# Book an appointment

> Book a client from the calendar or New Appointment, add a walk-in, book a busy or after-hours time, and choose whether the client gets a confirmation.

Source: https://heylilo.co/help/calendar/book-an-appointment

Book a client from the calendar, or anywhere you see **New Appointment**. Lilo takes you through four steps: the client, the services, the time, and a final check.

## Book an appointment

1. On the [**Calendar**](https://app.heylilo.co/dashboard/calendar), select **New Appointment**.
2. If there's a **Location** menu, choose where the appointment is.
3. Search for the client by name, email or phone, or select them under **Recent Clients**.
4. Select **Continue to Services**.
5. Select each service the client wants, then **Continue to Date & Time**.
6. Select a date. Each date shows how many times are open.
7. Select a time, then **Continue to Confirm**.
8. Check the details. Leave **Notify client** on to send the client a confirmation.
9. Select **Confirm Appointment**. You'll see **Appointment booked successfully**, and Lilo takes you back to the calendar.

New client? Select **New Client** in step 3. Enter their **First Name**, **Last Name** and **Phone**, then select **Create & Continue**. An email is optional.

Want a different provider? On the date and time step, select the provider next to the service and choose another one, or **Any available**. With more than one service, each can have its own provider. On a Lilo Booth plan, you're always the provider.

You can also start a booking from:

- the **+** button at the top of every page, then **New Appointment** or **Walk In**
- **New Appointment** in [**Operations** → **Appointments**](https://app.heylilo.co/dashboard/bookings)
- **Book** on a client's profile, which fills in the client
- **Rebook** on a cancelled or no-show appointment, which fills in the client and services

In the Lilo app, tap **+**, then **New Appointment**. You can also tap an empty time on the calendar, then **New appointment**.

## Book from the calendar

Starting from the calendar sets the provider and time for you.

1. On the **Calendar**, in **Day** view, select an empty time in the provider's column. In **Week** view, choose the provider under **Provider:** first.
2. Find the client and select **Continue to Services**.
3. Select the services. The date, time and provider you picked show at the top.
4. Select **Continue to Date & Time**. Lilo goes straight to the last step, since the time is already set.
5. Select **Confirm Appointment**.

To pick a different time instead, select **Change** next to the date and time at the top.

You can book outside the provider's hours, on their day off or in a blocked time. Lilo flags it under **Things to confirm** first.

## Book over another appointment

The booking steps only list open times. To double-book a provider, start from the calendar:

1. Select an empty time in the provider's column, then choose the client and services as usual.
2. If the services run into another appointment, a note at the top says so.
3. Select **Continue to Date & Time**. The **Time Conflict** box opens.
4. Select **Double Book Provider** to keep your time. Or select one of the suggested times, or **Choose a different time manually**.
5. Select **Confirm Appointment**. The last step reminds you that it's a double booking.

## Book a walk-in

1. On the **Calendar**, select **Walk-In**.
2. Find the client, or add them with **New Client**. Then select **Continue to Services**.
3. Select the services, then **Continue to Date & Time**.
4. Under **Who's Available Now?**, select a provider. Anyone free right now shows **Available now**. The others show how long the wait is.
5. Check the details. **Check in immediately** is on, so Lilo checks the client in as you book.
6. Select **Book & Check In**, or **Book Walk-In** if you turned off **Check in immediately**.

If no one is free, select **Book for a Later Time** to pick a time.

With the **Checkout-First Workflow** on, there's no check-in step, and the button reads **Book Walk-In**.

In the Lilo app, tap **+**, then **New Walk-In**.

## How it works

- Lilo fills in a provider for each service. It picks the client's [preferred provider](https://heylilo.co/help/clients/client-profile) if they can do it. Otherwise it picks you, if you do that service, or **Any available** if neither fits.
- With **Any available**, each time shows who's free then.
- If you can only book yourself, you're always the provider.
- With more than one service, Lilo books them back to back.
- If you sell [packages](https://heylilo.co/help/services/packages), the services step has a **Packages** tab for them.
- When your team books, there's no deposit or payment. You take payment at [checkout](https://heylilo.co/help/payments/checkout).
- **Notify client** sends the client a booking confirmation. It starts off for walk-ins and for appointments less than an hour away. You can turn it on.
- If Lilo has no way to reach the client, or they've opted out, **Notify client** is grayed out.
- **Notify client** only covers the confirmation. Lilo still sends [reminders](https://heylilo.co/help/messages/automatic-client-messages) before the visit if your reminders are on.
- Providers hear about new upcoming appointments, based on their own [notification settings](https://heylilo.co/help/messages/staff-notifications).
- [How Lilo decides open times](https://heylilo.co/help/calendar/how-open-times-work) explains which times show up.

When a service has [add-ons](https://heylilo.co/help/services/add-ons), they show under it once you select it. Select any the client wants.

## Common questions

### Why can't I find a client?

- Type at least two characters to search.
- Search and **Recent Clients** leave out [blocked and archived clients](https://heylilo.co/help/clients/clients-list).
- If you can only see your own clients, search only finds clients you added or have appointments with.

If they're new, select **New Client** and add them.

### Why isn't the time I want listed?

The date and time step only shows open times for the provider. To book outside their hours, or over another appointment, start from the calendar instead.

### Why didn't the client get a confirmation?

- **Notify client** was off. It starts off for walk-ins and for appointments less than an hour away.
- The client has no email or phone number on file, or has opted out of messages.

### Can I book a client on a regular schedule?

Yes. On the last step, select **Repeat this appointment**. See [Recurring appointments](https://heylilo.co/help/calendar/recurring-appointments).

### Why can't I book appointments anymore?

Your business's free trial has ended, or its subscription was canceled. Only the account owner can [subscribe](https://heylilo.co/help/getting-started/plans-and-trial). Everyone else sees **Contact the business owner to resume your Lilo subscription.** in place of the booking steps. Once the owner subscribes, booking works again. Nothing is lost.

### Can I book for another provider?

Yes, unless your role only lets you book yourself. Then Lilo always sets you as the provider. [Team roles and permissions](https://heylilo.co/help/team/roles-and-permissions) explains **Book anyone** and **Book themselves**.