team can see who showed intent — browsed services, checked availability, or reached checkout — without converting, and **follow up directly** to help them schedule. That turns abandoned booking sessions into actionable outreach instead of silent drop-offs. No separate lead form or external marketing tool required: incomplete public bookings feed the same **CRM** your staff uses to nurture inbound interest alongside completed appointments. ## Getting Started 1. Complete **[Stripe Connect](/clinical-platform/stripe-connect/index.md)** onboarding if you plan to **require payment** at public booking. 2. Configure **[appointment types](/clinical-platform/appointment-types/index.md)** — availability, **publicly bookable**, booking rules, forms, emails, and promo codes. 3. In **Settings** → **Organization configuration**, set your organization’s **public booking URL**, then link it from your website. Appointment type and operations configuration requires **Can Manage Operations**. Staff who book on behalf of patients use **Can Manage Appointments**. See [Inviting Users](/clinical-platform/inviting-users/index.md) for permission details.