How to Accept Bookings in WordPress with FluentBooking

FluentBooking lets visitors schedule appointments directly from WordPress. Start with a 30-minute one-to-one event, assign a weekly schedule, and publish its form. If you also use Google Calendar, choose which calendars block availability and where new appointments should be saved.

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1. Create a host and event type

1. Install and activate FluentBooking. Under Calendars → New → Add Host, choose the WordPress user who will take the appointments. If the host already exists, create the event in their calendar.
2. Choose One-to-One. Use a recognizable name such as “Initial consultation,” set a 30-minute duration, and choose a location such as a phone call, street address, or video call.
3. Review the fields on the booking form. For a first consultation, name, email, and the reason for the appointment are often enough. Confirm that the host can access the inbox that will receive booking notifications.

The host setup guide shows where to find each setting.

2. Set availability and time zone

Under Availability → Add New, create a schedule in the host’s time zone, such as America/New_York. Use a named city time zone so the schedule follows local daylight saving rules. Set weekly hours, add date overrides for holidays or time off, and assign the schedule to the event.

A starting schedule might run Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with a 15-minute buffer after each appointment, four hours’ notice, and a 30-day booking window. Adjust these example settings to your workday. Check the public form in another time zone and confirm it shows the same appointment in the visitor’s local time. If the schedule was created with the wrong time zone, create a new schedule and assign it to the event.

See FluentBooking’s documentation on availability and booking limits.

3. Connect Google Calendar and prevent conflicts

Two-way Google Calendar sync and automatic Google Meet links require FluentBooking Pro. For basic appointments, you can start with the version in the WordPress plugin directory.

1. Under Settings → Google Calendar/Meet, select Default Verified App. Then go to Calendars → Host Settings → Remote Calendar and connect the host’s Google account.
2. Choose the destination calendar for bookings and the calendars to check for conflicts. For example, send new appointments to “Consultations” and also check “Work” if it contains commitments that should block availability.
3. For a video appointment, select Google Meet as the event location. Verify that the join link appears in the confirmation and the calendar event.

To test conflicts, mark a Google Calendar event as busy during an available slot and check that the booking form stops offering it. Allow for the cache interval configured in the integration. See the Google Calendar and Meet setup guide.

4. Publish the booking form

Find the event in Calendars and open Share. Use the FluentBooking block in the WordPress editor to embed it on a booking page. If the block is unavailable in your editor, copy the event’s generated shortcode into a Shortcode block. You can also share the host’s booking page URL when it’s enabled. See ways to publish the form.

5. Run a test booking

1. Open the page in a private browser window and on a phone. Check duration, time zone, and whether the Google Calendar busy slot is hidden if the integration is active.
2. Book with an email address you control. Verify the guest confirmation, host notification, and the appointment under Bookings. If Google is connected, check the destination calendar and Meet link where applicable.
3. Reopen the form in a separate window and confirm the reserved slot is gone. Use the confirmation link to reschedule or cancel if enabled, then check that notifications arrive and the original slot is available again.

If the calendar shows no slots, start with the assigned schedule, minimum notice, buffers, and busy calendars. If a booking exists under Bookings but the email is missing, check the event notifications and WordPress mail delivery. FluentBooking’s troubleshooting guide covers both cases.

See FluentBooking for WordPress.