# Create a Booking (/how-to/bookings/create-a-booking)



Create a booking from the dashboard whenever you need to add a reservation on behalf of a customer -- phone orders, walk-ins, group bookings, or any situation where the customer is not completing the checkout themselves.

Before you begin [#before-you-begin]

* You need at least one [active activity](/how-to/activities) with equipment assigned.
* Have the customer's name and email (or phone) ready.

Steps [#steps]

1. In the sidebar, click **Bookings**.
2. Click the **New Booking** button to open the booking wizard.

The wizard walks you through six steps:

Step 1: Activity [#step-1-activity]

Select the activity for this booking. Only active activities assigned to your current location are shown.

Step 2: Equipment [#step-2-equipment]

Choose the equipment the customer is renting. The list shows equipment assigned to the selected activity. Select quantities for each equipment type and optionally add add-ons.

Step 3: Scheduling [#step-3-scheduling]

Choose how to schedule the booking:

| Option       | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
| ------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Schedule** | Select from available time slots generated by the activity's scheduling configuration. Pick a date, then a duration, then an available time slot. The system checks real-time availability and prevents overbooking. |
| **Custom**   | Manually enter a start time, end time, and date. Use this for non-standard scheduling or when you need to override normal availability.                                                                              |

Step 4: Pricing [#step-4-pricing]

Configure how the booking is priced:

| Pricing Mode             | Description                                                                                                                                                                           |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Calculated** (default) | The system calculates the price based on the activity's pricing rules, selected equipment, add-ons, duration, and any applicable modifiers. Taxes and fees are applied automatically. |
| **Custom**               | Override the base price, balance, and whether to apply taxes and fees. Use this for special arrangements, group discounts, or comped bookings.                                        |

When using custom pricing:

| Field                  | Description                                                                              |
| ---------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Base Price**         | The pre-tax price for the booking.                                                       |
| **Balance**            | The amount the customer owes. Set to `0` for fully paid or comped bookings.              |
| **Apply Taxes & Fees** | Toggle whether the system should add configured taxes and fees on top of the base price. |

Step 5: Customer [#step-5-customer]

Enter the customer's contact information:

| Field     | Required | Description                                                 |
| --------- | -------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Name**  | Yes      | The customer's full name.                                   |
| **Email** | Yes      | Used for confirmation emails, invoices, and communications. |
| **Phone** | No       | Phone number with country code selector.                    |

Step 6: Status & Summary [#step-6-status--summary]

Review the booking summary and choose the initial configuration:

| Field               | Description                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| ------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Booking Status**  | The starting status: **Confirmed**, **Pending**, or **Draft**. Defaults to Confirmed.                                                                                                                     |
| **Notify Customer** | Whether to send a confirmation email when the booking is created. Enabled by default.                                                                                                                     |
| **Source**          | Defaults to `admin`. You can change this to track where the booking originated (e.g., `phone`, `walk-in`, `partner`).                                                                                     |
| **External ID**     | An optional reference to an external system (e.g., a POS transaction ID or third-party booking reference).                                                                                                |
| **Auto-Expire**     | For Pending bookings, configure automatic expiration. Set a time value and choose whether the booking should move to Canceled or Draft when it expires. Optionally notify the customer before expiration. |

Click **Create Booking** to finalize. If **Notify Customer** is enabled, the customer receives a confirmation email immediately.

What happens next [#what-happens-next]

* The booking appears on the [calendar view](/how-to/bookings/use-the-booking-calendar) for the selected date.
* Line items are generated automatically based on the pricing calculation (equipment charges, duration charges, time slot fees, taxes, etc.).
* You are redirected to the booking detail page where you can manage notes, invoices, rescheduling, and more.
* If auto-expire is configured, a background job is scheduled to change the booking status at the specified time.

Tips [#tips]

* **Custom scheduling bypasses availability checks.** If you use the Custom scheduling type, the system does not validate against existing bookings. Use this with caution.
* **The source field helps with reporting.** Setting distinct sources like `phone`, `walk-in`, or `partner` lets you track which channels generate the most bookings.
* **Pending with auto-expire is ideal for holds.** Create a Pending booking with a 30-minute auto-expire to hold a slot while the customer decides, then confirm or let it expire automatically.
* **You can change the status later.** If you create a booking as Draft, you can move it to Pending or Confirmed at any time from the [booking status management](/how-to/bookings/update-booking-status) page.