Bookly is a booking plugin with a base plugin and an extensive addon library. Understanding which addons you need before purchasing saves significant money – the base plugin covers less than most businesses need, but you do not necessarily need every addon either.
What the Base Plugin Covers
Bookly Pro ($89 one-time on CodeCanyon) includes: unlimited staff members, unlimited services, working hours configuration, customer management, email and SMS notifications, a booking form widget, and basic reporting. Payment collection requires the free Bookly Payments addon (included) which connects to Stripe, PayPal, and others.
What it does NOT include that most businesses need: custom service duration per staff member, group/class bookings, packages and gift cards, waiting list, booking from the customer’s side (rescheduling/cancellation), and cart (booking multiple services in one session).
Step 1: Configure Staff Members
Go to Bookly -> Staff Members -> Add New. Each staff member needs a WordPress user account or can be created as a standalone staff record. Configure:
- Full name and contact details
- Assigned services (the services this staff member performs)
- Working schedule – days and hours available
- Days off for this specific staff member
- Booking confirmation method – automatic or require admin approval
Step 2: Create Services
Go to Bookly -> Services -> Add New. Key settings:
- Duration – appointment length. With the Custom Duration addon, different staff can have different durations for the same service.
- Padding time – buffer before and after each appointment
- Price – base price; override per staff member in their settings
- Category – organise services into categories for the booking form
- Color – used to differentiate services in the calendar view
Need help configuring this for your business? Describe your booking setup and get a free estimate.
Step 3: Configure Notifications
Go to Bookly -> Notifications. Bookly sends email notifications to customers and staff on booking, cancellation, and reminder events. Configure:
- Customer confirmation email (sent immediately on booking)
- Staff notification email
- Reminder email (sent X hours/days before appointment)
- Cancellation email
SMS notifications require a Twilio account and additional configuration. Email notifications work out of the box using WordPress mail functions – install WP Mail SMTP to ensure reliable delivery.
Step 4: Add the Booking Form
Go to Bookly -> Shortcodes and copy the booking form shortcode. Add it to any WordPress page. The form steps guide customers through: selecting a service, selecting a staff member (or auto-assign), selecting a date and time, and entering contact details.
Customise the form appearance in Bookly -> Appearance. You can change colours, button text, and step labels without custom CSS.
Addons Worth Buying
Based on common business requirements:
- Cart – lets customers book multiple services in one session. Essential for businesses where clients combine services (e.g., haircut + colour).
- Group Bookings – required for classes, workshops, or any appointment with multiple attendees.
- Customer Cabinet – lets customers log in to view, reschedule, and cancel their own appointments without contacting you.
- Waiting List – automatically offers cancelled slots to customers on the waiting list.