Create a New Booking (Manual, From Inquiry/Quote)
Bookings are the core of OctopusPro—this is where you schedule work, assign fieldworkers, capture service/product details, apply discounts or voucher codes, and trigger customer communications (confirmation emails/SMS, invoices, etc.).
In this guide, you’ll learn the best ways to create a booking:
- Manually (from the Bookings calendar / “+ New” menu)
- By converting an inquiry into a booking
- By converting a quote into a booking
Contents
- Ways to create a booking
- Create a booking manually
- Convert an inquiry into a booking
- Convert a quote into a booking
- Add location details (Fixed / Mobile / Virtual + Google Maps URL)
- Schedule appointments & assign fieldworkers
- Create recurring appointments
- Add multiple services (and different fieldworkers)
- Add products to a booking
- Attach forms & checklists
- Use Nearby Jobs & Availability tools
- Apply voucher codes & discounts
- Save the booking & send confirmation
- What to do after the booking is created
Ways to create a booking
OctopusPro supports multiple workflows depending on how the job started:
- Manual booking: best when a customer calls, you’re doing internal scheduling, or you already know the job details.
- Convert inquiry → booking: best when the customer submitted a request and you want to schedule the job quickly.
- Convert quote → booking: best when you priced the job first and the customer accepted (or you want to proceed with scheduling).
Create a booking manually
1) Start a new booking
Go to Bookings and click + New → New Booking.
Tip: You can also manage bookings from the Bookings list page. Learn more here: Service Booking Management.
2) Set booking status, labels/tags, owner, trading name, and lead source
These fields control how the booking is tracked internally, who’s accountable for it, what branding is used on customer communications, and how the lead is attributed for reporting.
- Status (workflow stage): Sets the booking’s current stage in your internal workflow (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Completed). Statuses help your team triage work, drive automations, and keep calendars/reports accurate. Learn more about booking statuses (and how they affect automations and visibility). If you want to quickly focus your schedule, you can also filter the calendar by booking status.
- Labels / Tags (internal categorization): Optional colour-coded tags used to flag special handling without changing the booking’s workflow stage (e.g., VIP, Urgent, Needs call, Warranty). Labels are ideal for filtering/searching and keeping handovers clear. Labels overview • Create & manage labels
- Owner (Sales Rep / record owner): The person responsible for the booking (follow-ups, coordination, and accountability). This is especially useful when multiple office users handle bookings and you want clean ownership reporting and handovers. Transfer / claim ownership anytime if the booking changes hands.
- Trading Name (brand / sub-business): Select the business identity that should appear on customer-facing communications (quotes, booking confirmations, invoices, PDFs, email/SMS templates), where applicable. This is essential for multi-brand and franchise-style setups. Manage multiple trading names.
- Source (Lead Source / marketing attribution): Tracks where the customer came from (e.g., Website, Google, Referral, Facebook, Phone Call). Accurate sources improve marketing ROI reporting and help you understand which channels convert best. Track & manage lead sources.
Best practice: Keep Statuses focused on workflow stages, and use Labels for “extra context” (priority, billing notes, special instructions). For Lead Sources, standardize naming (avoid duplicates like “Google”, “Google Search”, “Google Organic” unless you intentionally want separate reporting buckets).
Multi-location note: If you operate multiple physical branches/locations (not just multiple trading names), make sure your location types and branch locations are configured so bookings are created against the correct site. See service delivery types & locations setup
3) Select the customer (or create a new customer)
In the Customer section:
- Search and select an existing customer, or
- Click New Customer to create one on the spot.
If someone else is paying (e.g., landlord, agency, organization), enable Different bill payer and select the bill payer contact/company.
4) Add location details (Fixed, Mobile, or Virtual)
Choose the job location type:
- Fixed: the job happens at a fixed site (e.g., a home or venue).
- Mobile: you travel to the customer (common for field services).
- Virtual: online/remote service (no physical address required).
To enter an address:
- Start typing and select from suggestions, or
- Use Enter address manually if required.
If your workflow needs multiple addresses (e.g., pickup + delivery, multi-site jobs), click Add to add additional addresses.
Learn more: Multi-Address Bookings
Convert an inquiry into a booking (Lead → Booking)
If a customer started with an inquiry (lead), you can convert it directly into a booking to avoid re-entering details and to keep the full lead history (notes, activity, and communication) connected to the job.
- Best for: leads that are already qualified and ready to be scheduled.
- Tip: If you still need to confirm scope or pricing first, convert the inquiry into a quote/estimate instead: Convert Inquiry to Quote/Estimate.
Option A: Convert from the Inquiries list
Go to Inquiries, find the inquiry, open the Actions menu, then click Convert to booking.
Option B: Convert from the Inquiry details page
Open the inquiry, then click Convert to booking from the inquiry actions menu.
What happens next
OctopusPro opens the Create Booking form with inquiry details carried across. Before saving, quickly review and complete any missing essentials:
- Customer & contact details: confirm phone/email and the correct customer record.
- Service(s) & quantities: ensure the requested service, options, and quantities are accurate.
- Location: confirm the service address and any access notes.
- Appointment: set date/time, duration, and assign fieldworker(s) if applicable.
- Status: set the correct workflow stage (e.g., Upcoming / In Progress / Completed) based on how your team operates.
- Internal notes & attachments: make sure any photos/files and instructions are included for ops/fieldworkers.
Important: After conversion, changes made to the original inquiry won’t automatically update the booking. If something needs updating, edit it on the booking record.
Next steps (recommended)
- Send the customer a confirmation (or let automations handle it): Send Booking Confirmations (Email/SMS/WhatsApp).
- If you need to keep nurturing leads before conversion: Follow-Up Reminders for Inquiries (Lead Follow-Up).
Convert a quote into a booking (Quote → Booking)
If you quoted the job first, converting the quote into a booking keeps everything connected (pricing, services, notes, and history) and lets you schedule the work immediately. This is the recommended workflow once the customer has approved the quote.
Before you convert (best practice):
- Make sure the quote is accurate (services, pricing, taxes, and attachments). If needed, update it first: Edit quote details.
- If the quote hasn’t been sent/approved yet, follow: Send quote to customer and (optionally) automate quote follow-ups.
Option A — From the Quotes list: open the Actions menu (⋮) and choose Convert to booking.
Option B — From the Quote details page: open the Actions menu (⋮) and select Convert to Booking.
After conversion: the booking form opens with the quote details pre-filled. Review and complete anything still required before saving.
- Schedule the work: confirm date/time, duration, and address.
- Assign the job: allocate the correct fieldworker (or leave unassigned if that’s your workflow).
- Confirm communications: send booking confirmation and any job instructions.
- Handle deposits/payments (if required): request a deposit or take payment based on your settings.
Helpful guides:
- Convert Quote to Booking (full guide)
- Job assignment & dispatch (manual vs automatic)
- Send booking confirmations (Email/SMS/WhatsApp)
- Payments & deposits for bookings
- Recurring bookings (for repeat work/contracts)
Optional: let customers book themselves after approving the quote. If you want the customer to choose a time slot immediately after approving a quote, enable: Customer self-scheduling after quote approval and review: Customer portal flags & permissions (and set your time slot intervals).
Add location details (Fixed / Mobile / Virtual + Google Maps URL)
You can switch between location types at any time while creating the booking.
Add primary address + additional addresses
Select your primary address first, then use Add to include extra addresses when needed (delivery address, second site, etc.).
Optional: Paste a Google Maps URL
If you have a Google Maps link (shared by the customer), you can paste it into the address/map prompt (where available) to speed up accurate location capture.
Example Google Maps URL:
Share and copy a Google Maps link:
Paste the URL into the booking location prompt:
Schedule appointments & assign fieldworkers
A booking can contain one or more appointments. Each appointment can have its own:
- Date/time window
- Status (Upcoming, In Progress, etc.)
- Assigned fieldworker
- Notes
Assign a fieldworker: use the fieldworker selector to pick the best person for the job.
Add another appointment: use Add new appointment if the job needs multiple visits or stages.
Create recurring appointments
For repeat schedules (weekly/fortnightly/monthly), you can add recurring appointments from the booking.
Start recurring setup:
Configure date range, frequency, and recurrence type:
Select times and number of occurrences:
After creation: you’ll see multiple appointments generated. You can copy details to other appointments if needed.
Learn more: Recurring Bookings
Add multiple services (and different fieldworkers)
Bookings can include multiple services—for example, a primary service plus add-ons, or multiple job types. Click Add under Services to add another service line.
If you need different fieldworkers for different services or appointments, you can assign fieldworkers per appointment and coordinate the schedule accordingly.
Related guide: Assign Multiple Fieldworkers to a Booking
Add services, products, and custom fields
After selecting the customer and location, add the services and (optionally) products that will be delivered/sold as part of the job.
If your business uses custom fields (e.g., access codes, property type, job-specific questions), complete them before saving.
Some industries use customer property fields (e.g., vehicles, rental items, assets) that can be selected/added per booking:
Add products to a booking
If you sell products (retail items, consumables, add-ons), you can add them to the booking. Depending on your settings, product sales can be shown/hidden during booking creation.
Add products at booking level:
Add products at service level (when applicable):
Example product selection modal:
Attach forms & checklists
Forms & checklists help standardize data capture before, during, and after the job (e.g., check-in forms, inspection lists, site photos, risk checks, completion sign-off).
Attach a form/checklist to the booking:
Example of forms & checklists displayed in the booking:
Learn more: Forms & Checklists Use Cases
Use Nearby Jobs & Availability tools
When assigning a fieldworker and time slot, these tools can help you schedule smarter:
- Nearby Jobs: see what’s already scheduled near the same location to reduce travel time and optimize routing.
- Availability: quickly find who is available for the selected time window.
Nearby jobs view:
Availability finder:
Learn more:
Apply voucher codes & discounts
You can apply voucher codes or discounts directly on the booking:
- Voucher code: enter and click Apply.
- Discount: add a manual discount amount/percentage (depending on your setup).
Voucher code:
Add discount:
Discount applied:
Learn more: Discount & Voucher Code Management
Save the booking & send confirmation
Before saving, review pricing, taxes, and totals to ensure everything is correct.
When ready, click Save booking.
If you want to send a booking confirmation email immediately, use the email option after saving (or from the booking communications tools).
What to do after the booking is created
After saving, you can:
- Edit booking details (update customer, services, pricing, appointments, notes, etc.)
- View booking details and track activity history
- Duplicate similar bookings for repeat jobs
- Generate invoices once the job is ready to bill
Edit from the Bookings list:
Edit from within the booking:
Example Edit Booking screen:
Related guides:
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