OctopusPro is an all-in-one, cloud-based service management and field service management platform built for service businesses. It helps businesses manage the full customer journey in one system—from lead capture and customer management to quoting, booking, scheduling, dispatching, invoicing, payments, and ongoing customer communication.

OctopusPro is designed for a wide range of service delivery models, including mobile/on-site services, fixed-site or storefront services, virtual/remote services, and group or class-based bookings. This makes it suitable for solo operators, growing teams, and multi-location service businesses that want to manage different types of services from a single platform.

Key features include CRM and lead management, online quotes and bookings, job scheduling and dispatch, invoice and payment management, automated reminders and notifications, customer self-service through the Customer Portal, and a mobile app for fieldworkers. OctopusPro also supports operational tools such as GPS-enabled field operations, inventory/workforce management, repeat and recurring bookings, and offline mobile access for teams working in the field.

In short, OctopusPro helps service businesses replace disconnected tools and manual processes with one central system, improving efficiency, visibility, customer experience, and day-to-day operational control.

OctopusPro is designed for service-based businesses that need to manage quoting, booking, scheduling, dispatching, invoicing, payments, customer communication, and day-to-day operations from one platform. It is suitable for solo operators, growing teams, and multi-location businesses across a wide range of industries.

OctopusPro supports multiple service delivery models, so it can be used by businesses that provide:

• Mobile or on-site services – where staff travel to the customer, such as cleaning, lawn care, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, pest control, locksmithing, painting, tiling, pool care, mobile car detailing, removals, tutoring, and similar field services.
• Fixed-site or storefront services – where customers visit your premises, such as beauty salons, massage clinics, car wash locations, workshops, studios, and other appointment-based service businesses.
• Remote or virtual services – where services are delivered online or by phone, such as online education, coaching, consulting, technical support, and virtual assistance.
• Group or class-based services – such as workshops, training sessions, tours, shared appointments, and classes with multiple attendees.

OctopusPro is also a good fit for businesses that manage fieldworkers, technicians, subcontractors, or contractors, including companies in property, maintenance, construction support, and related service industries. It is also suitable for real estate agents and builders who need to coordinate contractors and service work across the properties they manage.

In short, OctopusPro is for businesses that want to replace disconnected tools and manual admin with one system that helps them run operations more efficiently, improve customer experience, and scale with more control.

Yes. Getting started with OctopusPro is straightforward. You begin by creating your admin account, verifying your email, and following the guided onboarding steps to set up the essentials for your business. These typically include your company details, service delivery model, service areas, services and pricing, users, and fieldworkers. You can also run a test inquiry, quote, or booking to make sure everything is configured correctly.

Creating your account only takes a few minutes. The total time needed to fully configure your account will depend on how complex your business is, such as the number of services you offer, your pricing structure, your service areas, and your team setup. The good news is that you do not need to configure everything perfectly on day one, because most settings can be updated later as your business grows or your workflows change.

If you need help, OctopusPro provides several support options. A free 30–60 minute onboarding session is available to help guide you through setup and answer questions. OctopusPro also offers 24/7 chat and email support on the Established and Corporate plans, along with optional paid setup, training, and customer success packages for businesses that want more hands-on assistance.

In short, OctopusPro is designed to be easy to start with, while still being flexible enough to support more advanced workflows as your business expands.

Yes. OctopusPro is a fully cloud-based service management platform, which means your business data and tools are hosted online rather than installed on a local computer or on-premise server. You can access the system from the office, at home, or on the road using an internet-connected computer, tablet, or mobile device.

Because it is cloud-based, you do not need to manage software installations, server maintenance, or manual updates. Your team can log in through the web platform, while fieldworkers can use the mobile app to view and manage job information while working in the field.

OctopusPro also supports offline access for certain fieldworker app functions, so staff can continue working with cached job information in areas with limited connectivity and sync updates once their connection returns.

In short, OctopusPro’s cloud-based setup gives service businesses anytime access, better mobility, easier scaling, and less IT overhead than traditional desktop-based systems.

Yes. OctopusPro states that it is committed to compliance with major privacy regulations, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). It also states that customer data is securely stored on Amazon EC2 servers.

From a security perspective, OctopusPro’s privacy policy says that personal information is stored on secure servers with SSL certificates, and that information transferred between users and the service is encrypted. The policy also says that credit card details are not stored on OctopusPro’s servers and cannot be accessed by OctopusPro staff.

From a privacy and governance perspective, OctopusPro provides processes that support common compliance requirements, including the ability to request access to, update, or correct personal information, as well as a documented privacy complaints process.

OctopusPro also includes role-based access control (RBAC) and granular user permissions, which help businesses apply least-privilege access and restrict who can view, edit, export, approve, or delete sensitive information. In addition, OctopusPro’s Customer Portal settings support publishing a privacy policy, and its help content recommends using appropriate privacy disclosures and cookie consent when enabling tracking tools such as GA4 or Meta Pixel.

As with any online platform, OctopusPro’s privacy policy also notes that no internet-based service can guarantee absolute security at all times. A more accurate way to frame it is that OctopusPro uses technical and administrative controls designed to help protect data and support businesses in meeting their privacy obligations.

Yes. OctopusPro is a cloud-based service management platform available to businesses worldwide. OctopusPro states that you can run the system from any country with an internet connection, and if your country is not specifically listed, you can still sign up because there are no geographic restrictions.

It is designed to support international operations with features such as multiple currencies, VAT/GST/sales tax configuration, and automatic time-zone handling for scheduling and customer communication. OctopusPro also supports different service delivery models within the same platform, including mobile/on-site services, fixed-site/storefront services, and remote/virtual services.

For businesses serving customers in different languages, OctopusPro states that parts of the platform support multiple languages, including the fieldworker app, customer portal, and branded app.

One important detail is that for mobile and fixed-site operations, an account is typically tied to the selected country because of currency and tax rules, so businesses operating in multiple countries may need separate accounts per country. By contrast, virtual services can be offered globally, depending on how the account is configured.

So the clearest answer is: yes, OctopusPro is suitable for international companies, including those that need to manage customers, staff, bookings, pricing, and communications across different regions and time zones.

Yes. OctopusPro is a cloud-based platform with global availability, so businesses in the United States, United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Germany, the Netherlands, Singapore, and many other countries can use it. OctopusPro’s platform is available worldwide and is not restricted to a small set of regions.

Because OctopusPro is delivered online, businesses can access the system from anywhere with an internet connection and manage bookings, customers, fieldworkers, invoices, and communications across different regions. OctopusPro also highlights support for international operations through features such as multiple currencies, regional tax handling, and time-zone-aware scheduling.

One important point is that for mobile and fixed-site businesses, an account is usually set up for a selected country because of local currency and tax rules. If your business operates in more than one country, you may need separate accounts for each country. By contrast, virtual or remote services can generally be offered to customers globally, depending on your configuration.

So the clearest answer is: yes, OctopusPro is available for companies in those countries and in many others worldwide, but the exact setup may vary depending on whether you run local, multi-country, or virtual service operations.

Yes. OctopusPro supports time-zone-aware scheduling, which means bookings, appointments, and availability can be managed correctly across different regions. Your account has a default time zone in the Date & Time Configuration settings, and this time zone is used to interpret and display appointment times across the platform.

For businesses that operate across multiple regions, OctopusPro also supports fieldworker time zone settings, helping ensure appointment times display correctly for each team member. Its help content also states that appointment times can be scheduled based on the local time zone of the relevant location, which helps reduce scheduling errors and miscommunication.

For virtual or remote services, OctopusPro specifically supports handling customers and fieldworkers in different time zones. Its documentation explains that virtual bookings can be scheduled in the customer’s time zone, while each participant still sees the appointment in their own local time in emails, calendars, the app, and the portal.

So the clearest way to say it is: yes, OctopusPro works across different time zones, and it is designed to help businesses schedule accurately for local, interstate, and international operations.

Yes. OctopusPro provides customer support and onboarding resources to help businesses get started, configure their account, and use the platform effectively. Support is available to all customers, with additional support options depending on your subscription plan and the level of assistance you need.

For customers on the Established and Corporate plans, OctopusPro’s FAQ states that 24/7 chat and email support are included. OctopusPro also provides general support resources such as help guides, onboarding assistance, and access to customer success services.

If you need more hands-on help, OctopusPro also offers a free 30–60 minute onboarding session to guide you through account setup and answer questions. In addition, there are paid setup, training, and premium support packages for businesses that want personalised assistance from the customer success team.

In short, OctopusPro offers both standard support and optional guided onboarding/training services, so you can choose the level of help that best suits your business. You can book an appointment through https://success.octopuspro.com

Yes. OctopusPro is designed for mobile use and is accessible on iOS and Android devices, making it easy to manage your business while working in the office, in the field, or on the go. OctopusPro provides mobile access for admin/office users and fieldworkers, and also supports a mobile-friendly experience for customers through the Customer Portal.

For fieldworkers, the mobile app helps them manage day-to-day job delivery from their phone or tablet. Depending on your settings and permissions, fieldworkers can view assigned jobs, accept or decline requests, navigate to appointments, check in and out, update job statuses, complete forms and checklists, upload photos, capture signatures, communicate with the office, and take payments. OctopusPro’s app supports offline access for key job information, which is useful when working in areas with limited internet coverage.

For admin and office users, OctopusPro supports mobile access so they can monitor schedules, customers, bookings, and communications away from the desk. The platform also supports role-based access, so users with multiple roles can switch between admin and fieldworker access where applicable.

For customers, OctopusPro’s Customer Portal works on mobile browsers, allowing customers to book services, manage appointments, make payments, upload files, sign documents, and communicate with your business without needing to install an app. If your business uses OctopusPro’s optional branded app, customers can also interact through a more customised mobile experience under your own brand.

In short, OctopusPro offers mobile access across the full service workflow—for staff in the field, office teams, and customers—helping businesses stay responsive, efficient, and connected from anywhere.

To log in to the OctopusPro mobile app, first download the OctopusPro app from the App Store or Google Play. Then open the app, enter your email address and password, and tap Login. Depending on your app configuration, you may also see Single Sign-On (SSO) options such as Sign in with Google or Log in with Apple.

The app experience is role-based, so once you sign in, OctopusPro will show the interface and features available for your user type, such as admin/office user or fieldworker. If the same login is linked to multiple roles or profiles, the app allows you to choose which role you want to access.

If you are a new fieldworker, your business may need to create, invite, or activate your account before you can log in successfully. In some cases, you may also need to complete your profile setup after your first login, such as updating your contact details, service preferences, working hours, or service areas.

If you cannot access your account, check that you are using the correct email address and password. If needed, you can use the password reset option or ask your administrator to help reset your login credentials.

So in short: download the app, sign in with your login details, and OctopusPro will display the correct app view based on your assigned role and permissions.

In OctopusPro, a user generally means someone from your business team who accesses the system to help run or deliver services. This includes office/admin users and fieldworkers, including subworkers/crew members. These are the users counted for account access and billing purposes.

Customers are not counted as billable users. Your customers can create an account, log in to the Customer Portal, request quotes, book services, view appointments, pay invoices, and manage their details without increasing your user count. OctopusPro’s FAQ states that you can add an unlimited number of customers for free.

A simple way to think about it is: if the person is part of your internal team or workforce, they are considered a user; if the person is a customer receiving your services, they are not a billable user. This helps businesses grow their customer base without being charged for customer logins or portal access.

So, the users you typically pay for are:

• Office/admin users
• Fieldworkers/technicians
• Subworkers/crew members

And the users you do not pay for are:

• Customers
• Customer Portal logins
• Customer accounts/profiles

Yes. OctopusPro supports multiple admin and office users, so more than one person in your business can access the system to manage operations such as bookings, scheduling, customer records, invoicing, reporting, and team coordination. Your initial account setup creates the first admin user, and additional internal users can be added later as your team grows.

The exact number of admin users you can have depends on your subscription plan and user limits. OctopusPro’s current subscription guide lists the Starter, Established, and Unlimited plans, and its pricing page states that the Unlimited Users plan includes unlimited admin and fieldworker seats. If you are on a plan with user limits or per-user pricing, you should check your subscription settings or pricing details before adding more internal users.

To add another admin user, go to Settings → Company Settings → Users, click Add New, enter the user’s details, and assign the appropriate Role / Credential. This is the recommended path for creating internal users such as admins, dispatchers, finance staff, reception, and managers.

As a best practice, only assign full admin access to users who truly need it. OctopusPro supports role-based access control (RBAC), so you can create more specific roles such as Dispatcher, Finance, Manager, or Read-only instead of giving every office user full administrative permissions. This helps improve security, reduce errors, and maintain better control over sensitive business data.

OctopusPro is used by a wide range of service-based businesses, especially those that need to manage quotes, bookings, scheduling, dispatching, invoicing, payments, customer communication, and staff in the field or across multiple locations.

It is suitable for businesses that deliver services in different ways, including:

Mobile or field service businesses

These are businesses where staff travel to the customer’s location, such as:

• Cleaning services
• Gardening and landscaping
• Lawn mowing
• Handyman services
• Plumbing
• Electrical and HVAC services
• Locksmith services
• Pest control
• Pool cleaning and maintenance
• Painting and tiling
• Solar installation and maintenance
• Antenna and communications services
• Mobile mechanics
• Mobile car detailing
• Dog washing and pet care services
• Mobile beauty and massage services
• Furniture removals and moving services
• Skip bin and waste removal services
• Private tutoring and in-home education services
• Security services
• Babysitting and care services

Fixed-site or storefront service businesses

These are businesses where customers come to your premises, such as:

• Beauty salons
• Massage clinics and studios
• Car wash shops
• Workshops and repair centres
• Clinics and appointment-based service locations
• Training centres and studios

Virtual or remote service businesses

These are businesses that deliver services online or remotely, such as:

• Online education and tutoring
• Coaching and consulting
• Technical support
• Virtual assistance
• Remote professional services

Property, maintenance, and contractor-based businesses

OctopusPro is also well suited to businesses that coordinate technicians, subcontractors, or fieldworkers across multiple jobs and locations, including:

• Real estate agencies managing maintenance work
• Builders and construction-related service providers
• Property maintenance businesses
• Facilities management companies

Teams with mixed service models

OctopusPro is especially useful for businesses that offer a combination of:

• On-site services
• In-store appointments
• Remote or virtual services
• Group bookings or class-based services

In short, OctopusPro is built for service businesses that need to manage operations from one central platform, whether they work in the field, from a fixed location, online, or across a mix of service delivery models.

Yes. Resetting or replacing your phone does not remove your OctopusPro account access. Your access is linked to your user account and login credentials, not permanently tied to a specific device.

After resetting your phone, simply:

• Reinstall the OctopusPro app
• Log in again using your email address and password
• Continue using the app as normal, depending on your assigned role and permissions

It is more accurate to refer to this as app access or account access rather than a “license.” Your account remains active unless it has been disabled by your administrator, your password has changed, or your company no longer has access to that user seat.

If you cannot log in after resetting your phone, check the following:

• You are using the correct email address
• Your password is correct
• Your user account is still active
• Your administrator has not changed your access permissions

If needed, you can reset your password or ask your account administrator to help restore access.

In short, a phone reset will not cause you to lose access to OctopusPro. Just reinstall the app and sign in again with your account credentials.

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to manage multiple company accounts and switch between them, which is useful if you operate more than one business or manage separate business entities.

If you have access to more than one OctopusPro company account, you can switch between them from both the web admin portal and the mobile app without needing to create a completely separate workflow for each business.

How switching works

• In the web admin portal: use the company switcher in the top bar to move between business accounts.
• In the mobile app: open the menu in the top-right corner and select Switch Company or Switch Account, depending on your setup.

This is helpful for businesses such as:

• Owners managing more than one service business
• Franchises or groups with separate business entities
• Operators running different brands with separate workflows
• Managers who oversee multiple companies or branches with separate accounts

Important clarification

There is a difference between:

• Multiple separate business accounts – used when each business operates as its own OctopusPro account
• Multiple trading names or sub-brands within one account – used when the businesses are managed under the same company account but need different branding, portals, or identities

If your businesses are separate legal or operational entities, separate company accounts may be the better option. If they are part of the same business but use different branding or service lines, a single account with multiple trading names may be more suitable.

In short, yes, you can use OctopusPro for multiple businesses, and you can switch between supported company accounts from both the web platform and mobile app for easier day-to-day management.

Yes, an admin can also work as a fieldworker in OctopusPro. You do not necessarily need separate users if the same person performs both office and field duties.

OctopusPro separates admin/office access from fieldworker access because each role is designed for different tasks and permissions. Admin users typically manage things like bookings, scheduling, dispatching, customers, pricing, invoicing, reporting, and system settings. Fieldworkers use a different app experience focused on carrying out jobs in the field, such as viewing assigned work, navigating to appointments, updating job statuses, checking in and out, completing forms, uploading photos, collecting signatures, and taking payments.

If one person needs to do both, such as an owner-operator or a small business manager who also performs jobs, OctopusPro supports switching between admin and fieldworker access. This allows the same person to handle office tasks and fieldwork without needing to maintain completely separate day-to-day workflows.

A practical way to think about it is:

• One person, two responsibilities: one login setup can support both admin and fieldworker access, depending on how your account is configured
• Different people, different jobs: create separate users and assign each person the appropriate role and permissions
• Growing teams: it is usually better to give each team member their own user access for better security, accountability, audit trails, and role-based permissions

In some setups, OctopusPro can also support multiple user profiles under the same email address, which is useful when one person needs distinct access paths for different roles.

So the short answer is: no, you do not always need separate users. If the same person handles both administration and fieldwork, OctopusPro can support that. But if different people are doing those jobs, or if you want clearer accountability and tighter access control, separate users are the better option.

OctopusPro offers three main subscription plans designed to suit different business sizes and operating models:

1) Starter

The Starter plan is designed for owner-operators and very small businesses. It includes:

• 1 admin user
• 1 fieldworker user

This plan is best for businesses where one person manages the office/admin side and the same person performs the work in the field.

2) Established

The Established plan is designed for growing teams that need more users and more flexibility. It supports multiple internal users and is charged per seat.

This plan is suitable for businesses that are expanding their office team, dispatch team, or field workforce and want predictable per-user pricing.

3) Unlimited Users

The Unlimited Users plan is designed for larger teams, contractor networks, and high-volume operations. Instead of charging per user seat, this plan includes:

• Unlimited admin users
• Unlimited fieldworker users

In addition to the platform fee, the Unlimited Users plan uses a usage-based pricing model, where you choose one of the following:

• Booking Fee model
• Commission model

This plan is typically best for businesses with larger or more scalable operations where per-user billing is less practical.

Important clarification

It is more accurate to say that OctopusPro currently offers:

• Starter
• Established
• Unlimited Users

The Branded App is not a separate main plan. It is offered as an add-on, which means it can be purchased separately depending on your business needs.

Other useful notes

• You can generally choose between monthly and annual billing
• Annual billing usually offers a discount compared with monthly billing
• Some plans may include different support levels or infrastructure requirements
• The right plan depends on your team size, growth stage, and billing preference

In short:

• Starter = best for owner-operators
• Established = best for growing teams with per-user pricing
• Unlimited Users = best for larger businesses that want unlimited seats with platform + usage-based pricing

Yes. OctopusPro can manage both one-off jobs and multi-visit projects.

A single booking can act as the main project record, with one or more services and one or more scheduled appointments (visits) under it. This makes it suitable for jobs that require:

• multiple visits over time
• different stages of work
• different technicians or fieldworkers on different visits
• follow-up appointments, inspections, or return visits
• team jobs where more than one fieldworker is involved

For example, you can:

• add multiple services to the same booking
• schedule multiple appointments for a service
• assign different dates and times for each visit
• assign different fieldworkers to different visits or services
• keep all costs, notes, scheduling, and customer details under the same booking record

This setup is useful for businesses managing projects, staged work, maintenance programs, installations, repairs, recurring services, and multi-step jobs.

OctopusPro can also support:

• repeat bookings for follow-up visits
• recurring bookings for ongoing scheduled work
• service packages or bundles for prepaid or multi-session services
• multiple fieldworkers on the same service where a crew or team is needed

Because everything stays linked to the same booking or service structure, it becomes easier to manage:

• job progress
• scheduling
• staff assignment
• service pricing
• invoicing and payment tracking
• fieldworker pay and reporting
• time spent on site
• customer communication and job history

In short, yes—OctopusPro is designed to manage multi-visit work, not just single appointments. It can handle simple one-off bookings as well as more complex jobs that involve multiple visits, multiple services, multiple fieldworkers, or ongoing scheduled work.

OctopusPro does not set a general limit on how many devices an office or admin user can be logged into at the same time using the same user account. This means the same admin login can remain signed in across multiple phones, tablets, or computers simultaneously.

This can be useful for business owners, managers, or office staff who need to access OctopusPro from different locations or switch between desktop and mobile during the day. For example, an admin user may stay logged in on an office computer, a laptop, and a mobile phone at the same time.

However, there is one important distinction: if you are using OctopusPro’s Twilio-powered incoming calling feature, the platform states that up to 10 devices with active OctopusPro app sessions can receive the same incoming call at once. So while there is no stated limit for being logged in generally, there is a separate limit for how many devices can ring simultaneously for incoming calls.

In short, office/admin users can be logged into multiple devices at the same time, and OctopusPro does not apply a standard device cap for general access. If your business uses app-based incoming calls, the practical ringing limit is 10 active devices per incoming call event.

Yes—OctopusPro supports multiple languages across several customer-facing and field-facing parts of the platform, but language availability depends on which part of the system you are using.

For the Customer Portal, you can enable one or more languages from Settings → Customer Portal → General Settings → Languages. Customers can then switch to their preferred language from the portal menu while browsing services and completing bookings. If the language you need is not shown in the available language list, you can contact support to ask about availability.

It is important to note that enabling a language does not automatically translate all of your custom business content. To provide a fully localised experience, you should enter translations for items such as service names, service descriptions, custom field labels, option names, policies, customer-facing notes, and email/SMS templates in each enabled language. OctopusPro’s help guide specifically notes that custom text must be entered per language.

For the Fieldworker App, OctopusPro’s live FAQ states that the app can be translated into any language.

For businesses using OctopusPro’s Branded App add-on, OctopusPro states that the branded app is available for customers, fieldworkers, and admin users, and the live FAQ states that branded apps can also be translated into other languages.

The main limitation is the admin/office portal, which OctopusPro’s live FAQ currently says is available only in English. The same FAQ also says OctopusPro is working on making the admin portal multilingual.

So the clearest answer is: yes, OctopusPro supports multiple languages for key customer-facing and field-facing experiences, including the Customer Portal, Fieldworker App, and Branded App, but the admin portal is currently English-only.

It depends on your subscription plan.

If you are on a per-user plan, marking a user as inactive (deactivated) does not automatically stop charges for that user. Inactive users cannot be assigned quotes, bookings, or jobs, but their account can still remain in the system and may still count toward your user total.

If you want to stop being charged for a user on a per-user plan, you will generally need to delete the user, not just deactivate them.

This is an important distinction:

• Inactive / Deactivated user: cannot be assigned work, but the account remains in your system
• Blocked user: cannot log in, but the account still remains in your system
• Deleted user: removed as a billable user account, which is the usual option if you want to reduce user-related charges

Deleting a user does not necessarily mean losing all historical records. In most cases, the user’s past activity, notes, bookings, and audit history remain available in the system for reporting and operational continuity, even after the user account itself is deleted.

If the user is only away temporarily, such as on leave, seasonal break, or during onboarding, it is usually better to deactivate them instead of deleting them. If the user has left permanently and you no longer want to pay for that seat, deleting the user is the more appropriate option.

If you are on the Unlimited Users plan, you are not charged per user, so keeping inactive users in the system will generally not affect your subscription cost. In that case, deleting users is mainly useful for account cleanup, security, and removing old or duplicate profiles.

Also note that changes to your billable user count are typically applied from your next billing or renewal date, rather than retroactively for the current billing period.

So the short answer is: yes, inactive users can still count toward billing on per-user plans. If you want to avoid being charged, you usually need to delete the user rather than simply mark them as inactive.

To upgrade from your free trial to a paid plan, log in to your OctopusPro account and go to the Subscription or Subscriptions section in your account dashboard. From there, review the available plans, choose the one that best suits your business, and enter your billing details to activate your paid subscription.

Once your trial ends, you will need to select a paid plan if you want to continue using OctopusPro without interruption. Your subscription is then billed based on the plan and billing cycle you choose, such as monthly or annual billing.

A simple upgrade process usually looks like this:

• Log in to your OctopusPro account
• Open the Subscription / Subscriptions section
• Review the available plans
• Select your preferred plan
• Enter your billing details
• Confirm and activate your subscription

It is also important to understand that some paid add-ons or paid services may require valid billing details before they can be activated, even if your free trial has not yet ended.

If you are unsure which plan is right for your business, compare the available plans based on:

• Number of admin users
• Number of fieldworkers
• Whether you prefer per-user pricing or unlimited users
• Whether you need optional add-ons such as a branded app

In short, upgrading is done directly from your OctopusPro account by selecting a plan and adding your billing information. Once that is completed, your account moves from the trial period to an active paid subscription.

If you start on the Starter plan and later need to add more fieldworkers, OctopusPro can scale with your business. When you add additional fieldworkers beyond the Starter plan limit, your account will automatically upgrade from Starter to Established.

This means you can begin with a plan designed for owner-operators and small operations, then move smoothly to a more suitable plan as your team grows—without needing to start over or create a new account.

The Established plan is better suited to growing businesses because it supports additional users and provides more flexibility as your workforce expands. Once upgraded, you will be charged based on the pricing of the new plan and the number of users you add.

In simple terms:

• Start with Starter if you are running the business on your own or with a very small team
• Add more fieldworkers when needed
• Your account will automatically move to the Established plan when you exceed the Starter plan limits

This allows you to start small and expand over time while continuing to use the same system, data, and workflows.

In most franchise businesses, each franchise location is set up as a separate OctopusPro company account. This is usually the best approach when each franchise is a separate legal entity with its own business registration details, tax settings, bank account, pricing, staff, customers, and reporting requirements.

Using separate accounts helps each franchise operate independently while keeping its own:

• Customer database
• Bookings and schedules
• Invoices and payments
• Tax and financial settings
• Staff and permissions
• Branding and customer communications
• Operational reports

If some team members need access to more than one franchise, you can add them to each relevant company account using the same email address and password. This makes it easier for shared users—such as owners, head office staff, dispatchers, managers, or multi-site fieldworkers—to switch between franchise accounts without needing to log out and back in each time.

This setup is commonly used for:

• Franchise owners managing multiple franchise locations
• Head office staff supporting several franchisees
• Admin users overseeing operations across multiple entities
• Fieldworkers or managers who work across more than one franchise

When should you use separate franchise accounts?

Separate company accounts are usually the right choice when franchises have:

• Different legal or tax entities
• Separate bank accounts
• Different staff teams or payroll structures
• Independent customer records
• Different service areas, pricing, or business rules
• Separate reporting and financial reconciliation needs

When might one account be enough?

If your “franchises” are really just multiple trading names, sub-brands, or branches under one legal entity, you may not need separate accounts. In that case, it may be possible to manage them under one OctopusPro account using multiple trading names / sub-brands, depending on how separate you need the branding, customer experience, and reporting to be.

Best-practice summary

• Separate legal franchise businesses: use separate OctopusPro accounts
• Same business with multiple brands or branches: consider one account with multiple trading names
• Shared staff across franchises: add them to each account using the same login credentials so they can switch easily

In short, the most common and recommended setup for franchise businesses is one OctopusPro account per franchise, with shared users added to multiple accounts where needed.

No. OctopusPro does not require a long-term contract or minimum commitment period. You can choose either a monthly subscription or an annual subscription, depending on what works best for your business. Annual plans usually offer better value, while monthly plans provide more flexibility.

You can also upgrade, downgrade, or cancel your subscription as your business needs change. A clearer way to explain this is that OctopusPro offers flexible billing terms, rather than locking you into a fixed contract length.

There are a few important billing details to keep in mind:

• Monthly and annual plans are both available
• Annual plans generally save around 20% compared with monthly billing
• Subscriptions renew automatically
• If you cancel or change an annual plan, the change usually takes effect from the next billing cycle
• Refunds are not provided for the unused portion of the current billing cycle

So the simplest and most accurate answer is: No, there is no minimum contract duration. You can choose the billing cycle that suits you and adjust your plan over time as your business grows or changes.

OctopusPro provides several ways to move data from your existing system into your new account. The most common method is CSV import, which is ideal when migrating from spreadsheets or another software platform. Depending on the type of data you want to bring across, you can import items such as customers, fieldworkers/users, services, products, customer properties, and customer custom field values.

If you use Xero or QuickBooks, OctopusPro can also help you transfer and keep certain business records aligned through integration. These integrations support pulling or syncing data such as customers, users/fieldworkers, services, and payments, which can make onboarding faster and reduce manual data entry.

It is important to understand that migration is usually done by data type, not as one automatic “copy everything” process from any external platform. For example, customers can be imported by CSV or pulled from Xero/QuickBooks, fieldworkers can be imported in bulk, services can be imported from a file, products can be imported or aligned with accounting workflows, and payment transactions can be imported and reconciled separately when needed.

If your business uses structured customer data such as saved service locations, vehicles, pets, equipment, dependents, or other customer-linked records, these can also be brought across. In many cases, customer properties can be imported together with your customer CSV, or imported separately for individual customers. Likewise, if you use custom fields, those should generally be created in OctopusPro first so their values can be included in the import template.

A good migration process usually looks like this:

• Set up your OctopusPro account structure first
• Create any required custom fields, customer properties, services, and settings
• Export your data from your old system
• Clean the data by removing duplicates and correcting formatting issues
• Import each data set using the relevant OctopusPro template or integration
• Test the imported records before going live

So the short answer is: yes, you can transfer data into OctopusPro, typically using CSV import and, where applicable, Xero or QuickBooks integration. The exact method depends on what type of data you are migrating and how your current system stores it.

Yes. OctopusPro offers partner and affiliate opportunities for businesses or individuals who want to refer new customers, expand their service offering, or explore commercial partnership models around the platform. The company’s FAQ says these opportunities can support different business approaches, including referrals, reselling, and white-label-related arrangements.

A clearer way to explain it is that OctopusPro may be suitable for:

• Referral partners who introduce new businesses to OctopusPro
• Affiliates looking to promote the platform as part of their audience, network, or service ecosystem
• Resellers or consultants who want to include OctopusPro as part of their client offering
• Businesses exploring white-label or branded solutions as part of a broader commercial relationship

Because partnership arrangements can vary depending on your business model, region, and goals, the best next step is to contact the OctopusPro team directly to discuss the available options, suitability, onboarding process, and any commercial terms. OctopusPro’s public FAQ currently directs interested businesses to get in touch with support for more information.

In short, yes—OctopusPro does provide partner and affiliate opportunities, and they appear to be flexible enough to support referral, reseller, and white-label-style growth models.

Yes. OctopusPro is a cloud-based platform with global availability, which means businesses in the UK, US, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, UAE, Germany, the Netherlands, and many other countries can use it.

Because OctopusPro is delivered online, your business can access the platform from anywhere with an internet connection and manage customers, bookings, fieldworkers, invoices, communications, and day-to-day operations across different regions.

OctopusPro is also well suited to international operations because it supports:

• Multiple countries and regions
• Time-zone-aware scheduling
• Mobile, fixed-site, and virtual service delivery models
• Multiple currencies and local tax configuration
• Remote access for office staff and fieldworkers

For businesses operating across different countries or time zones, OctopusPro helps keep scheduling and communication accurate by allowing appointment times to be handled correctly for the relevant location or user.

From a support perspective, OctopusPro offers global customer support and its support teams operate across multiple time zones, helping businesses get assistance regardless of location. OctopusPro also provides phone, email, and live chat support, along with onboarding and optional customer success services.

One important point is that for mobile and fixed-site businesses, an account is usually configured for a selected country because of local currency and tax settings. If your business operates in multiple countries, you may need separate accounts for each country. By contrast, virtual or remote services can generally be delivered globally, depending on how your account is configured.

So the clearest answer is: yes, OctopusPro offers global coverage and support, and it is suitable for service businesses operating locally, nationally, or internationally.

Related user guide pages

• OctopusPro Subscription Guide
• Create Your OctopusPro Account
• Fieldworker Service Areas & Locations
• Service Delivery Types: Storefront, Mobile & Remote
• Date & Time Configuration
• OctopusPro App Login & Access

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to access, export, and sync a wide range of important business data, depending on the area of the system you are using. This includes data such as customers, services, products, invoices, payments, custom fields, and customer properties. In many cases, this data can be exported directly from OctopusPro, while some data can also be synchronised with connected accounting platforms for backup, reporting, reconciliation, and operational continuity.

In addition to direct exports, OctopusPro also supports synchronisation with Xero and QuickBooks. Depending on your setup and integration direction, you can sync data such as customers, users/fieldworkers, services, products, invoices, and payments between OctopusPro and your accounting platform. This is useful not only for onboarding and migration, but also for keeping your operational data and accounting records aligned without double entry.

For bookings, it is more accurate to say that bulk booking export is not the main standard workflow. However, booking information can still be accessed in several practical ways, such as:

• exporting individual bookings as PDF files
• using live reports and filtered reporting views
• syncing bookings with Google Calendar for scheduling visibility and external calendar access

In terms of data protection, OctopusPro states that it uses Amazon EC2 cloud hosting and that its backup and replication systems perform multiple daily backups. Its privacy policy also states that personal information is stored on secure servers with SSL certificates, data transferred between users and the platform is encrypted, and credit card details are not stored on OctopusPro’s servers. A clearer way to say this is that OctopusPro uses cloud hosting, replication, encryption, and regular backups to help protect your data and support recovery in the event of a hardware issue, server failure, or service disruption.

So the short answer is: yes, OctopusPro provides multiple ways to export or sync key business data, and your data is protected through cloud hosting, replication, encryption, and multiple daily backups.

OctopusPro uses cloud-based hosting on Amazon EC2 and states that its backup and replication systems perform multiple daily backups. A clearer and more accurate way to describe this is that OctopusPro uses cloud infrastructure with frequent backup routines and replication to help protect your business data and support continuity if there is a hardware issue or service disruption.

In addition to backup and replication, OctopusPro’s privacy policy says that personal information is stored on secure servers with SSL certificates, and that data transferred between users and the platform is encrypted. If your business accepts card payments, the same policy also states that credit card details are not stored on OctopusPro’s servers.

For stronger day-to-day governance, OctopusPro also provides features such as role-based access control, fieldworker permissions, audit trails / user activity logs, and Customer Portal privacy policy settings. These tools help businesses control who can access data, track important system activity, and publish customer-facing privacy information where needed.

In short, OctopusPro uses Amazon EC2 hosting, replication, multiple daily backups, encrypted data transfer, and secure-server practices to help protect customer and operational data.

OctopusPro is hosted on Amazon EC2, which is part of AWS’s HIPAA-eligible services. However, it is important to phrase this carefully: hosting on a HIPAA-eligible infrastructure service does not, by itself, mean that OctopusPro is automatically HIPAA compliant. HIPAA compliance depends on the full solution, including the platform’s technical and administrative safeguards, access controls, audit processes, data handling practices, contractual arrangements such as any required Business Associate Agreement (BAA), and how your organisation configures and uses the system.

A more accurate way to describe it is that OctopusPro uses infrastructure that can support HIPAA-sensitive environments, but any organisation planning to store or process protected health information (PHI) should complete its own compliance review and confirm the requirements directly with OctopusPro before relying on the platform for HIPAA-regulated workflows. If your business requires HIPAA support, you should specifically confirm:

• whether OctopusPro will enter into a BAA where required
• which features or workflows are suitable for handling PHI
• what security controls, access restrictions, logging, and retention practices are available
• whether your internal processes and staff usage also meet HIPAA requirements (Amazon Web Services, Inc.)

OctopusPro does provide several platform controls that may support stronger privacy and security practices, including role-based access control (RBAC), fieldworker permissions, user activity logs / audit trails, and customer portal settings for legal disclosures and privacy information. These features can help businesses apply better governance, but they do not replace a full HIPAA assessment.

So the safest and most accurate short answer is: OctopusPro is hosted on HIPAA-eligible AWS infrastructure, but HIPAA compliance should not be assumed automatically. If you need HIPAA compliance, confirm the legal, technical, and operational requirements directly with OctopusPro before using it for PHI.

Yes. OctopusPro states that it is committed to compliance with major privacy regulations, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). A more accurate way to describe this is that OctopusPro provides a platform and supporting controls designed to help businesses meet privacy and data protection requirements, rather than guaranteeing compliance automatically for every business use case.

OctopusPro also states that customer data is stored on Amazon EC2 servers. Its privacy policy says personal information is stored on secure servers with SSL certificates, information transferred between users and the service is encrypted, and credit card details are not stored on OctopusPro’s servers or accessible to OctopusPro staff.

From an operational perspective, OctopusPro includes features that support privacy and governance best practices, such as role-based access control (RBAC), granular fieldworker permissions, audit trails / user activity logs, and the ability to publish your own privacy policy in the Customer Portal. Its help content also recommends using appropriate privacy disclosures and cookie consent when enabling website tracking tools such as GA4 or Meta Pixel.

It is also important to note that compliance is a shared responsibility. While OctopusPro provides the infrastructure and settings to support privacy compliance, each business is still responsible for how it collects, uses, stores, discloses, and manages customer data, including its own privacy policy, consent processes, retention practices, and internal access controls.

In short, yes—OctopusPro is designed to support GDPR- and CCPA-aligned operations, but your business should still configure and use the platform in a way that matches its own legal and compliance obligations.

Related user guide pages

• OctopusPro Privacy Policy
• Customer Portal General Settings – Privacy Policy
• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) & User Permissions
• Fieldworker Permissions & Access Control
• User Activity Log (Real-Time Audit Trail)
• Customer Portal Meta Pixel Integration – Privacy / Cookie Consent Notes

OctopusPro supports a wide range of notifications to keep customers, fieldworkers, and office/admin users informed throughout the service workflow.

The platform can deliver notifications through several channels, including:

• Email notifications
• SMS notifications
• Push notifications
• In-app notifications
• Discussion / chat notifications
• Call-related alerts, such as missed calls and voicemail notifications
• WhatsApp notifications, where enabled and configured

These notifications can be used for both manual communication and automated workflows, depending on your settings.

Common notification examples

OctopusPro can notify users about events such as:

• Booking confirmations
• Appointment reminders
• Reschedules and schedule changes
• Booking cancellations
• New job assignments
• Pending job request accept/decline prompts
• Fieldworker running-late alerts and ETA updates
• “On the way” customer notifications
• Quote follow-up reminders
• Invoice notifications, payment requests, overdue reminders, and payment confirmations
• Customer and fieldworker discussion messages
• Internal alerts for admin users
• Missed calls, incoming calls, transfers, and voicemail activity
• Fieldworker attendance confirmations and job update requests
• Before/after photo upload reminders and other fieldworker app alarms

Who can receive notifications?

Notifications can be configured for different user types, including:

• Customers
• Fieldworkers / technicians / contractors
• Office staff / dispatchers
• Admin users / managers

The available channel and message type may vary depending on the recipient, the feature being used, and your account configuration.

Can notifications be customised?

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to customise both the content and, in many cases, the timing and trigger conditions of notifications.

You can:

• Edit email templates
• Edit SMS templates
• Use template placeholders / merge fields to personalise messages automatically
• Set up automated reminders and confirmations
• Control which notifications are enabled for different workflows
• Pause automated notifications for a specific booking, quote, or invoice when needed

This helps you keep communication consistent, branded, and relevant to the job status or customer journey stage.

In short

OctopusPro offers email, SMS, push, in-app, discussion, call, and optional WhatsApp notifications to support communication across bookings, quotes, invoices, field operations, and customer service. These notifications can be sent manually or automatically and can be customised based on your workflow, audience, and business rules.

Related user guide pages

• Notifications, Discussions, Call & SMS Alerts
• Automated Reminders & Confirmations
• Email Templates
• SMS Templates
• Template Placeholders
• Contact Customers & Fieldworkers from Bookings
• Fieldworker App Real-Time Notifications
• Fieldworker App Alarms, Alerts & Reminders
• On-the-Way SMS Notifications
• Notify Fieldworkers About Customer Discussions
• Pause & Resume Automated Notifications
• Customer Communication History
• Mailing Lists, Bulk Messaging & WhatsApp

Yes. OctopusPro is designed to help service businesses manage multiple locations, territories, branches, and teams from one platform.

How this works depends on the type of business you run:

• Mobile / field service businesses can define service areas, travel radius, and territories for each fieldworker or team
• Fixed-site / storefront businesses can manage one or multiple branches / locations and assign services and staff to the correct site
• Virtual / remote service businesses can manage service delivery across different regions and time zones

This makes OctopusPro suitable for businesses operating across multiple suburbs, cities, branches, regions, or service zones.

You can use OctopusPro to:

• Set up multiple business locations or branches
• Assign fieldworkers to specific service areas, territories, or locations
• Control which staff can provide which services and where
• Manage lead fieldworkers and subworkers / crew members
• Schedule multiple fieldworkers on the same booking when a job requires a team
• Filter and manage bookings by area, region, or location
• Track staff availability, working hours, and coverage by team or location
• Support different operating models under one account, including mobile, storefront, and remote services

If your business runs teams in the field, OctopusPro can support team-based job delivery in a few ways:

• By assigning a lead fieldworker with one or more subworkers / crew members
• By assigning multiple fieldworkers to the same booking or service where required
• By restricting visibility and actions using user roles and permissions
• By setting working hours, availability, and service areas for each fieldworker

It is also useful to distinguish between these setup options:

• Multiple locations / branches = physical business sites or storefronts
• Multiple service areas / territories = geographic coverage for mobile services
• Multiple trading names / sub-brands = different brands operated under one company account
• Multiple company accounts = separate businesses or separate legal entities

So the short answer is: yes, OctopusPro can manage multiple locations and teams, whether you need to run several branches, dispatch different crews across territories, or coordinate staff working in different regions.

Related user guide pages

• Fieldworker Service Areas & Locations
• Service Delivery Types: Storefront, Mobile & Remote
• Manage Multi-Location Storefront Businesses
• Manage Subworkers Under Fieldworkers (Crew Members)
• Assign Multiple Fieldworkers to a Single Service
• Manage Fieldworker Working Hours & Availability
• Filter Calendar by Area
• User & Role Management
• Manage Multiple Trading Names / Sub-Brands

OctopusPro supports both online payment processing and offline payment recording, giving service businesses flexibility in how they charge customers and manage transactions.

You can connect supported payment gateways—such as Stripe, Square, PayPal via Braintree, eWAY, Tap, and other available integrations depending on your region and setup—to accept secure online payments for bookings and invoices. Customers can pay during online checkout, through the Customer Portal, or by using an invoice payment link.

OctopusPro also supports offline and manual payment methods, such as:

• Cash
• Bank transfer
• Cheque
• External EFTPOS/POS terminal
• Other custom payment methods configured by your business

This means you can use OctopusPro whether you collect payment fully online, fully offline, or through a mix of both.

OctopusPro can help you manage a wide range of payment scenarios, including:

• Full payments
• Deposits
• Partial payments
• Progress payments
• Outstanding balances
• Refunds
• Payment approvals, where required
• Card-on-file / stored payment details, depending on your gateway and configuration

This makes it suitable for businesses that need flexible payment workflows, such as collecting a deposit at booking, the remaining balance after the job, or multiple payments over the life of a project.

Payments can be handled from different parts of the system, including:

• The Customer Portal for online customer payments
• The admin portal for office staff
• The fieldworker app for teams collecting or recording payment in the field

OctopusPro also keeps payment records linked to the relevant booking and invoice, helping you track what has been paid, what is still owing, and what has been refunded. This improves visibility, reconciliation, and customer communication.

In short, OctopusPro handles payment processing by combining gateway integrations, flexible payment terms, online and offline payment options, and invoice/payment tracking tools in one system.

Related user guide pages

• Payment Methods Configuration
• Stripe Integration
• Square Integration
• PayPal via Braintree Integration
• eWAY Integration
• Tap Integration
• Customer Portal Payment Methods
• Service Payment Terms & Deposit Settings
• Add Invoice Payments
• Pay Invoice / Booking
• Fieldworker App: Invoicing, Payments, Deposits & Refunds
• Refund Management

Yes. OctopusPro supports repeat bookings, recurring bookings, and subscription-style service arrangements for businesses that deliver ongoing services.

A more accurate way to describe it is:

• Repeat booking = a one-time follow-up visit
• Recurring booking = a series of future visits created in one setup, such as weekly, fortnightly, monthly, quarterly, or custom dates
• Subscription-style service = an ongoing service arrangement where bookings and billing are managed on a recurring basis

This is useful for businesses that provide ongoing services such as cleaning, lawn care, pool maintenance, inspections, tutoring, wellness treatments, maintenance contracts, and other repeat service models.

OctopusPro allows you to:

• Create a single follow-up booking or a multi-visit recurring series
• Schedule recurring visits at different frequencies
• Let admins, fieldworkers, or customers create recurring bookings, depending on your settings
• Manage recurring work through the admin portal, fieldworker app, and Customer Portal
• Choose how recurring work is billed, such as per visit or through consolidated billing
• Offer service packages or bundles for prepaid or multi-session services

If you want customers to create their own recurring bookings online, you can enable this through the Customer Portal. Customers can then choose whether they want a one-time booking, a repeat booking, or an ongoing recurring schedule during checkout.

It is also important to distinguish between recurring bookings and billing subscriptions:

• Use recurring bookings when you want OctopusPro to automatically schedule multiple future appointments
• Use billing cycles / consolidated billing when you want to invoice repeat work on a set cycle, such as weekly or monthly
• Use service packages or bundles when you want to sell multiple visits together as a prepaid or structured offer

So the short answer is: yes, OctopusPro can manage both recurring visits and subscription-style service delivery, including scheduling, customer self-booking, and recurring billing workflows.

Related user guide pages

• Set Up Recurring & Repeat Bookings
• Allow Customers to Make Repeat / Recurring Bookings
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
• Service Packages & Bundles – Sell Multiple Bookings Together
• Customer Billing Cycle Management
• Auto-Create Invoices on Customer Portal Bookings

In the OctopusPro app, your user role is determined by your login credentials. If you have an admin user and a general fieldworker user with the same email address and password, you’ll be prompted to select a role upon login, allowing you to switch between roles easily without logging in and out. To switch between users with the same email and password, click on the three dots in the top right corner of the app and press “Switch User.” This will enable you to toggle between the admin and general fieldworker roles, as long as both have the same login details.

Yes, OctopusPro lets you create and send quotes that account for the cost of services, labor, and products/materials needed for a job. You can add products to your list and include them with your services. Additionally, you can choose whether to display or hide the cost breakdown of labor and products or to conceal product costs from your customers.

Yes, OctopusPro allows you to create custom forms and checklists for office users, fieldworkers, and customers. You can determine when and to whom these forms are displayed, select from various field types, and assign different forms to various services and booking statuses. You can also create forms for fieldworkers to complete at different stages of a job, such as when checking in, during the job, or when checking out.

Yes, OctopusPro enables you to add photos and videos to your services, categories, and custom fields for marketing purposes. These images will appear in your customer portal and can also be included in quote and booking emails. Additionally, customers can upload photos to their inquiries, quotes, bookings, invoices, and complaints, triggering a notification for you. Fieldworkers can also take before and after photos, which will automatically upload to the booking card. To add photos to an inquiry, quote, booking, invoice, or complaint, follow the prompts in the admin portal or, for fieldworkers, select PHOTOS and then +add from a mobile device.

There is no limit to the number of photos you can upload to bookings, estimates, inquiries, invoices, or complaints.

The field management software integrates the latest technologies including all POS functionality and much more. OctopusPro applies POS functionalities such as payment collection, receipts via SMS and email, customer and sales data analysis, invoicing and fieldworker management.

Yes, with OctopusPro’s Corporate plan, you can have a custom-branded app for your business listed on the App Store and Google Play Store. This allows your customers to download the app to request quotes, schedule bookings, and communicate with your workers. OctopusPro handles the entire process for you, so you don’t need to be an app expert. Contact support@octopuspro.com to learn more about this opportunity or read about the Branded App.

Yes, you can import your customer data by following these steps:

1. Navigate to Import Data under your Company Settings
2. Click the ‘Import Customers’ button
3. Download the Customer Import Template
4. Open the file in Google Drive and fill in the information
5. Upload the file on the Import Data page to complete the import

OctopusPro enables you to track hours worked by fieldworkers, including check-in, check-out, and travel time. The app records start and finish times, helping prevent timesheet fraud and providing a more accurate record of work hours. Weekly hours are automatically generated when fieldworkers check in and out of jobs, ensuring compliance with procedures and clarity regarding pay. OctopusPro helps you maintain historical records of service, eliminate timesheet fraud, and store work hours, payee checks, and invoices for easy access.

While offline, you can view bookings and booking lists, but you won’t be able to accept or reject bookings, estimates, complaints, invoices, or reports, as these require an internet connection to update system-wide. Messaging and payment systems also require an internet connection, and payment statements are unavailable offline. You can add events, browse dashboard bookings, search the app, and edit bookings in offline mode. Images can be uploaded while offline and stored on your device until a connection is reestablished.

Yes, OctopusPro allows you to operate multiple trading names within a single account. Add your trading names, logos, and branding information under Company Settings > Trading Names.

Set up your trading names under Settings > Company Settings > Trading Names, and add logos when creating each trading name. After creating a trading name, click the Assign Images link in the trading names list, and assign images to each trading name by clicking the assign images link. Customize images for each email template as needed.

Activate the automated background process in your account settings to send emails to customers after their bookings are completed, asking them to rate and review their experience. You can modify the email template for this process or create a new one specifically for Google reviews. Run both the internal rating system and Google ratings simultaneously or disable the internal review system and replace it with Google reviews.

OctopusPro does not currently accept cryptocurrency payments but plans to support them in the near future.

Yes, you can enable the addition of products to services when creating bookings by activating the related flag under Settings > Services Settings > Products. Fieldworkers can also add products used when completing jobs. Make your products visible to customers in emails, attachments, and your Branded App. Manage your product list, link products with services, and add marketing information and images to products, which can be displayed in quote/booking/invoice emails and the customer portal.

Fieldworkers’ star ratings represent the average rating they receive from customers. Customer ratings through the OctopusPro feedback system will impact the star rating of the assigned fieldworkers for the services provided. You can view the star rating at a tag level, depending on the tags you set up in your settings (e.g., Communications, Quality of Work, On-Time). Fieldworkers’ average star ratings can be made public and shared on your customer portal.

If your staff members need access to leads/inquiries and the ability to assign new bookings and view team bookings and calendars, they should be set up as admin users. If they only need to create bookings for themselves, they can be set up as fieldworkers. If you want your staff to have both admin and fieldworker access, create separate user accounts for each role.

Placeholders allow you to insert personalized data elements into your email and SMS templates. They help you save time and make your messages appear more human and personalized. You can add existing placeholders to your templates to customize your outgoing emails and messages.

Yes, you can create new fields for email and phone contact details using the customer properties settings. You can then send email and SMS communications, such as booking confirmations, reminders, and notifications, directly to these sub-customers. Make sure to enable the appropriate flag in your Settings > Communications > Automations.

For example, if you have jobs booked through agencies, insurance companies, and other types of businesses where the actual work is booked for their clients which they pass onto you, and where you are required to send booking confirmations, reminders and notifications directly to their clients to keep them informed. In these cases, your customer would be the job referrer, like an agency or an insurance company, and the end customer that is receiving the booked services would be the sub-customer that is added through the customer properties feature.

You should ensure that you activate the related flag if you want to send email and SMS reminders and notifications to the contact details of sub-customers added through customer properties. The flag is available in your Settings > Communications > Automations.

Once the flag is enabled, you have the option of sending email and sms confirmations, reminders and notifications to your customers and their sub-customers, or sending email and sms reminders and notifications to the sub-customers only without sending a copy to the referring or parent customer.

If you want to display your sub-customer information in your emails and SMS messages, you can use their associated placeholders in your email and SMS templates for their information to be displayed. The placeholders should follow the following format

{Property Title_Field Label}

You must ensure that you write the property title and field label names correctly exactly as they show in your customer properties settings, with the exact capitalization, spaces and format used in your settings.

For example, if your customer property title is Sub Customer, and you want to display the Customer Name and Phone Number fields, which are both fields added in your customer property settings, you can display those fields in your email template by using the placeholder as below.

{Sub Customer_Customer Name}
{Sub Customer_Phone Number}

Another example, if your customer property title is Patient, and you want to display the Patient Name and Date of Birth fields, which are fields added in your customer property settings, you can display those fields in your email template by using the placeholder as below.

{Patient_Patient Name}
{Patient_Date of Birth}

Another example, if your customer property title is Student, and you want to display the Student Name and Grade fields, which are fields added in your customer property settings, you can display those fields in your email template by using the placeholder as below.

{Student_Student Name}
{Student_Grade}

Customers can easily sign and approve quotes, bookings, and invoices by clicking on the signature button/link provided in the default email templates. This link directs them to a signature page where they can sign using their phone, tablet, or computer. Fieldworkers can also capture signatures on-site using the app. If you prefer not to enable this feature, simply remove the button link from the templates.

Admin users and fieldworkers can use the discussion board for each job to communicate and discuss job details. Notifications are sent to both parties when a new discussion is started or a reply is made. General discussions can also take place through fieldworker profiles without being linked to specific jobs.

The admin calendar offers various views, including monthly, weekly, day, and list views. To display jobs by fieldworker, switch to the day view, which shows a column for each fieldworker with scheduled bookings for that day. Fieldworkers with no bookings for the day will not appear in the day view.

OctopusPro includes a comprehensive complaint management system, allowing you to add, track, and resolve complaints related to bookings. The system enables you to add comments and discussions, attach images and documents, process refunds, and maintain a log of all interactions. Fieldworkers receive notifications about new complaints, and admin users can approve or close complaints as needed.

Images and logos for email templates are set at the trading name level. You can upload different images and logos for various trading names your business operates under. To upload images, go to Settings > Company Settings > Trading Names, and click on Assign Images for the desired trading name. Then, choose the template to which you want to add the images.

Yes. OctopusPro comes with an integrated inventory-management system that lets you:

• Track stock levels in real time across multiple warehouses and field vehicles
• Allocate parts to jobs (or create a purchase order in one click if items are out of stock)
• Scan barcodes/QR codes for fast check-in, check-out and audits
• Automate re-ordering based on min/max thresholds
• Record all stock movements (deliveries, returns, transfers and adjustments) for full traceability
• Generate reports and dashboards so your team can spot shortages before they impact service
• Manage everything—products, adjustments, POs and GRNs—from both the web console and the mobile app

Yes, you can print Quotes, Invoices, and Bookings in PDF format with OctopusPro. To do so, navigate to the relevant view page, click the “Actions” button, and select the “Print PDF” link to generate a printable version of the document.

OctopusPro is a versatile platform designed to manage bookings and process transactions for businesses offering services through various channels, including fixed, mobile, and virtual/online locations. This makes it suitable for a wide range of industries and allows businesses to manage their operations effectively, streamline appointment scheduling, and offer seamless payment processing options.

Yes, OctopusPro offers automated email and SMS notifications to keep clients informed about changes in their appointment schedules. Notifications can be initiated by admin users when making updates to existing bookings, and customers will also receive automated confirmations when making changes through the customer portal. Additionally, automated booking reminder emails and SMS notifications can be activated in the automations section of the software’s settings.

Yes, OctopusPro offers a “Nearby Booking” feature that allows you to view and plan bookings near one another. This functionality can be accessed from the create, edit, and manage booking pages, and displays all nearby bookings in order of proximity to the job being scheduled. By using this feature, you can effectively minimize travel time, respond to emergency calls and last-minute bookings more efficiently, and provide more accurate arrival time windows for improved customer communication.

Absolutely! OctopusPro allows you to personalize and tailor pre-appointment reminders and appointment confirmation emails to suit your business needs. The platform provides ready-to-use, mobile-friendly email and SMS templates that can be easily modified. You can also create and save custom canned responses to streamline your communication process.

Certainly! OctopusPro lets you schedule automated reminders for quotes, bookings, and invoices. This can be accomplished by navigating to Communications > Automations within the platform’s settings. Here, you can configure quote, booking, and invoice-related automations to send reminders at specific dates and times. You can also customize the templates for these reminders to match your brand’s messaging and tone.

OctopusPro provides a comprehensive range of reports, including Booking Reports, Payment Reports, Fieldworker Payment Reports, Timesheets, Payroll Reports, and more, to address your field service management needs.

OctopusPro offers two methods for importing data for your Customer Properties: bulk import and individual import. For bulk import, include the Customer Properties data in the same CSV file as your customer data. For individual import, navigate to a customer profile page and select the “Actions” button, then choose the “Import Customer Properties” link. Following the instructions displayed in the import pop-up is crucial for a successful import.

Yes, OctopusPro enables customers to create accounts through a customer portal, allowing them to manage recurring bookings. Admin users can also create recurring bookings for customers, even without an account, providing a flexible and efficient booking process for all parties involved.

Yes, you can display the date a fieldworker joined your business to customers by enabling the “Display fieldworker date joined to customers” setting in your customer portal. Once activated, customers will be able to view the fieldworker’s date of joining or the date their user account was created within the fieldworker profiles in the customer portal.

Yes, OctopusPro allows you to create a FAQ section that addresses common questions from your customers about your business and services. Including FAQs on your website can save time for both your customers and customer support staff by providing easily accessible information about your services, payment terms, opening hours, refund policies, cancellation policies, and more.

To add general FAQs, go to Settings > Communications > Questions and Answers, click on “+Add Question,” and enter the question and answer in the corresponding fields. Click “Save” to add the new question to your list.

Yes. OctopusPro lets you create service-specific FAQs so customers only see questions and answers that are relevant to the service they’re viewing or booking.

How it works

• You create FAQs in the Service FAQs Management area.
• When adding or editing an FAQ, you can link it to one or more services using the Filter by Service / Add Service option.
• If you leave an FAQ not linked to any service, it can be used as a general (business-wide) FAQ.

Where service-specific FAQs appear

Depending on your portal and template settings, service FAQs can appear:

• On the service page in the Customer Portal (so customers see answers while deciding to book)
• During the booking journey / booking view for that service
• Inside automated emails when you include the {faq} placeholder in the relevant email template

Advanced option (highly useful)

If your services use booking questions (custom fields), you can also attach FAQs to specific custom field options so the FAQ only appears when a customer selects that option (e.g., a special material, add-on, access condition, or service level).

Best practices

• Write questions using the same wording customers use
• Keep answers short and scannable (bullets, clear conditions, fees, exclusions)
• Use categories like Pricing, Preparation, Policies, What’s Included, Service Area, Access
• Review and update FAQs whenever you change pricing, policies, inclusions, or booking rules

Related user guide pages

• Service FAQs Management (Create, Link to Services, Display in Portal, Use in Emails)
• Show the FAQs Page Link in the Customer Portal Menu
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions (Enable/Disable FAQs menu link)
• Email Templates (Edit & Automate Customer Communications)
• Template Placeholders (Including {faq})
• Create & Configure Services (Portal Display Settings)

Adding a FAQ section to your website can improve customer satisfaction by providing immediate answers to common questions. It also reduces the workload for your customer support team, as many inquiries can be resolved by referring customers to the relevant FAQs. This can lead to more efficient support for complex or urgent requests.

A well-structured FAQ section can showcase the benefits and features of your services, addressing potential concerns or questions that customers may have. By providing clear and concise information, FAQs can help convert prospects into customers and lead to increased sales.

To add new FAQs or update existing ones, go to Settings > Communications > Questions and Answers. You can edit questions and answers using the “Edit Question” button next to each item. You can also delete questions using the “Delete Question” button.

Yes, if you enable the option in Settings > Customer Portal > Flags & Permissions, a link to the FAQs page will be displayed in the main menu of the customer portal.

Customers can use the “Search FAQs” box at the top of the FAQs page in the customer portal to search for relevant keywords. This will display a list of questions and answers related to the search term.

Yes, some email templates include an FAQ placeholder that can be added to automated emails. This allows customers to receive relevant FAQs related to their quoted, booked, or inquired services. You can edit email templates in Settings > Communications > Templates & Canned Responses to add or remove the FAQ placeholder as needed.

Yes. OctopusPro allows customers to submit booking requests and make online bookings directly through your website by using the Customer Portal and related website booking tools.

You can connect OctopusPro to your website in a few different ways, depending on how you want customers to interact with your business online:

• Full Customer Portal link – send customers to your branded online booking portal
• Book Online button or direct booking link – place a booking call-to-action on your website that opens the portal or a service-specific booking flow
• Embedded Book Now button – add a booking button to a service page, landing page, or website section
• Lead Capture / Inquiry Form – allow website visitors to submit a service request or inquiry instead of completing a full booking immediately

What customers can do through your website and portal

Depending on your setup, customers can:

• Browse your services online
• Request or confirm bookings
• Select service options, add-ons, and custom field answers
• Choose dates and times based on your availability settings
• Create an account or continue as a guest, if guest booking is enabled
• Pay online, including deposits and full payments, if payment methods are enabled
• Manage their existing bookings through the Customer Portal
• Access repeat or recurring booking options, if enabled

How to set it up

1. Enable your Customer Portal.
2. Set up your Portal URL and, if needed, apply your own branding or white-label domain.
3. Configure your portal settings, including branding, visibility flags, services, languages, and customer permissions.
4. Enable your preferred payment methods if you want customers to pay online during booking.
5. Add a Book Online button, direct link, or embedded booking button to your website.

Booking requests vs direct online bookings

OctopusPro can support both types of workflow:

• Direct online booking – customers choose the service, time, and other details, then complete the booking online
• Booking request / inquiry workflow – customers submit a request first, and your team reviews or converts it into a quote or booking later

If your business prefers a lead-capture workflow instead of instant scheduling, you can use the Inquiry Widget / Lead Capture Form on your website.

Why this is useful

• 24/7 online booking without requiring office staff to respond manually
• Less admin work because customers can enter their own details and manage their bookings
• Higher conversion rates by giving customers a clear booking path directly from your website
• Better customer experience through self-service, instant access, and branded online interactions

Important note

The exact customer experience depends on your account configuration. Features such as guest booking, recurring bookings, online payments, booking disclaimers, document uploads, and customer profile management can all be enabled or disabled based on your business needs.

Related user guide pages

• Accept Online Bookings Through Your Website (Customer Portal)
• Customer Portal General Settings
• Customer Portal URL (Portal Link & White-Label Domain)
• Add a Book Online Button to Your Website
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
• Customer Portal Payment Methods
• Customer Portal Profile Management
• Lead Capture Form / Inquiry Widget for Your Website

The OctopusPro Customer Portal helps grow your business by turning your website into a self-service sales, booking, and customer management channel. It gives customers an easier way to interact with your business online while reducing manual admin for your team.

How the Customer Portal helps your business grow

• Accept bookings and enquiries 24/7: customers can book services online through your website, or submit an enquiry through the lead capture / contact form when they are not ready to book immediately.
• Support both instant booking and quote-first workflows: the portal can be used for direct online bookings or for enquiry and quote-based workflows, depending on how your business operates.
• Reduce admin work with self-service account management: customers can create an account, update their profile, manage saved addresses, store payment methods, manage linked dependents or assets, and keep track of their bookings without needing to call your office.
• Improve customer convenience: depending on your settings, customers can reschedule or cancel bookings, make payments, approve quotes, upload files, and sign documents directly through the portal.
• Increase conversions with online payments: you can enable checkout payment options such as deposits, full payments, or pay-later workflows, helping reduce booking drop-off and improving cash flow.
• Build trust with strong branding: the portal can be customised to match your business branding, including your logo, colours, homepage content, and button styles, so it feels like a seamless part of your website.
• Showcase your team publicly: if you choose, you can publish a public fieldworker directory so customers can browse your team, open fieldworker profiles, and view providers in list view or map view.
• Support preference-based bookings: when public fieldworker profiles are enabled, customers can learn more about available providers before booking, which can increase trust and help customers choose a preferred fieldworker where that workflow is enabled.
• Improve booking accuracy with real-time availability: the portal can show customers only valid time slots based on actual fieldworker availability, helping reduce double-bookings, reschedules, and failed appointment requests.
• Collect feedback and strengthen reputation: OctopusPro supports ratings, reviews, and customer feedback workflows, and you can also display Google Reviews on your portal homepage to increase trust and improve enquiry and booking conversions.
• Recruit and onboard fieldworkers online: the portal can also support growth on the supply side by letting you publish a fieldworker sign-up link or promotion so candidates can apply online and your team can review and approve them before activation.

Why this matters for growth

In practical terms, the Customer Portal helps your business grow by:

• capturing more bookings and enquiries from your website
• making it easier for customers to buy from you
• reducing back-and-forth communication and manual data entry
• improving trust through branding, reviews, and public team profiles
• supporting repeat business through saved profiles, assets, and booking history
• helping you scale operations without increasing admin overhead at the same pace

In short, the OctopusPro Customer Portal is not just a booking page. It can function as a customer self-service hub, online sales channel, communication touchpoint, trust-builder, and recruitment tool, depending on the features you enable.

Related user guide pages

• Accept Online Bookings Through Your Website
• Customer Portal Profile Management
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
• Customer Portal Branding & Style
• Customer Portal Payment Methods
• Customer Portal Contact Us Form & Lead Capture
• Fieldworker Sign-Up & Onboarding Guide
• Display Fieldworker List & Public Profiles
• Dynamic Real-Time Fieldworker Availability Scheduling
• Collect Customer Signatures
• Customer Feedback, Ratings & Reviews
• Display Google Reviews on Your Customer Portal

The OctopusPro Customer Portal is designed for a wide range of service-based businesses that want to let customers book, request quotes, make payments, manage appointments, and interact with the business online through a self-service portal.

It is especially useful for businesses that want to reduce manual admin, improve customer convenience, and accept bookings directly through their website.

Business types that benefit most from the Customer Portal

• Mobile and on-site service businesses
  Businesses where staff travel to the customer, such as cleaning, lawn care, mobile mechanics, pest control, home maintenance, mobile beauty, dog grooming, tutoring, and other field service operations.
• Fixed-site and storefront service businesses
  Businesses where customers visit a physical location, such as salons, clinics, massage studios, workshops, repair centres, training studios, and other appointment-based storefront businesses.
• Remote and virtual service businesses
  Businesses that deliver services online or remotely, such as consulting, coaching, online tutoring, tele-support, and other virtual appointment-based services.
• Hybrid service businesses
  Businesses that offer a combination of mobile, storefront, and remote services and need one portal to support all service delivery types.
• Multi-location businesses
  Businesses with multiple branches, service areas, or operational locations that want customers to book the right service in the right place through one customer-facing portal.
• Repeat-service and recurring-service businesses
  Businesses that rely on regular repeat work, such as cleaning, lawn mowing, pool maintenance, property maintenance, wellness services, or tutoring, where customers may need recurring bookings and ongoing account access.
• Businesses that serve dependents, assets, or customer-owned items
  Industries where the service is delivered to something linked to the customer rather than only to the account holder, such as:
  • pet care businesses managing pets
  • childcare or tutoring businesses managing children
  • automotive businesses managing vehicles
  • property and maintenance businesses managing properties or sites
  • equipment and asset service businesses managing customer-owned equipment

Industries that commonly benefit from the portal

The Customer Portal is suitable for many industries, including:

• Cleaning and domestic services
• Lawn care, gardening, and landscaping
• Mobile mechanics, roadside assistance, and automotive services
• Beauty, massage, and wellness services
• Pet grooming, pet sitting, boarding, and dog walking
• Childcare, babysitting, tutoring, and educational services
• Property management, building maintenance, and real estate support services
• Trades and field services such as plumbing, electrical, HVAC, pest control, and handyman services
• Workshops, repair centres, and other storefront appointment businesses
• Consulting, coaching, and other remote or virtual services

Why these businesses benefit from the portal

The Customer Portal is especially valuable for businesses that need any of the following:

• Online booking and lead capture through their website
• Customer self-service for managing profiles, bookings, payments, and saved details
• Online payments for deposits, full payments, and outstanding invoices
• Recurring booking support for repeat services
• Saved customer properties or assets such as pets, children, vehicles, or sites
• Real-time availability scheduling to show valid booking times
• Multi-location or service-area support for more complex operations
• Branded customer experience that feels like part of their own website

In short

The OctopusPro Customer Portal can benefit almost any service business that wants to give customers a better online experience and reduce manual admin. It is particularly well suited to businesses that accept appointments or bookings, operate across one or more service delivery models, and want customers to interact with the business online at any time.

Related user guide pages

• Accept Online Bookings Through Your Website
• Service Delivery Types: Storefront, Mobile & Remote
• Customer Portal Profile Management
• Customer Portal Payment Methods
• Set Up Recurring & Repeat Bookings
• Customer Properties (Dependents, Assets & Locations)
• Multi-Location Service Business Setup
• Dynamic Real-Time Fieldworker Availability Scheduling

You can find your Customer Portal URL in your OctopusPro admin account.

How to find it

1. Log in as an admin user.
2. Go to Settings → Customer Portal → General Settings.
3. Look for the Portal URL section at the top of the page.

This is where you can view your current customer portal link and, if needed, customise it by editing your portal username, subdomain, or white-label domain settings.

What you can use this link for

• Share it directly with customers so they can book services online
• Add it to your website as a Book Online button or menu link
• Use it in emails, SMS messages, social media, or marketing campaigns
• Open it yourself to preview the customer booking experience

Helpful tip

If you want a more branded and professional link, you can customise your portal URL to use your own subdomain or white-label domain, such as booking.yourbusiness.com, instead of the default OctopusPro link.

Related user guide pages

• Customer Portal URL
• Customer Portal General Settings
• Accept Online Bookings Through Your Website

Absolutely! Using a specific subdomain (like booking.yourdomain.com) for your customer portal not only enhances your brand’s professionalism but also keeps your customer interactions well-organized. If you don’t already have a website, you can still set up the customer portal as a standalone site using your domain. Here’s a detailed guide on how to do this:

What You Need:

• A Domain Name: Your unique web address, even if you don’t have a traditional website.
• Access to Your Domain’s DNS Settings: You need to log into the control panel where your domain is managed.

Steps to Customize Your URL:

1. Choose Your Subdomain Name:
   • Decide on a Subdomain: Pick a relevant name for your subdomain, such as booking, reserve, or client. Benefit: A specific subdomain name clearly indicates its purpose, making it memorable for your customers.
2. Log Into Your Domain Host:
   • Access the website where your domain is registered, such as GoDaddy, Google Domains, or Bluehost. Benefit: Direct control allows for immediate updates and precise management of your domain’s traffic direction.
3. Navigate to DNS Settings:
   • Find the ‘DNS Management,’ ‘Name Server Management,’ or similar section.
4. Set Up the Subdomain:
   • Create a New CNAME Record:
     • Name/Host/Alias: Enter the subdomain you chose (e.g., booking).
     • Value/Points to/Destination: Enter the appropriate regional subdomain provided by OctopusPro (e.g., us.octopuspro.com).
     • TTL (Time to Live): Typically set to 3600 seconds, or as recommended by your DNS provider.
5. Redirect Your Main Domain to the Subdomain (Optional but recommended if you don’t have a traditional website):
   • Create or Edit an Existing A Record or URL Redirect Record for www:
     • Type: URL Redirect (if available) or A Record pointing to a specified IP if URL Redirect is not available.
     • Name/Host/Alias: www
     • Destination/Points to/URL: http://subdomain.yourdomain.com (replace “subdomain” with your chosen subdomain, e.g., http://booking.yourdomain.com).
     • Redirect Type: Choose 301 (Permanent) to ensure search engines and bookmarks update with your new site address.
     • TTL: Set to the lowest possible value to ensure quick propagation.
   • Benefit: Redirecting www.yourdomain.com to your subdomain ensures that even if customers go to your main domain, they are directed to where your portal is active, making your subdomain function as your primary online presence.
6. Save Changes:
   • Ensure to confirm and save your settings to apply all changes correctly.

Standalone Portal Option:

• If you don’t have a traditional website: The customer portal can effectively function independently using the subdomain. By redirecting the www version of your domain to this subdomain, you ensure your portal serves as your main online presence.

Need Help?

• If setting up these configurations is challenging or if you encounter issues, contact your domain host’s customer support or consult a web administrator.

Additional Charges:

• Keep in mind that using your own domain for the customer portal might incur additional charges. Check the pricing page for details. Benefit: Preparing for these costs helps in budget planning.

This detailed guide should help you effectively set up a subdomain for your customer portal and, if necessary, redirect your primary domain to this subdomain. This is particularly useful if you lack a traditional website but wish to establish a strong online presence. For further information and assistance, please visit our Portal URL page.

OctopusPro gives you several ways to connect your Customer Portal to your website, so customers can request quotes, book services, buy gift vouchers, and manage their account online.

The best option depends on how you want customers to enter the booking flow.

Ways to integrate the Customer Portal with your website

• Full Customer Portal link: send customers to your complete online portal, where they can browse services, request quotes, make bookings, pay online, and manage their account.
• Book Online / Book Now button: add a booking button to your website that opens your portal or sends customers directly into the booking flow.
• Service-specific booking links or buttons: create direct links for individual services so customers can start booking a specific service straight away, without first browsing the full portal.
• Gift Voucher button or direct voucher link: if gift vouchers are enabled in your account, you can add a dedicated Gift Voucher button to your website so customers can purchase vouchers online.
• Plain booking links: if your website builder does not support custom HTML, you can still use a normal booking URL in menu items, buttons, banners, emails, SMS messages, QR codes, or social media profiles.

How to set it up

1. Enable your Customer Portal and online booking settings.
2. Configure your Portal URL, branding, services, and customer permissions.
3. Enable your online payment methods if you want customers to pay deposits, full amounts, or voucher purchases through the portal.
4. If you want to sell vouchers, make sure your Gift Voucher settings are enabled and configured.
5. Choose the integration method that best suits your website:
   • add your full portal URL as a Book Online button or menu link
   • embed a Book Now or Gift Voucher button using the generated HTML code
   • use a direct booking link for a specific service or campaign

Which option should I use?

• Use the full Customer Portal link if you want customers to browse your services, log in, manage their profile, and book through your complete online portal.
• Use service-specific Book Now buttons or links if you want to place a clear call-to-action on a service page, landing page, ad campaign, or email promotion.
• Use a Gift Voucher button if you want customers to buy vouchers directly from your website.
• Use a plain booking link when you need something simple that can be added anywhere, even if your website platform does not allow custom embed code.

Where to place the booking link or button on your website

For best results, place your booking portal link or button in high-visibility locations such as:

• your website header or main navigation
• your homepage hero section
• individual service pages
• your contact page
• your footer
• email signatures, SMS templates, social media bios, and QR codes

Can I customise the appearance?

Yes. You can customise the appearance of your portal and booking buttons to match your branding, including your colours, text, button style, and general portal design.

You can also use your own branded portal URL or white-label domain for a more professional customer experience.

Important note

If your website builder does not let you edit HTML, you can still integrate OctopusPro by using a standard portal URL or direct booking link instead of an embedded button.

If you want customers to book a specific service directly, the best approach is usually to use a service-specific booking link or button rather than sending them to the main portal homepage first.

Related user guide pages

• Accept Online Bookings Through Your Website
• Add a Book Online Button to Your Website
• Customer Portal URL
• Customer Portal General Settings
• Customer Portal Branding & Style
• Customer Portal Profile Management
• Customer Portal Payment Methods
• Sell Gift Vouchers Online

No. You do not need to have your own website in order to use the OctopusPro Customer Portal.

OctopusPro provides your business with a hosted customer portal link that can work as a standalone online booking website. This means you can start accepting enquiries, bookings, payments, and customer account registrations even if you do not yet have a separate business website.

How it works without a website

When you enable the Customer Portal, OctopusPro gives you a public portal URL that customers can use to:

• browse your services
• request quotes or make bookings
• create an account and manage their profile
• view and manage existing bookings
• make payments online, if payment methods are enabled

You can share this portal link anywhere, including:

• Google Business Profile
• Facebook and Instagram
• email signatures
• SMS messages
• QR codes
• online directories and ads

If you do have a website

If you already have a website, you can still integrate the Customer Portal into it by adding a Book Online button, direct booking link, or service-specific booking link.

Can I still use my own domain name?

Yes. Even if you do not have a full website, you can still use your own branded domain or subdomain for the portal.

For example, instead of using the default OctopusPro-hosted link, you can configure a custom address such as:

• booking.yourbusiness.com
• portal.yourbusiness.com.au

To do this, you can set up a white-label portal URL and update your domain’s DNS settings using the required CNAME record.

Why this is useful

• No website required: start accepting bookings online without building a full website first
• Faster setup: get a live booking portal up and running quickly
• Professional online presence: use the portal as your customer-facing booking page
• Flexible growth path: start with the standalone portal, then integrate it into a full website later if needed

In short

You do not need your own website to use the OctopusPro Customer Portal. You can use the portal as a standalone online booking site using the default OctopusPro-hosted URL, or set up your own branded domain or subdomain if you want a more professional custom link.

Related user guide pages

• Accept Online Bookings Through Your Website
• Customer Portal URL (Username & White-Label Domain Setup)
• Customer Portal General Settings
• Customer Portal Branding & Style
• Customer Portal Profile Management
• Add a Book Online Button to Your Website

Yes. The OctopusPro Customer Portal can be used as a standalone online booking website, so you do not need to have a separate website in order to start accepting online bookings, enquiries, payments, and customer account registrations.

Once your portal is enabled, OctopusPro gives you a public portal URL that customers can use to:

• browse your services
• request quotes or place bookings online
• create an account and manage their profile
• view and manage existing bookings
• store payment methods and make payments, if enabled

How it works as a standalone site

You can simply use your OctopusPro-hosted portal link as your customer-facing booking website. This means you can start operating online even if you do not yet have a full business website.

You can also make the portal feel more like your own website by:

• customising your portal URL
• using a white-label domain or subdomain, such as booking.yourbusiness.com
• adding your branding, logo, colours, homepage content, videos, and About Us information

Do I still need a separate website?

Not necessarily. The Customer Portal can work perfectly well on its own as your online booking and customer self-service site.

However, many businesses still choose to keep a separate website or landing page if they want to:

• build a broader SEO strategy around multiple services, locations, or content topics
• publish more marketing content, such as blog articles, case studies, and long-form service pages
• have more design flexibility beyond the booking-focused portal experience

In other words:

• Use the Customer Portal alone if you mainly need a professional online booking and customer self-service presence
• Use a separate website as well if you want stronger content marketing, SEO targeting, or a more advanced branded website

Why this is useful

• Faster launch: start taking bookings online without building a full website first
• Lower setup effort: no separate website is required to begin
• Professional customer experience: customers can book, pay, and manage their account in one place
• Flexible growth path: start with the portal as your standalone site, then integrate it into a larger website later if needed

In short

Yes, the OctopusPro Customer Portal can absolutely be used as a standalone website. It gives your business a ready-made online booking and customer self-service portal, and you can make it more professional by using your own branded URL, styling, and homepage content. A separate website is optional, not required.

Related user guide pages

• Customer Portal URL (Username & White-Label Domain Setup)
• Accept Online Bookings Through Your Website
• Customer Portal General Settings
• Customer Portal Branding & Style
• Customer Portal Profile Management
• Add an About Us Page to Your Customer Portal
• Add Videos to Your Customer Portal Homepage

Yes. OctopusPro can be integrated with virtually any website builder or CMS, including WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, Weebly, Webnode, Duda, Jimdo, Strikingly, GoDaddy, and similar platforms.

The Customer Portal is designed to work with your website through direct links, booking buttons, embedded HTML buttons, and white-label portal URLs, so you do not need a platform-specific plugin or complex API setup just to start accepting bookings online.

How integration works

OctopusPro can be connected to your website in several ways, depending on what your website builder allows:

• Full Customer Portal link – add your portal URL as a Book Online button, menu item, or text link anywhere on your website.
• Embedded Book Now button – copy the generated HTML code and paste it into your website where you want the booking button to appear.
• Service-specific booking button or link – send customers directly to the booking flow for a specific service instead of your general portal homepage.
• Gift Voucher button – if gift vouchers are enabled in your account, add a dedicated voucher button to your website so customers can buy vouchers online.
• White-label portal domain – use your own branded domain or subdomain, such as booking.yourbusiness.com, instead of the default OctopusPro URL.

Do I need coding or API knowledge?

No, not for standard website integration. In most cases, you only need to copy and paste a link or a booking button code snippet.

• If your website builder supports custom HTML, you can embed Book Now and Gift Voucher buttons directly.
• If your website builder does not support custom HTML, you can still add a normal booking URL as a button, menu link, image link, or text link.

So even if your platform is more limited, you can still integrate OctopusPro by using the Customer Portal URL.

What can you add to your website?

Depending on your setup, you can link customers to different parts of the Customer Portal, including:

• Main booking portal
• Login page
• Customer sign-up / registration page
• Book Now / service-specific booking pages
• Gift Voucher purchase page
• Fieldworker list and public fieldworker profiles
• FAQs page
• Contact Us page
• Terms & Conditions
• Privacy Policy

This makes it easy to place the right portal links across your homepage, service pages, contact page, navigation menu, email campaigns, and social media profiles.

Why this is useful

• Works with most website platforms without requiring a custom-built website
• Lets customers book directly from your website
• Keeps your branding consistent with custom portal styling and white-label domain options
• Supports both simple and advanced integrations depending on how much control your website builder gives you
• Allows service-level booking links so customers can land directly on the exact service they want

Best practice

For the best customer experience, most businesses use a combination of:

• a general Book Online button in the website header or menu
• service-specific Book Now buttons on individual service pages
• a Gift Voucher button on gift or promotions pages, if vouchers are enabled

In short

Yes, OctopusPro can be integrated with WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, Weebly, Webnode, Duda, Jimdo, Strikingly, GoDaddy, and most other website builders. The integration is usually done through direct booking links, embedded booking buttons, and white-label portal URLs, so you can start taking bookings online without needing a custom plugin or advanced development work.

Related user guide pages

• • • Accept Online Bookings Through Your Website
    • Add a Book Online Button to Your Website
    • Customer Portal URL (Username & White-Label Domain Setup)
    • Customer Portal General Settings
    • Customer Portal Branding & Style
    • Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
    • Display Fieldworker List & Public Profiles
    • Service FAQs Management

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to enable multiple languages in your Customer Portal so customers can browse your services and complete bookings in their preferred language.

How to enable multiple languages

1. Log in as an admin user.
2. Go to Settings → Customer Portal → General Settings.
3. Find the Language / Languages section.
4. Select one or more languages from the dropdown list.
5. Click Save changes.

Once enabled, customers can switch between the available languages from the language selector in the Customer Portal.

What is translated automatically?

OctopusPro can translate much of the system-generated portal interface text, such as general navigation and standard booking flow text.

What do I need to translate manually?

To provide a fully localised customer experience, you should also enter translations for your own customer-facing content in each enabled language, such as:

• Service content – service name, short description, and full description
• Custom fields and options – labels, help text, option names, add-ons, measurement guides, and other booking questions
• Policies and portal content – booking disclaimer, privacy policy, terms, and other portal text you manage
• Customer communications – email templates, SMS templates, and customer-facing notes

Why this matters

Enabling multiple languages can help you:

• make your services easier to understand for more customers
• improve booking conversions in multilingual markets
• reduce confusion around pricing, inclusions, and policies
• create a more professional and localised customer experience

Important note

If you enable a language but do not translate your custom content, some parts of the portal may still appear in your original language. For the best result, test the full customer journey in each enabled language, including service pages, booking steps, confirmation screens, and customer communications.

If the language you need does not appear in the available language list, contact the OctopusPro support team to check availability.

Related user guide pages

• Customer Portal Language Settings
• Customer Portal General Settings
• Create a New Service (Including Multi-Language Service Content)
• Customer Portal Profile Management

Yes. OctopusPro allows customers to book your services through your website regardless of where the service will be delivered.

OctopusPro supports three main service delivery types:

• Storefront / fixed-location services – where customers visit your business location, branch, studio, clinic, workshop, or office
• Mobile / on-site services – where your team travels to the customer’s address or service location
• Remote / virtual services – where the service is delivered online or remotely, such as video calls, phone calls, online consultations, coaching, or virtual classes

Can one business support more than one service location type?

Yes. OctopusPro can support one or multiple service delivery types within the same account. This means your business can offer:

• only mobile services
• only storefront services
• only remote services
• or a combination of all three

For example, a business could allow customers to:

• book an in-store appointment
• book an on-site visit at their address
• or book a virtual consultation online

How this works on your website

When your Customer Portal is connected to your website, customers can book services online based on the location type that is enabled for each service.

Depending on your setup, customers may be able to:

• choose a branch or physical location for storefront services
• enter their address for mobile or on-site services
• book remote services without needing a physical location

This means the booking flow adapts to the type of service being offered.

Why this is useful

• More flexible online booking: support different service delivery models from one system
• Better customer experience: customers only see the booking steps relevant to the service they are booking
• Supports business growth: useful for businesses offering hybrid services across mobile, storefront, and remote channels

Important note

If you offer mobile or on-site services, you should also configure your service areas so customers can only book if they are within your supported coverage area.

If you run multiple physical locations, you can also configure separate branches / storefront locations so customers can book the correct site.

Related user guide pages

• Service Delivery Types: Storefront, Mobile & Remote
• Accept Online Bookings Through Your Website
• Managing Remote Work & Service Delivery
• Fieldworker Service Areas & Locations
• Manage Multi-Location Storefront Businesses

Yes. OctopusPro allows customers to book your mobile / on-site services directly through your website using the Customer Portal.

If your business travels to the customer’s location, you can configure your services as mobile services, so customers can enter their address during the online booking process and request service at their home, office, or other site.

How it works

• Your customers visit your website and click your Book Online button or booking link.
• They choose the service they want.
• They enter the service address where the job will take place.
• OctopusPro uses your setup rules, such as service areas, travel radius, and fieldworker coverage, to determine whether the booking can be accepted and which fieldworkers may be suitable.

What you can control

For mobile service businesses, OctopusPro allows you to configure:

• Service areas and travel radius – so customers can only book if they are within your supported coverage area
• Fieldworker service areas – so jobs can be matched to the right fieldworkers based on where they work
• Customer saved addresses / service locations – useful for repeat customers who book services at the same address regularly
• Online payments – if you want customers to pay deposits or full amounts during booking

Can I also offer other types of services?

Yes. OctopusPro supports three main service delivery types:

• Mobile / on-site services – where you travel to your customers
• Storefront / fixed-location services – where customers come to your business location
• Remote / virtual services – where services are delivered online or remotely

This means you can offer only mobile services, or combine mobile services with storefront or virtual services in the same account if needed.

Why this is useful

• Customers can book online 24/7 without calling your office
• Addresses are collected during booking, reducing manual admin
• Service area rules help prevent out-of-area bookings
• Repeat customers can book faster using saved service locations and profile details

In short

Yes, if you provide services at your customers’ locations, OctopusPro can let customers book your mobile services through your website. You simply configure the service as mobile / on-site, connect your Customer Portal to your website, and set your service area rules so bookings are accepted only in the areas you serve.

Related user guide pages

• Service Delivery Types: Storefront, Mobile & Remote
• Accept Online Bookings Through Your Website
• Fieldworker Service Areas & Locations
• Customer Portal Profile Management

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to restrict customer-facing online bookings to specific service areas while still allowing admin / office users to create bookings manually in those same locations from the admin portal.

This is useful if you want customers to book only within your standard service coverage, while still giving your office team the flexibility to enter bookings manually for special cases, approved out-of-area jobs, VIP customers, or locations that require internal review.

How it works

Customer bookings made through the Customer Portal are controlled by your location and availability settings, including:

• Fieldworker service areas – the locations or regions each fieldworker is allowed to service
• Default travel radius – a fallback customer booking radius used when a more specific service area is not defined
• Service delivery type – such as mobile / on-site, storefront, or remote services

These rules help control which locations customers can book online.

What this means in practice

• Customers booking through your website or Customer Portal can be limited to the service areas and travel radius you have configured.
• Admin / office users creating bookings from the OctopusPro dashboard are not limited in the same way by the customer-facing portal radius, so they can still create bookings manually in those areas when needed.

Why businesses use this setup

• Protect service coverage: prevent online bookings from coming in outside your preferred operating area
• Keep admin flexibility: allow your office team to manually approve exceptions
• Reduce scheduling issues: avoid customers booking jobs too far away for standard routing
• Support premium or exception-based work: still accept selected out-of-area jobs without opening that area to all online customers

Best practice

For mobile and on-site service businesses, the best approach is usually to:

• configure fieldworker service areas properly for each team member
• set a sensible default travel radius as a fallback
• use the Customer Portal to restrict public online bookings to your standard coverage area
• let admin users create manual bookings when exceptions need to be approved internally

Important note

If you rely only on the default radius without configuring detailed fieldworker service areas, customer booking eligibility may fall back to that radius instead of more precise territory rules. For more accurate control, it is best to set up both your fieldworker service areas and your default travel radius.

Related user guide pages

• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
• Fieldworker Service Areas & Locations
• Accept Online Bookings Through Your Website
• Service Delivery Types: Storefront, Mobile & Remote

Yes. OctopusPro allows customers to book remote / virtual services through your website using the Customer Portal.

If your business provides services online, you can configure those services as remote services, allowing customers to book appointments that take place by voice call, video call, or another virtual meeting method instead of at a physical location.

Service delivery types supported by OctopusPro

OctopusPro supports three main service delivery types:

• Remote / virtual services – where the service is delivered online or remotely, such as a voice call, video call, online consultation, coaching session, or virtual class
• Mobile / on-site services – where your team travels to the customer’s location
• Storefront / fixed-location services – where customers visit your business location, branch, clinic, studio, workshop, or office

How virtual bookings work through your website

• Customers visit your website and click your Book Online button or booking link
• They choose the virtual service they want to book
• They select a date and time based on your configured availability
• The booking is created as a remote / virtual appointment rather than a location-based job

Because remote services do not require the customer to enter a physical service address, the booking flow is generally simpler than for mobile services.

Who is this useful for?

This setup is ideal for businesses that provide services such as:

• online consultations
• coaching and mentoring
• tele-support or virtual assistance
• online tutoring and education
• remote assessments or advisory services
• virtual wellness or professional service appointments

Can I offer remote services together with other service types?

Yes. OctopusPro can support remote, mobile, and storefront services within the same account.

For example, one business could allow customers to:

• book an online consultation
• book an on-site visit
• or book an in-store appointment

This is useful for businesses that offer a mix of virtual and in-person services.

Why this is useful

• Accept bookings 24/7 through your website
• Expand your service area because remote services are not limited by travel distance
• Reduce admin work by letting customers book online without manual scheduling
• Support hybrid business models that combine online and in-person services

Important note

If your remote service requires a meeting link, call instructions, or connection details, you should make sure these are included in your workflow, communications, or service setup so customers know how to join the appointment.

Related user guide pages

• Service Delivery Types: Storefront, Mobile & Remote
• Managing Remote Work & Service Delivery
• Accept Online Bookings Through Your Website
• Fieldworker Service Areas & Locations
• Manage Multi-Location Storefront Businesses

OctopusPro allows you to control where customers can book by using service areas and a default travel radius. This helps you limit online bookings to the locations your business actually services, while still giving your office team more flexibility to manage exceptions manually.

How service area control works

For mobile / on-site services, OctopusPro can use two main location controls:

• Default travel radius – a company-level fallback radius that sets the general distance customers can book within when no more specific service area is defined.
• Fieldworker service areas – more precise service territories assigned to each fieldworker, which can be based on radius or custom map-drawn areas.

If a fieldworker has a specific service area configured, that is generally more accurate than relying only on a default radius. If no fieldworker-specific service area is set, OctopusPro can fall back to the company’s default travel radius.

Best-practice setup

1. Set your primary business location and service delivery type.
2. Configure a default travel radius to define your general service coverage.
3. Set up fieldworker service areas for more accurate location control.
4. Enable your Customer Portal so online bookings follow those rules.

How bookings are restricted for customers

When customers book through your website or Customer Portal, OctopusPro can validate the booking address against your configured service coverage. This helps prevent customers from booking locations outside your supported area.

Depending on your setup, the system can use:

• your company default travel radius
• your fieldworkers’ individual service areas
• your enabled service delivery type

This is especially useful for mobile businesses that need to control travel distance, dispatch efficiency, and location-based eligibility.

Can admin users still book outside the normal customer area?

Yes. Customer-facing booking restrictions are mainly used to control what customers can request online. Admin / office users can still create bookings manually in the admin portal, including bookings outside the usual online booking area if needed.

This gives your team more flexibility to:

• approve out-of-area jobs manually
• handle VIP or exception bookings
• override standard service area rules when appropriate

Important note for different business types

• Mobile / on-site services: use service areas and travel radius to restrict where customers can book.
• Storefront / fixed-location services: use business locations / branches instead of travel radius rules.
• Remote / virtual services: geographic service area restrictions are usually not required.

In short

To control where customers can book, set a default travel radius and, for better accuracy, configure fieldworker-specific service areas. These rules can restrict online bookings to the locations you serve, while still allowing admin users to create bookings manually when exceptions are needed.

Related user guide pages

• Fieldworker Service Areas & Locations
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
• Accept Online Bookings Through Your Website
• Service Delivery Types: Storefront, Mobile & Remote

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to customize the Customer Portal so it matches your business branding and gives customers a more professional, consistent online experience.

You can tailor the portal’s look and feel by updating key branding elements such as your:

• Logo
• Favicon
• Header background colour
• Header link colours
• Internal link colours
• Buttons and arrows colour
• Homepage background images and visual content

What else can you customize?

In addition to visual styling, you can also make the portal feel more like your own branded website by customizing:

• Portal URL – including your own branded subdomain or white-label domain
• About Us page – to introduce your business and build trust
• Homepage videos – to explain your services or showcase your brand
• Social media icons – to link customers to your social profiles

Why this matters

• Stronger brand consistency: keep your customer-facing experience aligned with your website and marketing materials
• Higher customer trust: a branded portal looks more professional and reassuring
• Better booking experience: customers feel like they are still interacting with your business, not a generic third-party page
• Improved conversions: a polished, well-branded portal can help increase online bookings and enquiries

Important note

OctopusPro gives you strong branding and style controls through the portal settings, but it is still a structured booking portal rather than a fully custom-coded website. This means you can customize the branding, colours, imagery, and customer-facing content, while the overall portal framework and booking flow remain optimized for usability and online bookings.

In short

Yes, you can customize the Customer Portal to match your business branding by adding your logo, adjusting colours, using your own portal URL, and enhancing the portal with your own content such as About Us information, videos, and social media links.

Related user guide pages

• Customer Portal Branding & Style
• Customer Portal General Settings
• Customer Portal URL (Username & White-Label Domain Setup)
• Add an About Us Page to Your Customer Portal
• Add Videos to Your Customer Portal Homepage
• Add Social Media Icons to Your Customer Portal

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to add a Book Online or Book Now button to your website so customers can schedule appointments online through your Customer Portal.

When a customer clicks the button, they are taken into your online booking flow, where they can choose a service, select a time, enter their details, and complete the booking based on your portal settings.

What type of booking buttons can I use?

• General booking button: sends customers to your main Customer Portal or general booking page
• Service-specific booking button: sends customers directly to the booking flow for a specific service
• Gift Voucher button: if gift vouchers are enabled, you can also add a dedicated voucher purchase button to your website

How to add the booking button to your website

1. Go to your Customer Portal settings.
2. Generate the Book Online / Book Now button or direct booking link.
3. Copy the provided code or URL.
4. Paste it into your website where you want the button to appear.

If your website builder supports custom HTML, you can embed the generated button code directly into your page.

If your website builder does not support custom HTML, you can still use the booking link as a normal button, menu item, text link, image link, or call-to-action on your website.

Can I create different buttons for different services?

Yes. OctopusPro supports service-level booking buttons and links, so you can place different booking buttons on different service pages and send customers directly to the exact service they want to book.

This is especially useful if your website has separate pages for each service and you want to reduce extra clicks in the booking process.

Can I customize the appearance of the button?

Yes. You can customise the appearance of your booking button to better match your branding.

Depending on your setup, you can adjust items such as:

• button text
• background colour
• border colour
• style and shape
• width and layout

You can also update your broader portal look and feel through Customer Portal Branding & Style settings.

Why this is useful

• More online bookings: customers can start booking directly from your website
• Better customer experience: fewer steps between viewing a service and booking it
• Flexible integration: works with most website builders using either code snippets or direct links
• Service-specific conversion: place booking buttons exactly where customers are ready to take action

Best practice

For best results, place your booking button in high-visibility areas such as:

• the website header or navigation menu
• your homepage hero section
• individual service pages
• your contact page
• your website footer

Related user guide pages

• Add a Book Online Button to Your Website
• Accept Online Bookings Through Your Website
• Customer Portal Branding & Style

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to add a Gift Voucher or Gift Card button to your website so customers can purchase gift vouchers online through your Customer Portal.

When a customer clicks the button, they are taken into the gift voucher purchase flow, where they can choose the relevant service, enter the required details, and complete payment online, depending on your portal and payment settings.

What gift voucher options can I use?

• General gift voucher button: direct customers to a gift voucher purchase flow from your website.
• Service-specific gift voucher button: create a button for a specific service so customers can buy a voucher tied to that service directly.
• Direct voucher link: if your website builder does not support custom HTML, you can still use a normal voucher URL as a button, menu item, image link, or text link.

How to add the gift voucher button to your website

1. Make sure gift vouchers are enabled in your OctopusPro account.
2. Configure your Customer Portal and online payment methods.
3. Generate the Gift Voucher button or direct voucher link from OctopusPro.
4. Copy the provided HTML code or URL.
5. Paste it into your website where you want the voucher button to appear.

If your website supports custom HTML, you can embed the generated voucher button code directly. If it does not, you can still use the direct voucher link in your website navigation, homepage, landing pages, emails, SMS messages, or social media profiles.

Can I create different voucher buttons for different services?

Yes. OctopusPro supports service-level gift voucher buttons and links, so you can place a specific voucher button on each service page if you want customers to buy a voucher for a particular service instead of a general voucher flow.

Can I customize the appearance of the button?

Yes. You can customise the appearance of your voucher button to better match your brand. Depending on your setup, you can adjust items such as:

• button text
• background colour
• border colour
• button style and shape
• width and general visual appearance

You can also update your overall portal branding, colours, logo, and button styling through Customer Portal Branding & Style settings.

Why this is useful

• Sell gift vouchers online 24/7 without manual processing
• Create new revenue opportunities during promotions, holidays, and seasonal campaigns
• Improve customer convenience by letting buyers purchase vouchers directly from your website
• Support service-specific marketing with voucher buttons placed on individual service pages

Best practice

For best results, place your Gift Voucher button in high-visibility areas such as:

• your website header or navigation menu
• a dedicated gift voucher page
• your homepage hero section
• individual service pages
• seasonal campaign landing pages
• your website footer

Related user guide pages

• Embed a Book Now or Gift Voucher Button
• Sell Gift Vouchers Online
• Add a Book Online Button to Your Website
• Customer Portal Branding & Style
• Customer Portal Payment Methods
• Accept Online Bookings Through Your Website

OctopusPro allows you to control the appointment times customers can choose through a combination of business working hours, fieldworker availability, real-time availability settings, and time slot configuration.

How available booking times are determined

Customer-facing appointment times are mainly controlled by:

• Company working hours – your overall business hours set in the General Fieldworker profile
• Individual fieldworker working hours – each fieldworker’s own roster within company hours
• Blocked times and calendar availability – such as leave, training, partial shifts, or other unavailable periods
• Time slot intervals – the increments customers can choose, such as every 15, 30, or 60 minutes
• Booking start time rules – whether customers choose an exact time or a broader time window

1) Set your business working hours

Your company’s master booking hours are based on the General Fieldworker profile that comes with your account.

To update them:

1. Go to Settings → General Settings → Working Hours, or
2. Go to Fieldworkers → General Fieldworker, then open Job Settings → Working Hours.

These hours act as the outer booking window for your business. Customers cannot book outside these company working hours.

2) Set fieldworker working hours and availability

Each fieldworker can also have their own working hours inside the company’s master hours.

This is important if:

• different fieldworkers work different shifts
• some staff work only certain days
• you need to block leave, public holidays, training, or other unavailable periods

When real-time availability is enabled, OctopusPro checks those individual rosters and blocked times before showing customers available booking times.

3) Enable Real-Time Availability for accurate customer time slots

If Real-Time Availability is enabled in your Customer Portal Flags & Permissions, OctopusPro will only show customers time slots where at least one matching fieldworker is actually available.

This helps prevent:

• double bookings
• unavailable time slots being shown to customers
• avoidable reschedules

If Real-Time Availability is turned off, customers may still request any time that falls inside your company working hours, but that does not mean a fieldworker is actually free at that time. Those bookings usually need to be reviewed and assigned manually by your office team.

4) Set the time slot interval

You can also control how frequently appointment times are offered to customers by setting the time slot interval.

For example:

• 15-minute interval = customers can choose times like 9:00, 9:15, 9:30, 9:45
• 30-minute interval = customers can choose times like 9:00, 9:30, 10:00
• 60-minute interval = customers can choose times like 9:00, 10:00, 11:00

This helps you align the booking experience with the way your business actually schedules work.

5) Decide whether customers choose an exact start time or a time window

OctopusPro also allows you to control how customers choose the requested appointment time in the Customer Portal:

• Exact start time – customers choose a specific available time slot
• Time window / part of day – customers choose a broader time range such as Morning, Afternoon, or Anytime

This is useful if:

• you run precise appointment-based services and want customers to choose an exact time
• you run route-based or mobile services and prefer to give a broader time window instead

Best practice

• Set accurate company working hours
• Keep fieldworker rosters and blocked times up to date
• Enable Real-Time Availability if you want customers to see only truly available times
• Choose a time slot interval that matches your operational workflow
• Use exact times for strict appointment businesses, or time windows for more flexible dispatch-based businesses

In short

Customer appointment times in OctopusPro are controlled by your business working hours, fieldworker availability, real-time availability settings, and time slot rules. If you want the most accurate online booking experience, keep your working hours up to date and enable Real-Time Availability.

Related user guide pages

• Dynamic Real-Time Fieldworker Availability Scheduling
• Manage Fieldworker Working Hours & Availability
• Time Slot Intervals for Online Bookings
• Customer Booking Start Times & Time Windows
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions

In OctopusPro, customers typically select a start time, and the system then calculates and displays the finish time based on the service duration, pricing model, and any related booking inputs.

If you want customers to control how long the appointment should run, there are several ways to set this up depending on how your service is priced.

Best ways to allow customers to control appointment duration

• Charge by time
  Set the service pricing model to Charge by time in the service’s Cost & Pay Rates settings. This is the most direct option when you want customers to choose the amount of time required for the booking.
• Charge by unit, where the unit represents time
  If you prefer to price by units, you can create a unit such as 30 minutes, 1 hour, or another time-based unit and let customers choose the quantity. The finish time is then calculated from the selected quantity.
• Charge by booking, with a custom field that captures time required
  If you use flat-fee pricing but still need to capture how long the job should take, you can add a custom field that asks for the required duration and connect that logic to the service setup.

How the finish time is determined

In most cases, customers do not manually choose a completely separate finish time. Instead, they choose a start time and then OctopusPro calculates the finish time automatically based on:

• the service duration
• the selected time quantity
• any linked custom field values
• your booking interval and availability settings

This is generally the best approach because it keeps scheduling accurate and prevents customers from selecting invalid end times that do not match the configured service duration.

When customers should only choose a start time

If your service is charged per booking or per unit with a fixed expected duration, customers usually only need to select the start time. OctopusPro will then automatically display the expected finish time based on the service configuration.

This is recommended when:

• the service has a standard expected duration
• pricing is fixed and should not change based on how long the customer wants the appointment to run
• you want to avoid customers changing the duration of a predefined service

Other settings that affect the available booking times

To make this work properly, you should also review the following Customer Portal settings:

• Allow customers to select an exact start time – lets customers choose a specific appointment time instead of a broader time window
• Time slot intervals – controls the increments shown to customers, such as every 15, 30, or 60 minutes
• Real-Time Availability – checks fieldworker working hours and calendar availability before showing time slots

If Real-Time Availability is enabled, OctopusPro will only show time slots where at least one matching fieldworker is actually available. This helps prevent double bookings and invalid appointment windows.

Best practice

• Use Charge by time when customers should control the job duration
• Use fixed service duration when the service should always take roughly the same amount of time
• Let OctopusPro calculate the finish time automatically rather than asking customers to manually enter an end time in most cases

In short

If you want customers to influence both the start and finish time, the usual setup is to let them choose the start time and the required duration. OctopusPro then calculates the finish time automatically. This gives customers flexibility while keeping your scheduling logic accurate and consistent.

Related user guide pages

• Customer Booking Start Times & Time Windows
• Create a New Service (Pricing Models, Duration & Cost Settings)
• Time Slot Intervals for Customer Portal Bookings
• Dynamic Real-Time Fieldworker Availability Scheduling
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to stop customers from choosing an exact appointment time and instead let them select a time window or part of day when booking through your Customer Portal.

This is useful for businesses that cannot guarantee an exact arrival time, such as mobile services, route-based services, or businesses that provide customers with an estimated arrival window rather than a fixed appointment time.

How to set it up

1. Go to Settings → Customer Portal → Flags & Permissions.
2. Scroll to the Booking Flags section.
3. Disable the flag: Allow customers to select an exact start time for their bookings.
4. If you want to make time-window selection mandatory, enable the flag: Force customers to select part of day when placing a booking request.
5. Click Save.

What happens when exact start time is disabled?

When this setting is turned off, customers will no longer choose a precise start time such as 10:00 AM. Instead, they can choose a broader booking window or part of day, such as:

• Dawn
• Morning
• Mid-morning
• Noon
• Afternoon
• Evening
• Night
• Midnight

This gives your business more flexibility to organise routes, assign fieldworkers, and manage travel time without committing to a specific arrival minute.

When should you use approximate booking windows?

This setup is recommended if your business:

• cannot reliably guarantee an exact arrival time
• operates mobile or on-site services with variable travel time
• uses dispatch-based scheduling rather than fixed appointment slots
• wants to reduce customer expectations around exact arrival times

How this works with Real-Time Availability

If Real-Time Availability is enabled, OctopusPro checks fieldworker schedules and availability before showing booking options. If exact start times are disabled, customers will still choose an approximate time window rather than a precise time slot.

If Real-Time Availability is turned off, customers can still request a part of day, but your team may need to review and schedule the job manually.

What about time slot intervals?

Time slot intervals mainly affect bookings when customers are allowed to choose an exact start time. If you switch to approximate time windows instead, customers will choose a broader part of day rather than minute-based intervals such as every 15 or 30 minutes.

Best practice

• Use exact start times only if your business can reliably commit to fixed appointment times.
• Use approximate time windows if your scheduling depends on route efficiency, travel distance, fieldworker availability, or variable job duration.
• Enable Force customers to select part of day if you want to make sure every booking request includes a clear time window preference.

In short

Yes, you can restrict customers to selecting an approximate booking time instead of an exact appointment time. Simply disable the exact start time setting in your Customer Portal and, if needed, require customers to choose a part of day when placing their booking request.

Related user guide pages

• Customer Booking Start Times & Time Windows
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
• Time Slot Intervals for Online Bookings
• Dynamic Real-Time Fieldworker Availability Scheduling
• Accept Online Bookings Through Your Website

The Unassigned Tasks Manager acts as your business’s primary scheduling calendar for unassigned quotes and bookings. Its working hours define your company’s core customer-facing booking window, which means customers booking through your Customer Portal cannot request appointments outside those hours.

What this means in practice

• Customer Portal bookings are limited by the Unassigned Tasks Manager working hours – these hours act as the outer booking window for your business.
• Unassigned jobs first land in the Unassigned Tasks Manager calendar – this is your central holding area until an admin manually assigns the work or an automatic assignment workflow takes over.
• Admin users are not restricted in the same way – office/admin users can still create bookings manually outside the customer-facing business hours when needed.

How Real-Time Availability affects this

If Real-Time Availability is enabled, OctopusPro does more than just check the Unassigned Tasks Manager hours. It also looks at each matching fieldworker’s:

• working hours
• calendar availability
• existing bookings and blocked times
• service eligibility and scheduling rules

In that case, customers will only see appointment times where at least one suitable fieldworker is actually available, while still staying inside the overall business hours defined by the Unassigned Tasks Manager.

For example, your Unassigned Tasks Manager could be set to 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, while individual fieldworkers work different shifts within that range. Customers will only see times that fall within the company hours and match real fieldworker availability.

What happens if Real-Time Availability is turned off?

If Real-Time Availability is disabled, customers can request any appointment time that falls within your Unassigned Tasks Manager working hours, even if no fieldworker is currently free at that time.

This gives your office team more flexibility, but it also means:

• bookings may need to be reviewed and confirmed manually
• the risk of double booking is higher
• the Unassigned Tasks Manager becomes even more important as the central holding calendar for new booking requests

Important nuance

If you operate as a single-person business with no additional fieldworkers, the Unassigned Tasks Manager may effectively represent your own availability when Real-Time Availability is enabled.

If you have other fieldworkers, the Unassigned Tasks Manager mainly works as the business-level availability frame and central unassigned calendar. In that case, the actual customer time slots are usually based on the availability of your active fieldworkers rather than the Unassigned Tasks Manager being treated as a bookable worker itself.

Best practice

• Set the Unassigned Tasks Manager working hours to reflect your true customer-facing business hours.
• Keep individual fieldworker working hours and calendars accurate.
• Enable Real-Time Availability if you want customers to see only genuinely available appointment times.
• Disable it only if your team prefers to manually review and organise all new requests.

In short

The Unassigned Tasks Manager working hours define your business’s core online booking availability. Customers cannot book outside those hours. If Real-Time Availability is enabled, OctopusPro then narrows those times further based on actual fieldworker availability. If it is disabled, customers can request any time within the Unassigned Tasks Manager hours, and your team handles scheduling manually afterwards.

Related user guide pages

• Unassigned Tasks Manager
• Dynamic Real-Time Fieldworker Availability Scheduling
• Manage Fieldworker Working Hours & Availability
• Customer Booking Start Times & Time Windows

It depends on your setup.

• If you operate as a single fieldworker and do not have additional fieldworkers, the Unassigned Tasks Manager can effectively represent your own availability, so its calendar availability may be considered when Real-Time Availability is enabled.
• If you have other fieldworkers, the Unassigned Tasks Manager is generally not treated as an available fieldworker when OctopusPro checks who is available for customer bookings. In that case, customer time slots are based on the availability of your actual fieldworkers.

What the Unassigned Tasks Manager is mainly used for

The Unassigned Tasks Manager acts as the central holding calendar for unassigned quotes and bookings. It also helps define your core business booking window, because customer-facing time slots must still fall within your configured business hours.

How Real-Time Availability works

When Real-Time Availability is enabled, OctopusPro checks the working hours and calendar availability of your matching fieldworkers and only shows customers appointment times when at least one suitable fieldworker is actually available.

This means customer time slots are usually limited by:

• your business working hours
• your fieldworkers’ working hours
• their calendar availability and blocked times
• the booking duration
• your time slot interval settings

How time slot intervals affect available appointment times

You can control the spacing between customer-facing time slots by setting a time slot interval, such as 15, 30, or 60 minutes.

For example:

• A 30-minute interval can allow start times such as 1:00 PM, 1:30 PM, 2:00 PM, 2:30 PM, and so on.
• If the selected service takes 1 hour, OctopusPro will only show start times where a fieldworker is free for the full required duration.
• If part of that time is already occupied, overlapping time slots will not be shown as bookable.
• If the booking duration is longer than the fieldworker’s remaining available time, the slot will not be offered to the customer.

Why this matters

This setup helps prevent customers from selecting time slots that do not actually fit within the available schedule of your team. It also helps reduce double bookings and makes online booking more accurate.

Best practice

• Use the Unassigned Tasks Manager to define your core business hours and manage unassigned work.
• Keep your fieldworker working hours and calendars up to date.
• Enable Real-Time Availability if you want customers to see only genuinely available appointment times.
• Choose a time slot interval that matches the way your business schedules jobs.

In short

If you are a single-fieldworker business, the Unassigned Tasks Manager’s availability may be considered when Real-Time Availability is enabled. If you have multiple fieldworkers, OctopusPro mainly checks the availability of those actual fieldworkers instead. In all cases, available customer time slots are also shaped by your business hours, booking duration, and time slot interval settings.

Related user guide pages

• Unassigned Tasks Manager
• Dynamic Real-Time Fieldworker Availability Scheduling
• Time Slot Intervals for Customer Portal Bookings
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions

Yes. When Real-Time Availability is enabled, OctopusPro checks your fieldworkers’ actual availability before showing customers bookable appointment times in the Customer Portal.

This means customers can only choose appointment times when at least one suitable fieldworker is genuinely available based on the service requested and your scheduling rules.

What OctopusPro checks when Real-Time Availability is enabled

When a customer books online, OctopusPro can take into account:

• Fieldworker working hours
• Calendar availability and blocked times
• Existing bookings
• Service eligibility – whether the fieldworker can provide the requested service
• Service areas / locations – for mobile or location-based services
• Booking duration – whether the fieldworker is free for the full required time

How this affects customer-facing time slots

If Real-Time Availability is turned on, customers will only see appointment times that are actually available for at least one matching fieldworker.

This helps prevent:

• double bookings
• invalid appointment requests
• manual rescheduling caused by unavailable staff

What happens if Real-Time Availability is turned off?

If you disable this feature, customers can still request appointments during your general business booking hours, but OctopusPro will not limit those online booking requests based on the current live availability of your fieldworkers.

In that case, your office team may need to manually review, assign, and adjust bookings after they are submitted.

What else affects the times customers can book?

Even when Real-Time Availability is enabled, customer booking times are still shaped by other settings, such as:

• Company working hours
• Time slot intervals – for example, every 15, 30, or 60 minutes
• Minimum notice / lead time
• Booking duration
• Fieldworker service areas – especially for mobile services

For example, a fieldworker may be free from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, but if the service takes 1 hour and the time slot interval is 30 minutes, OctopusPro will only show start times that fit fully inside that available period.

Best practice

• Enable Real-Time Availability if you want customers to see only genuinely available time slots
• Keep fieldworker working hours and blocked times up to date
• Review your time slot intervals and service durations so the booking experience matches how your business actually schedules work

In short

Yes, OctopusPro can consider your fieldworkers’ real-time availability when customers book online. If this feature is enabled, the Customer Portal only shows appointment times where at least one suitable fieldworker is actually available. If it is disabled, customers can request times based on your general booking hours, and your team handles availability manually afterward.

Related user guide pages

• Dynamic Real-Time Fieldworker Availability Scheduling
• Manage Fieldworker Working Hours & Availability
• Time Slot Intervals for Customer Portal Bookings
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
• Fieldworker Service Areas & Locations

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to block specific dates and time periods for yourself or any fieldworker by adding Unavailable Time to the calendar. This is the recommended way to block holidays, vacations, sick leave, training, meetings, public holidays, or any other period when work should not be booked.

What unavailable time blocks do

• Prevent new bookings from being scheduled during the blocked period
• Show your team that the person or time period is not available
• Help keep customer-facing availability accurate when Real-Time Availability is enabled

This can be used for:

• One fieldworker – for personal leave, appointments, training, or breaks
• Multiple fieldworkers – for team meetings, workshops, or group leave
• All fieldworkers / company-wide closures – for public holidays, business shutdowns, or office-wide events

How to block unavailable time from the admin calendar

1. Go to Calendar.
2. Click the relevant date or time slot.
3. Select Add unavailable time.
4. Choose the relevant fieldworker, multiple fieldworkers, or apply it to all fieldworkers if needed.
5. Enter the start and end date/time, add a title or note if required, and save.

You can use this for both partial-day unavailability and full-day or multi-day leave, depending on the date and time range you enter.

Can fieldworkers manage their own leave and availability?

Yes. Fieldworkers can also manage their own availability, depending on your permissions setup.

They can do this from:

• Web: My Account → Job Settings → Working Hours
• Mobile app: Menu → My Working Hours

From there, they can:

• edit their working hours
• mark a day off
• create split shifts
• keep their calendar up to date so online availability stays accurate

How this affects customer bookings

If Real-Time Availability is enabled, blocked time is taken into account when customers book through the Customer Portal. This means customers will only see appointment times when at least one suitable fieldworker is actually available.

If Real-Time Availability is turned off, customers may still request appointments during your general business hours, even if a fieldworker has leave blocked. In that case, your office team will need to review and assign bookings manually.

Important note

Calendar notes are not the same as unavailable time. Notes are useful for reminders and internal planning, but they do not block availability. If you want to stop bookings from being scheduled, use Unavailable Time rather than a calendar note.

Best practice

• Use Unavailable Time for vacations, sick leave, training, and company closures
• Use Working Hours to define normal roster patterns
• Keep Real-Time Availability enabled if you want customers to see only genuinely available appointment times

In short

Yes, you can block leave or any other unavailable period for yourself, one fieldworker, multiple fieldworkers, or your entire team. The best way to do this is by adding Unavailable Time in the calendar. When Real-Time Availability is enabled, these blocked periods will automatically be excluded from the appointment times customers can book online.

Related user guide pages

• Block Unavailable Dates & Times
• Manage Fieldworker Working Hours & Availability
• Dynamic Real-Time Fieldworker Availability Scheduling
• Calendar Overview: Scheduling, Dispatching & Availability
• Fieldworker App Guide: Profile, Availability & Job Updates

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to set time slot intervals for online bookings in your Customer Portal.

Time slot intervals control the step between available booking start times. For example, if you set a 30-minute interval, customers may see appointment start times such as 1:00 PM, 1:30 PM, 2:00 PM, 2:30 PM, and so on, depending on availability.

Important clarification

Time slot intervals are not the same as automatic buffer time. They control how frequently customers can start a booking, not a forced empty gap between jobs. Whether a later slot is still available depends on the booking duration, fieldworker availability, and your real-time scheduling rules.

How time slot intervals work

• Time slots start from the earliest available booking time.
• They continue in the interval you choose, such as every 15, 30, or 60 minutes.
• They only appear while a suitable fieldworker is available for the full duration of the booking.

Example

If your time slot interval is set to 30 minutes and a service takes 1 hour:

• a customer may be able to book at 1:00 PM
• but the overlapping start time at 1:30 PM would not be available if the fieldworker is occupied until 2:00 PM

Likewise, if a fieldworker is only free for 45 minutes and the requested service takes 1 hour, OctopusPro will not show that slot as bookable.

How to set the time slot interval

1. Go to Settings → Customer Portal → Flags & Permissions.
2. Scroll to the Booking Flags section.
3. Find Time slot intervals.
4. Select the interval you want, such as 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or 1 hour.
5. Click Save.

What else affects available time slots?

The time slots shown to customers are also affected by:

• Company working hours
• Fieldworker working hours
• Blocked unavailable time
• Booking duration
• Real-Time Availability settings
• Booking start time rules, such as exact time vs time window

Best practice

• Use a shorter interval such as 15 or 30 minutes if you want customers to have more flexibility.
• Use a longer interval such as 60 minutes if you want a simpler schedule with fewer start-time options.
• Keep Real-Time Availability enabled if you want customers to see only genuinely available time slots.

In short

Yes, you can set time slot intervals between available booking start times in OctopusPro. These intervals determine when customers can begin a booking, while the system still checks the full job duration and actual fieldworker availability before showing a slot as bookable.

Related user guide pages

• Time Slot Intervals for Customer Portal Bookings
• Dynamic Real-Time Fieldworker Availability Scheduling
• Customer Booking Start Times & Time Windows
• Manage Fieldworker Working Hours & Availability

Yes. Admin users can create bookings outside your standard business hours from the OctopusPro admin portal when needed.

Customer-facing online bookings work differently. Customers booking through your Customer Portal are limited by your business’s configured booking hours, so they cannot request appointments outside those customer-facing hours.

How this works

• Admin / office users: can create bookings manually outside normal business hours if needed.
• Customers booking online: can only request times that fall within your configured business hours.

What defines the customer-facing business hours?

Your customer-facing booking window is generally controlled by the working hours configured for the Unassigned Tasks Manager, which acts as the primary business calendar for unassigned booking requests.

This means customers booking through your website or Customer Portal cannot select times outside the business hours set for that profile.

What happens when Real-Time Availability is enabled?

If Real-Time Availability is enabled, OctopusPro does more than just check your business hours. It also checks the real-time availability of your matching fieldworkers, including:

• their working hours
• their calendar availability
• blocked unavailable time
• existing bookings
• service eligibility and other scheduling rules

In that case, customers will only see appointment times that are:

• inside your customer-facing business hours, and
• available for at least one suitable fieldworker

What happens when Real-Time Availability is disabled?

If Real-Time Availability is turned off, customers can still request appointments during your business hours, but OctopusPro will not check whether a fieldworker is actually available at that time.

This means:

• customers still cannot book outside your set business hours
• but they can request times inside business hours even if no fieldworker is currently available
• your office team may then need to review, assign, or adjust those bookings manually

Important clarification

Disabling Real-Time Availability does not let customers book outside your business hours. It only removes the live fieldworker-availability check within those hours.

Why businesses use this setup

• Admin flexibility: office staff can create special bookings outside normal hours when required
• Controlled customer booking: online customers can only request times that match your published operating hours
• Better scheduling accuracy: when Real-Time Availability is enabled, customers only see genuinely available times

In short

Yes, admin users can schedule appointments outside your normal business hours. However, customers booking through your Customer Portal cannot book outside the customer-facing hours you have set. If Real-Time Availability is disabled, customers may request times within business hours without checking live fieldworker availability, but they still cannot book outside those hours.

Related user guide pages

• Unassigned Tasks Manager
• Dynamic Real-Time Fieldworker Availability Scheduling
• Manage Fieldworker Working Hours & Availability
• Accept Online Bookings Through Your Website

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to let customers request appointments during your standard business hours even if no fieldworker is currently available at the time of booking.

By default, OctopusPro uses Real-Time Availability to check whether at least one suitable fieldworker is actually available before showing a time slot to the customer. This helps prevent double bookings and reduces the need for manual rescheduling.

How to allow bookings without checking live fieldworker availability

If you want customers to book anytime within your business hours, regardless of fieldworker availability, you can disable Real-Time Availability in your Customer Portal settings.

1. Go to Settings → Customer Portal → Flags & Permissions.
2. Find the Real-Time Availability setting.
3. Turn it off.
4. Save your changes.

What happens when Real-Time Availability is turned off?

• Customers can request appointments at any time that falls within your configured business working hours.
• OctopusPro will not check whether a fieldworker is actually free at that time before allowing the booking request.
• These bookings may need to be reviewed, assigned, confirmed, or adjusted manually by your office team afterward.

What still limits customer booking times?

Even when Real-Time Availability is disabled, customers are still limited by your general customer-facing booking hours, such as:

• business working hours
• customer portal booking rules
• service delivery settings

So disabling Real-Time Availability does not allow customers to book outside your business hours. It only removes the live fieldworker availability check within those hours.

When would you use this setup?

This setup is useful if your business prefers to:

• accept booking requests first and confirm staffing later
• manually review and assign jobs after the booking is submitted
• offer more flexible request-based scheduling instead of strict live availability booking

Important note

If you disable Real-Time Availability, there is a higher risk of booking requests being submitted for times where no fieldworker is actually available. For that reason, this setup usually works best for businesses that are comfortable reviewing and managing bookings manually after they come in.

Best practice

• Enable Real-Time Availability if you want customers to see only genuinely available appointment times.
• Disable Real-Time Availability if you want customers to request any time within business hours and your team will handle availability checks manually afterward.

In short

Yes, you can allow customers to book during your business hours without checking fieldworker availability. To do this, disable Real-Time Availability in your Customer Portal settings. Customers will then be able to request appointments anytime within your configured business hours, while your office team manages availability and scheduling afterward.

Related user guide pages

• Dynamic Real-Time Fieldworker Availability Scheduling
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
• Manage Fieldworker Working Hours & Availability
• Accept Online Bookings Through Your Website

OctopusPro allows you to create split shifts for each fieldworker, which is the standard way to set breaks during the day.

Instead of entering one continuous shift, you can add multiple working-hour blocks on the same day. Any time between those blocks is treated as unavailable time / break time.

Example

If a fieldworker works:

• 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM
• 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM

then the time between 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM is treated as a break and will not be available for booking.

How to set break periods using split shifts

1. Open the fieldworker’s profile.
2. Go to Job Settings → Working Hours.
3. Add the first working-hour block for the day.
4. Click Add more hours and add another block for the same day.
5. Save your changes.

You can add as many working-hour blocks as needed for the same day, which makes it easy to manage lunch breaks, long gaps between shifts, morning and evening availability, or any other split-day schedule.

Who can update working hours?

• Admin / office users can update working hours for any fieldworker from the web portal.
• Fieldworkers can also update their own working hours if permitted:
  • Web: My Account → Job Settings → Working Hours
  • Mobile app: Menu → My Working Hours

Important notes

• A fieldworker’s working hours must stay within your company working hours.
• If Real-Time Availability is enabled, OctopusPro will consider those split shifts and break periods when showing appointment times to customers.
• This means customers will not see time slots during the fieldworker’s break.

When should I use split shifts vs unavailable time?

• Use split shifts for regular recurring breaks, such as lunch breaks or standard daily breaks.
• Use Unavailable Time for one-off or special situations, such as leave, appointments, training, meetings, or temporary breaks that do not happen every week.

In short

To set breaks for a fieldworker, create multiple working-hour blocks on the same day. The time between those blocks is automatically treated as break time and, when Real-Time Availability is enabled, customers will not be able to book during that period.

Related user guide pages

• Manage Fieldworker Working Hours & Availability
• Block Unavailable Dates & Times
• Dynamic Real-Time Fieldworker Availability Scheduling
• Calendar Overview
• Fieldworker Calendar & Availability

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to set a minimum advance notice for new online bookings in your Customer Portal settings. This works as a booking lead-time rule, so customers can only select appointment times that fall outside the notice period you define.

This helps reduce last-minute bookings and gives your business enough time to prepare, confirm availability, arrange travel, and assign the right fieldworker.

For example, if you set a 60-minute minimum advance notice, customers will not be able to book an appointment that starts within the next 60 minutes. Only time slots outside that notice window will be available during the online booking process.

You can also choose how the notice period is calculated using the Minimum notice time starting from setting:

• Current time – applies a rolling lead time from the moment the customer is making the booking.
• Beginning of working hours – applies the notice period from the start of your business or fieldworker working hours, which is useful if you want more control over same-day availability.

To configure this setting, go to Settings → Customer Portal → Flags & Permissions → Booking Flags.

You may also want to review your time slot intervals, working hours, and booking availability settings, as these can affect which appointment times are shown to customers.

Learn more:

• Minimum Advance Notice for Online Bookings
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
• Time Slot Intervals for Customer Portal Bookings

You can control how soon clients are allowed to book appointments online by setting a minimum advance notice in your Customer Portal settings. This acts as a booking lead-time rule, helping ensure your team has enough time to prepare, confirm the booking, assign staff, and travel to the job if needed.

For example, if you set a 90-minute minimum advance notice, clients will not be able to select appointment times that start within the next 90 minutes. Only available time slots outside that notice period will appear during the online booking process.

You can also choose how the notice period is calculated using the Minimum notice time starting from setting:

• Current time – counts forward from the time the customer is booking.
• Beginning of working hours – counts from the start of your business or fieldworker working hours, which is useful when you want a more consistent earliest booking time each day.

Keep in mind that the appointment options shown to clients are also affected by your time slot intervals, business and fieldworker working hours, and whether real-time fieldworker availability is enabled. These settings work together to control which dates and times are available for online booking.

To configure this, go to Settings → Customer Portal → Flags & Permissions → Booking Flags.

Learn more:

• Minimum Advance Notice for Online Bookings
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
• Time Slot Intervals for Customer Portal Bookings
• Manage Fieldworker Working Hours & Availability
• Real-Time Fieldworker Availability Scheduling

OctopusPro does not automatically calculate travel time when customers schedule appointments through your embedded Customer Portal. However, you can still manage travel time effectively by configuring your online booking settings so customers only see appointment options that work for your business.

The main setting used for this is Time slot intervals. These intervals control the available booking start times shown to customers, such as every 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or 1 hour. This helps you space out appointments in a way that better suits your scheduling and dispatch workflow.

For example, if you set a 30-minute time slot interval, customers can choose start times such as 9:00 AM, 9:30 AM, 10:00 AM, and so on. If a booked service takes 1 hour, any overlapping start times during that period will no longer be available for other bookings.

You can also use a minimum advance notice for new bookings to give your team extra time to prepare, confirm the job, and travel to the site. For example, if you set a 90-minute minimum notice, customers will not be able to book an appointment that starts within the next 90 minutes.

The appointment times shown to customers are also affected by your fieldworker working hours, calendar blocks, real-time availability settings, and, for mobile or on-site services, your service areas or travel radius. Together, these settings help ensure customers only book times and locations that your business can realistically service.

If your business cannot guarantee an exact arrival time because of traffic, routing, or variable job durations, it is often better to let customers choose a time window instead of an exact start time. This gives your dispatch team more flexibility while still allowing customers to request a preferred booking period.

To configure these settings, go to Settings → Customer Portal → Flags & Permissions.

Learn more:

• Time Slot Intervals for Customer Portal Bookings
• Minimum Advance Notice for Online Bookings
• Customer Booking Start Times and Time Windows
• Dynamic Real-Time Fieldworker Availability Scheduling
• Manage Fieldworker Working Hours & Availability
• Fieldworker Service Areas & Locations

To make sure you receive notifications when a new booking is created through your website or Customer Portal, first review your notification settings in OctopusPro and make sure the relevant booking alerts are enabled for your user account.

Go to Notifications → Settings, then choose which booking-related events you want to receive and how they should be delivered. Depending on your setup, notifications can be sent through push notifications, email, and SMS.

For mobile push notifications, install the OctopusPro app, log in using your admin or office user account, and make sure notifications are allowed on your device. If the same login has access to more than one role, confirm that you are signed in to the correct account role. You should also check that your phone is not blocking alerts through Focus mode, Do Not Disturb, or battery-saving restrictions.

If you prefer email notifications, enable email as one of your notification channels in the same notification settings area. If you want to use SMS notifications as a backup for urgent new booking alerts, make sure SMS notifications are enabled and that your SMS configuration is active on your account.

Even if a mobile push notification is missed, you can still review new alerts from the Notifications area inside the OctopusPro web portal or app.

If you also want your fieldworkers to be alerted when a new booking is created, OctopusPro can notify matching fieldworkers through the app, and optionally by SMS, depending on your dispatch and notification settings. If automatic job assignment is enabled, the system can send the booking request to eligible fieldworkers based on factors such as service, availability, and service area. The first qualified fieldworker to accept the request can then be assigned automatically.

To make this work reliably, it is important to ensure that your users are logged in, device notifications are enabled, notification channels are configured correctly, and your dispatch rules are set up properly.

Learn more:

• Notifications, Discussions, Call & SMS Alerts
• Log In to the OctopusPro App
• Fieldworker App Real-Time Notifications
• Job Assignment & Dispatch
• Allow Fieldworkers to Accept or Decline Job Requests

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to sell gift vouchers / gift cards through your Customer Portal, including when the portal is embedded into your website. Once enabled, customers can purchase a gift voucher online and send it to a recipient as a prepaid service gift.

To enable this feature, go to Settings → Customer Portal → Flags & Permissions and turn on Allow customers to buy gift cards.

You can also control gift voucher availability at the service level. This means you can choose which services can be purchased as gift vouchers and which ones cannot. The gift voucher purchase option will only appear for eligible services that have gift card purchasing enabled in their service settings.

Customers can either buy gift vouchers through your full Customer Portal or use a dedicated Gift Voucher / Gift Card button that you can embed on your website, landing pages, emails, or promotional campaigns.

Gift vouchers must usually be paid in full at checkout before they are issued. After payment is completed, the buyer receives a confirmation, and the recipient receives the gift voucher details and a redeem link they can use to book the service later.

The recipient can redeem the gift voucher online through your Customer Portal, and depending on your workflow, your office team can also assist with redemption manually when creating or managing the booking.

This is a great way to increase prepaid sales, attract new customers, run seasonal promotions, and offer giftable services such as consultations, lessons, packages, treatments, or prepaid service amounts.

If you later disable gift voucher sales, this will stop customers from purchasing new gift vouchers, but existing issued vouchers can still be redeemed according to your current setup and voucher terms.

Learn more:

• Sell Gift Vouchers Online (Gift Cards)
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
• Create and Configure a Service
• How to Embed Book Now & Gift Voucher Buttons
• Payment Methods for Customer Checkouts during Online Bookings
• Customer Portal Profile Management

Yes. OctopusPro allows customers to create repeat and recurring bookings through your Customer Portal when this feature is enabled.

To allow this, go to Settings → Customer Portal → Flags & Permissions and enable Allow customers to make repeat/recurring bookings.

Once enabled, customers can choose from the following booking options during checkout:

• Single booking – a one-time appointment
• Repeat once – one follow-up appointment
• Recurring series – multiple future appointments created in one booking flow

Depending on your setup, customers can select a start date, choose an end date or number of occurrences, and set the recurrence pattern, such as daily, weekly, fortnightly, monthly, or other supported intervals.

Before confirming the booking, customers can review the generated schedule of dates and times. This makes it easier to book ongoing services such as regular cleaning, maintenance visits, treatments, lessons, inspections, or any service delivered on a repeated schedule.

Available recurring booking dates and times are still controlled by your normal online booking rules, including service availability, working hours, time slot intervals, exact start time or time window settings, and any fieldworker availability or service area restrictions you have in place.

You can also manage recurring bookings internally after they are created, including editing appointments, assigning fieldworkers, and applying your preferred invoicing setup for repeat work.

Learn more:

• Allow Customers to Make Repeat / Recurring Bookings
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
• Set Up Recurring & Repeat Bookings
• Time Slot Intervals for Customer Portal Bookings
• Customer Booking Start Times & Time Windows
• Dynamic Real-Time Fieldworker Availability Scheduling

Yes. OctopusPro can allow customers to cancel or reschedule their bookings online through your Customer Portal, including when it is embedded into your website.

When enabled, customers can manage their booking from the booking confirmation page, the booking view page in the Customer Portal, or through the cancel and reschedule links included in your booking confirmation and reminder emails.

You can control these permissions separately in Settings → Customer Portal → Flags & Permissions, so you can choose to allow cancellations, rescheduling, both, or neither.

If you allow rescheduling, OctopusPro can handle this in two different ways:

• Real-time availability enabled – customers can only choose appointment times that are currently available based on matching fieldworker availability, working hours, and blocked calendar events.
• Real-time availability disabled – customers can choose any time within your configured business working hours, without checking live availability conflicts at the time of booking.

You can also enforce a minimum cancellation and rescheduling notice period. This lets you define how many hours before the appointment customers are still allowed to make changes. If they try to cancel or reschedule after that cut-off time, OctopusPro will block the action and display your custom message, such as asking them to contact your office directly.

If you do not want customers to cancel or reschedule online, simply disable these options in your Customer Portal settings. You should also remove any cancel or reschedule links from your Booking Confirmation and Booking Reminder email templates to prevent customers from accessing those actions through email.

This gives you full control over how much self-service flexibility you want to offer, while still protecting your scheduling rules, staff availability, and cancellation policy.

Learn more:

• Customer Self-Service Appointment Rescheduling
• Minimum Cancellation Notice Time (Customer Portal)
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
• Dynamic Real-Time Fieldworker Availability Scheduling
• Send Booking Confirmations (Email, SMS & WhatsApp)

Yes. OctopusPro gives customers a secure Customer Portal where they can log in and manage their account, bookings, invoices, files, and other self-service options, depending on which features you have enabled.

Customers can access the portal from your website or embedded booking page. They can either:

• Use guest access with a booking number and email address to view a specific booking, or
• Create or activate an account to log in with a password and manage their broader customer profile and booking history.

Once logged in, customers can manage details such as their name, phone number, email address, saved locations, additional contacts, password, and profile information. If enabled in your setup, they may also be able to save payment methods for faster future bookings and repeat services.

Customers can also view and manage their bookings, including checking booking details, viewing upcoming and past appointments, and using available self-service actions such as rescheduling or cancelling, if you have allowed those options in your Customer Portal settings.

If invoices are enabled in your workflow, customers can also view their invoices, receipts, and payment-related information through the portal or from links sent in your booking and invoice communications.

For images and files, OctopusPro supports customer uploads in two main ways:

• Photo uploads during online booking – useful when you want customers to attach images while requesting or creating a booking.
• File and document uploads on the booking page – useful when customers need to upload PDFs, permits, plans, forms, or other supporting documents after the booking has been created.

The exact features available to customers depend on your Customer Portal Flags & Permissions and related payment, communication, and portal settings. If you do not want customers to access certain features, you can disable them in the Customer Portal settings.

Also note that the default booking confirmation and reminder templates may include links that let customers view bookings, reschedule, cancel, communicate with your office, or upload files. If you do not want to expose some of these actions, you should update both your portal permissions and the relevant email templates.

Learn more:

• Customer Portal Profile Management
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
• Customer Portal Payment Methods
• Allow Customers to Upload Photos When Making a Booking
• Allow Customers to Upload PDFs & Documents to a Booking
• Send Booking Confirmations
• Manage Email Templates & Canned Responses

Yes. OctopusPro allows customers to upload photos, PDF documents, and other file attachments to records they can access through the Customer Portal. Depending on your workflow and portal configuration, this can include inquiries, quotes, bookings, invoices, and complaints/issues.

This makes it easy for customers to share supporting information such as site photos, plans, permits, receipts, approvals, reference images, insurance documents, or other job-related files without needing to email your office separately.

Customers can upload files from any modern desktop or mobile browser through the Customer Portal, as long as the relevant attachment features are enabled for that part of the workflow. For example, photo uploads during checkout are controlled separately from document uploads on the booking page after a booking has already been created.

Once uploaded, the attachments are stored against the relevant record so your admin users and, where applicable, the assigned fieldworkers can view them in OctopusPro. This helps keep all job-related information in one place and improves communication between the customer, office team, and field staff.

OctopusPro can also notify your team when customers add attachments, helping your office and fieldworkers stay updated when new documents or images are submitted.

If you want customers to upload files specifically during the booking process, you should enable the photo upload option for checkout. If you want them to upload files after a booking is created, such as PDFs, forms, or additional supporting documents, you should enable the separate booking attachment option in your Customer Portal settings.

Learn more:

• Upload Images, PDFs & Documents to Bookings, Quotes & Inquiries
• Allow Customers to Upload PDFs & Documents to a Booking
• Allow Customers to Upload Photos During Online Booking
• Manage Quote Attachments
• Attach Files & Photos to Inquiries
• Attach Files to Invoices
• Add & Manage Issues & Complaints

Yes. OctopusPro can allow customers to see a fieldworker’s live status, estimated time of arrival (ETA), and en-route location updates when GPS tracking and customer-facing tracking notifications are enabled.

Typically, tracking begins when the assigned fieldworker taps On the Way in the OctopusPro Fieldworker App. At that point, the system can start live GPS tracking, calculate the ETA, and make that progress visible to office users and, where enabled, to the customer as well.

Customers may be able to access these updates from the booking page in the Customer Portal and, depending on your communication setup, through an SMS notification that includes the ETA and an optional live tracking link.

This is especially useful for mobile service businesses because it helps reduce “Where is my technician?” calls, improves transparency, and gives customers more confidence about when your fieldworker will arrive.

Tracking is not designed to be continuous 24/7 monitoring. It is generally tied to the job workflow, such as when the fieldworker is travelling to the booking, arrives on site, starts the job, and finishes or checks out.

If you do not want customers to track fieldworkers, you can disable the relevant customer notification and tracking-related settings, and remove any ETA or tracking links from your customer communication templates. You can also control how your fieldworkers use the On the Way workflow and whether customer-facing updates are sent when that status is triggered.

Learn more:

• Real-Time Fieldworker GPS Tracking & Geofencing
• On-the-Way SMS Notifications (ETA & Tracking)
• Fieldworker Check-In / Check-Out Tracking & GPS Time Logs
• Navigate to Customer Locations: Directions, ETA & Auto Check-Out
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to display a Contact Us / inquiry form in your Customer Portal so website visitors and customers can submit service enquiries, quote requests, or general questions without needing to make a booking straight away.

To enable this feature, go to Settings → Customer Portal → Flags & Permissions and turn on Display link to “Contact us” page in menu.

Once enabled, a Contact Us link will appear in your Customer Portal menu. When customers click it, they are taken to your inquiry / lead capture form where they can submit details such as their name, contact information, service address, service requirements, and any additional notes or questions.

When the form is submitted, OctopusPro automatically creates an Inquiry record in your system. Your team can then review the enquiry, follow up with the customer, qualify the lead, add notes, send communications, and convert the inquiry into a quote or a booking when the customer is ready to proceed.

This is especially useful for businesses that want to capture leads from customers who are not ready to book immediately, need a custom quote first, or want to ask questions before committing to a service.

If you want a lead form directly on your public website outside the Customer Portal menu, OctopusPro also supports a separate website lead capture form / inquiry widget that you can embed on landing pages, contact pages, or service pages.

Learn more:

• Customer Portal Contact Us Form & Lead Capture
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
• Inquiries & Lead Management
• Create and Manage Inquiries
• Lead Capture Form (Website Inquiry Widget)

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to publish a fieldworker directory in your Customer Portal and make individual fieldworker profiles visible to customers.

To enable this, go to Settings → Customer Portal → Flags & Permissions and turn on Display fieldworker list and make fieldworker profiles public.

Once enabled, a Fieldworkers page will appear in your Customer Portal navigation, allowing customers to browse your active team members and open their public profiles.

Depending on your settings, each public profile can include details such as the fieldworker’s name, photo, bio/about information, services, customer ratings, social media links, date joined, working hours, and any custom profile fields that you choose to make visible to customers.

If you also want customers to choose a specific team member when booking, you can enable Allow customers to select preferred fieldworker when making a booking. This works especially well when public fieldworker profiles are enabled, because customers can review profiles first and then request the fieldworker they prefer.

If real-time availability is enabled, OctopusPro will only show booking times when a matching fieldworker is actually available based on their working hours, calendar availability, and existing schedule. This helps customers view available appointment times more accurately when requesting a preferred fieldworker.

If you prefer not to show your team publicly, simply disable the fieldworker list / public profile setting. You can also control which profile details are shown by enabling or disabling the related fieldworker visibility options.

Learn more:

• Display Fieldworker List on Customer Portal (Public Profiles)
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
• Accept Online Bookings Through Your Website
• Dynamic Real-Time Fieldworker Availability Scheduling
• Display Fieldworker Working Hours in Customer Portal
• Display Fieldworker Social Media Links on the Customer Portal
• Display Fieldworker Date Joined on the Customer Portal
• Fieldworker Profile Customization Using Custom Fields

Yes. OctopusPro allows customers to request a preferred fieldworker during the online booking process when this feature is enabled in your Customer Portal settings.

To enable this, go to Settings → Customer Portal → Flags & Permissions and turn on Allow customers to select preferred fieldworker when making a booking.

When enabled, customers can browse your public fieldworker profiles and choose the team member they would prefer to book. This is especially useful for repeat customers who want to work with the same technician again, or for businesses where trust, familiarity, and individual reputation are important.

This feature works best when you also enable Display fieldworker list and make fieldworker profiles public, so customers can review available team members before making their selection.

Depending on the profile visibility settings you enable, customers may be able to view details such as the fieldworker’s photo, bio, star rating, date joined, working hours, social media links, and selected custom profile fields. This helps customers make a more informed choice before submitting their booking request.

Please note that selecting a fieldworker is generally treated as a preferred fieldworker request. Final assignment can still depend on your booking rules, service setup, fieldworker availability, and job assignment workflow.

• If the selected fieldworker is available and your workflow allows direct assignment, the booking can be assigned to that fieldworker.
• If you allow fieldworkers to accept or decline booking requests, the selected fieldworker can review the request in the Fieldworker App and either accept or decline it.
• If the selected fieldworker declines the request, OctopusPro can fall back to your normal assignment workflow so the booking can still be managed by your office team.

If you use real-time availability, customers will only be shown booking options that match actual fieldworker availability based on working hours, calendar blocks, and existing bookings.

If you do not want customers to choose a preferred fieldworker, simply disable this option in your Customer Portal settings.

Learn more:

• Allow Customers to Select a Preferred Fieldworker When Making a Booking
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
• Display Fieldworker List on Customer Portal
• Display Fieldworker Star Ratings on the Customer Portal
• Display Fieldworker Date Joined on the Customer Portal
• Fieldworker Profile Customization Using Custom Fields
• Accept Online Bookings Through Your Website

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to display a fieldworker’s contact details, such as their email address and phone number, to customers through your Customer Portal when this feature is enabled.

To turn this on, go to Settings → Customer Portal → Flags & Permissions and enable Display fieldworker contact details like email and phone number to customers.

When enabled, customers can directly contact the assigned fieldworker where this is appropriate for your workflow. This can be useful for businesses that want customers and fieldworkers to coordinate directly about arrival details, site access, parking, gate codes, or other appointment-related information.

Whether you should enable this depends on your business model and communication policy. Some businesses prefer all customer communication to go through the office or dispatch team, while others allow direct contact with the assigned fieldworker for convenience and faster coordination.

If you do not want customers to contact fieldworkers directly, simply leave this setting disabled. You can still show other fieldworker profile details to customers, such as their name, photo, rating, bio, working hours, and public profile information, without displaying direct contact details.

This setting is separate from other public fieldworker profile options, so you can control exactly what customer-facing information is shown in the portal.

Learn more:

• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
• Accept Online Bookings Through Your Website
• Display Fieldworker List on Customer Portal
• Restrict Fieldworker Communication with Customers Before Booking Start Time
• Fieldworker Profile Customization Using Custom Fields

Not as a standard customer-facing profile field.

In OctopusPro, fieldworker service pay rates, commissions, and compensation settings are primarily designed for internal payroll, payout, and cost-management workflows, rather than for display in public fieldworker profiles on your Customer Portal.

Customer-facing fieldworker profiles are generally intended to show information that helps customers choose and trust the right team member, such as the fieldworker’s name, photo, bio, contact details (if you allow them), ratings, date joined, working hours, social links, and any custom profile fields that you choose to make public.

If your goal is to show customers service pricing, it is better to display pricing at the service level rather than exposing internal worker compensation. This keeps your pricing clear for customers while keeping payroll settings private and easier to manage.

If you want to show additional public information on fieldworker profiles, you can use fieldworker custom fields and control whether each one is visible on the Customer Portal.

For example, instead of showing internal pay rates, you could display customer-friendly profile details such as:

• specialties or certifications
• years of experience
• languages spoken
• service coverage areas
• equipment, vehicle type, or service capabilities

This approach gives customers useful booking information without exposing internal compensation data.

Learn more:

• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
• Display Fieldworker List on Customer Portal
• Fieldworker Profile Customization Using Custom Fields
• Fieldworker Commission & Pay Rates
• Create and Configure a Service

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to display fieldworker star ratings to customers in your Customer Portal.

To enable this, go to Settings → Customer Portal → Flags & Permissions and turn on Display fieldworker star rating to customers.

When enabled, the fieldworker’s average star rating appears on their public profile in the Customer Portal. This helps build trust, gives customers more confidence when choosing a technician, and is especially useful if you allow customers to request or select a preferred fieldworker.

Please note that this feature works together with your public fieldworker profile settings. In most cases, you should also enable Display fieldworker list and make fieldworker profiles public, otherwise customers will not be able to browse fieldworker profiles and view their ratings.

The star rating shown is based on real customer feedback collected through OctopusPro’s built-in rating system. If you are not yet collecting customer ratings, or if a fieldworker has not received any ratings yet, no star rating may appear on the profile until feedback is submitted.

If you want to actively collect ratings, you can also enable Allow customers to rate your bookings through the booking page. This lets customers leave a rating after a completed booking, helping you build genuine fieldworker rating history over time.

Admin users can also review, manage, and reset customer ratings from the related booking record if needed.

Learn more:

• Display Fieldworker Star Ratings on the Customer Portal
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
• Display Fieldworker List on Customer Portal
• Customer Feedback, Ratings & Reviews

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to display fieldworker working hours to customers in the Customer Portal, provided that public fieldworker profiles are enabled.

To enable this, go to Settings → Customer Portal → Flags & Permissions and turn on Display Fieldworker Working Hours on the portal.

When enabled, customers can view the working hours listed on each public fieldworker profile. This can help customers understand when a fieldworker is generally available and can be especially useful if you allow customers to browse your team or request a preferred fieldworker when booking.

Please note that this setting only works when fieldworker profiles are public. If you disable Display fieldworker list and make fieldworker profiles public, customers will not be able to see fieldworker profiles, including their working hours.

Also keep in mind that displayed working hours are not the same as guaranteed available appointment slots. Actual online booking availability can still be affected by factors such as existing bookings, blocked calendar events, leave, service areas, and real-time availability settings.

If you want the information shown to customers to remain accurate, make sure each fieldworker’s working hours are kept up to date in their profile.

Learn more:

• Show Technician Working Hours in Customer Portal
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
• Display Fieldworker List on Customer Portal
• Manage Fieldworker Working Hours & Availability
• Dynamic Real-Time Fieldworker Availability Scheduling

OctopusPro allows you to display your business social media links in the Customer Portal by adding clickable social media icons. These icons appear in the footer of your Customer Portal and open in a new browser tab, so customers can visit your social pages without leaving the booking flow.

To add your social media links, go to Settings → Customer Portal, then scroll to the Social Networks section. Select the social media platform you want to add, enter the full URL for your profile or page, and save your changes. Repeat the same steps for each platform you want to display.

This is a simple way to strengthen your brand presence, build trust, and encourage customers to connect with your business on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, or other supported networks.

For best results, make sure you enter the full public URL for each social profile and review your portal after saving to confirm the icons display correctly.

Learn more:

• Customer Portal Social Media Icons (Social Networks)
• Accept Online Bookings on Your Website (Customer Portal)

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to display a fieldworker’s social media and profile links on their public fieldworker profile in the Customer Portal.

To enable this, go to Settings → Customer Portal → Flags & Permissions and turn on Display fieldworker social networks links.

When this setting is enabled, customers will see social media icons on each public fieldworker profile. Clicking an icon opens the saved social profile or website link, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or a portfolio page.

Please note that this feature works only when fieldworker profiles are public. If Display fieldworker list and make fieldworker profiles public is disabled, customers will not be able to open fieldworker profiles or view their social links.

Social links are saved per fieldworker, so each fieldworker can have their own set of profile links. If a fieldworker does not have any social links saved, no social icons will appear on their profile even if the display setting is enabled.

Fieldworkers can update their own social links from their profile, and admin users can also add or edit these links on behalf of fieldworkers. This gives you flexibility to keep public profiles up to date and consistent with your branding or team profile standards.

This feature is useful if you want customers to learn more about your team members, view professional profiles, or connect with the fieldworker’s public brand presence, while still keeping the information organised inside the Customer Portal.

Learn more:

• Display Fieldworker Social Media Links on the Customer Portal
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
• Display Fieldworker List on Customer Portal
• Fieldworker Profile Management

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to display the estimated booking duration to customers while they are selecting an appointment date and time in your Customer Portal.

To enable this, go to Settings → Customer Portal → Flags & Permissions and turn on Display booking duration / estimated time to customers.

When this setting is enabled, customers will see the estimated time required for the selected service during the availability / requested time step of the online booking process. This helps set clear expectations before the booking is submitted and can reduce questions such as how long the appointment is likely to take.

The estimated duration shown to customers is based primarily on the service duration configured for the selected service. If your booking flow includes custom fields, add-ons, or service options that affect how long the job takes, the displayed estimate can also change depending on the customer’s selections.

For example, if a standard service is set to take 2 hours, that estimated duration can be shown to the customer during booking. If the customer selects additional options that increase the service time, the estimate can be adjusted accordingly based on how your services and booking steps are configured.

To make sure the duration shown is accurate, you should keep your service durations up to date and review any booking options that may increase or reduce the appointment time.

Please note that the estimated duration is different from the available booking time slots. The duration tells customers how long the appointment is expected to take, while the available start times are still controlled by your time slot intervals, working hours, minimum notice settings, and fieldworker availability.

Learn more:

• Display Booking Duration (Estimated Time) to Customers
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
• Create a New Service
• Custom Fields for Booking, Lead Capture & CRM
• Time Slot Intervals for Customer Portal Bookings

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to offer both bank transfer and cash as payment options during the online booking process in your Customer Portal.

These are treated as offline payment methods. This means customers can select them during checkout, and OctopusPro will display your payment instructions instead of processing the payment through an online gateway.

To make these payment methods available to customers, there are two steps:

• First, enable the payment methods in Settings → Financial Settings → Payment Integration.
• Then, go to Settings → Customer Portal → General Settings → Payment Methods and turn on the payment methods you want to show during checkout.

If a payment method is not enabled in your Financial Settings, it will not be available to display in the Customer Portal.

When you enable Bank Transfer, you can display your bank account details and add a custom message with payment instructions, such as your account name, bank name, BSB / account number or IBAN / SWIFT details, and the reference customers should include when making payment.

When you enable Cash, customers will see cash as a payment option during checkout. You can also add notes to explain your process, such as whether payment is due on arrival, on completion, or under another arrangement.

Please note that payment methods and payment terms are separate settings in OctopusPro:

• Payment methods control how customers can pay, such as card, cash, or bank transfer.
• Payment terms control when and how much customers need to pay, such as a deposit, full payment upfront, or pay later.

This means you can, for example, require a deposit online and allow the remaining balance to be paid later by cash or bank transfer, depending on your workflow.

For best results, test your Customer Portal checkout after enabling these settings to make sure the correct payment options, instructions, and payment timing are displayed to customers.

Learn more:

• Payment Methods for Customer Checkouts during Online Bookings
• Customer Portal General Settings
• Payment Methods Configuration
• Service Payment Terms
• Bank Details Setup
• Accept Online Bookings Through Your Website

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to show service pricing, minimum starting prices, and customer-facing custom-field questions in your Customer Portal. You can also choose how much pricing detail customers see before and during the booking process.

To configure this, go to Settings → Customer Portal → Flags & Permissions.

Depending on how much pricing transparency you want to provide, you can enable the following settings:

• Display service and custom field pricing structure to customers – shows a View full pricing option so customers can review the service pricing structure, including the base price and any configured add-on or custom-field pricing.
• Display service minimum price – shows a “From $X” starting price on the service page and service list for services that have a minimum price configured.
• Display pricing of custom fields added to the service in the view service page – shows the prices of add-ons or service options directly on the service page before the customer starts checkout.
• Update service pricing on the go – optionally updates the estimated total in real time during checkout as customers select priced options.

To show custom-field questions to customers, the portal flags alone are not enough. Each custom field must also be configured correctly in Settings → Service Settings → Custom Fields.

• Enable Show in Customer Portal & App if you want customers to see and complete that field during online booking.
• If you want the option price to appear on the service page before checkout, also enable Display pricing on the view service page for that custom field.
• Make sure the custom field is assigned to the correct service, otherwise it will not appear in the booking flow for that service.

This setup helps customers understand your pricing before they book, answer the right service questions upfront, and see how selected options affect the total cost. It is especially useful for services with variable pricing based on size, quantity, upgrades, urgency, access conditions, or other add-ons.

If a pricing label or question is not appearing, check that the related service pricing, minimum price, custom-field pricing, and service-to-field assignments have all been configured correctly.

Learn more:

• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
• Display Service and Custom Field Pricing Structure to Customers
• Display Service Minimum Price in the Customer Portal
• Display Custom Field Pricing on the Service Page
• Real-Time Pricing Updates During Customer Portal Booking
• Custom Fields for Booking, Lead Capture & CRM
• Create and Configure a Service
• Accept Online Bookings Through Your Website

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to display a minimum starting price for your services in the Customer Portal. When enabled, customers will see a “From $X” price on eligible services, helping them understand the minimum cost before they begin the booking process.

To enable this, go to Settings → Customer Portal → Flags & Permissions and turn on Display service minimum price.

Please note that enabling this setting only controls whether the minimum price is shown to customers. You must also set a minimum service price for each service you want to display. To do this, go to Settings → Service Settings → Services, edit the service, then enter the minimum amount in the Cost & Pay Rates section.

Once configured, customers will see the minimum starting price on the service page and, where supported, on the services list in the Customer Portal. This is especially useful for variable-price services where the final total may increase based on size, duration, quantity, add-ons, custom fields, or job conditions.

For example, if a service has a minimum price of $99, customers may see “From $99” before booking. The final booking price can still increase if they choose paid options or if additional pricing rules apply.

It is also important to note that the minimum service price is not just a display label. OctopusPro can also enforce the minimum booking amount, which helps protect your margins by preventing bookings from being created below the minimum amount you have configured.

If you disable this setting, the “From $X” label will no longer be shown to customers, even if a minimum price is still set internally on the service.

Learn more:

• Display Service Minimum Price (“From $X”) in Customer Portal
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
• Create and Configure a Service
• Accept Online Bookings on Your Website
• Display Service and Custom Field Pricing Structure to Customers

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to publish a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section in your Customer Portal, so customers can view common questions and answers before they contact your team or submit a booking.

To show an FAQ page in your Customer Portal menu, go to Settings → Customer Portal → Flags & Permissions and enable Display link to “FAQs” page in menu.

To create and manage your FAQs, go to Settings → Communications → Service FAQs. From there, you can add, edit, organise, and update your questions and answers at any time.

OctopusPro supports different types of FAQs, including:

• General FAQs – shown on your main FAQ page for business-wide questions such as cancellations, deposits, service areas, preparation requirements, and payment terms.
• Service-specific FAQs – shown only when customers are viewing or booking a particular service.
• Option-specific FAQs – shown only when a customer selects a specific custom field option or service variation.

This gives you a flexible way to show the right information at the right stage of the customer journey. For example, you can display general business policies on the main FAQ page, while showing more detailed service-specific information directly on the service page or during the booking process.

Using FAQs in your Customer Portal can help reduce repetitive enquiries, improve booking conversion rates, and set clear expectations before the customer books. It is especially useful for answering questions about pricing, inclusions, exclusions, travel areas, preparation steps, arrival windows, cancellation policies, and payment requirements.

If you disable the FAQ menu link, the standalone FAQ page will no longer appear in the Customer Portal navigation. However, service-specific FAQs can still be useful inside the booking journey when they are assigned to the relevant service or option.

OctopusPro can also use the same FAQ content in automated emails by inserting the {faq} placeholder into supported email templates, helping you keep customer communication consistent across both the portal and email.

Learn more:

• Display Link to “FAQs” Page in the Customer Portal Menu
• Service FAQs Management
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
• Managing Email Templates & Canned Responses

You can add your Privacy Policy to your OctopusPro Customer Portal from the General Settings section. This lets you make your privacy information available to customers directly from your online booking portal.

To set this up, go to Settings → Customer Portal → General Settings, then add your Privacy Policy content in the relevant privacy policy section. You can either:

• Paste the full policy content directly into the editor, or
• Link to an external Privacy Policy page on your website if you prefer to host it there.

Once saved, OctopusPro can display your Privacy Policy through a footer link in the Customer Portal, making it easier for customers to access your policy while browsing services or booking online.

This is useful for businesses that collect customer details such as names, phone numbers, email addresses, addresses, payment information, uploaded files, or booking-related notes through the portal.

Please note that the Privacy Policy setting is separate from your tracking and analytics scripts. If you use tools such as Google Analytics, Google Ads conversion tracking, or Meta Pixel, those are configured separately under the analytics and tracking settings. In that case, you should make sure your Privacy Policy clearly explains the tools you use and any customer data or cookies involved.

If your Customer Portal supports multiple languages, you should also add translated Privacy Policy content for each enabled language so customers see the correct version based on their selected language.

If you also want to show other legal or policy information during the booking process, such as cancellation terms, payment conditions, or service disclaimers, you can configure those separately using the Booking Disclaimer and related Customer Portal settings.

Learn more:

• Customer Portal General Settings
• Accept Online Bookings Through Your Website
• Multi-Language Customer Portal Settings
• Customer Portal Google Analytics Integration
• Customer Portal Meta Pixel Integration

You can add a booking disclaimer to your OctopusPro Customer Portal from the General Settings section. This allows you to show important customer-facing terms and notices before a booking is submitted.

To set this up, go to Settings → Customer Portal → General Settings, then enter your disclaimer text in the Booking Disclaimer field.

The booking disclaimer is displayed on the final step of the online booking process, just before the customer confirms their booking. This is a useful place to highlight important conditions that customers should understand before proceeding.

Your disclaimer can include information such as:

• deposit or payment terms
• travel charges or parking conditions
• minimum notice requirements
• cancellation or rescheduling conditions
• access requirements or site preparation instructions
• safety, pet, dress code, or attendance rules
• any other booking-related terms specific to your services

Using a booking disclaimer helps set expectations clearly, reduces misunderstandings, and gives customers important information at the point of booking. It is especially useful for businesses with service conditions that customers need to agree to before the appointment is confirmed.

Please note that the booking disclaimer is separate from your Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions. You can use the disclaimer for short booking-specific notices, while longer legal or policy content can be managed separately in the relevant Customer Portal settings.

If your Customer Portal supports multiple languages, you should also add translated disclaimer text for each enabled language so customers see the correct version based on their selected language.

Learn more:

• Add a Booking Disclaimer to Your OctopusPro Customer Portal
• Customer Portal General Settings
• Accept Online Bookings Through Your Website
• Multi-Language Customer Portal Settings

Yes. OctopusPro gives you two main ways to showcase customer feedback and build trust in your Customer Portal:

• Fieldworker star ratings on public fieldworker profiles
• Google Reviews on your Customer Portal homepage

If you want to highlight the performance of individual team members, you can enable fieldworker star ratings in Settings → Customer Portal → Flags & Permissions by turning on Display fieldworker star rating to customers.

When enabled, the fieldworker’s average star rating appears on their public profile in the Customer Portal. This works especially well if you also allow customers to browse your team or request a preferred fieldworker when booking.

Please note that this feature depends on public fieldworker profiles being enabled. If Display fieldworker list and make fieldworker profiles public is turned off, customers will not be able to browse fieldworker profiles or see their ratings.

The star ratings shown come from real customer ratings submitted after completed bookings. If you want to build up rating history, you can also enable customer booking ratings and request feedback after each job.

If you want to showcase public review comments and testimonials directly in the portal, OctopusPro also supports a Google Reviews integration. This lets you display your Google star rating and review content on your Customer Portal homepage, which is useful for building trust before customers start a booking.

This means the best setup depends on what you want to highlight:

• Use fieldworker star ratings if you want customers to compare individual team members.
• Use Google Reviews if you want to showcase broader business-level public reviews and testimonials.
• You can also use both together for stronger social proof throughout the portal.

Keep in mind that OctopusPro’s internal customer feedback and review tools are also useful for private quality management, service improvement, and team performance tracking, even if you do not choose to show all feedback publicly.

Learn more:

• Display Fieldworker Star Ratings on the Customer Portal
• Display Fieldworker List on Customer Portal
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
• Customer Feedback, Ratings & Reviews
• Display Google Reviews on Your Customer Portal
• Customer Portal Google Reviews Integration

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to display your Google Reviews directly on your Customer Portal homepage, which helps build trust and gives new customers social proof before they contact you or make a booking.

OctopusPro connects to Google and automatically pulls your public Google review data into the Customer Portal. To set this up, you will typically need:

• Google Maps Platform API key
• Google Place ID
• Google “Write a review” link

First, add your Google Reviews credentials in Settings → Company Settings → Integrations (API). Create a new integration, select Google Reviews, then enter your API key, Place ID, and Write a Review link.

Next, go to Settings → Customer Portal → Flags & Permissions and enable Display Google Reviews in customer portal homepage. Once enabled, the reviews section will appear on your Customer Portal homepage.

You can also enable a Leave a Review button that takes customers directly to your Google review form. This makes it easier for satisfied customers to leave a public review without having to search for your business manually.

Displaying Google Reviews is a great way to increase credibility, reduce hesitation, and improve conversion rates by showing real third-party feedback where customers are already browsing and booking.

To encourage more customers to leave reviews, it is best to include your Google review link in your post-job communications. A common approach is to add the link to your feedback request email or SMS template, or create a dedicated Google review request template.

For even better results, you can automate these review requests so they are sent after a booking is completed. Keeping the message short and including a single clear call to action usually helps improve response rates.

If you already use OctopusPro’s internal feedback system, you can run that alongside your Google review request workflow. This gives you both private service feedback for internal improvement and public Google reviews for marketing and trust.

Learn more:

• Display Google Reviews on Your Customer Portal
• Customer Portal Google Reviews Integration
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
• Automated Procedures
• Managing Email Templates & Canned Responses
• Customer Feedback, Ratings & Reviews

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to connect Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to your Customer Portal so you can track traffic, user behaviour, and booking activity across your online booking experience.

To set this up, go to Settings → Customer Portal → General Settings, then scroll to the Analytics & Tracking section and enter your GA4 Measurement ID.

Please note that OctopusPro uses Google Analytics 4 (GA4), which requires a Measurement ID in the format G-XXXXXXXXXX. The older Universal Analytics format that starts with UA- is outdated and should not be used for new setups.

Once saved, OctopusPro automatically injects the Google Analytics tracking across your Customer Portal pages, so you do not need to manually paste the full tracking script into your website code.

This integration helps you monitor useful data such as:

• Traffic sources – where portal visitors came from, such as Google Search, ads, social media, email campaigns, or referrals
• Page views – which portal pages and booking steps customers visit
• User behaviour – how customers move through the portal before booking or leaving
• Engagement and conversions – how well your portal turns visitors into booking requests or completed bookings

If you also want to track Google Ads conversions, such as completed bookings from paid campaigns, you should set up the separate Google Ads Global Site Tag and Event Snippet integration as well.

After setup, it is a good idea to test your tracking in the Realtime report in Google Analytics to confirm your Customer Portal is sending data correctly.

Learn more:

• Google Analytics (GA4) Integration for the Customer Portal
• Customer Portal General Settings
• Google Ads Conversion Tracking for the Customer Portal

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to manage multiple trading names / sub-brands within a single account and configure a separate branded customer portal URL for each one.

This means you can give each trading name its own customer-facing booking portal, such as different URLs, logos, colours, and branding elements, while still managing everything centrally from the same OctopusPro account.

For example, you might have one portal for one brand and a different portal for another trading name, each with its own branded customer experience. Customers visiting each portal will see the branding associated with that specific trading name, rather than a generic shared portal.

By default, if you do not set up a unique portal URL for a trading name, OctopusPro will use your primary trading name in the customer portal.

To create separate branded portal URLs for different trading names, you will generally need to:

• set up your trading names inside OctopusPro
• configure a unique customer portal URL for each trading name
• add the required DNS records for each custom domain or subdomain
• apply the correct branding, such as logos, colours, and style settings, for each portal

Once configured, customer communications linked to that trading name, such as booking confirmations, reminders, and invoices, can also reflect the relevant brand identity. This helps you maintain a more consistent customer experience across multiple brands while keeping administration centralised.

This setup is ideal for businesses that operate under different trading names, sub-brands, branches, or service lines, but still want to manage bookings, staff, and operations from one system.

If your admin users or fieldworkers need access across multiple linked profiles or companies, OctopusPro also supports switching between them when the same email address is used across those profiles.

Learn more:

• Manage Multiple Trading Names / Brands Through a Single Account
• White-Label Customer Portal URL (Custom Domain & Subdomain Setup)
• Customer Portal Branding & Style Customization
• Use the Same Email Address for Multiple Users (Switch Roles & Accounts)

OctopusPro allows you to manage multiple trading names / sub-brands within a single account, while keeping your operations centralised in one system.

By default, if you are using a single Customer Portal URL and have not configured separate portal URLs for each trading name, the portal will use your primary trading name. This means customers booking through that default portal will see the branding associated with your main trading name.

If you operate under multiple brands and want a more tailored customer experience, OctopusPro also allows you to configure separate branded Customer Portal URLs for different trading names. For example, each trading name can have its own booking URL, logo, colours, and portal styling, while still being managed under the same OctopusPro account.

This is useful for businesses that run multiple brands, divisions, service lines, or regional identities but do not want to manage separate systems for each one.

When a customer books through a portal linked to a specific trading name, OctopusPro can apply that trading name’s branding across the customer experience, including customer-facing communications such as booking confirmations, reminders, invoices, and other outbound messages.

To create a more distinct experience for each trading name, you should usually configure the following for each brand:

• a dedicated Customer Portal URL or white-label subdomain
• the correct trading name branding, such as logos and visual assets
• the appropriate Customer Portal branding and style settings

This setup allows you to maintain separate customer-facing brand identities while still managing bookings, customers, staff, and workflows from one account.

Learn more:

• Manage Multiple Trading Names / Sub-Brands Through a Single Account
• Customer Portal URL (White-Label Domain / Custom Subdomain)
• Customer Portal Branding & Style Customization
• Company Branding & Logo Configuration

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to control exactly which custom fields customers can see and complete in the Customer Portal and Branded App.

To do this, go to Settings → Service Settings → Custom Fields, then create or edit the custom field and use the Display in Customer Portal & App setting.

• Enabled – the custom field is visible to customers during the online booking flow and in customer-facing service pages, where applicable.
• Disabled – the custom field is hidden from customers and remains available only for internal use by admin users and fieldworkers, depending on your workflow.

This makes it easy to separate customer-facing questions from internal-only operational fields.

For example, you would usually show fields such as:

• access instructions
• service preferences
• property or vehicle details
• measurements, quantities, or condition details
• add-ons or upgrade options

And you would usually hide fields such as:

• internal job notes
• back-office reference codes
• dispatch-only instructions
• internal compliance or operational tracking fields

Please note that visibility alone is not enough. A custom field must also be assigned to the relevant service before it will appear in the booking flow for that service. If the field is visible but not linked to the selected service, customers will not see it.

You can also configure whether the field is required, add helper text to guide customers, and apply other settings such as pricing, duration changes, invoice display, conditional logic, or lead-capture visibility, depending on how you want the field to behave.

This gives you full control over what customers are asked during booking, while keeping internal-only data hidden from the public booking experience.

Learn more:

• Custom Fields for Booking, Lead Capture & CRM
• Attach Custom Fields to Services
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions

Customers can create their own account directly through your Customer Portal. This gives them a secure self-service profile where they can manage their details, view bookings, access documents, and use other portal features you have enabled.

To create an account, the customer simply opens your Customer Portal, clicks Sign up, enters their details, and submits the form. Depending on your setup, they may also be asked to verify their account by email before signing in.

Once their account is created, customers can log in using their email address and password. If enabled in your portal configuration, they may also be able to sign in using Google, Facebook, or Apple ID on the iOS app.

After logging in, customers can manage their profile and other customer-facing information, such as:

• personal details like name, phone number, and email address
• saved addresses and service locations
• additional contacts
• bookings, booking history, and related documents
• saved payment methods, where enabled
• other profile fields and portal features, depending on your setup

If you allow guest bookings, customers can still make a booking without creating an account first. In that case, they can later access a specific booking using their booking number and the email address used for the booking. However, this is different from having a full customer account and profile.

If you want customers to be required to create or use an account before booking, you can disable guest bookings in your Customer Portal settings. When guest bookings are disabled, customers must log in or sign up before they can complete checkout.

This gives you flexibility to choose the experience that best suits your business:

• Enable guest bookings for the fastest checkout and higher conversion, especially for first-time customers.
• Require login or sign-up if you want customers to manage ongoing bookings, saved details, memberships, repeat services, or account-based access.

Learn more:

• Customer Portal Profile Management
• Allow Guest Bookings in the Customer Portal
• Accept Online Bookings Through Your Website
• Customer Profile Custom Fields

OctopusPro does not provide a dedicated members-only booking gate that restricts the Customer Portal to a pre-approved membership list by default. However, you can make the portal more controlled by requiring customers to log in or create an account before they can book.

To do this, go to Settings → Customer Portal → Flags & Permissions and turn off Allow guests to make bookings through customer portal.

When guest bookings are disabled, visitors cannot complete checkout as guests. They must log in or create an account before they can proceed with a booking.

This setup works well for businesses that want a more account-based booking experience, such as businesses offering:

• member-only pricing or loyalty-style discounts
• repeat or recurring services
• saved customer details and payment methods
• package-based services or prepaid booking bundles

It is important to note that requiring login is not the same as a strict private membership portal. Customers can still create a new account unless you manage access separately outside the portal. So if you need a fully closed booking system for approved members only, you may need to combine OctopusPro with your own external membership approval workflow or website access control.

If your goal is to encourage membership-style behaviour rather than fully restrict access, OctopusPro gives you several practical options. For example, you can:

• offer voucher codes or promotional discounts to registered customers
• sell service packages / bundles that members can redeem over time
• use customer accounts so returning customers can manage bookings, saved details, and repeat services more easily

This gives you flexibility to create a more member-focused experience, even if the Customer Portal is not acting as a strict membership-only gate on its own.

Learn more:

• Allow Guest Bookings in the Customer Portal
• Customer Portal Profile Management
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
• Discount Voucher Code Management
• Service Packages & Bundles

OctopusPro’s online booking flow is designed as a guided multi-step process rather than a long single-page form. This approach helps customers complete bookings more easily, especially on mobile devices, while still allowing your business to collect the information needed for accurate pricing, scheduling, and service delivery.

There is currently no standard setting that removes the core booking steps entirely. However, you can make the booking process feel much faster and simpler by reducing unnecessary friction in your setup.

The most effective ways to streamline the customer experience are:

• Enable guest bookings so customers can book without creating an account or logging in first.
• Use service-specific booking buttons or direct booking links to send customers straight into the booking flow for the exact service they want, instead of making them browse the full service list first.
• Only show the custom fields that are truly needed for that service, and keep internal-only questions hidden from customers.
• Assign custom fields only to the relevant services so customers are not asked unnecessary questions.
• Use dependent custom fields (conditional logic) so follow-up questions only appear when they are relevant to the customer’s previous answer.

If your booking form includes many questions, the goal should not always be to remove every step. In many cases, the better approach is to keep the experience clear, focused, and easy to complete by asking only relevant questions and guiding customers through them logically.

For example, the fastest customer journey is usually achieved by combining:

• guest checkout,
• a direct Book Now link for a specific service, and
• a minimal set of customer-facing questions.

If your booking flow still feels too long, review your login requirements, custom fields, required questions, service setup, and Customer Portal settings. In most cases, the number of screens customers see is influenced more by the amount of information your business has chosen to collect than by the portal layout itself.

Learn more:

• Allow Guest Bookings in the Customer Portal
• Add a Book Online Button to Your Website
• Accept Online Bookings Through Your Website
• Custom Fields for Booking, Lead Capture & CRM
• Attach Custom Fields to Services
• Dependent Custom Fields (Conditional Logic)

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to create service packages / bundles that customers can purchase online and use over time through your Customer Portal and Branded App.

A package is a prepaid bundle of future bookings for the same service, or for a service option/add-on. This is ideal for businesses that sell repeat visits, class passes, treatment plans, maintenance bundles, or multi-session programs.

For example, you could sell:

• a 10-session fitness package
• a 5-visit lawn care plan
• a quarterly maintenance package
• a multi-lesson tutoring pass

You can publish packages in two main ways:

• As a standalone package service – for example, “10-Cut Lawn Care Plan” or “5-Class Yoga Pass”.
• As a package option inside an existing service – for example, letting customers choose between a single visit or a 3-pack / 5-pack / 10-pack for the same service.

When creating a package, you can configure key rules such as:

• Number of bookings included
• Recurring interval / default schedule – such as weekly, fortnightly, monthly, or every few months
• Package validity / expiry period – for example, valid for 90 days or 12 months
• Package price – including discounted multi-booking pricing if you want to encourage prepaid purchases

If you set a recurring interval, OctopusPro can automatically pre-schedule the included visits for the customer. If you leave the recurrence blank, customers can purchase the package first and then use the included bookings more flexibly over time, depending on your setup.

Customers can see the package details before checkout, including how many appointments are included, the total package value, and any expiry rules. After purchase, OctopusPro tracks the package automatically and shows the remaining credits / unused bookings to both your staff and the customer.

You can also combine packages with custom-field options / add-ons. This means you can build package variations such as premium upgrades, optional extras, or service-level package choices inside the same booking flow.

OctopusPro also gives you flexible invoicing options for packages. You can choose to:

• Generate an individual invoice for each booking
• Generate one combined invoice for the full package
• Delay invoicing and raise invoices manually later

If you choose individual invoices, you can also decide whether all invoices should be created upfront or only the first invoice should be created immediately, with later invoices generated as each appointment becomes due.

This makes service packages a strong option for businesses that want to secure repeat revenue in advance, improve customer retention, simplify rebooking, and offer better value through bundled pricing.

Learn more:

• Service Packages & Bundles
• Create and Configure a Service
• Allow Customers to Make Repeat / Recurring Bookings
• Service Payment Terms & Deposit Settings
• Customer Portal Payment Methods
• Attach Custom Fields to Services

OctopusPro gives you several built-in tools to improve the search visibility of your Customer Portal. The most effective approach is to combine strong portal settings with clear service content and a branded public URL.

Start by going to Settings → Customer Portal → General Settings → SEO. Here, you can add a custom Meta Title and Meta Description for your portal. These help search engines understand what your portal offers and can improve how your page appears in search results.

For best results, write a title and description that clearly describe your services, location, and business name. For example, include the main service you want to rank for, your target city or area, and a clear value proposition.

You should also consider using a white-label portal URL or custom subdomain, such as booking.yourbusiness.com, instead of relying only on the default OctopusPro portal address. A branded URL looks more professional, supports stronger brand consistency, and is generally better for long-term marketing and SEO.

Beyond the technical settings, your portal content also matters. To improve relevance for both customers and search engines, make sure your portal includes:

• clear service names
• well-written brief and full service descriptions
• accurate pricing information where appropriate
• helpful FAQs and booking information
• trust-building content such as reviews, ratings, and business details

If you use a multi-language portal, make sure your custom content is translated properly for each language, including your SEO title and meta description. This helps search engines match the correct version of your portal to the customer’s language.

To measure your SEO and marketing performance, connect Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to your Customer Portal. This allows you to track where visitors come from, which pages they view, and whether organic traffic leads to bookings, quote requests, or payments.

It is also a good idea to use lead source tracking so you can compare organic traffic performance with other channels such as Google Ads, social media, referrals, and direct traffic.

Please note that Customer Portal SEO settings can improve your search visibility, but rankings also depend on broader factors such as your domain strength, backlinks, competition, and the quality of your content. For the best outcome, use your Customer Portal as part of a wider SEO strategy that also includes your main website and local business presence.

Learn more:

• Customer Portal General Settings
• White-Label Customer Portal URL (Custom Domain & Subdomain)
• Customer Portal Google Analytics (GA4) Integration
• Multi-Language Customer Portal Settings
• Accept Online Bookings Through Your Website
• Track & Manage Lead Sources

You can connect Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to your OctopusPro Customer Portal to track visitor activity, traffic sources, page views, and customer journeys across your online booking experience.

To set this up, go to Settings → Customer Portal → General Settings, then scroll to the Analytics & Tracking section and enter your GA4 Measurement ID.

Please note that OctopusPro now supports Google Analytics 4 (GA4), which uses a Measurement ID in the format G-XXXXXXXXXX. The older Universal Analytics tracking IDs that start with UA- are legacy and are no longer the standard setup for new tracking.

Once your GA4 Measurement ID is saved, OctopusPro automatically injects the Google Analytics tracking script across your Customer Portal pages. This means you do not need to manually edit your website code or paste the full script into your portal.

With GA4 connected, you can track useful data such as:

• Traffic sources – where your portal visitors came from, such as Google, social media, email campaigns, or referral websites
• Page views – which service pages and booking steps customers visit
• User journeys – how customers move through your portal before making a booking, requesting a quote, or making a payment
• Engagement metrics – sessions, time on site, and other portal activity

If you also want to track advertising conversions, such as completed bookings from Google Ads, Google Analytics alone may not be enough. In that case, you should also configure the separate Google Ads conversion tracking settings in your Customer Portal.

After setup, it is a good idea to test your tracking by opening your Customer Portal in a new browser tab or incognito window, then checking the Realtime report in Google Analytics to confirm data is being received.

Learn more:

• Google Analytics (GA4) Integration for the Customer Portal
• Customer Portal General Settings
• Google Ads Conversion Tracking for the Customer Portal

You can track the conversion rate of your Google Ads campaigns by connecting your Google Ads conversion tracking tags to your OctopusPro Customer Portal. This allows you to measure how many ad clicks turn into completed online bookings and evaluate the performance of your campaigns more accurately.

To set this up, go to Settings → Customer Portal → General Settings, then scroll to the Google Ads section.

For accurate conversion tracking, you should add both of the following codes from your Google Ads account:

• Global Site Tag (gtag.js) – tracks visits across your Customer Portal and helps Google identify the original ad click.
• Event Snippet – records the actual conversion when the customer completes the action you want to measure, such as submitting a booking.

In OctopusPro, the event snippet is typically applied to the booking confirmation page, which means a conversion is recorded after a successful online booking is completed.

This setup helps you monitor key Google Ads performance metrics such as:

• Conversions – how many bookings came from your ads
• Conversion rate – the percentage of ad clicks that resulted in a booking
• Cost per conversion – how much you are spending to generate each booking

Please note that the Global Site Tag alone is not enough to measure completed conversions accurately. It should be used together with the Event Snippet so Google Ads can connect the original ad click with the final booking action.

Once your tags are installed, you can monitor results directly in your Google Ads Conversions reports. If you want broader reporting on traffic sources, page views, and customer journeys before conversion, you can also connect Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to your Customer Portal.

OctopusPro automatically injects these tracking codes into your portal for you, so you do not need to manually edit your website source code.

Learn more:

• Google Ads Conversion Tracking for the Customer Portal
• Customer Portal General Settings
• Customer Portal Google Analytics (GA4) Integration
• Track & Manage Lead Sources

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to add your Google Global Site Tag (gtag.js) to the Customer Portal so it loads across your portal pages and supports Google Ads tracking, attribution, and remarketing.

To set this up, go to Settings → Customer Portal → General Settings, then scroll to the Google Ads section and paste your Global Site Tag into the relevant field. Once saved, OctopusPro injects the tag across your Customer Portal for you, so you do not need to manually edit your website code.

The Global Site Tag is usually used together with an Event Snippet for full conversion tracking:

• Global Site Tag – tracks page visits and helps Google recognise ad clicks and user activity across the portal.
• Event Snippet – records the actual conversion, such as a completed online booking, on the confirmation page.

If your goal is to measure Google Ads conversions, it is best practice to add both the Global Site Tag and the Event Snippet. The Global Site Tag handles the broader tracking, while the Event Snippet tells Google when the conversion actually happened. OctopusPro normally applies the Event Snippet to the booking confirmation page.

This setup is useful for tracking booking conversions, improving campaign reporting, building remarketing audiences, and helping Google Ads attribute bookings back to the original ad click more accurately.

After saving your code, it is a good idea to test it using Google Tag Assistant or your Google Ads conversion diagnostics to confirm the tag is firing correctly.

Learn more:

• Google Ads Conversion Tracking for the Customer Portal
• Customer Portal General Settings

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to add a Google Ads event snippet to your Customer Portal so you can track conversions such as successful online bookings and measure the performance of your Google Ads campaigns.

To set this up, go to Settings → Customer Portal → General Settings, then scroll to the Google Ads section.

For the most accurate conversion tracking, you should usually add both of the following:

• Global Site Tag (gtag.js) – used to track page visits and capture the original ad click information
• Event Snippet – used to record the actual conversion when the customer completes the desired action

By default, OctopusPro automatically applies the event snippet to the booking confirmation page, which makes it the standard conversion point for online booking tracking.

This means that once a customer completes a booking through your Customer Portal, the conversion can be sent back to Google Ads, helping you measure campaign performance, optimise bidding, and understand which ads are generating real bookings.

If you want to track a different conversion point, such as another success page or a specific button click, OctopusPro can support a different setup as needed.

No manual editing of your website HTML is normally required. Once the tracking codes are saved in your Customer Portal settings, OctopusPro injects them into the portal for you.

After setup, it is a good idea to test your tracking using Google Tag Assistant or the Conversions section in Google Ads to confirm that your tag is firing correctly.

Learn more:

• Google Ads Conversion Tracking for the Customer Portal
• Customer Portal General Settings

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to add a service search bar to your Customer Portal, making it easier for customers to quickly find the service they need when browsing your online booking page.

To enable this feature, go to Settings → Customer Portal → Flags & Permissions, then turn on Display a search bar for services in the customer portal.

Once enabled, a Search for services field will appear above your services list in the Customer Portal. Customers can enter a keyword, and OctopusPro will display the matching services available in your portal.

This feature is especially useful if you offer a large number of services, service categories, or similar service names, because it helps customers find the right option faster and reduces friction during the booking process.

For best results, make sure your service names and brief descriptions are clear and specific, so customers can easily find them using common search terms.

If the search bar does not appear after enabling the setting, refresh the portal or test it in a private/incognito browser window. You should also confirm that the services you expect to appear are active and visible in the Customer Portal.

Learn more:

• Display a Search Bar for Services in the Customer Portal
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
• Accept Online Bookings on Your Website

OctopusPro allows you to display a short service description under each service in your Customer Portal. This gives customers a quick overview of what each service includes before they start the booking process.

To enable this, go to Settings → Customer Portal → Flags & Permissions, then turn on Display service description brief in the services list in the customer portal.

Once enabled, the brief description will appear directly under each service name in the service list. This is useful for helping customers quickly understand the purpose of each service, compare options more easily, and choose the right service without needing to open every service page.

To add or edit the brief description for a service, go to Settings → Service Settings → Services, open the service you want to update, and enter the short description in the relevant service description field.

For best results, keep the brief description short and easy to scan. A clear one- or two-line summary usually works best, such as what the service is for, who it is suitable for, or what is included.

This feature is especially helpful for businesses that offer multiple similar services, package levels, or service variations, because it reduces confusion and helps customers make the right selection earlier in the booking journey.

Please note that this setting controls the brief description shown in the services list. You can still provide more detailed information elsewhere in the Customer Portal, such as full service descriptions, pricing details, FAQs, images, or custom-field questions, depending on your setup.

Learn more:

• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
• Create and Configure a Service
• Accept Online Bookings Through Your Website

Yes. OctopusPro allows you to make image uploads mandatory during the online booking process in your Customer Portal. This is especially useful for businesses that need photos before confirming the scope of work, pricing, access conditions, damage, measurements, or site requirements.

To make photo uploads required, go to Settings → Customer Portal → Flags & Permissions and enable both of the following settings:

• Allow customers to upload photos when making a booking
• Make uploading images mandatory for customers when making a booking

Both settings are required. The mandatory rule will not work properly unless the standard photo upload setting is also enabled.

Once both flags are turned on, customers will see an Upload Photos step during checkout. If they try to continue without uploading at least one image, OctopusPro will show a warning and prevent them from completing the booking until a photo has been added.

You can also add a custom message to the upload popup to tell customers exactly what images you need. For example, you can ask them to upload wide-angle photos, close-up images of the issue, or a photo showing site access or the surrounding area.

This feature is useful for services where your team needs a visual assessment before arrival, such as repairs, restoration, installations, painting, maintenance, cleaning, landscaping, or any job where condition and access affect the scope of work.

After the booking is submitted, the uploaded images are saved to the booking record so your office team and assigned fieldworkers can review them. If you also want customers to upload files after the booking has been created, such as PDFs or additional documents, you can enable the separate booking attachment feature.

Learn more:

• Make Photo Uploads Mandatory During Customer Portal Booking
• Allow Customers to Upload Photos During Online Booking
• Customer Portal Flags & Permissions
• Allow Customers to Upload PDFs & Documents to a Booking

Follow the four‑step workflow below—built for both hourly employees and commission‑based subcontractors.

1. Capture work data
   • Employees – use Fieldworker Timesheets (Fieldworker Reports) to log check‑in/out and travel time automatically, preventing time‑sheet fraud.
   • Contractors – open Fieldworker Bookings Summary to list every completed job and its pre‑calculated share.
2. Review & batch jobs
   Filter the Bookings Summary for Completed + Unpaid, tick the jobs, then:
   • Assign Invoice to group them under one payout reference, or
   • Save as Paid if you’re ready to issue payment.
3. Process payments
   • Manual bank file – export the Payment to Fieldworkers ledger as ABA, NACHA, BACS, SEPA XML, CPA‑005, or CSV and upload it to your bank.
   • Accounting sync – import that same file into Xero or QuickBooks to pay from your ledger.
   • Stripe Connect (optional) – let OctopusPro split customer funds automatically; then click Save as Paid to close the ledger entry.
4. Audit & archive
   The Payment report stores every payout (date, ref #, amount, bank/Stripe ID). Use Edit to attach remittance PDFs or fix typos; use Delete only for records created in error.

Tip : Set rates once, let OctopusPro do the maths

• Worker default – Fieldworker > Profile > Payment Agreement (flat, %, hourly, hybrid).
• Service default – Settings > Services > Cost & Pay‑rate.
• Worker × Service override – Profile > Job Settings > Services Provided > Pay Rate & Commission for specialist rates.
• One‑off booking bonus/deduction – click Set Fieldworker Share on the booking or invoice.

With these layers in place, OctopusPro calculates every job automatically; you only approve, export, and pay—no spreadsheet juggling required.

Use two built‑in reports—each serves a distinct purpose and can be exported or uploaded to your accounting system:

1. Fieldworker Timesheets report
Path: Reports > Fieldworker Reports > Fieldworker Timesheets
What it shows:

• Daily check‑in, check‑out, and travel time captured by the mobile app
• Total hours per job and per worker
• Export options: CSV or Excel

Why it matters:

• Verifies actual hours for hourly employees
• Flags missed punches or timesheet anomalies before payroll is run

2. Fieldworker Bookings Summary report
Path: Reports > Fieldworker Reports > Fieldworker Bookings Summary
What it shows:

• Completed and in‑progress bookings
• Actual job duration, service‑ and product‑line earnings, customer payment, and payout status
• Filters for worker, date range, payment status, service, and more
• Batch actions: group jobs into one payout invoice or mark them “Save as Paid”

Why it matters:

• Calculates commission for subcontractors or flat fees for pay‑per‑job arrangements
• Gives finance a one‑screen view to confirm what’s owed, what’s already paid, and what’s still pending

Export & integration
Both reports can be exported to CSV/Excel—or to banking formats like ABA, NACHA, BACS, or SEPA XML—and then uploaded to Xero, QuickBooks, or your payroll provider. That means accurate hours, precise earnings, and clean reconciliation every pay cycle.

Yes. OctopusPro calculates each worker’s share—hourly wages, commissions, or mixed—regardless of employment status. While the platform doesn’t push money directly to your bank, it gives you three streamlined payout options:

1. Export & upload to your bank
   Payment to Fieldworkers can be exported in bulk‑payment formats (ABA, NACHA, BACS, SEPA XML, CPA‑005). Upload the file to your online banking portal to pay multiple employees and contractors in one batch.
2. Sync with accounting software
   Download the same report as CSV/Excel and import it into Xero or QuickBooks. Each worker shows up as a vendor/supplier, so you can approve and pay the bills from inside your ledger.
3. Automated split payouts (optional)
   Enable Stripe Connect and OctopusPro will split each customer payment in real time: your platform fee goes to the business account, the remainder lands in the contractor’s connected Stripe account—no bank file required.

Whichever route you choose, the system tracks every payout in the Payment to Fieldworkers ledger, keeping employees, subcontractors, and your finance team on the same page.

Yes—use the Withhold Payment function. It pauses an individual payout until you decide the job is clear to pay.

How it works

While a payment is on hold:

• The booking/invoice shows a Release Payment button (replacing the withhold link).
• The same button appears in the Fieldworker Bookings Summary report, reminding finance that funds are pending.