Set up Acuity Scheduling on Your Squarespace website

I love scheduling apps, both as a small business owner and as a user. They really help to avoid those back and forth emails, trying to figure out a time that works for both people. They also help you avoid having to stop working to take or make a phone call. Scheduling apps are something that I often recommend to my web design clients as a big time saver.

For my own business, I use Acuity Scheduling (or Squarespace Scheduling).

Squarespace’s close relationship with Acuity was one of the reasons that I chose to have my website with Squarespace and become a Squarespace web designer.

Why?

I experienced those back and forth emails and the phone call interruptions to my work during the time I owned my previous business, designing wedding & event invitations. I wanted a way to make that process better for myself with my new web design business. Plus, I wanted to help take this task off of other small business owners that I would be helping.

From Acuity to Squarespace Scheduling and Back Again

Acuity Scheduling? I thought it was called Squarespace Scheduling?

You’re right. Acuity was a separate company until a few years ago when Squarespace bought it out. They then renamed it Squarespace Scheduling for their website use and kept the Acuity Scheduling website separate. As I started to write this blog I received an email telling me they were renaming the scheduling app again and going back to Acuity for everything. I don’t know why. It’s a little confusing, but there it is.

Why Use Acuity Scheduling?

For clients who are just starting out, I often use Calendly as a scheduling app, as they have a good free option. It does have some limitations though, and you do have to go through another website for the setup and changes to your availability.

Other clients prefer the ease of use of the Acuity app, which is built in to their Squarespace website. There are 3 paid plans: Emerging, Growing and Powerhouse. Most of my clients use the lowest price plan – Emerging.

All three plans come with great features:

• Create multiple appointments – you can even create classes!

• Get paid through Stripe or PayPal

• Automatic confirmation and reminder emails

• Invoicing

• Add optional intake questions

• Integration with Zoom for online meetings

• Add booking button to social media

• Sync with your Google, iCloud or Outlook calendar

Not sure if it’s right for you? Try it out.

Squarespace gives you a free trial of Acuity Scheduling for 2 weeks. At the end of the 2 weeks you need to upgrade it to a paid version or it just stops working.

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How to set up Acuity Scheduling

It’s really easy to get started on Acuity from your Squarespace website. Simply click on Scheduling on the main menu.

From there you’ll see a big yellow box with 4 links to the 4 core steps to set up your scheduling:

1. Set your Availability

2. Create Appointment Types

3. Add Scheduling to your Website

4. Sync with other Calendars

Step 1: Set your Availability

Click on the link in the yellow box or scroll down the Scheduling menu to Business Settings and click Availability. Here you’ll see two tabs:

• Set Hours of Availability

• Calendar Scheduling Limits

Set Hours of Availability

In this tab you’ll see two calendars. The top calendar lets you set your regular work hours. So, you’d add in 9-5 Monday to Friday or whatever hours you work. The bottom calendar lets you override the regular hours. So, if you are taking Friday afternoon off you’d set that days hours from 9-12.

There’s also a button at the over the tabs to Block off Time. This lets you take multiple days off. Perfect for when you want to book yourself a vacation.

Calendar Scheduling Limits

This tab lets you set how many appointments you want to take in a day, when clients can schedule and reschedule appointments.

You can also change these and more (like minimizing time gaps between appointments) by scrolling down the Availability menu and clicking Global Scheduling Limits

Step 2: Create Appointment Types

Click on the link or scroll down the Scheduling menu to Business Settings and click Appointment Types. Click on a button to create a New Type of Service or a New Type of Group Class.

Service is generally for a one on one appointment or class. Clients choose their time from the availability you added to your calendar.

Group class allows multiple people to book for the same time. They aren’t offered whenever you are available, like your appointments are. You set the exact dates and time for these group classes and people can join them.

Add a new appointment:

1. Click New type of service

2. Add the appointment name, duration and other details

3. Click Create Appointment Type
   

Add a New Type of Class

1. Click New Type of Group Class

2. Add class details like name, duration and maximum number of people

3. Click Create Appointment Type

4. Click Offer Class to choose time and date of class

5. Click Save Class

Step 3: Add Scheduling to your Website

1. Go to the page that you want to add your Scheduling Calendar and click Edit

2. Click Add Block and choose Scheduling

3. Click on the block, then click the pencil icon

4. Choose which appointments to display

5. Click Save

Step 4: Sync with other Calendar

Too many calendars to check means that appointments get forgotten! So it’s a really good idea to sync up your scheduling calendar to the calendar you use most. Just choose your calendar then follow the steps to sync the two together.

Step 5: Customize Appearance

This isn’t one of Squarespace’s core steps, but it’s one of mine when I’m setting up scheduling. I always like to add my clients branding to their scheduling app.

1. From the Scheduling menu, click Customize Appearance

2. Add personalised instructions and your brand colours

3. Click Save Changes

At the end of your two week trial (it started when you clicked Scheduling) you’ll need to decide if you want to continue with Acuity. If you do, click the “View Plans and Upgrade Now” button at the bottom of the screen.

With a paid plan you can do one more thing to customize your scheduling. Scroll down the scheduling menu to Notifications and click Client Email. There you’ll be able to customize all the notifications and reminders that go out to your clients and choose the timing for those reminders.

I think your website should take on some of the work for you. That’s why I think scheduling apps are such a great thing. They allow you to schedule appointments even while you sleep. So, now that you know how to set it up, give it a try. I hope it will save you lots of time! 

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Don’t want to do it yourself? Let’s work together to make it easy!

I’ll take care of the design, coding and details, while you get back to business.

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