# Taking your first online booking

> Set up online booking for your photography business: create a service, set your hours, take a deposit, connect your calendar and share your booking page.

Source: https://help.corehue.co/docs/guides/setting-up-online-booking/

Set up a booking page so clients can inquire or book without arranging every detail by email. This guide takes you through creating a service, setting availability, adding payment requirements and testing the client experience.

## Inquire first, or book instantly?

Each service you create works in one of three ways, chosen when you create it:

| Mode | Best for | What the client does |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Inquiry** | Weddings, commercial and custom work | Sends their details. You reply, often with a proposal. |
| **Direct booking** | Portraits, headshots, families | Picks a time, signs, pays and gets a confirmation. |
| **Mini sessions** | Holiday minis, pop-up days | Grabs a short slot on a set date and pays. |

Most photographers run a mix. All your published services appear together on one booking page. See [Inquiry, direct booking or mini session?](/docs/online-booking/choosing-a-booking-mode).

## 1. Create your first service

1. Go to **Bookings → Services** and choose **Add service**.
2. Name it and pick its mode.
3. Fill in the tabs: what's included, the price, the length, where it happens, and what you collect before it's confirmed.
4. Add a cover image and a description that sells it. Clients read this before they book.

See [Creating a booking service](/docs/online-booking/creating-a-service).

## 2. Set your availability

**Bookings → Settings → Availability** holds your weekly hours, the gap between sessions, how much notice you need, and dates you're away. Clients only ever see times that actually work for you. A service can also run on its own schedule if it needs different hours. See [Setting your availability](/docs/online-booking/setting-your-availability).

## 3. Connect your calendar

Under **Bookings → Settings → Integrations**, connect Google Calendar and choose the calendar for confirmed bookings. Turn on **Block busy times** so clients can't book over a dentist appointment or a family dinner. See [Connecting Google Calendar](/docs/online-booking/google-calendar).

Doing virtual consultations? Connect Zoom or use Google Meet for online sessions. See [In-person and online sessions](/docs/online-booking/session-locations).

## 4. Take a deposit to lock the date

A date isn't really booked until money changes hands. On a direct booking or mini session service, open the **Booking flow** tab, then step 4, **Payment**, and turn on **Collect payment**. Choose a deposit or full payment. The time is held while the client pays and released if they don't. See [Pricing, deposits and payment deadlines](/docs/online-booking/pricing-and-deposits).

Card payments need Stripe connected, or add a bank transfer method for clients who prefer it. See [How getting paid works in CoreHue](/docs/payments/how-getting-paid-works).

## 5. Add a contract and questions (optional, but worth it)

The same **Booking flow** tab can ask a few questions during booking, have the client sign your contract, and send a follow-up questionnaire before or after the session. It turns a booking into a fully prepared job without the back-and-forth emails. See [Adding a contract and questionnaire to booking](/docs/online-booking/contracts-and-questionnaires-in-booking).

## 6. Publish the service

Choose **Publish** at the top of the service editor. CoreHue checks it over first and lists anything missing, with a link straight to the tab it lives on.

How many services you can publish at once depends on your plan:

| Plan | Published services |
| --- | --- |
| Free | 1 |
| Plus | 5 |
| Pro | Unlimited |

The count shows by **Add service**, like "3 of 5 published". Drafts and unpublished services don't count. See [How many services can I publish?](/docs/online-booking/published-service-limits).

## 7. Turn on your booking page

Your booking page starts switched off. Go to **Bookings → Settings → Booking page** and turn on **Public booking page**. You can also add a headline and welcome message here. See [Customizing your booking page](/docs/online-booking/customizing-your-booking-page).

## 8. Test it, then share it

Open your booking page in a private browser window and walk through a booking as a client would. Check the times, the price, the contract and the confirmation. See [What your client sees when they book](/docs/online-booking/what-clients-see-when-booking).

Then share the link everywhere clients find you: your Instagram bio, your email signature, your website and your Google Business profile. Your page lives at `yourname.corehue.co/services`, each service has its own link, and on Plus and Pro it can use your own domain. See [Sharing your booking page](/docs/online-booking/sharing-your-booking-page).

## When the first booking comes in

You'll get a notification, and the booking appears under **Bookings → All bookings** and on your calendar. Each booking has a title and a description, starting from the service, so you and your client can see what was agreed. See [Booking details: title, description and amount](/docs/managing-bookings/booking-details).

For an inquiry, you'll find it under **Bookings → Inquiries**, ready for your reply. See [Managing inquiries](/docs/managing-bookings/managing-inquiries).

## Frequently asked questions

### Can clients book without paying?

Yes, if you leave **Collect payment** off. The booking still needs whatever else you've asked for, like a signed contract. Taking at least a deposit protects you from no-shows.

### Will clients see "Powered by CoreHue" on my booking page?

On Free, yes. On Plus and Pro you can remove CoreHue branding. See [Removing CoreHue branding](/docs/account/removing-corehue-branding).

### Can I take bookings for services in different currencies?

On Free and Plus, services use your default currency. Pro can price services and invoices in other currencies. See [Invoicing in more than one currency](/docs/invoices/multiple-currencies).

### What if no times show on my booking page?

Usually the service has no availability in the period clients are looking at, or your notice period is longer than you think. See [Available times aren't showing on my booking page](/docs/troubleshooting/booking-times-not-showing).