Create a booking

Create the appointment once and Barkway uses it to keep the diary, pricing and invoice in sync.

Create the booking

1. Click New Booking

   From Dashboard or Bookings, choose New Booking.

2. Choose the pet

   Pick the pet you are booking in. If the pet or client is new, use the New Pet or New Client shortcuts in the Who step.

3. Pick the date and time

   Choose when the appointment should start. Barkway checks your opening hours and existing bookings as you go.

4. Assign the groomer

   Barkway selects you by default. If your workspace has more than one groomer, choose the person taking the appointment.

5. Select services

   Choose one core service and any add-ons. Barkway updates the total and duration from your service setup.

   

6. Add a discount if needed

   Enter a fixed amount, such as 10, or a percentage, such as 10%.

7. Record a deposit if needed

   If deposits are enabled, Barkway shows the required deposit from your settings. See Take a deposit.

8. Save the booking

   Choose Create Booking. The appointment is added to your schedule and its invoice is created.

If the time clashes

If the appointment overlaps another booking or falls outside your opening hours, Barkway suggests the next available time. Accept the suggestion or choose a different slot.

Smart Scheduler

The Smart Scheduler helps place appointments without creating awkward gaps or unnecessarily late finishes. It considers opening hours, buffer time between grooms, your preferred booking window and the rest of the diary.

To change scheduling behaviour, go to Settings → Bookings and adjust the scheduler type (Smart or Normal), appointment buffer and preferred booking window.

Invoice behaviour

Barkway creates an invoice when you save the booking. If you edit the booking later, Barkway refreshes the invoice so the services and prices stay aligned with the appointment.

Client emails

Creating a booking does not automatically send a confirmation. Barkway sends reminders and thank-you emails only when you enable them under Settings → Communication. See Configure email reminders.