> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.trypawgress.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Public Booking Links

> Share a link that lets clients and prospects book a package or a free consultation themselves

## Overview

Every package can have a **public booking link** — a page anyone can open, pick a time from your real availability, and book. No Pawgress account required on their end.

This is the difference between "email me and we'll find a time" and a prospect booking themselves at 11pm on a Sunday.

<Warning>
  **Pro Feature**

  Public booking requires a Pawgress Pro subscription, along with an [availability schedule](/guides/scheduling/set-availability) linked to the package.
</Warning>

## Turning On Public Booking

1. Open **Packages** and select the package you want to share
2. Enable **public scheduling** for that package
3. Optionally set a **booking slug** — a friendly URL fragment like `puppy-training-jan-2025` instead of a long ID
4. Save

The package view then shows the **Public Booking Link** card with the full URL, a copy button, and an option to open it in a new tab.

Your link looks like:

```
https://trypawgress.com/packages/puppy-training-jan-2025/book
```

## What Visitors See

The booking page shows your package — name, description, photo, duration, price, and whether it's in-person or virtual — alongside your trainer profile: your photo, biography, specialties, certifications, and years of experience.

If you've set up [custom branding](/guides/getting-started/setup-profile#branding), the page carries your logo, brand colour, and business name instead of Pawgress branding.

Visitors then:

1. Pick an available date and time — drawn from the availability schedule linked to the package, with your buffer times and existing bookings already excluded
2. Enter their first name, last name, and email
3. Add any notes or special requests
4. Submit

## Free Consultations

Alongside regular packages, you can create a package of the **consultation** kind: a free, single-session offering built for prospect intake.

Consultations differ from paid packages in three ways:

* They're always **one session** and always **free**
* They **bypass Stripe entirely** — there's no checkout step
* They're **confirmed immediately** on booking, rather than sent to you as a request

The booking page marks them with a **Free Consultation** badge, and the prospect gets a confirmation email straight away.

<Tip>
  **Lead with a free consultation**

  A 20-minute free consultation with a public booking link is the single most effective way to turn website traffic into clients. Put the link in your Instagram bio, your Google Business profile, and your website's call-to-action button — then let people book themselves.
</Tip>

## After a Booking

Bookings appear in your **Sessions** page like any other session. If the person who booked isn't already a client, you'll be able to follow up with them and add them properly to your client list.

For paid packages, use the enrollment's payment link to collect payment — see [Collecting Payment for Enrollments](/guides/billing/collect-payment).

## Where to Share Your Link

* Your website's "Book now" button
* Your Instagram or Facebook bio
* Your Google Business profile
* Your email signature
* The end of a [training report](/guides/getting-started/training-reports), for renewals

## Troubleshooting

### No times are showing

The booking page only offers slots from the availability schedule linked to that package. Check that the package has an availability schedule selected, that the schedule has open hours, and that a [date override](/guides/scheduling/set-availability#managing-date-overrides) hasn't blocked out the period you're looking at.

### The link 404s

Confirm public scheduling is enabled on the package and that the package is **active**. If you changed the booking slug, the old URL stops working — reshare the new one.

## Next Steps

* [Set your availability](/guides/scheduling/set-availability) so there are times to book
* [Add your branding](/guides/getting-started/setup-profile) so the page looks like your business
* [Connect Stripe](/guides/integration/connect-stripe) to collect payment for paid packages