A booking appointment scheduled from 11am-12pm in the WooCommerce Bookings plugin is showing at 7am in Google Calendar after sync. How can I fix the incorrect time issue?
To ensure correct appointment times sync between WooCommerce Bookings and Google Calendar:
- Verify that the timezones set in your system (computer/laptop), your WordPress site settings, and your Google Calendar settings are all identical.
- In your WordPress dashboard, go to Bookings > Settings > Calendar Display, and check if the “TimeZone conversion” option is enabled. If it is, disable this option and test syncing again.
These steps usually resolve most time mismatch issues between booking data and Google Calendar events.
Are reminder emails in the WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments plugin sent automatically in these cases, or do I need to trigger them manually?
Reminder emails are sent automatically based on your configuration. If a booking is made within a shorter timeframe than the reminder period you set (for example, booking 2 days before an event when reminders are set for 7 days), the email will still be sent automatically as long as the order is not cancelled. No manual intervention is required.
Can each vendor in a Dokan multi-vendor environment use features like 2-Way Google Calendar Sync, Booking Assets, Booking Availability, Booking Cancellation, and Booking Confirmation & Payment on Approval?
Yes, the PluginHive Bookings plugin, when connected with the Dokan Business Pro Plugin using the PluginHive Dokan Bookings integration, allows vendors to use the following features:
- 2-Way Google Calendar Sync: Vendors can use their product IDs to add events on Google Calendar, which will block out slots specifically for their own products.
- Booking Assets: Vendors can manage asset availability directly from their dashboard.
- Booking Availability: Vendors have the ability to set their own availability rules.
- Booking Cancellation: Vendors can cancel bookings via their dashboard.
- Booking Confirmation & Payment on Approval: Vendors can approve bookings and process payments upon approval.
Can I configure the booking system so that customers pay 50% of the reservation cost at the time of booking, and the remaining 50% plus a fixed deposit before the day of the event?
The PluginHive PH WooCommerce Deposits plugin allows you to collect a percentage (such as 50%) of the booking cost upfront and the remaining balance at a later time. However, it does not support automatically adding an additional fixed deposit amount to the second payment. To accommodate your requirement, you can include the deposit amount in the total booking cost and return it manually after the event. The plugin does not provide a built-in option to add a separate additional deposit to be paid with the second payment.
Can I create a bookable event for up to 12 people and accept payments via iDeal using WooCommerce on my WordPress site?
Yes, you can create a bookable product and set a maximum of 12 persons per booking slot using our plugin. Although iDeal (the Dutch payment method) has not been specifically tested, our plugin is compatible with any payment gateway that is supported by WooCommerce, including Mollie which supports iDeal. Ensure that you have the Mollie payment gateway plugin installed and configured in WooCommerce to accept iDeal payments.
Can I create multiple event slots (e.g., Monday at 2pm and 4pm in March) by choosing alternate dates in a month or by selecting specific days on a calendar for WooCommerce bookings using the add-on?
The current add-on allows you to configure availability by selecting the month, then the week and day, and setting the time range. However, it does not support selecting arbitrary, alternate dates within a month or choosing specific days directly from a calendar. Offering specific slots like Mondays at both 2pm and 4pm is not feasible if your product's booking period is set to 5 hours, as this restricts the ability to define such separate time slots. The configuration of discrete, handpicked calendar dates for availability would require a further enhancement, which is not part of the current scope.
Can I have full day, half day, and hourly bookings within a single calendar and allow customers to select more than one day at a time using the Custom Booking Interval Add-on?
The Custom Booking Interval Add-on is designed to work with fixed blocks of bookings and does not support combining full day, half day, and hourly bookings on a single calendar with the ability for customers to select multi-day ranges. If your scenario requires offering multiple booking durations (hourly, half-day, full-day) and the option to book more than one day at once, the current functionality of the add-on cannot accommodate this. A recommended workaround is to create separate bookable products for each duration type and assign them a shared resource with a set inventory (e.g., an inventory of 1 for "Main Event Center"). This setup enables multiple booking products to share calendar availability, preventing double bookings, and can be configured to block additional days for cleaning as needed.
Can I import bookings from an iCal feed, such as an Airbnb calendar, into the WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments plugin to avoid double bookings?
Importing bookings from iCal feeds, including Airbnb calendars, is not currently supported. The plugin allows you to export bookings as iCalendar/Apple Calendar events, but importing bookings from external iCal feeds and synchronizing availability with platforms like Airbnb is not possible at this time.
Can I import bookings from another booking site like Airbnb using an ICS or iCal import feature?
Currently, there is no dedicated ICS or iCal import feature to directly tether bookings from other booking sites such as Airbnb. However, it is possible to import events from Google Calendar into the PluginHive bookings plugin. To use this workaround, you can add the ICS file from your other booking site to your Google Calendar—these bookings will then be automatically created in the bookings plugin via Google Calendar sync.
Can I make PluginHive’s Bookings and Appointments plugin display start and end times for day calendar bookings in Google or Apple Calendar?
For day calendar products, the PluginHive plugin is designed to reserve entire days and is not set up to display specific start and end times for bookings—these appear simply as “all day” events in the calendar. The display of times is relevant only when using time-based (hourly) products. Changing the plugin to display times for day-based bookings is not supported and may lead to confusion, as the booking is intended to represent a reservation for the full day.
Can I remove the "Order: #, Order Item: #" details from the event title when Booking appointments are imported into Google Calendar? I only want the product name and customer's name to show.
The Order ID and Order Item ID are mandatory details included by the WooCommerce Bookings plugin to ensure proper syncing and management of calendar data. It is not possible to remove these automatically from the event information synced to Google Calendar, as they are necessary for the plugin’s two-way sync functionality.
Can I schedule a call or screen share meeting with PluginHive support for assistance?
Yes, PluginHive offers support calls and Zoom meetings to assist with configuration and troubleshooting. The support team is available from Monday to Friday, 4:00 am to 4:00 pm EST. Please respond to the support email to arrange a convenient time for your call.
Can I schedule a Zoom meeting to discuss my business needs and see which plugin functionalities or customizations are possible?
Yes, you can schedule a Zoom meeting with the PluginHive team to discuss your business requirements, product details, and the functionalities or customizations available within the booking plugin. Please provide your preferred time and timezone to coordinate the meeting.
Can I select arbitrary, random dates or a single date to create one or two events on those days with flexible durations using the PluginHive booking add-on?
The PluginHive booking add-on does not currently support the ability to select arbitrary or random dates directly from a calendar to create events with flexible durations. The add-on allows for configuring slot availability by choosing the month, week, specific weekday, and time range, but it does not provide a way to pick individual dates or vary the number of events per date through a calendar interface. Creating highly customized or date-specific events would require additional development or a further enhancement beyond the current capabilities of the plugin. If you require this level of flexibility, discuss a potential customization with PluginHive support to determine feasibility and any related costs.
Can I select multiple or single random dates for booking availability and create single or multiple events with the PluginHive booking add-on?
Yes, you can select one or multiple random dates for booking availability within the product settings by default. The PluginHive booking add-on allows you to set availability rules that apply to single dates or a group of dates as needed. You can also create single or multiple events using these availability rules, controlling their visibility to end users as required.
Can I use Google Calendar to set my availability so that bookings in Hive are only allowed based on my available times, especially since I work shifts?
No, you cannot manage your booking availability directly from Google Calendar using the PluginHive solution. The availability of bookings must be controlled within your WordPress site using the PluginHive WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments plugin. While the 2-way Google Calendar sync allows bookings created on your website to appear on your Google Calendar, it does not read other external Google Calendar events as indicators of availability or unavailability. Manuals steps are needed to block or release slots on your WordPress site.
Can I use the add-on to create booking availability rules by selecting specific calendar dates, or pick arbitrary dates for events where some days have one event, some have two, and some have none?
No, the add-on does not provide a calendar interface or allow the selection of arbitrary, individual dates for event availability. The current functionality lets you:
- Select the month
- Choose the week of the day (e.g., first, second, every week, etc.)
- Set a time range for those days
You can set multiple rules for a product, such as different weekday/time combinations for different months. However, you cannot directly pick specific dates on a calendar or assign varying numbers of events per day through a calendar view.
Can I use the PluginHive WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments, WooCommerce Product Addons, and WooCommerce Deposits plugins to allow customers to book party venues with preset times, choose optional add-ons (like combo deals or extra food), and pay a deposit or full amount, including the ability to disable the deposit option within 7 days of the event?
Yes, you can achieve this setup using PluginHive's WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments, WooCommerce Product Addons, and WooCommerce Deposits plugins. Here’s how:
- Allow customers to book party venues with preset time slots using the Bookings and Appointments plugin.
- Offer optional add-ons (such as combo deals or additional extras) through the Product Addons plugin, letting customers select and pay for extras during booking.
- Enable ordering of additional food items either as product add-ons or by configuring separate WooCommerce products to be added as extras.
- Provide payment flexibility, allowing full payment or a 50% deposit through the WooCommerce Deposits plugin.
- Customize the deposit option to be disabled within 7 days of the event.
You can configure each requirement through the plugin settings. Demo sites are available for you to explore the features in detail:
- WooCommerce Bookings: https://woocommercebookings.pluginhive.com/custom-shop
- PH WooCommerce Deposits: https://woocommercedeposits.pluginhive.com/
- PH WooCommerce Product Addons: https://woocommerceproductaddons.pluginhive.com/
Can payments be collected in person with the PluginHive Bookings plugin, or are online payments required?
Yes, you can collect payment in person. The plugin does not require online payment and allows you to accept payments directly from customers at your facility.
Can the "Order: #[order_id], Order Item: #[order_item_id]" section in the Google Calendar event title be moved to a different position or reordered?
No, the plugin does not offer any option to move, reorder, or change the placement of the "Order: #[order_id], Order Item: #[order_item_id]" section within the Google Calendar event title. These identifiers are mandatory and must remain as generated to ensure proper integration and synchronization of bookings.
Can the admin create bookings at the last minute, and is there any extra cost for this feature?
Yes, admins can create bookings for events up until the booking start time at no extra cost. However, once the booking starts, new bookings cannot be made for that timeslot.
Can the PH WooCommerce Product Addons plugin handle appointment scheduling, allowing a venue and its add-ons to be booked for the same time slot and become unavailable once booked?
Appointment scheduling with time slot availability and asset management is not covered by the PH WooCommerce Product Addons plugin. Instead, these requirements can be met using the PH WooCommerce Bookings & Appointments plugin. This plugin allows you to set up a booking calendar for venues, and with the "Asset" feature, ensures once a time slot is booked, it becomes unavailable for others. Add-ons do not require a separate product add-on plugin, as the booking plugin manages both asset and availability effectively. For more details and setup guidance, refer to PluginHive’s documentation: https://www.pluginhive.com/knowledge-base/setup-guide-woocommerce-bookings-and-appointments-plugin/.
Can the WooCommerce Bookings & Appointment plugin be used to allow customers to book facilities with different pricing for adults and children, where users select the facility, date, and time slot before making payment?
Yes, the WooCommerce Bookings & Appointment plugin can fulfill this requirement. The plugin enables customers to:
- Select a facility or product first, then choose the date and time slot for their booking.
- Specify the headcount with different pricing for adults and children by using the Participant feature.
- Complete the payment using any payment method supported by WooCommerce.
This setup allows for flexible pricing based on participant types and integrates seamlessly with the WooCommerce payment process. For a hands-on experience, you can explore the demo site: https://app.instawp.io/public/launch?d=v2&t=woocommerce-bookings-and-appointments-plugin
Can the WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments plugin automatically block website availability for time slots that are already occupied by external events on a synced Google Calendar?
No, the plugin does not check or consider external events present on the connected Google Calendar when determining booking availability on your website. Only bookings created on the website and then synced to Google Calendar (or specific events with Bookable Product ID or Product Name as the calendar event title) will be recognized and reflected back as bookings. Standard or unrelated events already present on Google Calendar will not result in those time slots being blocked or made unavailable on your website calendar.
Can your plugin be used to book concert events on boats, allow clients to book various concerts and purchase food and drinks for each event, and export a list of products needed for each event, with payment handled on location?
Yes, the WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments plugin can be used to support your requirements. You can:
- Create each concert as a Bookable Product, allowing clients to select and book concert events.
- Offer drinks and food items as Bookable Resources or additional products associated with each concert, enabling customers to add them to their bookings.
- Handle payments at the event location, as the plugin works with all payment gateways supported by WooCommerce, including options for offline payment.
- Export all booking data, including product selections for each event, to a CSV file for record-keeping and preparation.
You can test the plugin’s features using the provided demo website and purchase it from the PluginHive website. If the plugin doesn’t satisfy your business needs, there is a 30-day refund policy for your peace of mind.
Can your plugin handle deposit payments for bookings more than 30 days in advance, require full payment if the event is less than 30 days away, and automatically charge the remaining balance 30 days before the event?
Using the "PH WooCommerce Deposits" plugin, you can offer customers the option to pay a deposit for WooCommerce products or services and allow settlement of the remaining balance at a later time. Customers can pay a fixed amount, a percentage, or split payments directly from the product page. You can enforce deposit payments or allow customers to choose between partial deposits and full payments, giving you comprehensive control over payment options for your bookings.
Do I need to purchase the custom “Block Product Availability Based on Other Bookings” addon to synchronize stock between products for the same asset?
No, for your described scenario—managing global stock for the same asset across different products—you do not need to purchase the custom addon. This can be achieved by setting up shared assets through the Bookings plugin. Once you assign a global asset to multiple products, bookings on one product will adjust the availability for others accordingly. The custom addon is only required for more complex blocking scenarios, such as when booking one item (like an entire venue) should block all sub-items, and vice versa. For standard shared asset management, the built-in Assets feature is sufficient.
Do you have a plugin that allows me to act as a middleman between suppliers and customers for services like team building and company events, where suppliers have their own pages, can login, handle requests, chat with customers, and bill through the platform?
Yes, PluginHive offers a solution that fits your requirements using our WooCommerce Bookings plugin with multi-vendor support integrated via the DOKAN multi-vendor solution. Here’s how you can achieve your use case:
- **Multi-Vendor Marketplace Setup**:
- Use DOKAN Business Pro to create a marketplace where each supplier (vendor) has their own page and login to manage their account.
- **Online Booking Capabilities**:
- Install the WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments plugin, allowing you to offer booking calendars on each supplier’s product page for customers to schedule services directly.
- **Supplier Management & Dashboard**:
- Suppliers can log in to their dashboard to manage bookings, products/services, and view customer requests.
- Bookings made for each supplier’s products are synchronized with their personal Google Calendar.
- **Customer Billing**:
- All customer payments are processed through your WooCommerce store, centralizing billing on your platform.
- **Demo and Further Information**:
- You can see how the plugins work via our demo sites:
- WooCommerce Bookings: https://woocommercebookings.pluginhive.com/custom-shop
- Dokan Bookings Integration: https://dokanwoocommercebookings.pluginhive.com/?hash=380634ad8e70e13bca1b8273b2d62f1e
- Detailed walkthrough video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pADY45D-DLw
To implement this, you will need the following:
- PluginHive WooCommerce Booking and Appointments plugin
- PluginHive Dokan WooCommerce Bookings Integration plugin
- Dokan Business Pro Plugin
This setup enables you to act as an intermediary between suppliers and customers, provide supplier dashboards, allow online bookings, and handle billing all within your website.
Does PluginHive’s booking plugin read all events from Google Calendar to update availability?
PluginHive’s booking plugin only considers Google Calendar events that have the associated Bookable Product ID or name and updates bookings on your website accordingly. Events without a Bookable Product ID or name are not considered for updating booking availability. Reading and blocking times for all personal or unrelated Google Calendar events is not currently supported.
Does the Outlook calendar sync with WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments work both ways?
The Outlook calendar sync with WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments is one-way only. You can use the "Microsoft Outlook Calendar Integration" to effortlessly sync your WooCommerce bookings to your Microsoft Outlook Calendar. This allows you to manage bookings directly within Outlook and optionally add customers as event attendees. However, changes made in Outlook will not be reflected back in WooCommerce. For more information, refer to this guide: https://www.pluginhive.com/knowledge-base/sync-woocommerce-bookings-to-microsoft-outlook-calendar/
Does the plugin block website booking slots based on other events in my Google Calendar that are not booking events?
No, the plugin does not automatically consider regular Google Calendar events (events not created via the plugin or without the Bookable Product ID or product name as the event title) as reasons to block booking availability on your website. Only events that are bookings for a Bookable Product created through the plugin, with the correct identifier, will be recognized for slot blocking. Other personal or external calendar events will not impact availability in your booking system.
Does the WooCommerce Bookings & Appointment plugin provide a meeting invite with a video link to customers after booking?
The plugin setup does not include the option to automatically send meeting invites with video links to customers after booking. This functionality is not available within the WooCommerce Bookings & Appointment plugin or its multi-vendor integration at this time. For this feature, you may need to consider additional solutions or integration with third-party video meeting tools.
Does the WooCommerce Bookings & Appointments plugin allow buyers to pick the number of resources they want per bookable event?
Yes, the WooCommerce Bookings & Appointments plugin includes both "Participants" and "Resources" features. These features allow you to configure bookings so that buyers can select the number of resources or participants they want for each bookable event. For detailed setup instructions, you can refer to the following knowledge base articles:
- How to set booking resources: https://www.pluginhive.com/knowledge-base/how-to-set-booking-resources-using-woocommerce-bookings-and-appointments/
- How to set booking participants: https://www.pluginhive.com/knowledge-base/how-to-set-booking-participants-using-woocommerce-bookings-and-appointments/
Does the WooCommerce Bookings to Microsoft Outlook Calendar integration support two-way synchronization, so that appointments added in Outlook block availability in WooCommerce, and can bookings be created from Outlook?
The WooCommerce Bookings to Microsoft Outlook Calendar integration currently does not support two-way synchronization. Appointments or events added directly to your Outlook calendar will not appear as unavailable times in the WooCommerce Bookings calendar. Additionally, it is not possible to create or add bookings from Outlook that will then sync back to WooCommerce. All bookings should be managed directly through WooCommerce to ensure availability is properly updated.
Does your plugin allow for cancellation and refund policies that vary based on days before the event (e.g., 75% refund if canceled earlier, 0% refund if canceled close to the event date)?
The Bookings plugin manages only the booking calendar on the product page. It does not handle payments or refund logic. Payments and refunds are managed exclusively by WooCommerce, not by the bookings plugin.
How can customers sync their bookings with their own Google or iPhone calendars using the WooCommerce Bookings & Appointments plugin?
Enable the "Google Calendar Sync for Customers" option in your plugin settings. This feature allows your customers to add their bookings as events directly into their personal Google Calendar. Once enabled, customers will see the option to add their reservation to their calendar after completing a booking. This provides seamless synchronization with Google Calendar or iCalendar for enhanced convenience.
How can I access the order ID when using the ph_booking_outlook_calender_event_data hook in the PluginHive Bookings and Appointments plugin?
The order ID is provided as an argument to the ph_booking_outlook_calender_event_data filter hook. To access the order ID, check the hook’s function signature and ensure that you are retrieving it from the correct argument in your hook implementation. Do not attempt to access the order ID from within the event data parameter—refer directly to the arguments passed by the hook to utilize the order ID as intended.
How can I add my booking as an event in Google Calendar from my order confirmation email?
To add your booking as an event in Google Calendar, use the "Add as an event in Google Calendar" link provided in your order confirmation email.
- Click on the "Add as an event in Google Calendar" link in your confirmation email.
- This will open Google Calendar with the event details (title, description, date, and time) pre-filled.
- Review the event information to ensure it is correct.
- Click "Save" to add the event to your calendar.
How can I apply a sitewide closure period (e.g., holidays, special events) to all products at once, even if products have individual availability settings?
With the new feature in WooCommerce Bookings And Appointments version 5.0.9, you can achieve this by enabling the checkbox in the Global Availability settings. This will enforce Global Availability rules across all products, while still respecting product-level differences. For dates where both Global and Product Availability exist, product rules take precedence; for all other dates, the Global rules apply, making it much easier to manage sitewide closures without editing each product individually.
How can I automate the availability of secondary assets (e.g., four-person tables) to only become bookable when primary assets (e.g., two-person tables) are fully booked, and only within a specific time window before the booking date?
A custom addon can be developed for your PluginHive Bookings & Appointments setup to introduce time-based rules that control when secondary assets become available. Here’s how the solution works:
- The addon will automate asset availability based on:
- The booking status of the primary asset (e.g., all “Table for Two” assets must be fully booked)
- A specified time window (e.g., the secondary asset becomes bookable only within 7 days of the booking date)
- Example workflow:
- If someone tries to book 10 days in advance and all primary (two-person) tables are booked, the four-person tables will not appear as available.
- If it is 7 days or fewer before the event date and two-person tables are still fully booked, the four-person tables will then become available to book.
- If a four-person table is already booked (via a separate “Table for Four” product) before the time window threshold, it will not be shown as available for new bookings in either product.
- This solution prevents premature booking of larger tables by smaller groups, increasing efficiency in table allocation.
- The specific settings (number of days, product selection) can be configured during addon development, with a reference UI provided.
- This is a custom development, with an estimated cost of $1,000 USD and a delivery time of 20 business days after purchase. This customization is non-refundable.
- Contact PluginHive for further clarifications or adjustments before proceeding with development.
How can I automatically sync WooCommerce Bookings with my Google Calendar so that the booking ID appears in the Google Calendar event?
To automatically sync WooCommerce Bookings with your Google Calendar and include booking information, you need to connect your Google Calendar with the Bookings plugin. Follow these steps:
- Create credentials for Google Calendar API access in your Google account using Google Search Console.
- Access the PluginHive documentation for detailed, step-by-step instructions on integrating your Google Calendar with the Bookings plugin: https://www.pluginhive.com/knowledge-base/sync-woocommerce-bookings-with-your-google-calendar/
- Complete the connection process as outlined. Once configured, new bookings made through the plugin will sync to your Google Calendar.
Note: If the reservation is not appearing, ensure the API credentials and Calendar sync settings are correct as detailed in the guide.
How can I block bookings for the last weekend (Saturday and Sunday) of each month for a private hire venue?
To block bookings for the last weekend of each month, use the "Custom Date Range" rule under the Availability table. You need to manually add rules for each specific Saturday and Sunday corresponding to the last weekend of every month. For each rule, specify the date range and mark those dates as unavailable. Ensure you include the relevant time settings if needed. This process requires manual intervention each month to keep the booking restrictions up to date.
How can I block off multiple days across multiple products at once in PluginHive's booking plugin?
You can block availability for all products simultaneously by setting up rules under Global Availability within the plugin. Global Availability lets you define availability or blocked dates/times that affect every product using the plugin, making it easy to manage closures or special events across your business.
How can I block out date/time slots in WooCommerce Bookings by adding events in Google Calendar?
To block out date/time slots in WooCommerce Bookings by adding events in Google Calendar, follow these steps:
- Add a new event under the Booking calendar in your Google Calendar.
- In the event details, include the respective Bookable product ID or Name to ensure correct synchronization.
- This event will be synced as a booking to your WooCommerce site, and the corresponding slots will be blocked.
- Ensure that "Max. bookings per slot" is set to 1 in your Bookings settings for this process to be effective.
For more detailed instructions, refer to the following knowledge base article:
https://www.pluginhive.com/knowledge-base/how-to-use-2-way-google-calendar-sync-with-woocommerce-bookings-and-appointments-plugin/#sync_bookings
How can I block out specific dates in Google Calendar so they are automatically unavailable for bookings on my website using your WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments plugin?
The WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments plugin supports 2-way sync with Google Calendar. When you create an event in Google Calendar, those dates are automatically marked as unavailable in the website calendar, preventing customers from booking those dates. You need to set up the 2-way sync between the plugin and Google Calendar. For detailed instructions, refer to this guide: How to Use 2-Way Google Calendar Sync with WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments Plugin (https://www.pluginhive.com/knowledge-base/how-to-use-2-way-google-calendar-sync-with-woocommerce-bookings-and-appointments-plugin/).
How can I check if the cron job required for Google Calendar two-way sync is running?
To check if the cron job for two-way Google Calendar sync is running:
- Install and activate the "WP Control" plugin from the WordPress Plugins directory.
- Go to WP Dashboard → Tools → Cron Events.
- Look for the event named "ph_bookings_two_way_sync_cron" in the list. This indicates the sync event is scheduled and active.
- If it’s missing or not running, try stopping and starting the Two-way sync from your PluginHive plugin settings.
- Clear your server cache before retesting to ensure the environment updates properly.
Monitoring the status of this cron ensures the scheduled sync operates as intended.
How can I check or troubleshoot the booking slot unfreeze process if slots are not being released correctly?
If you notice that unbooked slots are not being released:
- Install the "WP Control" plugin, which allows you to manage and view cron jobs on your WordPress site.
- In your WordPress Dashboard, navigate to Tools → Cron Events to view the scheduled cron jobs.
- Check if there are cron jobs related to the PluginHive plugin (e.g., “ph-unfreez-booking-slot”).
- If such cron jobs are missing, deactivate and then reactivate the WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments Plugin to reset the scheduled events.
- Clear your site cache before rechecking the cron events.
These steps help ensure that the slot unfreezing mechanism functions as intended.
How can I confirm that booking a slot in the special event product actually reduces the availability in my regular booking product?
To test the shared booking asset setup:
- Check the available booking slots for both the special event and the regular booking products.
- Make a booking on the special event product.
- Afterwards, review the regular booking product to confirm that its available slots have decreased accordingly.
Enabling the "Remaining Bookings" feature for both products will make it easy to observe the adjusted availability in real-time as bookings are made.
How can I control the name of the Google Calendar event for a booking, and is it possible to display only the product name and number of people in the event title?
You can customize the Google Calendar event details using specific tags. The following tags are available for use in the calendar event’s title or description:
- [PARTICIPANT]
- [ASSET]
- [RESOURCE]
- [CUSTOMER_NAME]
- [CUSTOMER_PHONE]
- [CUSTOMER_EMAIL]
- [PRODUCT_NAME]
- [BOOKING_STATUS]
- [BOOKING_COST]
- [ORDER_PAGE_LINK]
- [BILLING_ADDRESS]
- [BOOKING_NOTES]
- [LOCATION]
- [NAME]
To display only the product name and the number of people in the Google Calendar event, use the relevant tags (e.g., [PRODUCT_NAME] and [PARTICIPANT]) in your calendar event template, if supported by your booking plugin.
How can I customize which booking and client details are sent from PH Bookings to Google Calendar during sync?
To customize which booking and client details are sent to Google Calendar:
- Navigate to the "Customize Calendar Event Details" option in your plugin settings.
- Use the available tags to include the information you want synced. Some commonly used tags are:
- [PARTICIPANT]: Number of participants
- [ASSET]: Asset assigned
- [RESOURCE]: Booking resource
- [CUSTOMER_NAME], [CUSTOMER_EMAIL], [CUSTOMER_PHONE]: Customer details
- [PRODUCT_NAME]: Name of the booked product
- [BOOKING_STATUS]: Reservation status
- [BOOKING_COST]: Total cost
- [ORDER_PAGE_LINK]: Order details link
- [BILLING_ADDRESS], [BOOKING_NOTES], [LOCATION], [NAME]: Additional info
- You can remove any tags you do not wish to send and add any required missing tags from the above list.
- Retain the HTML tag formatting for proper presentation in Google Calendar.
This process ensures that Google Calendar displays only the specific booking and client information you need.
How can I ensure that availability in the PluginHive Bookings plugin updates dynamically to prevent double bookings, especially if I have a limited staff and can only handle one event at a time?
You can achieve this by creating an asset with a quantity of 1 and assigning it to your bookable products. When an asset with quantity 1 is attached to a product, once a time slot is booked, it blocks out that slot, preventing other bookings for the same time period. This setup ensures that no more than one booking can be made for any given slot, effectively managing limited staff or resources. For detailed instructions, refer to: https://www.pluginhive.com/knowledge-base/how-to-set-booking-assets-using-woocommerce-bookings-and-appointments-plugin/
How can I ensure that blocking dates in Google Calendar will make them unavailable for booking on my site using the PluginHive WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments plugin?
To successfully block dates on your website by adding events in Google Calendar, you must:
- Ensure that the "Maximum Bookings per block" for the product is set to 1.
- When adding a booking event in Google Calendar, use the exact Bookable Product name or the corresponding Bookable Product ID in the Calendar event title. Only events following this naming format will sync and block the associated timeslots on your website.
- The plugin will ignore any other events that do not contain the product’s exact name or ID.
- For detailed setup instructions, refer to the PluginHive knowledge base: https://www.pluginhive.com/knowledge-base/how-to-use-2-way-google-calendar-sync-with-woocommerce-bookings-and-appointments-plugin/#sync_bookings.
How can I ensure that bookings for a special event (e.g., Mother’s Day) reduce the available slots for my standard booking product in WooCommerce?
To link availability between two products (such as a special event and your regular booking product) so they share the same capacity, use the "Assets" feature:
- Create a Global Asset with the maximum capacity (e.g., quantity set to 8 slots).
- Assign this asset to both the special event product and the normal booking product.
- Enable the "Auto Assign Assets" option.
With this setup, whenever a booking is made on either product, it will deduct from the shared overall capacity, preventing overbooking between them.
How can I include additional fields such as start/end date, pick-up and drop-off location, and customer-provided notes from the order summary in the Google Calendar event synced by the PluginHive plugin?
At present, only predefined tags can be passed into Google Calendar event details using the PluginHive plugin. These supported tags include: [PARTICIPANT], [ASSET], [RESOURCE], [CUSTOMER_NAME], [CUSTOMER_PHONE], [CUSTOMER_EMAIL], [PRODUCT_NAME], [BOOKING_STATUS], [BOOKING_COST], [ORDER_PAGE_LINK], [BILLING_ADDRESS], [BOOKING_NOTES], [LOCATION], and [NAME]. Of your required fields, only customer feedback can be included by using the [BOOKING_NOTES] tag. Including additional custom fields (such as start/end dates and pick-up or drop-off locations) would require a customization. Customization services start from $500, with the final cost shared after a feasibility review. If interested, you can contact PluginHive to discuss your requirements and obtain a quote.
How can I include WooCommerce Product Addons data or other order details in Outlook Calendar events using the PluginHive Bookings and Appointments plugin hooks?
Starting from WooCommerce Bookings And Appointments version 5.0.9, PluginHive has added the order ID and order item ID as parameters to the shared calendar synchronization hooks (such as ph_booking_outlook_calender_event_description and ph_booking_outlook_calender_event_data). This enhancement allows you to programmatically access the associated WooCommerce order and its details—including any Product Addons information linked to the booking—when modifying calendar event data sent to Outlook.
To achieve this:
- Update the plugin to version 5.0.9 or higher.
- Use the hooks ph_booking_outlook_calender_event_description or ph_booking_outlook_calender_event_data within your theme or a custom plugin.
- Within your custom hook function, use the newly available order ID and order item ID parameters to retrieve order-specific information, including Product Addons data.
- Customize the event data as needed to include additional details in the Outlook Calendar event.
Refer to the official plugin changelog and documentation for sample code and usage instructions: https://www.pluginhive.com/product/woocommerce-booking-and-appointments/#tab-change-log
How can I let customers select an event date and automatically filter available party rental products for that date using your plugin?
The PluginHive Bookings plugin provides an "Availability Search Widget" that allows customers to filter products based on availability within a specific date range, by number of participants, by asset name, or by time range. This widget is available on the website Home Page, Shop Page, and Category Pages. You can configure and place this widget on your site to enable customers to search for and view rental items available for their chosen dates. For setup instructions, refer to the detailed guide here: https://www.pluginhive.com/knowledge-base/display-woocommerce-bookings-search-availability-widget/
How can I make sure the PluginHive Booking Plugin syncs events from Google Calendar to WordPress without needing to clear cache each time, especially when using a caching plugin like Litespeed Cache?
To ensure smooth syncing from Google Calendar to WordPress without manually clearing the cache each time, follow these steps:
- Make sure you are using the latest version of the PluginHive Bookings plugin (v4.1.0 or newer).
- Check the "Time Interval" set for Two-way sync by navigating to Bookings → Settings → Google Calendar sync in your WordPress dashboard. The plugin syncs bookings based on this cron interval, not in real time.
- Install the free "WP Crontrol" plugin. This plugin lets you view and manage cron jobs on your WordPress site.
- After installing WP Crontrol, check if the bookings "Two-way sync" cron job is present and running as scheduled.
- Caching plugins can sometimes interfere with cron jobs and API calls. To avoid this:
- Exclude the PluginHive Booking Plugin’s key files and endpoints (such as AJAX endpoints or REST API routes used for synchronization) from caching.
- Specifically, consult the Litespeed Cache plugin settings to add exceptions for the plugin's booking and sync URLs. Excluding only .js or .css files may not be sufficient; focus on dynamic admin or API URLs.
- After setting these exclusions and confirming cron job activity, syncing from Google Calendar to WordPress should work without requiring manual cache clearing.
How can I resolve the "Sync Failed [Error Code: 401]" error when syncing WooCommerce Bookings with Google Calendar?
The "Sync Failed [Error Code: 401]" error occurs when the OAuth client has been deleted on your Google Cloud account. To resolve this issue:
- Log in to your Google Cloud Console.
- Navigate to the APIs & Services section and select "Google Calendar API."
- Delete any previously created OAuth Client IDs related to this integration.
- Create a new OAuth Client ID by following the instructions in this PluginHive article: https://www.pluginhive.com/knowledge-base/sync-woocommerce-bookings-with-your-google-calendar/.
- After creating the Client ID, go to the "Audiences" section in your Google Cloud Console and publish the app.
- Add the new Client ID and Client Secret to the PluginHive Bookings plugin settings in your WooCommerce site.
- Save the changes and reconnect the calendar.
- Clear your site/server cache before proceeding.
- Under the "All Bookings" page in your WooCommerce admin, try re-syncing the bookings.
After following these steps, your bookings should sync correctly with Google Calendar. If you continue to experience issues, consider scheduling a Zoom meeting with PluginHive support for further investigation.
How can I schedule a live Zoom call with PluginHive for product assistance?
To schedule a live Zoom call with PluginHive support, communicate your preferred time and timezone to the PluginHive team. They will confirm available slots and propose a meeting time that works for both parties. Once scheduled, you will receive a Zoom meeting link and instructions to join at the agreed time. Ensure you are available at the scheduled time, as calls are usually limited to a maximum of 30 minutes.
How can I set a special price for simulator use on Tuesday to Friday from 3-8pm in PluginHive Bookings & Appointments, given my booking slots and venue cleaning requirements?
To set a special price for Tuesday to Friday between 3-8pm, follow these steps:
- Navigate to the "Special Prices" section in the PluginHive Bookings & Appointments settings.
- Configure a pricing rule that applies specifically to the days Tuesday through Friday and set the desired time window (3:00pm to 8:00pm).
- Set up the base cost or the cost per booking block according to your rate of $25/hour.
- To account for venue cleaning schedules, ensure your appointment intervals and availability rules reflect the 15-minute offset for applicable venues.
- For detailed instructions on configuring booking costs, refer to: https://www.pluginhive.com/knowledge-base/how-to-set-booking-costs-using-woocommerce-bookings-and-appointments/.
- Save your settings and review your booking calendar to confirm correct application of the pricing.
How can I set a stock quantity or limit the number of items available for rent with PluginHive’s Bookings plugin?
The PluginHive Bookings plugin does not manage product inventory in the traditional sense, but you can control rental availability using the "Max. Bookings per Block" setting. This option allows you to specify how many bookings or rentals are available for a specific time slot. For example, if you have 5 lamps available for rent, set "Max. Bookings per Block" to 5. Once this number is reached for a given slot, the slot will no longer be available for further bookings, ensuring you do not exceed your stock. This feature is especially useful for renting out multiple identical items for events such as weddings or parties. For a detailed setup guide, refer to PluginHive’s documentation: https://www.pluginhive.com/knowledge-base/setup-guide-woocommerce-bookings-and-appointments-plugin/#maxbookings
How can I set booking participant restrictions based on the number of booking packages rather than just the number of people?
PluginHive’s WooCommerce Bookings plugin allows you to configure participant intake and restrict bookings accordingly. You can set up booking participants and specify restrictions based on your event’s requirements (such as packages combining items like pizzas and wine). Detailed steps can be found in the official guide: https://www.pluginhive.com/knowledge-base/how-to-set-booking-participants-using-woocommerce-bookings-and-appointments/
How can I set up my website to allow both recurring bookings and calendar range bookings for a hall venue, without risking double bookings, given that your recurring plugin requires fixed booking blocks?
The recurring booking plugin is designed to work with fixed booking periods, while using a calendar range for bookings can create complexities, such as availability conflicts and potential double bookings. To address your scenario, follow these steps:
- Create two separate bookable products: one for regular bookings (calendar range) and one for recurring bookings (with fixed blocks).
- Use the "Assets" feature in the WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments plugin to link both products to the same resource (i.e., the hall).
- When either product is booked, the asset allocation ensures that the hall becomes unavailable for the other product, preventing double bookings.
- Refer to the detailed guide for setting up booking assets: [How to Set Booking Assets Using WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments Plugin](https://www.pluginhive.com/knowledge-base/how-to-set-booking-assets-using-woocommerce-bookings-and-appointments-plugin/?_gl=1*11aotj8*_up*MQ..*_gs*MQ..&gbraid=0AAAAAC75gTXF2Kc0wUCe3-YCxQ32go6B4)
This approach allows you to offer both recurring and calendar range bookings for the same hall, while ensuring availability is accurately managed, eliminating any risk of double bookings.
How can I set up participant selection and specific appointment availability for different days and times in PluginHive's booking plugin?
To ensure customers can select participant numbers and that booking times display correctly:
- Double-check your product-level settings for Bookings, Availability, Costs, Participants, and any assigned Resources or Assets.
- Use the plugin’s interface to define which days and time slots are available for booking and set participant limits as needed.
- For events occurring only on specific dates or times, create unique availability rules for each event. If you need recurring event functionality beyond what's supported, a different plugin or additional extension may be necessary.
How can I set up two-way sync between Google Calendar and the PluginHive WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments plugin to add bookings from Google Calendar that sync back to my WooCommerce site?
To set up two-way sync and add bookings from Google Calendar that sync back to your WooCommerce site, follow the steps outlined in PluginHive’s detailed guide: https://www.pluginhive.com/knowledge-base/how-to-use-2-way-google-calendar-sync-with-woocommerce-bookings-and-appointments-plugin/. The process includes:
- Enabling two-way sync in the plugin settings in your WooCommerce dashboard.
- Following the instructions in the guide to create bookings in Google Calendar in the correct format so the plugin can recognize and sync them back to WooCommerce.
- Ensuring you enter the product ID and follow the specified formatting requirements when creating new events in Google Calendar.
- Verifying that the bookings appear on both your WooCommerce site and in Google Calendar after syncing.
How can I stop the "invalid schedule" cron error for "booking_reminder_interval" in Bookings & Appointments for WooCommerce?
The "cron reschedule event failed for hook: ph_bookings_notification_cron. Error code: invalid_schedule." error occurs when WordPress is unable to recognize or find the schedule ("booking_reminder_interval") defined for the booking reminder cron job. To resolve this:
- Ensure you are running the latest version of the Bookings & Appointments plugin so all scheduled events and intervals are properly registered.
- Clear any existing, stuck scheduled events. Use a plugin like WP Crontrol to review and delete any problematic or orphaned cron events.
- Reactivate the plugin to reset its cron schedules.
- If the issue persists, review custom code or third-party plugins that might interfere with WP-Cron or event scheduling.
- If you have customized the default schedule, restore it to default settings so "booking_reminder_interval" is properly registered by the plugin.
- After these steps, monitor your error logs to confirm the issue is resolved.
If you continue to see the cron error, contact PluginHive support with:
- Exact error message
- Current plugin version
- Any recent changes made to site plugins or schedules
This will help the support team diagnose and address the scheduling issue more effectively.
How can I sync previously booked events to Google Calendar using the PluginHive Bookings plugin?
To sync previously booked events to Google Calendar with the PluginHive Bookings plugin, follow these steps:
- Ensure your Bookings plugin is updated to the latest version (minimum 5.1.0).
- Go to the "All Bookings" page in your WordPress admin panel.
- Select the bookings you wish to sync.
- Navigate to "Bulk actions," choose "Re-sync Google Calendar," and apply the action.
This process will trigger the selected bookings to be synced with your Google Calendar.
How can I troubleshoot a critical error on my site when using the PluginHive Bookings or Shipping plugin with the PixelDima Noor Theme?
To troubleshoot a critical error occurring when using the Bookings or Shipping plugin with the PixelDima Noor Theme, follow these steps:
- Ensure you are using the latest version of the PluginHive Bookings plugin (at least v4.1.0). If not, update the plugin and check if the issue persists.
- Identify what specific action or event on the site is triggering the error. Try to replicate the steps that lead to the critical error.
- Go to WooCommerce > Status > Logs in your WordPress dashboard and review the recent fatal error logs. Sharing these logs can help identify the source of the problem.
- If possible, obtain and provide the latest version (zip file) of the PixelDima Noor theme and detailed steps to replicate the error so that technical support can run tests in a local environment.
These steps will better isolate the cause and help in resolving the conflict or error.
How can I troubleshoot Google Calendar two-way sync issues with the WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments Plugin?
To troubleshoot Google Calendar two-way sync issues, follow these steps:
- Ensure you are adding the Bookable Product ID or Product Name as the Event Title in your Google Calendar event, as required by the plugin's integration.
- Refer to the documentation here: https://www.pluginhive.com/knowledge-base/how-to-use-2-way-google-calendar-sync-with-woocommerce-bookings-and-appointments-plugin/
- Install the free "WP Crontrol" plugin on your site.
- Check if the cron job named "ph_bookings_two_way_sync_cron" is running on your site. This cron job manages the two-way synchronization process.
- If bookings are not syncing as expected or blocking is not reflected, verify the steps above and ensure your server supports scheduled cron jobs.
- If issues persist, consider sharing a video or detailed description of your steps to assist further troubleshooting.
How can I verify that Google Calendar is successfully synchronized with my WooCommerce booking website, and how do I enable two-way sync?
To verify proper synchronization and enable two-way sync:
- Ensure that the integration setup is complete through the plugin's settings using your Google Client ID and Secret.
- Enable the "Two-way sync" option in the plugin settings and save changes.
- Two-way sync ensures that bookings from Google Calendar appear on your website and bookings from your website show up in Google Calendar.
- Create a test booking on your website and confirm it appears in your Google Calendar. Similarly, add an event in Google Calendar and see if it syncs to your website (if supported).
- For detailed guidance, refer to: https://www.pluginhive.com/knowledge-base/how-to-use-2-way-google-calendar-sync-with-woocommerce-bookings-and-appointments-plugin/
How can I view and edit WooCommerce and Bookings plugin emails? Are reminder and follow-up emails supported?
You can find the list of WooCommerce-related emails, including those triggered by the Bookings and Appointments plugin, by navigating to WooCommerce → Settings → Emails. These email templates can be edited within your WordPress admin panel. The plugin also allows you to send reminders and follow-up emails to customers based on specific actions or booking events. For step-by-step instructions, refer to: https://www.pluginhive.com/knowledge-base/setup-guide-woocommerce-bookings-and-appointments-plugin/#emails
How do I confirm if cron jobs are running on my WooCommerce site to support booking functionality?
To check if cron jobs are running on your site:
- Install a plugin like "WP Crontrol" to view and manage scheduled cron events from the WordPress dashboard.
- Navigate to Tools > Cron Events and look for scheduled tasks, particularly those related to the booking plugin.
- If no tasks are listed or cron jobs are not running, troubleshooting server-side cron configuration may be necessary.
Cron jobs are essential for time-based processes in booking plugins, such as releasing held slots or processing abandoned carts.
How do I enable last-minute booking or allow customers to book slots after the scheduled start time with PluginHive’s Bookings and Appointments for WooCommerce plugin?
To allow customers to book slots even after the scheduled start time, follow these steps:
- Ensure you are using Bookings and Appointments for WooCommerce Premium Version 5.0.4 or later.
- Download and install the "Last-Minute Booking Extension" (Version 1.5.0). Note that this add-on requires the main PluginHive booking plugin version 5.0.4 or higher.
- After activating the add-on, go to Booking Availability settings in your admin dashboard.
- Locate the new option "Allow Past Time Bookings."
- Set the desired grace period for each service or event, specifying how long after the scheduled start time bookings should remain available.
This setup will let customers book slots within the grace period you define, making last-minute and ongoing bookings possible.
How does Google Calendar sync work with the PluginHive Bookings & Appointment plugin? If I block off time on my personal Google Calendar, will this also block that time for bookings on the website?
The plugin supports two-way Google Calendar synchronization. When you add an event to your connected Google Calendar using the bookable product's ID or name as the event title, the corresponding time slot is blocked for bookings on your website for that product. This ensures that events scheduled privately on your Google Calendar (with the correct title) will prevent overlapping bookings.
How does the iCal export feature work in the PluginHive Bookings plugin, and where can I find my iCal link?
The PluginHive Bookings plugin offers an iCal export feature that allows both store owners and customers to export bookings as a .ics file. This file can be imported into iCalendar or other calendar applications to add booking events. The plugin does not provide a direct iCal link but instead provides the option to export individual bookings. Full details on using this feature can be found in the official documentation: https://www.pluginhive.com/knowledge-base/export-woocommerce-bookings-to-icalendar/.
How should events be added to Google Calendar for proper two-way syncing with WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments?
For the two-way sync to function correctly between Google Calendar and the WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments plugin:
- When adding an event to Google Calendar, the event title must contain either the Product ID or the exact product name of your bookable product.
- Only events created with the Bookable Product ID or the exact product name are recognized by the plugin and will block corresponding slots on your website.
- Events or meetings added with other titles or details that do not match the Bookable Product ID or name will not be considered by the sync and won't affect your online booking availability.
- To ensure accuracy, always use unique product names or IDs when setting up Google Calendar events.
For detailed instructions, refer to the guide: https://www.pluginhive.com/knowledge-base/how-to-use-2-way-google-calendar-sync-with-woocommerce-bookings-and-appointments-plugin/#sync_bookings
I have already deleted bookings and orders, but the slots remain blocked and are not visible anywhere in the system. How can I unfreeze or clear these slots for new bookings?
If time slots remain blocked after deleting bookings and orders:
- Install the "WP Crontrol" plugin to manage and view cron jobs on your website.
- Navigate to WP Dashboard → Tools → Cron Events, and look for cron jobs related to the PluginHive Bookings plugin.
- If no relevant cron jobs are active, deactivate and then reactivate the PluginHive WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments plugin. This will re-register the necessary cron jobs that help unfreeze and restore slot availability.
- Clear your server cache before re-checking the calendar to ensure updates are visible.
This process should help release any blocked slots that persist after deletions.
If I activate Google Calendar synchronization with the Booking and Appointment plugin, will events be synchronized both when I manually add events on Google Calendar and when customers book from the site? Do I need to enable bidirectional synchronization in the plugin to achieve this?
Yes, the Booking and Appointment plugin supports two-way synchronization. When you activate the bidirectional sync feature, bookings made on your website will sync to your Google Calendar, and events manually added to your Google Calendar will sync back to the site's bookings calendar. To enable this, activate the bidirectional synchronization option in the plugin settings. You can follow the detailed, step-by-step guide here: https://www.pluginhive.com/knowledge-base/how-to-use-2-way-google-calendar-sync-with-woocommerce-bookings-and-appointments-plugin/
If I deleted a booking instead of canceling it, how can I fix syncing issues with Google Calendar?
If a booking was deleted instead of being canceled, the calendar sync may not have had a chance to remove the event, leading to leftover or duplicate entries in your Google Calendar. To resolve this:
- Restore the deleted booking in your WordPress admin, if possible.
- Once restored, go to Bookings → All Bookings and cancel the booking using the correct procedure ("Bulk Actions" → "Cancel Bookings").
- After canceling, check your Google Calendar to ensure that the event has been removed.
This process helps synchronize the removal of events across both WordPress and Google Calendar.
If I set a reminder email to be sent 7 days before a booking, but a customer books only 2 days in advance, will the reminder email still be sent? Will the booking status affect this?
Yes, the reminder email will still be sent even if the configured notification period (such as 7 days before the booking) is longer than the actual time between booking and the event. The reminder will be triggered and sent regardless of the remaining time as long as the booking’s order status is not "Cancelled." The email can be sent when the order is in any status except "Cancelled," so it will still be triggered whether the status is "Processing" or "Completed."
If most of my events only have a date (no time selection), will the add-on pre-select the correct date for the customer as soon as they visit the event booking page?
Yes, when the "Auto-Select Available Date" add-on is in place, the first available date—such as March 4th in your example—will be pre-selected for the customer on the product page automatically, even if your events do not require time selection. This minimizes customer confusion and removes the need for them to manually pick a date unless they wish to change it.
Is it necessary to install WooCommerce to use the PluginHive booking system for renting offices, desks, or conference rooms?
Yes, installing WooCommerce is mandatory to use the PluginHive booking system. The plugin works within the WooCommerce framework, so you will need to have WooCommerce installed and configured on your WordPress site to manage bookable products such as offices, desks, or conference rooms.
Is it possible for WooCommerce Bookings to automatically block booking times if there are already conflicting appointments in my connected Google Calendar? How does 2-way Google Calendar sync work?
Yes, when using the 2-way Google Calendar sync:
- The plugin can block slots on your Booking calendar for times that are already booked in your Google Calendar.
- For this to work, make sure 2-way syncing is enabled in your plugin settings.
- If events from Google Calendar are not being imported and blocking time slots as expected, please consult this guide: https://www.pluginhive.com/knowledge-base/how-to-use-2-way-google-calendar-sync-with-woocommerce-bookings-and-appointments-plugin/
- Ensure you follow all steps in the guide to properly connect and authorize Google Calendar integration, and double-check your plugin’s sync settings.
With proper setup, events added to your Google Calendar will block the corresponding time on your WooCommerce Booking calendar to prevent double bookings.
Is it possible to automatically mark certain weekends as unavailable in the booking calendar by creating private appointments in my personal calendar using iCal sync?
Currently, the plugin supports exporting bookings as iCalendar (.ics) events, which allows you to synchronize bookings with your personal calendar (such as Apple Calendar) for easy viewing across devices. However, the plugin does not support importing events or private appointments from your personal iCal calendar to automatically block or mark unavailable periods in your booking calendar. Only export functionality is available at this time. For more details, refer to: https://www.pluginhive.com/knowledge-base/export-woocommerce-bookings-to-icalendar/
Is it possible to display WooCommerce custom fields, such as Year, Make, and Model, in the booking notes on Google Calendar?
Currently, WooCommerce custom fields like Year, Make, and Model cannot be directly passed to the booking notes on Google Calendar. The supported tags that can be included in the calendar event details are: [PARTICIPANT], [ASSET], [RESOURCE], [CUSTOMER_NAME], [CUSTOMER_PHONE], [CUSTOMER_EMAIL], [PRODUCT_NAME], [BOOKING_STATUS], [BOOKING_COST], [ORDER_PAGE_LINK], [BILLING_ADDRESS], [BOOKING_NOTES], [LOCATION], and [NAME]. At this time, there is no option to include additional custom field information in Google Calendar events through the plugin settings.
Is it possible to migrate existing and future bookings from the WooCommerce Bookings plugin to the WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments plugin by PluginHive?
No, the PluginHive WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments plugin functions independently and is not compatible with bookings or events created using the default WooCommerce Bookings plugin. There is currently no automated or direct migration method to transfer previous or scheduled bookings into the PluginHive plugin.
- Historical WooCommerce orders will remain in your store, but booking/event records managed by the former plugin will not appear in the PluginHive bookings interface.
- If you have important data, you should export and retain records from your previous plugin before uninstalling or switching to the PluginHive plugin.
Is it possible to remove or customize the "Order: #[order_id], Order Item: #[order_item_id]" prefix in the Google Calendar event titles generated by the PluginHive bookings integration?
No, it is not possible to remove or modify the "Order: #[order_id], Order Item: #[order_item_id]" prefix in the Google Calendar event titles. These details are hardcoded by the plugin because they are essential for accurately syncing bookings between your website and Google Calendar.
Is it possible to select a specific Outlook calendar to sync bookings with, and filter booking events based on their status using the PluginHive Bookings and Appointments For WooCommerce plugin?
Yes, with version 5.0.5 of the Bookings and Appointments For WooCommerce Premium plugin, you can now:
- Select which Outlook calendar you want to sync your booking events with, rather than being limited to your main calendar.
- Filter which booking events are synced to Outlook based on their booking status (for example, syncing only paid bookings).
To use these features, update your plugin to version 5.0.5 via your admin dashboard. After updating, you can configure your Outlook calendar sync settings to choose the desired calendar and apply booking status filters according to your needs. For more details, refer to the plugin's change log or documentation.
Is it possible to set up a reservation system that allows users to book a single venue for a minimum of 5 hours, with the ability to select longer durations, and supports variable pricing based on time of day and specific dates?
Yes, using the WooCommerce Bookings & Appointment plugin, you can:
- Configure the minimum booking duration to 5 hours, allowing customers to select longer durations if preferred.
- Enable customers to choose both entry and exit times for their booking, adhering to your set minimum duration.
- Set different pricing based on time ranges (e.g., a higher price for bookings between 3 a.m. and 8 a.m. and different rates for daytime hours).
- Assign special prices for specific dates as required.
Guides for managing booking durations and setting variable pricing can be found in the plugin’s documentation.
Is Outlook calendar the same as Office365 calendar for integration with the PluginHive WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments plugin?
Yes, Outlook calendar and Office365 calendar are effectively the same for the purpose of integration with the PluginHive WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments plugin. Events synced to Outlook will also reflect in the Office365 calendar as they share the same calendar infrastructure.
Is there a built-in setting in the PluginHive Booking plugin to change the "Participant(s)" label?
The "Participant(s)" label can be edited within the event card under the "Participants Booking" tab, specifically in the Label/Type of participants field. This allows you to customize the label without needing to edit the plugin files or database directly. However, currently, there is no global option for this label in the general plugin settings (for example, under the "Calendar view" tab). Any suggestions for additional customization options are appreciated and may be considered for future updates.
Is there a document explaining how to use Google Calendar Sync with the WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments plugin for training purposes?
Yes, comprehensive instructions are available in the PluginHive knowledge base. The article explains how to set up and use the two-way Google Calendar sync feature, including how to format event titles so that bookings are properly reflected in your website. You can review and share this documentation for training: https://www.pluginhive.com/knowledge-base/how-to-use-2-way-google-calendar-sync-with-woocommerce-bookings-and-appointments-plugin/#sync_bookings. When adding bookings in Google Calendar, always use the relevant Bookable Product ID or exact name in the event title for successful synchronization.
Is there a way to block time slots in WooCommerce via Google Calendar without having these entries appear as bookings in WooCommerce?
The WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments Plugin's Google Calendar two-way sync is designed primarily for store owners and works by creating bookings in WooCommerce for events added through Google Calendar. When an event is added in Google Calendar with the correct Product ID in the event title, the corresponding slot in WooCommerce is blocked by automatically generating a booking. There is currently no option to block time slots in WooCommerce from Google Calendar without creating a booking entry. The plugin does not support blocking slots for availability management without creating corresponding bookings in WooCommerce.
Is there a way to display a listing of future bookable events instead of a calendar view, especially for products with only a few events per year?
Within our plugin, you can use the Search Widget feature to achieve a listing-like display. By listing each event as a separate product, the Search Widget allows customers to enter their preferred date or time and see a list of available products (events) for booking. This setup presents future events in a searchable list rather than a calendar, which is particularly useful for clients with only a few events each year. For detailed setup instructions, refer to the plugin documentation on using the Search Widget feature.
Is there a way to have a single-day event date automatically pre-selected in the booking calendar, instead of requiring users to manually choose the date?
Yes, PluginHive offers a custom paid addon called "Auto-Select Available Date." This addon automatically selects the first available date for customers on the booking calendar, streamlining the booking process for single-day or fixed-date events. No additional configuration is required—after installing the addon, it works automatically to pre-select the date. The "Auto-Select Available Date" addon costs $250 and is non-refundable.
Is WP Control the correct plugin to manage and view cron jobs for the PluginHive booking plugin?
Yes, “WP Crontrol” is the correct WordPress plugin to view and manage cron jobs. It allows you to inspect scheduled events such as “ph-unfreez-booking-slot,” which manages the release of held booking slots in PluginHive’s system. Once installed, you can view and troubleshoot cron events by navigating to Tools → Cron Events in your WordPress dashboard.
Is your plugin compatible with WooCommerce and WordPress, and can it support recurring events as well as products for sale in a webshop?
Our plugin is fully compatible with WooCommerce and WordPress. It allows you to create recurring events and supports the sale of other products through your webshop. All payments are processed through WooCommerce, so you can use any payment gateway supported by WooCommerce, and you can list both bookable events and standard products together in your store.
New events are syncing to Google Calendar but all appear at 1pm instead of their scheduled reservation times. What can I do to resolve this?
If new bookings are syncing to Google Calendar at the wrong time (e.g., defaulting to 1pm), update your Bookings plugin to the latest version (minimum 5.1.0) as this issue was associated with older releases. After updating, test with new bookings to confirm that event times are syncing correctly. If the problem persists after the update, contact PluginHive support with specific details for further investigation.
What cron event is responsible for unfreezing or releasing booking slots held in the cart if they are not paid for within 15 minutes, and how can I check if it is running?
The cron event responsible for unfreezing or releasing booking slots after 15 minutes is "ph_bookings_unfreezing_hourly_event." To check if this cron event is running on your site, you can install the free "WP Crontrol" plugin. This plugin allows you to view and manage cron events on your WordPress site. After installing and activating WP Crontrol, navigate to the cron events list and confirm that "ph_bookings_unfreezing_hourly_event" is present and scheduled. If this cron is not running, booking cart items will not be automatically reverted after 15 minutes.
What do I need to include in a Google Calendar event for it to sync correctly to the WooCommerce booking system?
When adding an event to Google Calendar for sync to WooCommerce using the PluginHive Bookings plugin:
- The event title must include either the Bookable Product ID (recommended) or the unique Product Name as it appears in your WooCommerce store.
- This information enables the plugin to match the Google Calendar event with the corresponding product on your website and create a booking record.
- Refer to PluginHive’s knowledge base for further guidance on correct event title formatting and best practices.
What does "2-Way Sync" mean in the Bookings and Appointments plugin if it does not block booking times based on events already on the synced Google Calendar?
The "2-Way Sync" feature allows synchronization of bookings between WooCommerce Bookings and your Google Calendar. However, only events specifically created using the Bookable Product's ID (recommended) or Product Name as the calendar event title in Google Calendar will be picked up and imported into the website as bookings. The plugin does not read generic or unrelated events from Google Calendar for availability checks, nor does it block booking slots on the website for events not matching this format. There is no availability check or two-way blocking; synchronization only applies to bookings created using the specified format.
What is PluginHive’s approach to ensuring compliance with the European Accessibility Act (EAA) and the WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines?
PluginHive acknowledges the importance of meeting the European Accessibility Act (EAA) requirements, which target compliance with the WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines. The team is actively reviewing the changes needed to ensure that the booking plugin becomes more accessible. PluginHive will implement necessary accessibility enhancements where feasible and is committed to progressively achieving full WCAG 2.1 AA compliance. Users will be kept informed of any updates and improvements regarding accessibility compliance.
What is the "Booking Status Filter" in the PluginHive WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments plugin, and how should I use it for Google Calendar sync?
The "Booking Status Filter" allows you to control which bookings are sent to Google Calendar as events. By selecting specific booking statuses in this filter, you can display only those bookings with the chosen statuses (such as "Paid" or "Confirmed") on your calendar. If you leave the filter empty, all appointments and bookings, regardless of their status, will appear and disappear on the calendar as expected. To customize which bookings are synced based on their status, configure the "Booking Status Filter" according to your preference. Detailed setup instructions are provided here: https://www.pluginhive.com/knowledge-base/sync-woocommerce-bookings-with-your-google-calendar/#:~:text=Complete%20the%20Google%20Calendar%20Sync%20Setup.
What is the best practice for offering classes only on specific dates (e.g., Jan 6, Feb 17, Mar 31) in the PluginHive WooCommerce Booking & Appointments plugin—should I use recurring events or restrict availability to those exact dates?
The recommended approach is to set all booking dates as unavailable by default, then enable only the three dates when the classes are offered using the booking availability rules. This ensures that customers can book only on the designated dates. Using the recurring event function is not applicable here because your classes are on non-standard intervals (every 7th week) and not on a weekly or monthly recurrence.
What is the name of the new hook to modify calendar event data, and where can I find instructions for its use?
The specific name and implementation details of the new hook will be provided by PluginHive in the plugin release scheduled for January 23rd. Once released, PluginHive will share comprehensive documentation and guidance on how to use the hook to modify calendar event data according to your requirements. Check the official PluginHive release notes or contact support after the release date for the exact hook reference and usage examples.
What is the recommended method to cancel bookings so that they are properly removed from both WordPress and Google Calendar?
The recommended way to cancel bookings—so Google's calendar sync properly removes them—is as follows:
- In your WordPress site, go to Bookings → All Bookings.
- Select the relevant bookings using the checkboxes.
- In the "Bulk Actions" dropdown menu, choose "Cancel Bookings."
- Click "Apply" to process.
This method updates the booking status correctly, prompting the plugin to remove the related events from your Google Calendar. Avoid deleting orders directly, as it may leave calendar events orphaned or create sync issues.
What is the recommended workaround for handling a fixed deposit in addition to a variable booking fee?
If your business requires charging a fixed deposit in addition to a variable booking amount, the best approach with PluginHive’s current plugins is to include the deposit amount in the total booking price. You can mention on the booking page that a part of the total fee is a deposit, which can be refunded or returned after the event. Managing the deposit return must be done manually after the event since the plugin does not support a separate fixed deposit payment schedule.
What new features are included in the updated version of the WooCommerce Bookings & Appointments plugin?
The latest version of the WooCommerce Bookings & Appointments plugin includes:
- Booking Search and Availability Module: Allows you to create a fully functional booking site with minimal effort, catering to businesses such as hotels, rentals, and online classes. This module lets customers search and book according to their preferences.
- Apple Calendar / iCalendar Integration: Enables you to export bookings as iCalendar events for seamless synchronization with Apple Calendar and other calendar platforms.
- Enhanced Google Calendar Sync: Improved syncing of bookings from WooCommerce to both your and your customers’ Google Calendars, ensuring better coordination and scheduling.
- Streamlined Plugin License Activation: A simpler license activation process that makes managing bookings easier and faster.
What payment options are available with the WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments plugin, and does it integrate with Zoom or Google Meet?
The WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments plugin operates on top of WooCommerce, so all payment methods supported by WooCommerce are available when using this plugin. This includes payment gateways such as PayPal, Stripe, credit/debit cards, and any other payment methods you have enabled in your WooCommerce store. The plugin does not integrate with Zoom or Google Meet. However, it offers two-way synchronization with Google Calendar, allowing you to manage and view bookings alongside your Google events.
What should I do if after updating the plugin and manually syncing, my Google Calendar events still do not appear in the bookings plugin?
If updating to the latest plugin version and performing manual sync does not resolve the issue, take the following actions:
- Ensure you are running the latest version of the PluginHive Bookings plugin to access recent Google Calendar sync enhancements.
- After updating, re-configure your Google Calendar sync settings:
- Select the correct Google Calendar to sync bookings from/to.
- Make sure to enable "Debug Mode" in plugin settings for additional logging and troubleshooting.
- Retry adding a booking to Google Calendar, and then check if it syncs.
- If the issue persists, consult the official PluginHive documentation for the latest sync setup instructions: https://www.pluginhive.com/knowledge-base/sync-woocommerce-bookings-with-your-google-calendar/
- If you have custom code or theme changes that affect bookings or pricing, review these customizations as they may interfere with plugin updates or sync functionality.
Update all relevant plugin components, verify sync configuration, and use Debug Mode to trace potential errors for a resolution.
What should I do if cancelled bookings are not releasing the slots back for sale in WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments?
If cancelled bookings are not releasing the slots back for sale, follow these steps:
- Ensure you are cancelling bookings from the All Bookings page using the appropriate method—select the order and use 'Cancel Bookings' from the bulk actions menu.
- If slots are still not added back, install the "WP Crontrol" plugin to check whether the booking cron jobs are being added and are running as expected.
- Navigate to WP Dashboard → Tools → Cron Events tab to view the cron jobs.
- If you do not see any cron jobs related to the WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments plugin:
- Deactivate and then reactivate the WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments plugin.
- Clear any server or site cache before retesting the booking flow.
Following these steps should help ensure that cancelled bookings release their slots back into the system for future bookings.
What should I do if deleted bookings are still blocking calendar slots and not showing in the All Bookings list?
If deleted bookings are still blocking slots on your calendar, follow these steps:
- Install the "WP Crontrol" plugin.
- Go to WP Dashboard → Tools → Cron Events, and check for cron jobs related to the PluginHive Bookings plugin (look for entries like ph_bookings_unfreezing_hourly_event or similar).
- If no relevant cron jobs are present, deactivate and reactivate the WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments Plugin to reinitialize the necessary scheduled tasks.
- Clear your cache, including server cache, before rechecking the calendar.
If the issue persists, you may need to contact PluginHive support for further investigation.
What should I do if duplicate bookings are appearing on Google Calendar synced from WooCommerce?
If duplicate bookings are appearing on your Google Calendar:
- Review the process and steps followed when placing bookings, ensuring nothing unusual or repetitive actions were taken.
- Check the order status of the bookings involved (usually "processing") as different statuses may trigger different sync behaviors.
- If you notice a pattern—such as duplicates occurring with specific order types or events—document these details for troubleshooting.
- If (after reconnecting your sync) duplicates persist, consider providing your PluginHive support team with access to a staging site and permission to perform test bookings using the SandBox payment method. This will help identify site-specific issues.
- Supply any observed details to support for further analysis, including a list of affected orders, booking patterns, and screenshots (if required for context).
- Regularly monitor PluginHive plugin updates and documentation for any related bug fixes or sync logic improvements.
What should I do if duplicate events keep appearing in my Google Calendar for a specific booking?
If you notice duplicate events for a single booking in Google Calendar, it's recommended to:
- Check the status of the booking in your WordPress admin.
- Ensure the booking was canceled using Bookings → All Bookings and the "Cancel Bookings" option.
- After cancellation, verify your Google Calendar to confirm removal.
- As this may have been an isolated incident, place a few test bookings and process cancellations to see if the issue repeats.
If the duplicates persist after following correct cancellation procedures, contact PluginHive support with relevant booking details for further investigation.
What should I do if edits made to Google Calendar events are not updating the corresponding booking on the website?
When updating booking details in Google Calendar, follow this process for two-way sync to work:
- Double-click the relevant booking (event) in Google Calendar to open the event details.
- In the Google Calendar event summary field, enter “Modify: Update”.
- Save the updated event in Google Calendar.
After saving, the plugin will attempt to sync the updated event status and details back to your WooCommerce store. If updates are still not reflecting on your website, verify that the two-way sync option is enabled and that your Google App is published. If problems persist, try re-syncing affected bookings from the "All Bookings" page or provide a screencast to support for further troubleshooting.
What should I do if events created in Google Calendar are not appearing in the PluginHive Booking system unless I clear the cache?
If events you create in Google Calendar do not show up in your PluginHive Booking system until you manually clear the cache, follow these troubleshooting steps:
- Update to the latest Bookings plugin version (v4.1.0 or above).
- Check the Two-way sync interval under Bookings → Settings → Google Calendar sync, as bookings are only synced when the scheduled cron job runs.
- Install and use the "WP Crontrol" plugin to verify that the Two-way sync cron job is active and running at the correct interval.
- Configure your caching plugin (such as Litespeed Cache) to exclude critical PluginHive Booking Plugin endpoints, especially those related to booking synchronization and AJAX calls, to prevent cache interference with dynamic data updates.
- After making these adjustments, bookings should sync automatically according to your scheduled interval without manual cache clearing.
What should I do if I miss my scheduled PluginHive Zoom call or have a connectivity issue?
If you miss your scheduled PluginHive Zoom call or face technical difficulties, notify the PluginHive support team of your situation and provide your next available times. The PluginHive team will offer alternate available slots and reschedule the call as soon as possible to accommodate your availability. Be sure to communicate your preferred times and check for meeting link notifications before the new appointment.
What should I do if Order Confirmation emails are not being sent or received from the WooCommerce Bookings plugin?
Order Confirmation Emails are sent by WooCommerce, not the Bookings Plugin. If you are not receiving reminder or follow-up emails, follow these steps:
- Install and activate the "WP Crontrol" plugin on your website. This plugin helps manage cron jobs responsible for sending scheduled emails.
- Go to Tools → Cron Events and check if the necessary cron jobs are listed.
- If the cron jobs are missing, deactivate and reactivate the Bookings plugin.
- Clear your server cache before checking again to ensure all recent changes take effect.
These steps will help ensure that emails are sent as intended.
What should I do if the cron jobs that release booking slots are not running on my website?
If cron jobs responsible for releasing booking slots (such as "ph-unfreez-booking-slot") are not executing:
- Install the "WP Control" plugin to check the status of your cron jobs.
- Navigate to WP Dashboard → Tools → Cron Events to confirm whether the plugin’s cron jobs are listed and running.
- If they are not present or not running, deactivate and reactivate the WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments Plugin.
- If issues persist, contact your website developer to investigate why WordPress cron jobs are not running, as this may be due to server configuration or hosting limitations.
- Ensure that all relevant cron jobs are enabled and functioning, as this is essential for releasing held booking slots back to availability.
What should I do if the sync issue with Google Calendar persists even after following all OAuth and app publishing instructions?
If you continue to experience sync issues after recreating OAuth credentials, publishing the app, and re-connecting Google Calendar, ensure the following:
- Confirm that you are using the latest version of the Bookings plugin. Outdated plugins may have unresolved bugs or incompatibilities.
- Check if you started experiencing the issue after a specific event or update, as this information can assist in identifying the cause.
- Monitor the sync connection regularly, as temporary network issues or multiple simultaneous sync attempts can disrupt the OAuth token refresh process.
- If automatic token refreshing fails, a manual reconnection of Google Calendar may be required to restore syncing.
If the issue persists, contact PluginHive support with details about your plugin version and a description of when and how the error began. This information helps in further troubleshooting and providing a more targeted solution.
What should I do if the “ph_bookings_unfreezing_hourly_event” cron is scheduled to run every hour, but booking slots are not released from the cart even after several hours?
If the "ph_bookings_unfreezing_hourly_event" cron is scheduled but slots remain held in the cart beyond the expected time, additional troubleshooting is needed. First, verify in WP Crontrol that the cron exists and is scheduled to run hourly. If it appears to be scheduled but is not functioning, the issue may be due to your site's server-side cron configuration. In this case:
- Confirm that your server is configured to execute WordPress cron jobs (wp-cron.php).
- Ensure there are no errors or plugin conflicts preventing cron execution.
- If the issue persists, provide your site’s admin access (preferably by creating a new Administrator user for support), as well as the affected product link, to PluginHive support for further investigation.
- For security and accurate troubleshooting, set the site's admin language to English when providing access.
This process will help determine if the issue is with the cron event setup or a deeper configuration/server environment problem.
What should I do if there is an issue with the WP-Cron system on my WordPress site affecting plugin or WooCommerce functionality?
If you notice issues with the WP-Cron system on your site, it can impact the functionality of WooCommerce and related plugins. Cron jobs are part of the core WordPress system, responsible for running scheduled events. Follow these steps:
- Contact your hosting provider and inquire if cron jobs are disabled at the server level.
- Share any relevant error details or screenshots with your hosting provider to help them diagnose the issue.
- Request your hosting support to enable and properly configure WordPress cron jobs on your server.
These actions will ensure that cron-dependent features in WooCommerce and related plugins work as intended.
What should I enter in the "minutes in advance the reminder email should be sent" field to avoid fatal errors?
You should enter a whole number (integer) without any decimal places in this field. The number represents the timing in minutes before the booking when the reminder email will be sent. For example:
- For 1 hour before the event, enter 60.
- For 2 hours before the event, enter 120.
Avoid entering decimals or non-numeric characters, as this can cause critical errors in your site’s logs.
What steps did PluginHive support take to investigate bookings not showing in the calendar, and what was concluded?
To investigate bookings not displaying in the admin calendar:
- Support logged into the affected site and tested order placement and booking management.
- Checked cron jobs (using the WP Crontal plugin) to confirm that scheduled events, such as unfreezing canceled slots, were active.
- Deactivated all plugins except WooCommerce and the Bookings plugin, and changed the theme to Storefront to eliminate conflicts.
- Placed orders both via the frontend and manually in the backend to compare database entries.
- Identified that “Book To Date” data for frontend bookings was being added in plain format rather than serialized, which was not the expected plugin behavior.
It was concluded that the issue might not be caused directly by the plugin in its normal flow, but could be related to custom site modifications or an underlying bug. PluginHive committed to applying a fix in an upcoming plugin version to properly handle serialization for new bookings.
What troubleshooting steps are recommended if Google Calendar two-way sync is not working properly despite following setup instructions?
If Google Calendar two-way synchronization is still not working after following the setup instructions, take these troubleshooting steps:
- Confirm that the Google App is published in your Google Cloud Console, which is required for synchronization.
- Ensure that two-way sync is enabled in your plugin settings.
- For existing bookings not syncing, go to the "All Bookings" page, select affected bookings, and use the "Resync Google Calendar" option.
- When editing bookings from Google Calendar, ensure you follow the procedure of adding “Modify: Update” in the Google event summary and save the event.
- If issues remain, document your replication steps (preferably as a screencast or video) and contact support for further assistance, providing details about the types of modifications attempted and any observed behavior.
These steps help diagnose and resolve common calendar sync issues.
When and how will I receive the Zoom meeting link for my scheduled PluginHive support call?
The PluginHive support team will send you the Zoom meeting link shortly before your scheduled appointment time via your registered communication channel (typically email or the support ticket system). The message will include the meeting link, meeting ID, and any required passcode. Join the meeting at the scheduled time using the provided details.
When are different booking and payment reminder emails sent when using the PluginHive deposits and bookings plugins?
The following emails are sent based on different actions within the PluginHive bookings and deposits plugins, integrated with WooCommerce:
- If booking confirmation is enabled, a booking confirmation email is sent when a booking is confirmed.
- If booking confirmation is not enabled, only the standard WooCommerce order processing email ("Thanks for your order") is sent.
- After the completion of an order, WooCommerce sends the "Order completed" email.
- Email reminders for balance payments are available only for scheduled payment plans by default. If a deposit is made using percentage-based payments, automatic reminder emails are not sent unless you purchase the custom paid addon, "Reminder emails for Percentage Deposits based on Booking date".
- Reminder emails for outstanding balance or payment due are not triggered for standard deposits unless using scheduled payment plans or the paid addon.
- After the booking event, follow-up emails or other custom communications need to be handled through WooCommerce or other email configuration, as out-of-the-box plugin support is limited to the scenarios above.
- If you set a reminder email for a specific time (e.g., 2880 minutes or 2 days before booking), and someone books for the next day, the user would not receive this reminder because the booking date is too soon for the scheduled reminder to trigger.
When creating custom bookings manually for customers, why do multiple duplicate events appear on Google Calendar, and how can I fix this while still using admin bookings?
Multiple duplicate events appearing in Google Calendar after performing manual bookings, especially when changing billing email addresses, may be due to a bug in the plugin or an issue during the booking entry process. To resolve this:
- Ensure you are using the latest version of the PluginHive Bookings plugin, as updates may include bug fixes for Google Calendar sync.
- If the issue persists after updating, document the steps that lead to the duplication, particularly noting any changes to billing information.
- Share a screencast or video replicating the issue with PluginHive support for a more accurate diagnosis.
- If requested by support, provide a staging site and necessary permissions for further investigation and troubleshooting.
Following these steps can help identify the root cause and enable the PluginHive team to assist you in resolving the issue without having to manually delete duplicate calendar events.
When using recurring bookings with the PluginHive Bookings plugin, why does only the first day appear in Google Calendar, and how can I ensure each recurring booking appears as a separate calendar entry?
Previously, only the first day of a recurring booking was synced to Google Calendar due to a plugin limitation. This issue has been addressed in PH Recurring Bookings and Appointments for WooCommerce version 1.3.2. To ensure each recurring booking is entered as a separate event in Google Calendar:
- Update the PH Recurring Bookings and Appointments for WooCommerce plugin to version 1.3.2 or later.
- After updating, new recurring bookings placed through your site will have each occurrence synced as a separate entry in your Google Calendar.
- If you have existing bookings created before the update, you may need to manage those manually, but all new bookings will sync correctly going forward.
This update resolves the calendar sync issue, making management of recurring bookings much more efficient.
Where should I add the product ID in my Google Calendar to have it sync back to the website using the WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments plugin?
To enable two-way syncing between your Google Calendar and the website, you should enter the Bookable Product ID (recommended) or the unique Bookable Product Name as the calendar event title in your Google Calendar. This allows the plugin to identify and match the event with the correct bookable product on your website during the sync process. For further details and step-by-step instructions, you can refer to the article: https://www.pluginhive.com/knowledge-base/how-to-use-2-way-google-calendar-sync-with-woocommerce-bookings-and-appointments-plugin/
Which calendar integrations are supported in the WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments Plugin?
The WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments Plugin supports multiple calendar integrations:
- Export bookings as iCalendar events for seamless synchronization with Apple Calendar and other platforms that support iCal format.
- Automatically sync bookings with your Microsoft Outlook Calendar, including the option to add customers as event attendees.
- Enhanced Google Calendar Sync, allowing bookings to synchronize from WooCommerce to both your and your customers’ Google Calendars.
These integrations help you manage bookings efficiently across various devices and calendar applications.
Why are blocked dates in Google Calendar not being blocked in the PluginHive booking plugin, even though I've set up everything, enabled two-way sync, and the sync status shows successful?
If blocked dates in Google Calendar are not being reflected in the PluginHive booking plugin, follow these troubleshooting steps:
- Verify that "Two-way Sync" is enabled within the plugin settings.
- Check that the Google Calendar Sync status is successful and matches the setup from the PluginHive knowledge base: https://www.pluginhive.com/knowledge-base/how-to-use-2-way-google-calendar-sync-with-woocommerce-bookings-and-appointments-plugin/#sync_bookings
- If "Two-way Sync" status is red, use the "Manually Sync" option available in the plugin to force synchronization between Google Calendar and your booking site.
- Install and activate the free "WP Control" plugin from the Plugins menu. This will let you monitor all WordPress cron jobs.
- In your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Tools → Cron Events and ensure that the (ph_bookings_two_way_sync_cron) cron job is present and running.
- Clear your website and server cache, then check again to see if the unavailable dates are correctly blocked on the booking plugin.
If issues persist after these steps, providing a video of how bookings are added in Google Calendar can help diagnose further, as well as checking your site’s cron setup for scheduling problems.
Why are booking events only showing as "all day" in the Apple Calendar after moving the website, even though the option to show start and end times is enabled?
The plugin's compatibility with iCal (Apple Calendar) has not been tested, and its full functionality with Apple Calendar cannot be guaranteed. This may result in issues such as events displaying as "all day" rather than showing start and end times, especially when accessing bookings through Apple Calendar linked to a Gmail account after migrating your website. For best results, use Google Calendar directly, as this is the supported and tested configuration.
Why are canceled bookings still appearing in my Google Calendar, and how can I properly remove them?
If canceled bookings remain in your Google Calendar, it may be because the bookings were deleted from your WordPress site instead of being canceled. Deleting an order without canceling it can prevent the calendar event from being removed and may lead to duplicate or persistent entries. To properly remove bookings from your Google Calendar, follow these steps:
- Go to the WordPress admin dashboard.
- Navigate to Bookings → All Bookings.
- Select the bookings you wish to remove from the calendar.
- Use the "Bulk Actions" dropdown to select "Cancel Bookings."
- Click "Apply" to process the cancellations.
Canceling, rather than deleting, ensures that the corresponding Google Calendar events are removed. After canceling, verify that the events have been deleted from your calendar. If issues persist, place a test booking and replicate the cancellation process to confirm resolution.
Why are changes made to a booking event in Google Calendar not reflected on my website, even though changes from the website are synced correctly to Google Calendar?
For bookings modified in Google Calendar to update correctly on your website, you need to:
- Double-click the booking event in Google Calendar.
- Enter “Modify: Update” in the Google Calendar event summary (title).
- Save the event.
This triggers the PluginHive sync, which updates the corresponding booking details on your WooCommerce site. However, if changes are not syncing, ensure that your website’s cron jobs are running properly, as the Google Calendar import relies on scheduled cron tasks to fetch updates into your website. You can use plugins like "WP-Crontrol" to verify if crons are functioning. If you discover that imports haven’t run for several days, fix cron errors on your site, then reattempt editing bookings in Google Calendar.
Why are customer details like name, email, and phone number missing from Google Calendar events when bookings are added manually in the WooCommerce admin?
When a booking is created or edited manually in the WooCommerce admin, customer details may not automatically sync to Google Calendar events. After updating customer details on a booking, follow these steps to ensure data is correctly pushed to Google Calendar:
- Go to the "All Bookings" page in your WooCommerce admin.
- Select the relevant booking(s) you have updated.
- Use the "Resync the Bookings to Google Calendar" option to manually push the latest information.
- Check your Google Calendar to confirm the customer details are now displayed.
If the details are still missing after these steps, ensure you are using the latest version of the Bookings plugin. If issues persist, check if the calendar event formatting is correct and review for any HTML tags that might affect how details display.
Why are events I add in Google Calendar not syncing with the bookings and appointments calendar in the PluginHive plugin, when this used to work previously?
If Google Calendar events are not syncing with your PluginHive bookings and appointments calendar, please follow these steps:
- Ensure you are using the latest version of the PluginHive Bookings plugin. Update to version 5.0.6 or newer.
- Install and activate the WP Control Plugin from your WordPress Plugins menu.
- Go to WP Dashboard → Tools → Cron Events and check whether the "ph_bookings_two_way_sync_cron" is running.
- Verify your import schedule settings under plugin Settings. If import is not scheduled, stop and start the Two-way sync by clicking the Two-way sync button in the plugin.
- Clear your server cache before re-testing.
- If the problem persists, try using the "Manual Sync" option in the plugin to trigger syncing.
- If syncing still does not occur, capture a video of your steps for further review by support.
These actions help ensure proper setup and identify where the sync process may be failing.
Why are previously deleted WooCommerce Bookings orders still blocking calendar slots, and how can I fix this issue?
If you have deleted orders and bookings directly (rather than cancelling them first), the associated slots may remain blocked in your calendar because deletion does not always trigger the slot release process. The recommended workflow is to always cancel bookings from the Orders page or the Bookings section. This ensures that the relevant slots are automatically reverted and made available for new bookings.
If slots are still blocked after deletion:
- Install the "WP Crontrol" Plugin to monitor and manage scheduled cron jobs related to bookings.
- Go to WP Dashboard → Tools → Cron Events and check if the cron jobs for PluginHive Bookings exist and are running correctly.
- If the cron jobs are missing or malfunctioning, deactivate and reactivate the WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments Plugin.
- Clear the website and server cache before checking the slot availability again.
- If you have deleted bookings/orders without cancelling them and slots are still not reopening, manual intervention may be necessary to clear those slots. Reach out to PluginHive support, providing details of affected products and date ranges, so that technical assistance can be provided.
Why are Reminder and Follow-up Emails not being sent after bookings, even though they worked the first time?
The Reminder and Follow-up Emails in the PluginHive WooCommerce Booking & Appointments plugin rely on WP Cron to function properly. If these emails are not being sent, follow these steps:
- Verify that other WooCommerce emails (such as new order notifications and order completion emails) are being received. This ensures your general email setup is working.
- Install and activate the free "WP Crontrol" plugin on your website. This plugin allows you to manage and verify scheduled WP Cron jobs.
- After activation, go to Tools -> Cron Events in your WordPress dashboard to check if the necessary cron jobs for the booking plugin are listed.
- If the required cron jobs do not appear, deactivate and then reactivate the bookings plugin. This should re-add the necessary cron jobs.
- The cron jobs will now run at regular intervals and handle the sending of reminder and follow-up emails.
By following these steps, you can ensure the Reminder and Follow-up Emails are sent reliably. If problems persist, verify that WP Cron is functioning on your hosting environment.
Why are some orders shown as "UNPAID" on the Google Calendar even though the order has been paid in full?
If some orders appear as "UNPAID" on your Google Calendar despite being fully paid, it may be due to the booking status not updating automatically after payment. To correct this, select the relevant orders on the "All Bookings" page, use the Bulk Actions menu to "Mark as Paid," and then re-sync the bookings. This process updates the payment status in both the booking system and on Google Calendar, ensuring consistency between your records and calendar events.
Why are the prices higher for WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments and PH WooCommerce Product Addons compared to what I previously paid? I expected ongoing subscription renewal at the original price.
PluginHive has recently adjusted the pricing of the Bookings Plugin from $99 to $149 per year to reflect ongoing product improvements and dedicated support. The new version includes several enhanced features, such as:
- Booking Search and Availability Module: Allows you to create a robust booking site for various business types.
- Apple Calendar / iCalendar Integration: Lets you export bookings as iCalendar events, ensuring seamless synchronization across devices and platforms.
- Enhanced Google Calendar Sync: Bookings now sync easily to WooCommerce, your calendar, and your customers’ calendars.
- Streamlined Plugin License Activation: The activation process is now simpler and more efficient.
While there are no ongoing standard discounts, a 15% discount on the Bookings plugin and a 10% discount on the Product Addon can be provided as a token of gratitude. If you are interested, please let the support team know to receive these discounts on your purchase.
Why can't customers make a reservation even when there are still available places, and we have set the option to allow bookings up to 10 minutes before the activity starts?
This issue occurs because the Booking period is set to a daily calendar, which prevents same-day bookings once the day has started (after 12:00am). Even if places are available, customers cannot book for an activity later that same day. To enable bookings up to 10 minutes before the activity begins, change the Booking period to a time calendar with the first booking slot starting at your activity time (e.g., 10am). This will allow customers to reserve up until your specified cutoff before the event.
Why does booking a recurring event on my WooCommerce product show a warning that today's date is unavailable, even though it was working previously?
This issue occurs specifically when your website is set in a language other than English. The problem was replicated on your site and is related to how the plugin handles date availability across languages. To address this, ensure you are using the latest version of the Recurring plugin. As a general troubleshooting step:
- Confirm you are using the latest version of the Recurring plugin.
- Temporarily deactivate all other plugins except WooCommerce, Recurring, and Bookings plugins.
- Switch your theme to the default Storefront theme to check for conflicts.
- If the issue persists and your site is not in English, note that this is a known issue with date availability in non-English languages.
- The PluginHive team is aware of this and has scheduled an enhancement to handle non-English languages properly in an upcoming plugin update.
If you require an immediate workaround, you may temporarily set your site language to English, but a permanent fix will be included in a future plugin version. For updates, keep an eye on the plugin's changelog or communications from PluginHive.
Why does the 2-way Google Calendar sync only work from the website to Google Calendar, but not from Google Calendar to my website?
To enable two-way syncing between your website and Google Calendar, ensure the following:
- The Google Calendar event title must include either the Bookable Product ID (recommended) or the unique Product Name that matches a product on your website. This is how the plugin identifies which product to associate the booking with when syncing from Google Calendar to your website.
- Follow the official PluginHive knowledge base guide on setting up and managing 2-way Google Calendar sync with WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments.
- To troubleshoot syncing issues, try stopping and restarting the 2-way sync, use the "Manually Sync" option in the plugin, and verify that the cron job “ph_bookings_two_way_sync_cron” is running (using a plugin like WP Crontrol).
- Update to the latest plugin version, as recent updates may include relevant bug fixes for 2-way sync.
Why does the PluginHive WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments Plugin not remove orders from the WooCommerce cart after a certain time?
The PluginHive WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments Plugin handles booking slot availability and calendar events, but cart and order management—including removal of abandoned carts or unpaid orders—is managed by the main WooCommerce plugin itself. If you wish to automatically clear orders or carts after a period of inactivity, you will need to use WooCommerce’s settings or an additional cart management plugin to handle this functionality, as it is outside the scope of the PluginHive booking plugin.
Why does the “Sync Failed (Error Code: 404)” occur when syncing WooCommerce Bookings with Google Calendar?
The "Sync Failed (Error Code: 404)" occurs when a Google Calendar is not selected after reconnecting the Google Calendar sync in the plugin settings. To prevent this error:
- After connecting or reconnecting Google Sync, go to the "Google Calendar for Bookings" setting in your plugin.
- Ensure you select the appropriate Google Calendar (for example, [email protected]) from the dropdown list.
- Save your settings to finalize the sync configuration.
If no calendar is selected, booking events cannot be synchronized and errors will occur.
Why has the price of the PluginHive Bookings Plugin increased from $99 to $149 per year?
The price of the PluginHive Bookings Plugin has been adjusted from $99 to $149 per year to reflect the ongoing value being delivered in terms of product quality and dedicated support. This modest increase supports continued improvements and enhancements to the plugin. The latest version offers several new features, including:
- A plug-and-play Booking Search and Availability Module for building a comprehensive booking site suitable for hotels, rental services, and online classes.
- Apple Calendar/iCalendar Integration, enabling exports of bookings as iCalendar events for seamless access and synchronization across devices.
- Enhanced Google Calendar Sync for effortless booking synchronization between WooCommerce and both admin and customer Google Calendars.
- Streamlined plugin license activation, making it easier to manage license activation and focus on business growth.
The price adjustment supports the inclusion of these new features and ongoing product development.
Why is my website’s CSS/layout breaking when using the PluginHive Bookings plugin with the Evanticity theme?
The Evanticity theme (a paid theme) is causing layout issues specifically on your Bookable product page when used with the PluginHive Bookings plugin. To identify the root cause:
- Deactivate all plugins except the Bookings plugin.
- Retain only the Evanticity theme during testing.
- Check if the layout issue persists.
This process helps isolate whether the conflict is between the theme and the Bookings plugin or involves other plugins. Testing should be performed on a staging or test site, not your live site, to avoid affecting your customers. If possible, provide the Eventicity theme file to PluginHive support for further investigation.
Why is the two-way sync with Google Calendar not creating bookings on my website when I add an appointment directly in my calendar, even though bookings from the site sync to Google Calendar?
If events created in Google Calendar are not resulting in bookings on your website, even though bookings made on your site are syncing to Google Calendar, ensure that your Google two-way sync configuration is correct. Here are the recommended steps:
- Double-check your Google Calendar integration settings as per the official PluginHive documentation: https://www.pluginhive.com/knowledge-base/how-to-use-2-way-google-calendar-sync-with-woocommerce-bookings-and-appointments-plugin/#sync_bookings
- Follow the official procedure for adding events to Google Calendar so that they are correctly recognized by the plugin and synced back to your website as bookings. The plugin requires specific details (such as event title, date/time, and format) for successful two-way syncing.
- Review the exact steps you are taking to create appointments in Google Calendar. Compare them with the guidelines in the documentation to ensure compatibility.
- If you continue experiencing issues, document the process you are following, and provide a screencast or detailed description of each step. This helps support diagnose and resolve the syncing problem more efficiently.
By adhering to the documented workflow and confirming the configuration, you can ensure that two-way sync functions correctly between Google Calendar and your website’s bookings.
Why is the WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments plugin not syncing events to Google Calendar, even though the sync was previously set up and working?
If the Google Calendar sync for the WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments plugin has stopped working, follow these troubleshooting steps:
- Confirm that Two-way sync is enabled in your plugin settings.
- Ensure the import is scheduled in the sync settings. If not, stop and start the Two-way sync using the provided button.
- Revisit the official setup guide at https://www.pluginhive.com/knowledge-base/how-to-use-2-way-google-calendar-sync-with-woocommerce-bookings-and-appointments-plugin/ to make sure every step has been followed.
- Verify the Calendar ID entered in the Google Calendar Sync Settings is correct. Retrieve it by navigating to the specific calendar's settings in Google Calendar.
- After updating or confirming the Calendar ID, save the settings and trigger a re-sync of past bookings from the All Bookings page.
- Clear all relevant caches (server and client-side) before testing if the sync is now functioning.
If the issue persists, attempt to place a new booking using the recommended procedure and observe if the new booking syncs as expected.
Will activating synchronization between Google Calendar and the plugin delete or affect my existing calendar events or bookings?
No, syncing Google Calendar with the plugin will not delete or affect your existing bookings on the website or your current events on Google Calendar. The synchronization process only syncs data without removing any events already present in either calendar.
Will bookings made directly on Google Calendar automatically update or block out the corresponding time slots on the PluginHive booking calendar on my website?
By default, bookings made directly on Google Calendar do not automatically sync or block out the corresponding time slots on the PluginHive calendar. To enable this functionality, you need to set up the 2-Way Sync feature with Google Calendar in the PluginHive WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments plugin. This allows bookings added on Google Calendar to sync with your website calendar. To configure this:
- Turn on the two-way sync feature in the PluginHive plugin settings.
- When adding events to Google Calendar that should sync with your plugin, enter the correct Bookable Product ID (recommended) or Bookable Product Name (if your products have unique names) as the Calendar Event Title.
- Events that follow this naming convention will be synced from Google Calendar to your website, updating availability accordingly.
You can follow the full setup guide here: https://www.pluginhive.com/knowledge-base/how-to-use-2-way-google-calendar-sync-with-woocommerce-bookings-and-appointments-plugin/
¿Qué plugin puedo utilizar para crear un sistema de reservas que permita elegir el tipo de evento, seleccionar el día y la hora, indicar el número de personas (adultos y niños) y pagar con tarjeta o transferencia bancaria? ¿Cuál es el precio del plugin?
Puedes utilizar el plugin WooCommerce Bookings And Appointments de PluginHive para cumplir con todos estos requisitos. Este plugin permite:
- Crear varios productos reservables para seleccionar el tipo de evento.
- Configurar días y horas disponibles para que los clientes puedan elegir cuándo reservar su evento.
- Usar la función "Participante" para que los clientes puedan seleccionar el número de asistentes, tanto adultos como niños.
- Permitir pagos mediante tarjeta o transferencia bancaria, ya que el plugin es compatible con todas las pasarelas de pago que soporta WooCommerce.
Para más información sobre las funciones y precios, puedes consultar el siguiente artículo: https://www.pluginhive.com/product/woocommerce-booking-and-appointments/
También puedes probar la demo del plugin en: https://app.instawp.io/public/launch?d=v2&t=woocommerce-bookings-and-appointments-plugin