How can we help?

What is CaliDiary?

A booking plugin for WordPress. Customers book appointments, group sessions, classes and events on your own website, and every booking is stored in your own WordPress database.

What do I need to use it?

A WordPress website (WordPress 6.7 or later, PHP 8.4 or later) where you can install plugins.

How do I add the booking form to my website?

With the CaliDiary booking form block, the [calidiary] shortcode, or the Elementor widget. See WordPress block and shortcode.

How long does it take to set up?

Most businesses add their services, hours and booking form in an afternoon. If you would rather we did it, see setup and support.

Does it work with my theme?

Yes. The booking form keeps its own styles, so themes cannot break it, and it takes your accent colour, light or dark mode and corner rounding.

Can I try it before paying?

Yes. The free plan has no booking limit and no time limit, and Solo and Pro can be tried free for 14 days with no card needed.

How much does CaliDiary cost?

Free costs nothing. Solo is $3.99 a month or $39.99 a year, and Pro is $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year, in US dollars. Pro Plus, for agencies and businesses with many websites, is $29.99 to $21.99 a website a year, for 10, 25, 50 or 100 websites. See pricing.

What is the difference between Solo and Pro?

Solo is for one person (up to 3 locations, 1 website). Pro is for teams and branches: unlimited people and locations, staff sign-in and permissions, courses and memberships, and 3 websites. Pro Plus gives all Pro features on every website, for 10, 25, 50 or 100 websites.

Do prices include VAT or sales tax?

No. Prices in US dollars, shown in your local currency at checkout (you can choose to pay in dollars). Excluding VAT or sales tax. Where tax applies, it is added at checkout, based on where you are.

Who processes the payment, and what will my bank statement say?

Payments are processed by Stripe and appear as "Sold through Onelink"; your bank statement shows LINK.COM* CALIDIARY. Stripe (through Onelink) also emails your receipts and invoices.

How do I update my card or cancel?

In your CaliDiary account, on the Licences page. "Update card" opens Stripe's secure page. "Cancel plan" first shows you what happens: within 14 days of a payment we refund it automatically and the plan ends straight away; after that, cancelling stops the next renewal and your plan keeps working until the end of the period you have paid for.

Can I change plan or switch between monthly and yearly?

Yes, from the Licences page in your account. Moving up (Solo to Pro, or monthly to yearly) starts straight away and you pay only the difference for the rest of the period. Moving down (Pro to Solo, or yearly to monthly) starts at your next renewal, and nothing is charged until then.

Can I try Solo or Pro before I pay?

Yes. Start a free 14-day trial of Solo or Pro from the Plans screen in the plugin, with no card needed. Nothing is charged at the end: your site simply goes back to Free, and no bookings or settings are deleted. One trial per account and per website. In the free plugin, each paid feature shows in its place with a Solo or Pro badge, so you can see what it does first.

Is there a limit on bookings?

No. Bookings are unlimited on every plan, including Free.

Can I pay monthly?

Yes. Solo and Pro can be paid monthly or yearly; paying yearly costs less.

Can I use one licence on more than one website?

Solo covers 1 website and Pro covers 3. You can add extra websites for $29.99 each a year: up to 2 on Solo and up to 5 on Pro. Each purchase renews on its own date, a year after you buy it. For more websites, Pro Plus covers 10, 25, 50 or 100, and you can add websites to it at the same price per website, up to the next size.

Can I get my money back?

Yes. Cancel within 14 days of a payment, first or renewal, and we refund it automatically, in full. See refunds.

Will you remind me before my plan renews?

Yes. Stripe emails you before each renewal, with the date, the amount and how to cancel. Stripe may also send a reminder of its own before the 12-month anniversary of a plan (and the 6-month one for customers in the UK and Australia), so you may get more than one.

What happens if I stop paying?

If a renewal payment fails, everything keeps working for 14 days while Stripe tries again and you update your card. After that, or if you cancel, your website keeps working on the free plan and nothing is deleted. Paid features switch off until you buy again.

Can bookings be free?

Yes. A service with no price books straight through with no payment step. See free and paid bookings.

How do customers pay?

You choose per booking set-up: on the day, by bank transfer with their booking reference, or by card through your own Stripe, PayPal or Mollie account (Solo and Pro).

Does CaliDiary take a cut of my payments?

No. Card payments go to your own account and you pay only the provider's usual fees.

Can I take a deposit?

Yes, on Solo and Pro: a deposit when someone books and the balance later. See online payments and deposits.

Does CaliDiary make invoices with VAT?

Yes, on Solo and Pro: numbered invoices and credit notes with tax lines. See invoices and credit notes.

Can two people book the same time?

No. Every booking is checked again inside a lock, so the first gets it and the second is offered fresh times. See no double booking.

Can I approve bookings before they are confirmed?

Yes, on every plan. The time is held while you decide. See requests you approve.

Can I take group bookings, classes and events?

Yes: group sessions and simple classes on every plan, events with tickets and class passes on Solo, and courses and memberships on Pro.

Does it sync with Google, Outlook or Apple calendars?

Yes, two ways, on Solo and Pro. See calendar sync.

Are reminders sent automatically?

Yes. Customers get confirmation emails and reminders before every appointment. See email reminders.

Do you sell my data or my customers' data?

No. Bookings and your customers' details never reach our servers, so we cannot see them, share them or sell them. For your own CaliDiary account, we do not sell your personal data either. See the privacy policy.

Where are my bookings stored?

In your own WordPress database. Bookings and your customers' details never reach CaliDiary's servers.

Is CaliDiary GDPR friendly?

It gives you the tools: data on your own site, export and erasure through WordPress, and suggested privacy-policy wording. See privacy and GDPR.

Is the booking form accessible?

Yes. It is built and tested to WCAG 2.2 AA. See accessible booking.

Do I need a CaliDiary account?

Only to buy Solo or Pro, start a free trial, or buy setup and support. The free plugin never requires an account.

How do updates work?

CaliDiary Pro updates from WordPress's Plugins screen. Every update is signed, so a changed file is refused. See signed automatic updates.

How do I move my licence to another website?

Free the website's place from your CaliDiary account, then activate the licence on the new website.

Can you set CaliDiary up for me?

Yes. Setup and initial configuration, with 3 months of support, costs $50. See setup and support.

Can I buy support for a whole year?

Yes, for $250 a year, bought from the Services page of your CaliDiary account. It gives priority help whatever your plan, and renews each year until you cancel; Stripe emails you before each renewal.

How do I contact you?

Email [email protected] for general questions, or [email protected] for help with CaliDiary.

What support comes with each plan?

Free includes the help centre and bug reports (we reply within 24 hours), Solo includes support by ticket (within 12 hours), and Pro includes priority tickets (within 6 hours) and chat. Times are counted on working days. See the support policy.

Is there a free online booking system plan?

Yes. The free plan takes unlimited bookings, with unlimited booking set-ups and up to 5 services, for one person. Solo adds online payments, calendar sync and up to 3 locations; Pro adds a whole team and unlimited locations.

Do my customers need an account to book?

No. They give their name and email (and anything else you ask). CaliDiary recognises returning customers by their email address, so their history builds up in one profile.

Can customers change or cancel a booking themselves?

They can view and cancel it from the link in their emails, and book again from their customer portal. Moving a booking to a new time is done by you or your staff from the Overview screen.

Does it work with Google Calendar?

Yes, on Solo and Pro. Two-way sync puts bookings into Google, Outlook or Apple calendars, and busy times there are not offered to customers.

Can customers pay when they book?

Yes, on Solo and Pro, by card through your own Stripe, PayPal or Mollie account, in full or as a deposit. On every plan, bookings can also be free, paid on the day or paid by bank transfer.

Will it work with my theme and my caching plugin?

Yes. The booking form is a self-contained component that keeps its own styles, so themes don't break it, and it fetches free times when the page is viewed, so cached pages still show the right times.

How many services and booking set-ups can I have?

Booking set-ups and bookings are unlimited on every plan. The free plan includes up to 5 services (each class counts as a service); Solo and Pro have no limit on services.

Can I add bookings that come in by phone?

Yes. Staff add them from the Overview screen, and they go through the same checks as online bookings.

Can one person book several places?

Yes, if you allow it. Set the most places one visitor can take, for example up to 4 for a family.

What happens when a session is full?

Its time stops being offered. On Solo and Pro, a waiting list offers freed places to the next person.

Can group sessions be free?

Yes. Leave the price empty and people book their place with no payment step, which suits briefings, open days and volunteer shifts.

Is this the same as classes and courses?

No. A group booking is an appointment that several people can book at the same time. Classes and courses have their own page in CaliDiary, with weekly timetables, teachers and levels; passes (Solo and Pro) and courses (Pro) build on them.

Is booking approval only on paid plans?

No. It is in the free plan, because many professional services need it from day one.

Can some services be approved and others confirmed straight away?

Yes. The choice is made per booking set-up. For example, free first calls can need approval while follow-up appointments are confirmed at once.

What happens if I don't answer a request?

If a request is still waiting when the appointment would start, it is declined automatically and the customer is told.

Can someone else book the time while I decide?

No. A request holds its time. If you decline it, the time becomes free again.

Are customers charged before I accept?

No. With online card payments, customers are only charged once you accept. With bank transfer instructions, customers are told payment details will follow once you accept.

Can I take bookings without charging anything?

Yes. Leave the price empty (or set it to zero) and the service books straight through with no payment step. This works on every plan, including Free.

Can one booking form mix free and paid services?

Yes. The price is set per service, so a free 15-minute call and a paid one-hour consultation can sit side by side on the same form.

Does CaliDiary take a share of my payments?

No. Bank transfers and payment links go straight to you, and card payments use your own Stripe, PayPal or Mollie account, with no platform fee from us.

What happens if someone books but doesn't pay?

The booking shows as not paid yet, and appears under To be paid. If you want, CaliDiary can cancel unpaid bookings a set number of days after they were made, and email both you and the customer. It is off unless you switch it on.

Can I take a deposit?

Yes, on Solo and Pro: take a deposit online when people book, and the balance later. Part payments made another way can be recorded with Mark as paid, and the booking shows what is still to pay.

Which plans include it?

Solo and Pro. You switch it on per booking set-up and set the most services in one appointment.

Can some services never be combined?

Yes. Each service can be marked "can't be combined", so it is always booked on its own.

Who can be booked?

Only people who offer every chosen service. "Anyone" picks among them.

Is this the same as booking several appointments at once?

No. This is one appointment with several services in a row. Booking several separate appointments (different days or people) and paying once is a separate Pro feature, the booking basket.

Can I take class bookings on the free plan?

Yes. Timetables, places, levels, minimum numbers and the attendance register work on every plan. Class passes need Solo or Pro; courses and memberships need Pro.

What is a class pass?

A pack of sessions, for example 10 classes to use within 3 months. Customers buy the pack and book classes against it. Solo and Pro.

What is the difference between a class and a course?

A class is a single session people book on its own. A course is a set of sessions booked together, such as a 6-week beginners' course. Courses and memberships are on Pro.

What happens when a class is full?

With the waiting list (Solo and Pro), people can join it and are offered a place by email when one frees up.

Which plans include events?

Solo and Pro. The free plan covers appointments, group places and simple classes; in the free plugin, events show with a Solo badge, and you can try Solo free for 14 days with no card needed.

Can events be free?

Yes. A free event books with no payment step, which suits open days, talks and community events.

Does a QR code contain personal details?

No. It holds only a long random code that your website checks against its own records, so it can't be guessed or forged. QR codes are made on your own website, with no outside service.

What if two staff scan the same ticket at once?

Only one check-in is saved; the other shows "Already used" with the time.

Can I take desk bookings on the free plan?

Yes, for shared desks or seats. Set places per time (for example 20) and the most places one booking can take. The time is offered until all places have gone.

What do resources add?

Rooms and equipment with their own quantity, capacity, hours and maintenance time off; booked whole or by the seat; and services that need a room as well as, or instead of, a person. Resources are on Pro.

Can a room be hired for a whole day?

Yes: a day-long time works. Bookings that span several days, such as equipment hire or holiday lets, are outside what CaliDiary is built for.

Is restaurant table booking included?

No. Combining tables, covers and walk-ins are a different kind of system and are not part of CaliDiary.

Which plans include the waiting list?

Solo and Pro.

Are people booked automatically?

No. People are offered the place by email with a link and only booked if they say yes, unless your staff book them on purpose.

How long does someone have to accept?

When places are offered in order, each person has a time limit (2 hours unless you change it) before the next person is offered it.

Can each person have their own hours?

Yes. Each person either follows the business's opening hours or has their own weekly hours with breaks.

How do I close for a bank holiday or open late before a deadline?

Add a special date: closed, or different hours, for that day only. Your normal weekly hours stay as they are.

What are buffers?

Time kept free before or after an appointment, for preparation, travel or notes. Free times are worked out so that buffers never overlap other bookings.

Can I stop people booking at the last minute or months ahead?

Yes. Minimum notice stops bookings too soon (for example 24 hours), and the booking window stops bookings too far ahead (for example 8 weeks).

Can a person work at different locations on different days?

Yes, on every plan. Each period of a person's hours can say where it is, and a location is only offered at the times someone works there. Leaving it empty means any of their locations.

What does the second visitor see?

"Sorry, that time has just been taken." They go back to the calendar with up-to-date free times, and the details they typed are kept, so they only need to pick another time.

Does this work for group sessions?

Yes. The same lock counts the places left, so a session with 12 places never takes a 13th booking, however many people book at once.

What about bookings I add myself, by phone?

They go through the same check. If the time has gone while you were on the phone, you are told before anything is saved.

Do page-caching plugins break it?

No. The booking form asks your website for free times when the page is viewed, so a cached page never shows old times, and every booking is checked again when it is saved.

Is it on the free plan?

Yes. The booking lock is part of the free plugin and works the same on every plan.

Which plans include look busy?

Solo and Pro. It is part of CaliDiary Pro, the add-on that Solo and Pro customers install.

Will visitors see different times each time they refresh?

No. The same times stay hidden for everyone on a given day, so the page looks consistent.

Could it hide my last free times?

No. At least two times are always shown, so a nearly full day never looks fully booked.

Can staff still book hidden times?

Yes. Staff see every free time and can book any of them from the admin.

Does it say "only a few left"?

No, and it never will. Pressure messages like that can mislead customers under UK consumer rules.

Do you take a cut of my payments?

No. CaliDiary has no commission and no platform fee. You connect your own account, and Stripe, PayPal or Mollie charge you their normal fees.

Which plans include online payments?

Solo and Pro. On the free plan, bookings can be free, paid on the day, or paid by bank transfer with your details and a reference shown to the customer.

Which payment methods can customers use?

Any mix you switch on: card payments through Stripe, PayPal or Mollie, plus your manual options such as bank transfer or paying on the day. Payment links per service work too.

Can I take a deposit and the rest later?

Yes: a deposit when booking, and the balance on completion, a set number of days before, or on the day.

Can I charge for no-shows?

A no-show fee charged to a card saved at booking works with Stripe. Mollie and PayPal follow where their terms and systems allow it.

Is bank transfer on the free plan?

Yes. Payment instructions, when customers pay, payment status, Mark as paid, part payments, refunds and the To be paid list are all on the free plan.

Which plans include payment links per service?

Solo and Pro. On the free plan (or if a licence lapses), saved links are kept but not shown to customers; nothing is deleted.

Can I use different bank details for different services?

Yes. Instructions set on a booking set-up replace the ones in Settings, for example a separate account for training courses.

What if a customer never pays?

Unpaid bookings show as not paid yet and appear under To be paid. You can also have them cancelled automatically a set number of days after booking; the customer and you are emailed. This is off unless you switch it on.

Does CaliDiary see the money?

No. Transfers go to your bank and payment links are your own. CaliDiary only records what you tell it was paid.

Which plans include invoices?

Solo and Pro, with nothing extra to buy. Every plan, including Free, records the tax and amounts of each booking; numbered invoices and credit notes come with Solo and Pro.

Do I need a separate invoicing tool?

Not for your bookings. CaliDiary makes the invoice, numbers it, emails the link and keeps it on your website. You can export your bookings and payments for your accountant from reports and exports.

Can my invoices show VAT?

Yes. Add your VAT or tax number in your business details, and each invoice shows the rate and the amount of tax for every line, worked out from your tax settings. Check with your accountant what your own invoices must show.

How are invoices numbered?

INV-2026-0001 for invoices and CN-2026-0001 for credit notes, counting up each year. Numbers are taken inside a database lock, so two invoices can never share a number. You can raise the next number (for example to follow on from an old system) but never lower it.

Can customers see their invoice?

Yes. The confirmation, acceptance and reminder emails include a View invoice link, and it is on the customer's booking page.

Is there a PDF?

Yes. Invoices open as a clean printable page, and customers can print them or save them as a PDF.

What happens to invoices when a customer asks to be erased?

Invoices are kept for your accounts (and the eraser says so), and they are listed in the customer's data export.

Can my prices include VAT or have it added on top?

Either. If tax is added on top, the booking form shows "+ VAT" beside prices. Totals then read, for example, "£120.00 (includes VAT £20.00)".

Can different services have different rates?

On Solo and Pro, yes: create named rates (such as Standard 20%, Reduced 5% and Zero 0%), choose a default, and pick a rate for any service. Zero-rated services never show "+ VAT".

What happens if I change the rate later?

New bookings use the new rate. Existing bookings and invoices keep the rate they were charged with.

Does CaliDiary tell me which rate to use?

No. CaliDiary applies the rates you set; it does not give tax advice. Ask your accountant which rates apply to your services.

What happens to named rates if my licence lapses?

The single rate from the free plan applies again, and your list of rates is kept for when you renew.

Which plans include discount codes?

Solo and Pro, together with online payments. On the free plan, an offer can be a separate, lower-priced service.

Is the discount taken off before or after VAT?

Before. Tax is worked out on the discounted price, line by line.

How many people can take bookings?

One on Free and Solo, and as many as you need on Pro (fair use). Pro includes unlimited people, so adding someone does not add to the bill.

Can customers choose who they see?

Yes. They pick from the people who offer the service they chose, or pick "anyone" if they just want the first free time.

What does "anyone" do?

It gives the booking to the least busy person who is free at that time and offers the service, which spreads work fairly across the team.

Can each person have their own hours and holidays?

Yes. Each person follows the business's opening hours or has their own, and time off can be added for one person or the whole business.

Can team members sign in without seeing the WordPress dashboard?

Yes, on every plan. A team sign-in page on your website shows "My diary". On Pro you choose what each person can see: their own diary, their location, or all bookings. People who already have a WordPress login can be linked to it instead.

How many locations does each plan include?

Free: 1. Solo: up to 3, because one person often works in more than one place. Pro: unlimited (fair use).

Can each location offer different services?

Yes. Each location lists the services offered there, so a branch without a treatment room never offers that treatment.

Can a person work at two locations on different days?

Yes, on every plan. Each period of a person's hours can say where it is, for example Mondays at one clinic and Tuesdays at another, and visitors only see the times worked at the location they chose.

Do customers see the address?

Yes. Every customer email for a booking says where: the location's name and address.

Why not just give staff a WordPress login?

A normal WordPress login opens the dashboard, where settings, plugins and your theme can be changed by mistake. Team members get a dedicated role with no dashboard access, so they can run their diary and nothing else.

Do team members need a WordPress login?

They get one behind the scenes, with a dedicated role that has no dashboard access. People who already have a WordPress login can be linked to it instead.

Where is the team's sign-in page?

On your own website, at yoursite.com/calidiary-login. It is not listed by search engines, and everything stays on your site.

Is the sign-in page secure?

It uses WordPress's own sign-in and password reset, limits repeated attempts with a growing wait, gives the same message for a wrong name or a wrong password, and works with two-step sign-in plugins such as the official Two-Factor plugin.

Can I switch someone's access off?

Yes, at any time, from the Team and locations screen.

Which question types are free?

Short and long text, number, website, date, country, address and an "I agree" tick box with a link, plus headings, paragraphs and dividers for layout. You can also ask for a phone number (hidden, optional or required) and offer a note box.

What do Solo and Pro add?

Multiple choice, yes / no, yes / no / not applicable, dropdown, multiple select, hidden fields, "show only when" rules, document and photo uploads, and several forms with one chosen per booking set-up. Live photo is on Pro.

Can customers send documents with their booking?

On Solo and Pro, yes. Customers upload documents and photos with the booking; the files are stored privately on your own website and shown only to staff. See file uploads.

Where do the answers go?

They are kept with the booking exactly as the question was asked, shown to staff, included in the email you receive, and included in the customer's data export. They stay in your own website's database and never reach our servers.

Are sensitive answers encrypted?

Encrypting sensitive answers (such as health questions) in the database is on the roadmap for Solo and Pro. Today they are protected by your website's own security, like the rest of your WordPress data.

What happens to paid-plan questions if my licence lapses?

They are set aside, not deleted, and come back when you renew. The free question types keep working.

Which file types can customers send?

You choose from documents (PDF, Word) and photos (JPG, PNG, HEIC, WebP). Word files containing macros are refused.

How large can files be?

You set the largest file size, which can never be more than your server allows, and how many files (1 to 10) per question.

Who can open the files?

Only your signed-in staff, through signed links from the booking. Customers never get links to files, and the folder they are stored in blocks direct access.

What is a live photo?

A Pro question where the customer takes a photo with their phone's or computer's camera inside the booking form, rather than choosing an existing picture. Cameras need a secure (https) website; the form builder warns you if yours isn't.

Are files ever sent to CaliDiary?

No. They stay on your website's own server.

Are reminders included on the free plan?

Yes. Every plan sends confirmations, change emails and one reminder per booking. Solo and Pro can send several reminders, such as one the day before and one two hours before.

Do reminders really reduce no-shows?

A reminder gives people the chance to remember, or to cancel in good time with one click, so the slot can be booked by someone else. Pair it with a deposit on Solo and Pro if missed appointments cost you money.

When is the reminder sent?

A set number of hours before the appointment (24 by default), which you change in Settings. A check every 15 minutes sends whatever is due.

What if my website was quiet and the reminder was late?

The next check catches up and sends it, and a reminder is never sent twice. Bookings made inside the reminder window don't get one, since the confirmation has just arrived.

Can I send several reminders, or text messages?

Several reminders per booking are on Solo and Pro. Text and WhatsApp reminders are on the roadmap, using your own provider account.

Can CaliDiary ask customers for a review?

Yes, on Solo and Pro. After the appointment, the customer is emailed once with a button to your own review page, such as your Google Business Profile or Trustpilot. Everyone is asked the same way, never after a missed or cancelled appointment, and at most once every 90 days by default. Each email lets the customer stop review requests.

My emails go to spam. What can I do?

CaliDiary sends through your website's own email set-up. If your site's emails land in spam, an SMTP plugin connected to your email provider usually fixes it.

Does CaliDiary work with Google Calendar?

Yes. Bookings are added to your Google Calendar, and anything already in it blocks those times on your booking form. Outlook, including Microsoft 365 work accounts, works the same way. Apple does not offer a connection for this, so an Apple Calendar subscribes to a CaliDiary feed instead: bookings appear in it, but what is already in it cannot block your booking form.

Which plans include calendar sync?

Solo and Pro. On the free plan, bookings are still emailed to you and listed on the Overview screen.

Are my private appointments shown to customers?

No. Customers only see that those times are not free. The details of your own calendar entries stay private.

What happens when a booking is moved or cancelled?

The change reaches your calendar too, so the event moves or disappears without you touching it.

Can each team member connect their own calendar?

Yes. Each person connects their own, so their personal commitments block only their own diary.

Which plans include automatic video links?

Solo and Pro. On the free plan you can add your own meeting details to the confirmation message.

Which video services are supported?

Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet, each using your own account.

Can I offer online and in-person appointments together?

Yes. Each service has its own setting, so a free video call and a paid office consultation can sit side by side on one booking form.

Where does the customer find the link?

In their confirmation email, in every reminder, and on their own booking page, which they open from any of those emails.

When will text reminders be available?

They are on the roadmap. Email confirmations and reminders work on every plan.

Why use my own provider account?

So the messages, and your customers' phone numbers, go straight from your website to your provider. CaliDiary never sees them, and you pay the provider's own prices.

How does CaliDiary know it's the same customer?

By email address: one customer per email. A returning customer's new bookings join their existing profile.

Who can read private notes and appointment notes?

Only your staff in the WordPress admin. They are never shown to customers.

Can I remove a customer's details but keep my booking records?

Yes. "Remove personal details" keeps the bookings (so your figures stay right) without any personal details attached.

Can customers see their own history?

Yes. They can view or cancel each booking from the link in its emails, and the customer portal shows "My bookings" with "Book again".

Do customers need to log in?

No. The link in their email opens their booking. It is worked out from the booking reference and your website's secret key, so nothing secret is stored.

Can customers reschedule their booking?

Not in one step. They cancel from their page and book a new time, which the customer portal makes quick with "My bookings" and "Book again". You and your staff can move any booking to a new time from the Overview screen.

Is it on the free plan?

Yes. The booking page and its view and cancel link come with every plan. Pay now buttons and invoices on the page need Solo or Pro.

Can I stop late cancellations?

Yes. Take a deposit when people book (Solo and Pro), so a late cancellation or a missed appointment is covered.

Does CaliDiary ever receive my customers' data?

No. Bookings, customers' details, answers and files stay on your website. Our servers only know about our own customers: who bought a licence, which websites use it, and the software versions those websites run.

Do you sell my data or my customers' data?

No. Your customers' details never reach our servers, so we cannot see them, share them or sell them. For your own CaliDiary account, we keep only what we need to sell you a plan and help you, and we do not sell your personal data. See our privacy policy.

Is CaliDiary GDPR compliant?

Compliance depends on how you run your business; no software can make you compliant on its own. CaliDiary gives you the tools: data kept on your own site, export and erasure, suggested privacy-policy wording, and files stored privately.

Who is the data controller?

You are, for your customers' data. Because the data never reaches us, we do not process it on your behalf. See our data processing page.

Are sensitive answers encrypted?

Encrypting sensitive answers (such as health questions) in the database is on the roadmap for Solo and Pro. Today they are protected by your website's own security, like the rest of your WordPress data.

Do customers have to solve a puzzle?

No. The spam trap and limits are invisible to real visitors, and reCAPTCHA uses the invisible version first, only asking for a tick box if a visitor looks suspicious.

Whose reCAPTCHA keys are used?

Yours. You create keys in your own Google account and add them in CaliDiary. Nothing passes through our servers.

Is spam protection on the free plan?

Yes, all of it, including reCAPTCHA.

Can the booking form be used without a mouse?

Yes. Every step works by keyboard: Tab moves between controls, the arrow keys move between days in the calendar, and focus moves sensibly when free times load or a step finishes.

What if my brand colour is too light to read?

CaliDiary makes your accent colour darker or lighter automatically until text on it meets WCAG AA contrast, so a pale yellow brand colour still gives readable buttons.

Does it support dark mode and reduced motion?

Yes. The form can be light, dark or follow the visitor's own setting, and animations are switched off for visitors who ask their device for reduced motion.

Does using CaliDiary make my website accessible?

It makes the booking part accessible. The rest of your website depends on your theme and content.

Does this help with accessibility rules such as the European Accessibility Act?

Accessibility rules, such as the European Accessibility Act for some services offered in the EU, rely on standards based on WCAG. CaliDiary's booking form is built and tested to WCAG 2.2 AA, which helps. It cannot make your whole website or business compliant on its own; an adviser can tell you what applies to you.

Is accessibility a paid extra?

No. The booking form is accessible on every plan, including Free.

Which WordPress and PHP versions do I need?

WordPress 6.7 or later and PHP 8.4 or later.

Can I put different forms on different pages?

Yes. Each block or shortcode can show one booking set-up, one service or one person, so a page about a single service can book just that service.

Will my theme change how the form looks?

The form keeps its own styles, so themes can't break it. It takes your accent colour, light or dark mode and corner rounding from the block or shortcode settings.

Does it work with page builders?

The shortcode works anywhere shortcodes do, and there is a dedicated Elementor widget.

Is the Elementor widget on the free plan?

Yes. The widget, the block and the shortcode are all free. The "calendar beside times" and "all on one page" designs need Solo or Pro.

Does it need Elementor Pro?

No. It works with the free Elementor plugin.

Will the widget slow my page down?

The booking form is a small, self-contained component that loads free times when it is shown, so it adds little weight and works with caching.

Can I use my own brand colour?

Yes, on every plan. If it is too light or dark for readable text, CaliDiary adjusts it until text on it meets WCAG AA contrast.

Which designs are on the free plan?

Step by step, with your accent colour, light, dark or automatic mode, and rounding.

What does the style editor change?

Fonts, text sizes, spacing, button style and separate light and dark colours, saved as styles you can reuse. It is on Solo and Pro.

Can I open the spreadsheets in Excel or Google Sheets?

Yes. They are standard CSV files, with amounts as plain numbers so they add up straight away.

Is my data sent anywhere to make reports?

No. Everything is worked out on your own website. Nothing is sent to CaliDiary.

What does the Reports screen show?

Bookings, money, invoices and a tax summary, customers, classes and events, and the waiting list, on Solo and Pro. Pro adds team, location and resource reports, staff seeing only their own figures, and a weekly summary email.

What happens if my payment fails or my licence ends?

Your site keeps working. CaliDiary Pro's paid features switch off and the free plan's features carry on, with nothing deleted. There is a 14-day grace period first.

How many websites does a licence cover?

Solo covers 1 website; Pro covers 3. A copy of your site at another public address, such as a staging copy or a subdomain, counts as a separate website and needs its own activation. Only a local copy (on your own computer or network, such as localhost or yoursite.local) doesn't count. You can free a website's place from your CaliDiary account at any time.

Do updates send any of my data to you?

The licence check sends your licence key, your website's address and the CaliDiary Pro, WordPress and PHP version numbers. Never bookings or customers.

What if a new version causes a problem?

Releases reach a small share of websites first, then everyone, so a problem can be caught early. If a release does cause a problem, it can be rolled back to the previous version in one click.

Do I have to update by hand?

No more than any other plugin. Updates appear on WordPress's Plugins screen with their release notes, and install with one click.

Which plan includes API keys and webhooks?

Pro. On other plans, keys stop working and nothing is sent, but your keys, webhooks and log are kept, so moving back to Pro picks up where you left off.

Which events can a webhook send?

A booking made, moved, cancelled (including a request declined or one that ran out), completed or marked as missed; a payment received or refunded; and a new customer.

What happens if the other tool is down?

CaliDiary tries again, six times over about 24 hours. If every try fails, that address is paused and you are emailed. The delivery log shows each try, and you can send a delivery again.

What can an API key reach?

Bookings and customers (read, or read and change), and free times, services, booking set-ups, people and locations (read only). A key can never change settings, reach other parts of WordPress, or be used to sign in to the dashboard.

Can I use Zapier or Make?

They can be connected using webhooks and API keys, for example with Zapier's own webhook step. A CaliDiary app in Zapier's directory is on the roadmap.

Does it run on your servers?

No. Webhooks are sent from your own website straight to the addresses you choose, and the API runs on your website, so your booking data still never reaches CaliDiary.

When will the AI connector be available?

It is on the roadmap for Pro. It needs WordPress 6.9 or later.

Does my data go to CaliDiary?

No. The connector runs on your website. Whatever you ask goes to the AI assistant you choose to connect, under that provider's terms.

When will the app be available?

It is on the roadmap. Meanwhile, the CaliDiary admin works in a phone's browser.

How do notifications work if data never reaches your servers?

Push notifications go through a relay that stores nothing and carries fixed wording only, such as "You have a new booking". The app then fetches the details from your website.