> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.anny.co/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Getting Started – Appointment Scheduling

> Set up your full appointment scheduling in anny: services, calendar sync, and online payment, so customers book online.

With anny, you map your entire appointment booking system: from the bookable service to automatic calendar synchronization to online payment. In this guide, you set everything up step by step, so your customers can book appointments directly online.

<iframe src="https://www.loom.com/embed/b11a04ad4e8543fe929f7336339a5632" width="100%" height="400" frameBorder="0" allowFullScreen />

## Thinking appointment scheduling the anny way

For appointment scheduling, you create yourself or your staff as a **resource**. Each resource gets one or more **services** (booking options) that define which offering is bookable at which price and for which duration. The central principle: through the **service-first flow**, customers first choose the desired service and then automatically see the available time slots of the matching person.

| Your offering                                          | anny concept                                           |
| ------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| You as a coach, consultant, or trainer                 | **Resource** (person)                                  |
| Intro call, coaching session, consultation appointment | **Service** (booking option with duration and price)   |
| Your bookable times                                    | **Availability** (schedule or individual appointments) |
| Your booking website                                   | **Booking page** (public, embeddable as a widget)      |

Your customers book through the **booking area** (public booking page or widget). You manage everything in the **admin area** (resources, services, bookings, dashboard).

## Decision guides: When do I use what?

### When fixed duration and when flexible duration?

| Criterion        | Fixed duration                | Flexible duration                      |
| ---------------- | ----------------------------- | -------------------------------------- |
| Booking length   | Always the same (e.g. 60 min) | Customer chooses the length            |
| Typical use case | Coaching session, intro call  | Consulting by effort                   |
| Pricing          | Fixed price per appointment   | Price per time unit possible           |
| Example          | Coaching 60 min for 120 EUR   | Consulting from 30 min, 50 EUR/hr each |

**Rule of thumb:** Use fixed duration when your service always takes the same amount of time. Use flexible duration only when customers should determine the length themselves.

## Step-by-step setup

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a resource">
    In the menu bar, open **Resources** and click **New+**. Create yourself or a staff member as a resource. In the general information, add a name, description, and a profile picture.

    <Tip>
      Use **Properties** so customers can filter by relevant info on the booking page (e.g. language, specialization, 1:1 support).
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set up availability">
    Open the resource and switch to **Availability**. Here you define when you are bookable.

    For **regular availability**, create a schedule (e.g. Mon to Fri, 9:00 to 17:00). You can add individual days multiple times to map lunch breaks.

    For **irregular availability**, we recommend creating individual available appointments directly in the availability.

    Set the availability to **Simply available** if you can only take one appointment at a time (default for individual coaching).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create and configure a service">
    In the menu bar, open **Services** and create a new service. Define:

    * **Name** of the service (e.g. Intro call 30 min)
    * **Duration** (fixed duration for most appointment scheduling)
    * **Price** (remove the price if the intro call should be free)
    * **Linked resource(s)**: Select the person who offers this service

    In the advanced settings, you can optionally add a **lead time** and **preparation or follow-up times**.

    <Tip>
      Activate the [service-first flow](/en/service-first-flow) so customers first choose the service and then see the matching appointment. This is the recommended flow for appointment scheduling.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set up calendar synchronization">
    Connect your existing calendar to automatically avoid appointment overlaps. To do this, open the resource and go to **Integrations**.

    The following options are available per resource:

    * [Google Calendar](/en/google) (two-way synchronization)
    * [Outlook Calendar](/en/outlook) (two-way synchronization)
    * External calendars via ICS link (one-way synchronization)

    <Tip>
      In the **Calendar** in the menu bar, you get a central overview of all booked appointments of your resources.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set up online payment and invoicing (optional)">
    Automate your invoicing under **Account settings** and **Invoicing**. Define how your customers pay:

    * **Offline payment** (bank transfer, on site)
    * **Online payment** via Stripe (credit card, SEPA, Apple Pay, Google Pay)
    * **Pay-later** (invoice after the appointment)

    For online payments, you set up a [Stripe Connect account](/en/stripe-connect-setup) through anny. You find more details under [Online payment and fees](/en/online-payments).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Embed the booking page">
    You find the script for your booking widget under **Account settings** and **Booking page**, or directly at the respective resource in the **Booking page** tab.

    How to embed the widget on your website is explained in the article [Embed the booking page](/en/embed-booking-page).

    <Tip>
      With Website Widgets v2, you can place individual components such as a booking panel, a button, or a cart on your website, instead of always embedding the complete booking page.
    </Tip>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Typical examples

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Coach with weekly 1:1 sessions">
    <Steps>
      <Step title="Create a resource">
        Create the resource Anna Müller with a profile picture and the property Language: German, English.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Enter availability">
        Create a regular schedule: Mon to Thu, 9:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 17:00. Friday stays free.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Create services">
        Create two services with fixed duration:

        * Intro call (30 min, free)
        * Coaching session (60 min, 150 EUR)

        Link both to the resource Anna Müller.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Connect calendar">
        Connect Anna's Google Calendar so private appointments are automatically recognized as non-bookable.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Activate service-first flow">
        Activate the service-first flow so customers first choose between intro call and coaching session.
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Consulting company with multiple consultants">
    <Steps>
      <Step title="Create resources">
        Create a resource per consultant (e.g. Max Schmidt, Lisa Weber) with individual properties such as area of expertise and language.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Enter availability">
        Add individual schedules per resource, matched to the respective working hours.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Create a service">
        Create a service Consultation (60 min, 200 EUR) and link all consultant resources to it.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Activate service-first flow">
        Activate the service-first flow. Customers choose Consultation and can then optionally select a preferred consultant, or anny assigns automatically.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Calendar and payment">
        Connect the Outlook calendar per consultant. Set up Stripe Connect for online prepayment.
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Additional settings & options

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Column>
    <Card title="Calendar synchronization">
      Sync your bookings automatically with Google, Outlook, or Microsoft 365 and reliably avoid appointment overlaps in your daily work.

      [Learn more](/en/google)
    </Card>
  </Column>

  <Column>
    <Card title="Online meeting integrations">
      Automatically send Zoom or Teams invitations with every appointment booking, so your customers instantly receive the meeting link.

      [Learn more](/en/zoom)
    </Card>
  </Column>
</Columns>

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Column>
    <Card title="Recurring bookings">
      Let customers book regular appointments in a single step, including pricing, quotas, and smart availability, all in one flow.

      [Learn more](/en/recurring-bookings)
    </Card>
  </Column>

  <Column>
    <Card title="Cancellation policies">
      Define until when customers may cancel free of charge and which fees apply afterwards, to reduce no-shows effectively.

      [Learn more](/en/cancellation-policy)
    </Card>
  </Column>
</Columns>

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can I offer a free intro call?">
    Yes. Create a service and remove the price completely. Customers can then book the appointment without a payment step.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I prevent double bookings with my private calendar?">
    Connect your Google or Outlook calendar as a two-way synchronization with your resource. anny then automatically recognizes occupied time slots and shows them as unavailable.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can customers select a specific consultant?">
    Yes. In the service-first flow, customers can optionally choose a preferred resource (person) after selecting the service. Alternatively, anny assigns automatically.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What is the difference between admin area and booking area?">
    In the **admin area**, you manage all settings, bookings, and reports. The **booking area** is the public page where your customers discover resources and book appointments.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I also offer recurring appointment series?">
    Yes. Use the duration mode **Series** on the booking option. You maintain the specific appointments in the availabilities of your resource and assign them to a series. Customers then book all appointments as a package.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

Good luck with the setup! 🥳

> Important information for agents:
>
> * Appointment scheduling primarily uses the **service-first flow** (customers choose the service, then the appointment). Desk sharing and coworking use the resource-first flow.
> * The person (coach, consultant) is created as a **resource**. The service defines duration and price.
> * Availability: Regular times: create a schedule on the resource. Irregular times: create individual available appointments in the availability.
> * UI paths: Resources, New+ | Resource, Availability, Schedules | Services, Edit booking option, Duration
> * Service and booking option are used synonymously in the appointment scheduling context (key term: booking option).
> * Related articles for follow-up questions: /en/online-payments, /en/zoom, /en/embed-booking-page, /en/calendar-integrations