When salon opening hours aren't everyone's working hours

A salon can be open from 9 to 7 while nobody works 9 to 7. One stylist starts late on Tuesdays, another leaves early for school pickup, a colorist works only three days, and the lash artist rents a chair on weekends. If your online booking only knows the salon's opening hours, it will offer times when the right person isn't there.

This guide shows how to map a real salon schedule before you configure anything, then how to set it up in StudioSlot, a booking plugin that runs on your existing WordPress site. StudioSlot Free covers services, staff, business hours and booking requests you confirm or decline. StudioSlot Pro adds individual staff hours, breaks and date exceptions for teams whose hours differ.

Step 1: Write down the schedule before you configure it

Spend ten minutes on paper first. For each person, list the services they perform, the days and hours they work, their usual break, and any days off already planned. Use this fictional example as a worksheet:

If the last two rows are empty because everyone works the salon's hours, StudioSlot Free may be all you need. If those rows fill up, Pro is likely a better fit.

Step 2: Set up the booking essentials in StudioSlot Free

1. Add your services under StudioSlot > Services. Give each a clear name ("Women's Cut & Style", "Full Set + Gel") and a realistic duration.
2. Add your staff under StudioSlot > Staff, and check which services each person performs. Clients only see a professional for services that person offers. Working solo? Add yourself as the only staff member.
3. Check business hours and booking limits under StudioSlot > Settings. Set a minimum notice so nobody books ten minutes from now, and a limit on how far ahead clients can book.
4. Choose request or auto-confirm. With requests, you confirm or decline each booking from WordPress. With auto-confirm, open times are confirmed straight away.
5. Place the form by adding [studioslot] to your Book Now page.

Free includes unlimited services, staff and bookings, double-booking prevention, a mobile booking form that inherits your theme's style, and email notices to you, your staff and your clients. Clients don't need an account; they enter a name, email and phone.

Step 3: Add individual schedules with StudioSlot Pro

Pro is for the rows in your worksheet that business hours can't express:

• Individual staff hours. Riley's late Tuesday start and Sam's Friday–Saturday weeks are set per person, so the form only offers times when that professional is working.
• Breaks. A staff break, such as lunch, keeps clients from booking into that time.
• Date exceptions. A day off, a training day or a holiday for one person, without closing the whole salon.
• Private appointment notes for administrators, such as a color formula reminder, that clients never see.
• Optional email reminders before appointments.

Step 4: Test it like a client would

Before you share the booking link, open the Book Now page on your phone. Book one service with each professional, picking a time near the edge of their hours. Then check that:

• the times offered match the worksheet, and no times are offered during a break;
• the appointment appears in WordPress with the right service and professional;
• the email notice reaches the intended inbox. Check spam too. An SMTP plugin connected to a working mail service can improve delivery.

Common scheduling mistakes

• Setting business hours to the longest shift. If business hours are 9–7 but only one person works the evening, everyone looks bookable until 7. Use individual hours in Pro, or keep business hours to the hours everyone works.
• Forgetting to assign services to staff. A new colorist with no services checked won't appear on the form.
• Using a fake booking to block a day off. It works, but it's easy to forget and hard to read later. A date exception says what it is.
• Not re-testing after changes. Make one test booking whenever you change hours or staff.

What StudioSlot doesn't include

Client payments and deposits, calendar sync and a data importer are not included in Free or the current Pro release. Optional text messages in Pro require your own funded Twilio account, sender registration and verified delivery, and provider fees are separate. Comparing tools? See StudioSlot vs Amelia and StudioSlot vs Simply Schedule Appointments.

Pricing

StudioSlot Free is free on WordPress.org. StudioSlot Pro costs $79 per year for one active WordPress site, renewing annually until cancelled. Pro requires WordPress 6.4+ and PHP 7.4+. The order includes a compatible Free companion plugin and a setup guide.

Frequently asked questions

Can I add a second stylist or a larger team on the free version?

Yes. StudioSlot Free includes unlimited staff. Add each professional under StudioSlot > Staff and check the services they perform.

Do I need Pro if everyone works the same hours?

Probably not. If business hours describe everyone's availability, Free covers it. Pro is for individual hours, breaks and date exceptions.

Can two clients book the same professional at the same time?

No. StudioSlot checks the slot when it is shown and again when it is saved, so a taken time isn't offered to someone else.

Do clients need an account to book?

No. They enter their name, email and phone.