Booking Step Builder

Set up the Booknetic Booking Step Builder add-on: custom booking steps with Custom Forms forms, placement rules, step order and what customers see.

Version:

Regular
- Regular
- SaaS

Requirements

Booknetic and Booknetic Pro 6.1 or later, with an active licence.
Custom Forms add-on, version 3.2 or later.
Booking Step Builder add-on, installed and activated from the Booknetic Boostore.
WordPress 5.6 or later, PHP 7.4 or later.

Installation

In your Booknetic Admin Panel, go to Boostore.
Make sure Custom Forms is installed and up to date.
Find the Booking Step Builder add-on and click Install.
Once installed, click Activate.

The add-on adds the Booking steps menu. Without Custom Forms 3.2 or later, WordPress shows a notice instead: "Booking Step Builder needs the Custom Forms add-on, version 3.2 or later. Install or update Custom Forms to use it."

Step 1: Build the Form

Create the form in Custom forms as usual. Everything a form can do works in a step:

all field types, including labels for instructions, checkboxes, file uploads and dates;
required fields;
the services the form is shown for;
conditions, including conditions on answers given in another form.

See the Custom forms documentation for building forms.

Step 2: Add the Step

Go to Booking steps and click Add step.
Enter the Step name. Customers see it in the step list and as the step's title. Keep it short, since the step list is narrow.
Choose the Form.
Choose the Position: First step, or after any other step.
Leave Show this step on, and click Add step.

Add step form with step name, form, position and Show this step switch — Step name, Form, Position and Show this step.

Booking steps list with two custom steps, their forms and positions — The Booking steps page lists every step with its form and position.

In the new admin interface, the page is Booking steps in the Booking Form group of the sidebar.

Placement rules

Booknetic keeps the steps in an order where every form can work:

The form	Where the step must go
Is shown only for some services	After the Service step.
Has conditions on the service, staff or location	After those steps.
Reads an answer from a form in another step	After that step. The message says: "This form depends on the … step, so place the step after it."
Is read by a form in a later step	Before that step. The message says: "The … step uses an answer from this form, so place this step before it."

Each form can be in one step only. Choosing a form that is already used shows: "This form is already shown in the "…" step."

Step 3: Order the Steps

Your steps also appear in Settings > Front-end panels > Booking Steps, and you can drag them there with the other steps. The placement rules apply there too.

Booking steps settings list with the Health check and Preferences steps between Date and Time and Information — Custom steps in the booking steps list of the settings.

To hide a step for a while, edit it on the Booking steps page and turn off Show this step. Its form goes back to the Information step until you show the step again.

What Customers See

Situation	What happens
The step's form applies to the booking	The step shows the form. Required fields must be filled to go on.
The form is meant for other services	The customer skips the step.
The form is switched off or deleted	The step is not shown.
Several bookings in the cart	The step is asked for each booking, like the Information step.

Preferences step in the booking panel with pressure and music questions — A Preferences step that is shown only for massage services.

Answers are saved with the appointment like the fields of the Information step. You find them in the appointment details, and the Custom Forms shortcodes work in your workflows as before.

Deleting a Step

Deleting a step from the Booking steps page doesn't delete its form or any saved answers. The form goes back to the Information step.

Booknetic SaaS

A tenant's plan needs both Booking Step Builder and Custom Forms. Each tenant builds its own steps from its own forms.

Troubleshooting

The Booking steps menu is missing: check that Custom Forms 3.2 or later is active and look for the notice at the top of the WordPress admin.
A step doesn't appear in the booking panel:
- Check that Show this step is on.
- Check that the form is switched on in Custom forms.
- Check that the form is meant for the service being booked.
A form disappeared from the Information step: it is shown in one of your steps now.
A position can't be saved: read the message; it names the step this one has to go before or after.