Congratulations on your new DaySmart Appointments account! 🚀
We’re happy to have you on board!
Now comes the fun part: customizing your experience. Your Sales Consultant will have covered some of this information, so a bit of it should sound familiar as we go along.
This guide walks you through:
Some of the tab names and links used in the following instructions may end up being different in your account, depending on who and what you’re scheduling.
🛠️ Configuration of the Site Administration View
In this section we'll update items within the Settings tab in the top menu bar.
Of the 240 preferences available to you under this tab, we usually end up adjusting around 12 or 13, and topping out around 15 for complex accounts. Make note of any options you’d like to explore later, and we can circle back around to them.
Open Hours
Click here to learn how to update your business' open hours
Click here to learn how to update your business' open hours
Your Open Hours are the total hours of operation for each Location of your business. You’ll set them on a weekly recurring basis. Your Open Hours should accommodate the schedules of all your Staff Members.
Select Open Hours from the left menu
Configure Open Hours to reflect the business' availability
Once you have reviewed all of the options for Open Hours, select Update at the bottom of the screen.
Closed Days
Click here to learn how to update your business' closed days
Click here to learn how to update your business' closed days
Select Closed Days from the left menu
Mark Closed Days (for holidays, inventory days, etc.)
Select Update at the bottom of the screen once you have update all closed days
Default Terms
Click here to learn how to update your business' default terms
Click here to learn how to update your business' default terms
Click Terms in the left hand menu
Define business Terms (e.g., rename "Staff Member" to "Technician")
Once you've reviewed all terms, click update at the bottom of the screen.
Key Settings
Click here to learn how to adjust your business' key settings
Click here to learn how to adjust your business' key settings
In the left hand menu under Preferences, select Appointments
Here you can adjust Appointment Preferences, including:
Appointment increments
How far in advance customers/staff can book
Allowing recurring appointments
Other scheduling constraints
Once you've updated all applicable options, select update at the bottom of the screen.
Customer Registration Fields & Terms
Click here to learn how to customize customer registration field and terms
Click here to learn how to customize customer registration field and terms
In the left menu, under preferences, click Customer Fields/Terms.
Customize Customer Fields/Terms:
Decide which fields appear in Customer View, Staff View, or Appointment pages
Mark required or optional as needed (help.appointment-plus.com, help.appointment-plus.com, help.appointment-plus.com, help.appointment-plus.com)
Once you have reviewed all of the options, click update at the bottom of the page.
⚙️Setup
Create the foundational entities your scheduling needs:
Services (including add‑ons)
Staff Members (or resource assignments)
Events, if your operations include workshops or classes
Adding Services
Click here to learn how to add a service.
Click here to learn how to add a service.
Enter the Title
In the Title field, type the name of the Service.
This name will appear in the Customer View drop-down when customers make an appointment.
(Optional) Add a Description
Use the Description field to provide extra information about the Service.
Customers may see this information when scheduling, depending on your Customer View settings.
Provide an Internal Description
Enter details in the Internal Description field for staff reference.
This information is only visible to users in the Site Administration view and is never shown to customers.
Set Customer Visibility
Choose Yes to make the Service visible and bookable in the Customer View.
Choose No to make the Service available only internally through Site Administration.
Set the Duration
Enter the default length of the Service.
You can override this duration for each Staff Member or for individual Appointments.
If you need a buffer between appointments, add that time to the total duration.
Example: For a 60-minute massage with a 15-minute buffer, set the duration to 75 minutes.
Configure Number of Spots (Only applies if using Multiple Appointments per Time Slot)
Enter how many booking spots each appointment for this Service will take.
Example: If 6 total spots are available at 3 PM and this Service takes 2 spots, only 3 appointments can be booked.
For services requiring full attention, set the Number in Group to the maximum available spots so no other appointments can be booked during that time.
Select the Type
Service: A standard appointment with a set time, duration, and Staff Member.
Add-on Service: Cannot be booked alone; must be added to another Service (e.g., shampoo for a haircut).
(Optional) Set the Cost
Enter the default cost of the Service.
Different rates can be set for individual Staff Members or overridden when booking.
(POS Only) Add a Product/Service Code
If the Point of Sale plug-in is enabled, enter the applicable code.
(POS Only) Set Taxable Status
If applicable, mark the Service as taxable.
The tax rate is set under POS → Tax Rate.
(POS Only) Assign a Category
Choose a category for reporting purposes.
Categories can be created or managed under POS → Product Categories.
Adding Events
Click here to learn how to add an event
Click here to learn how to add an event
Click Add New Event to begin setting up an Event.
The following fields are available when adding or editing Events:
Title: This field represents the name or headline of an Event. Titles display in both the Customer and Site Administration views.
Description: Use this field to include detailed information about the Event.
Allow Customers to See
Yes: Customers can schedule the Event through the Customer View.
No: The Event can only be scheduled within the Site Administration view.
Duration: Defines the default length of the Event.
Cost: Tracks the price of the Event.
In the Site Administration view, the Cost field auto-fills when the Event is selected.
If Customers are required to pay for self-scheduled Events, this cost will be applied at checkout.
POS/Service Code: (Visible only if using the POS module.) Assigns a unique code to the Event for processing related sales transactions in POS.
Taxable: (Only applies if using the POS module.) Classifies the Event as taxable or non-taxable.
Category: (Only applies if using the POS module.) Links an Event to a category created within the POS module.
Event Start Time: Specifies the time of day the Event begins.
Multi-day Format
Yes: Customers who register are automatically signed up for all Event dates (e.g., a workshop meeting weekly for four weeks).
No: Each date is treated as a separate Event, and Customers register for a single date at a time.
Max # of Participants
Sets the maximum number of Customers allowed for the Event.
Leave blank for unlimited spots.
In the Customer View, Customers are notified if they attempt to reserve more spots than are available.
In the Site Administration view, staff can override the maximum if needed.
Move Participants
(For Events with multiple dates.) Allows moving all participants from one date to another.
To move participants follow these steps:
Check the option “Check this box if you would like to move all participants to a new Event date.”
Select the From and To dates.
If removing an Event date, uncheck the date and click Update.
Adding Staff Members
Click here to learn how to add Staff Members
Click here to learn how to add Staff Members
The Staff Members section allows you to add, update, and delete administrative users. You can also customize options such as what Services and Events a Staff Member can provide, as well as their availability.
Click Staff Members, then click Add New Staff Member to begin.
Designating User Access Rights
Access Types determine what level of system access a user has when logging in. The access type you select defines which features they can view or manage.
When creating a new user profile, choose one of the five predefined Access Types based on how much visibility and control you want the user to have.
Setting Up a Schedule
You can customize each Staff Member’s available times in three ways:Weekly Recurring Schedule: Use this option if the user’s schedule repeats consistently week to week.
Schedule Exception: Override the weekly recurring schedule for a specific date (e.g., shortened workday).
Schedule Template: Apply fixed availability for a specific date range.
Specifying What Services Are Offered
Assign which Services each user can perform. You can also:Choose which days of the week those Services are available.
Adjust the duration and cost of Services per Staff Member, allowing for variations in pricing or time requirements.
Indicating Days Off
Use the Days Off feature to block specific dates for individual Staff Members (such as vacations or personal leave).
Any Closed Days you set under the Settings tab (e.g., holidays) automatically apply to all Staff Members.
Days Off ensure Appointments cannot be booked for unavailable dates.
Managing Customers
Click here to learn how to add Customers
Click here to learn how to add Customers
Click Customers, then click Add New Customer to begin.
The Customers tab is used to add, view, edit, and delete Customer records. It also serves as a complete database to organize and manage Customer details, including:
Contact information
Appointment history
Notes
Payment history (if applicable)
Other important data
This section is where you can add new Customers who are not yet scheduling an Appointment. Customers can also be added automatically at the time an Appointment is booked.
You can customize the Customer entry process by:
Marking fields as required or optional
Hiding certain fields
Creating custom fields
These options are managed in the Customer Fields/Terms section of Preferences, located under the Settings tab.
Click here to learn how to Upload Customer Profiles
Click here to learn how to Upload Customer Profiles
Click Settings, then click Work Requests.
From this section, you can request to have your existing Customer list uploaded into your account for a one-time fee.
To submit a request:
Go to the Work Request section under the Settings tab.
Attach your Microsoft Excel® spreadsheet containing the Customer list.
Submit your request for processing.
✏️ Customization
Customizing Email Notifications
Click Settings and then Notifications.
Email notifications can include custom content for both Customers and Staff Members. You can choose which notifications are Active (sent automatically) and which are Inactive (not sent).
Customizing Your Scheduling Site
The software includes settings that let you create a unique scheduling experience.
The Customer View is the page where Customers schedule Appointments or register for Events.
To preview what they see, hover over the Customer View link at the top-right corner of your home screen and click Preview.
If you don’t want Customers scheduling online, you can disable your scheduling site.
Adding a Logo
Click Layout.
From the Layout tab, you can update the header on your scheduling site by:
Using a simple text header
Or creating a custom header with the WYSIWYG editor
Customizing Website Text
Click Pages/Text.
This tab allows you to edit the text Customers see online during the scheduling process. You can also add custom text that only administrative users can see.
If you’re using the NextGen Customer View, text placement and display may differ. Contact Support if you have questions.
Ready to accept online appointments? Add a “Book Now” button to your website or Facebook page.
Creating Your First Appointment
Your account comes preloaded with everything you need to create a test Appointment. Creating a test Appointment helps you understand the scheduling process and identify any changes before going live.
To create a test Appointment:
Open the Appointment Grid
Click the Appointments tab in the navigation bar.
Here, you can view existing Appointments and open time slots in Day, Week, or Month view, or create a new Appointment.
Select a Time Slot
Choose an open time from the Appointment Grid.
You can click the + icon or select the empty white space in the open slot.
Create or Select a Customer
From the pop-up window, either select an existing Customer from the drop-down/search box or create a new Customer by filling in the required fields.
Click Next to continue.
Add Appointment Details
Key details such as Location, Staff Member, date, and time will auto-fill based on the time slot selected.
Choose a Service from the drop-down list — the system will apply the correct duration and cost.
Optionally, add Appointment Notes before proceeding.
Review and Finalize
Click Next to review all Appointment details.
Confirm accuracy, or go back to adjust if needed.
When ready, click Finalize Appointment to schedule.
If a new Customer was entered, their profile will be created automatically when the Appointment is finalized.
🚀 What's Next?
Once you’ve created a test appointment and verified your settings:
Review your customer-facing booking experience
Confirm that notifications are formatted correctly
Check scheduling constraints (availability, advance booking, recurring options)
Train internal users on Administration view terms and navigation