Sending a questionnaire automatically after booking
Attach follow-up questionnaires to a booking service and choose when each one sends: on confirmation, before the session or after it. The schedule applies to bookings made through that service.
These automatic questionnaires never count towards the Free plan's 5-questionnaire limit.
Add a follow-up questionnaire to a service
- Go to Bookings → Services and open a direct booking or mini session service.
- On the Booking flow tab, open step 5, Follow-up questionnaires.
- Choose Add questionnaire.
- Choose Add questions to open the builder, or use Start from template inside it to copy a saved set in.
- Under When to send, pick the timing and, where it applies, the number of days.
- Make sure the questionnaire's switch is on, then save the service.
Inquiry services don't have this step. There's no booking to schedule around until you create one, and then you can send a questionnaire yourself.
The three timings
| When to send | When it goes out | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| After booking is confirmed | As soon as the booking confirms | Anything you need early: who's who, addresses, dietary needs |
| Before service | A set number of Days before the session (starts at 7) | The detailed form: timeline, must-have shots, family groups |
| After service | A set number of Days after the session (starts at 7) | Feedback, a testimonial request, album or print preferences |
The number of days can be anything from 1 to 365.
Choosing the gap
- Before service: far enough out that you can act on the answers, close enough that plans are settled. Two to four weeks for weddings, a few days for portraits.
- After service: long enough that they've seen their photos, soon enough that the feeling is fresh. About a week after you deliver the gallery works well.
How many
A service can carry up to 10 follow-up questionnaires. Two or three is plenty: one on booking, one before, one after.
What happens on the day
- A questionnaire set to After booking is confirmed goes out the moment the booking confirms.
- The other two wait for their date, then send.
- A scheduled send is skipped if the booking is canceled first, and it can't go anywhere if the contact has no email address.
To move one client's send, open that request and choose Edit send schedule, then pick a new Send on date. That changes only that one request, not the service. Send now sends it straight away.
Each service holds its own copy
The questions on a service are the service's own copy. Starting from a template copies the questions once, and they don't stay linked. If you improve the template later, update the service too, or it keeps sending the old version.
Intake questions are different
Separate from these, step 2 of Booking flow, Questionnaire, asks questions during booking. Same idea, different moment. Ask during booking only what you need to accept the booking, and schedule everything else for later, where a longer form is fine. See Adding a contract and questionnaire to booking.
Where the answers appear
Automatic questionnaires don't appear in the Documents → Questionnaires list, which shows requests you sent by hand. Find them on the booking, or on the contact's Questionnaires tab, where the Source column reads Post-booking. See Viewing questionnaire answers.
What your client sees
Your client gets the same email and form as a questionnaire you send yourself, with a Complete questionnaire button. If it's linked to their booking, they can get back to the booking from the form.
Frequently asked questions
Do automatic questionnaires count towards the Free plan limit?
No. Only questionnaires you send or share yourself count toward the Free plan's 5-questionnaire limit. Everything a booking service asks or sends is free on every plan.
Can automatic questionnaires send reminders?
Yes, on Plus and Pro, if questionnaire reminders are turned on under Settings → Reminders. They follow the same rules as any questionnaire. See Reminding clients about unanswered documents.
What if a client books less than 7 days before the session?
If a follow-up questionnaire's send date has already passed by the time the booking confirms, the questionnaire goes out straight away instead, so short-notice clients still get it.
Can I turn off one follow-up without deleting it?
Yes. Switch that follow-up questionnaire off on the service's Booking flow tab. Remove it from its menu when you no longer need it at all.