General Settings

The General Settings page allows you to configure the core options and rules for your Schedula plugin. This section controls the global functionality, display, and operational settings of your booking system, including business details, payment integrations, working hours, holidays, and admin appearance customizations.

Navigation Overview

The settings page is organized into multiple tabs, accessible via a sidebar navigation:

• General: Configure core booking rules, time formats, and data management.
• Company: Enter specific information about your business.
• Appointment: Set rules for group and recurring bookings.
• Payments: Configure payment gateways (PayPal, Stripe, and local payments) and pricing adjustments.
• Working Hours: Define default business hours and breaks for staff schedules.
• Holidays: Set default business holidays for staff templates.
• Appearance: Customize the admin panel’s look and feel.
• Analytics: View and manage analytics settings for tracking booking performance.

Each tab contains specific settings with input fields, dropdowns, checkboxes, and buttons to customize the plugin’s behavior. A Save Settings button at the bottom of each tab saves changes, and a Reset button restores the current tab’s settings to their defaults.

General Tab

This section controls the global functionality and display of your booking system.

Time Slot Length

• Description: Set the duration of each bookable time slot in minutes.
• Options: Select from predefined options (e.g., 15, 30, 45, 60 minutes).
• Purpose: Defines how frequently clients can book appointments (e.g., every 30 minutes).
• Example: If set to 30 minutes, clients can book appointments at intervals like 9:00 AM, 9:30 AM, 10:00 AM, etc.

Time Format

• Description: Choose how time is displayed across the booking system.
• Options: 

• 12-hour format (e.g., 1:00 PM).
• 24-hour format (e.g., 13:00).

• Purpose: Ensures time displays align with your region or preference for both clients and staff.
• Example: Selecting 12-hour format displays times as “1:00 PM” instead of “13:00.”

Minimum Time Before Booking

• Description: Define how far in advance clients must book an appointment.
• Options: Select from predefined intervals (e.g., 1 hour, 24 hours, 48 hours).
• Purpose: Prevents last-minute bookings, giving staff time to prepare.
• Example: If set to 24 hours, clients cannot book an appointment for the next day unless it’s at least 24 hours away.

Minimum Time Before Canceling

• Description: Set the minimum time before an appointment that clients can cancel.
• Options: Select from predefined intervals (e.g., 1 hour, 24 hours, 48 hours).
• Purpose: Ensures cancellations are made with sufficient notice to avoid disrupting schedules.
• Example: If set to 24 hours, clients cannot cancel an appointment less than 24 hours before it starts.

Time Buffer Between Bookings

• Description: Add a buffer period after each appointment during which no bookings can be made.
• Options: Select from predefined intervals (e.g., 0, 15, 30, 60 minutes).
• Purpose: Provides staff with breaks or preparation time between appointments.
• Example: A 15-minute buffer ensures a gap between consecutive bookings, e.g., 9:00–9:30 AM, next booking at 9:45 AM.

Display Client’s Timezone

• Description: Choose whether to display appointment times in the client’s local timezone.
• Purpose: Improves clarity for clients in different timezones by showing times in their local format.
• Example: If checked, a client in New York sees appointment times in EST, while the business operates in PST.

Enable Instant Booking

• Description: Allow bookings to be instantly confirmed without requiring manual approval.
• Options: Checkbox (checked = instant confirmation, unchecked = pending approval).
• Purpose: Streamlines the booking process for clients but may require manual review if unchecked.
• Example: If checked, a client’s booking at 10:00 AM is immediately confirmed; if unchecked, it’s marked as pending until approved.

Business Timezone

• Description: Set the primary timezone for your business operations and staff schedules.
• Options: Select from a list of timezones (e.g., America/New_York, Europe/London).
• Purpose: Ensures all booking times are based on your business’s timezone, especially for staff schedules and availability.
• Example: Setting to “America/Los_Angeles” means all bookings are scheduled in Pacific Time.

Delete Schedula Data on Uninstall

• Description: Decide whether to delete all Schedula data when uninstalling the plugin.
• Options : 

• Don’t Delete: Retains all data (bookings, settings, etc.) in the database.
• Delete: Permanently removes all Schedula data upon uninstallation.
• Purpose: Provides control over data retention for compliance or cleanup purposes.

Company Tab

This section allows you to enter specific information about your business, which is displayed to clients and used in communications.

Upload or Select Logo

• Description: Upload or select an image from your WordPress media library to use as your company logo.
• Options: Click the upload area to open the media uploader; remove the logo with the trash icon.
• Purpose: Displays your brand logo on booking pages, emails, or invoices for a professional appearance.

Company Name

• Description: Enter the official name of your business.

Address

• Description: Provide your business’s physical address.
• Input: Text field.
• Purpose: Displayed to clients for in-person appointments or for legal/compliance purposes.

Phone Number

• Description: Enter your company’s main contact phone number.
• Input: Phone input with international format support.
• Purpose: Allows clients to contact your business directly; used in booking confirmations.

Contact Email

• Description: Provide your company’s primary contact email address.
• Input: Email field.

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Website URL

• Description: Enter your company’s official website address.
• Input: URL field.

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Industry

• Description: Select the primary industry your business operates in.
• Options: Dropdown with grouped industry categories (e.g., Health & Wellness, Education).
• Purpose: Helps tailor the plugin’s behavior or analytics to your industry type.

Services Description

• Description: Provide a brief description of the main services your company offers.
• Input: Textarea.
• Purpose: Displayed in booking interfaces or marketing materials to inform clients about your offerings.
• Example: “We offer haircuts, coloring, and spa treatments for all your beauty needs.”

Company Size

• Description: Select the approximate number of employees in your business.
• Options: Dropdown (e.g., 1–10, 11–50, 51–100).
• Purpose: Used for analytics or to tailor features for small vs. large businesses.
• Example: Choosing “1–10 employees” indicates a small business, which may affect scheduling logic.

Appointment Tab

This section configures rules for group and recurring bookings.

Enable Group Booking

• Description: Allow clients to book appointments for multiple people at once. 
• Purpose: Supports group bookings for services like classes or events.

Group Booking Settings (Visible if Enabled)

• Maximum Number of Persons: 

• Description: Set the maximum number of people allowed in a single group booking.
• Input: Number field (minimum 1).
• Purpose: Limits group sizes to manage capacity.
• Example: Setting to 10 means a group booking can include up to 10 people.
• Group Booking Price Logic: 

• Description: Define how prices are calculated for group bookings.
• Options : 

• Multiply by number of persons: Total price = base price × number of people.
• Fixed discount per person: Apply a fixed discount per person.
• Percentage discount on total: Apply a percentage discount to the total price.
• Purpose: Customizes pricing for group bookings to incentivize or cover costs.
• Adjustment Amount (Visible for Fixed/Percentage Discounts): 

• Description: Specify the discount amount for the selected price logic.
• Input: Number field (e.g., 5 for $5 or 10 for 10%).
• Purpose: Adjusts the final price based on the chosen logic.

Enable Recurring Appointments

• Description: Allow clients to book appointments that repeat regularly (e.g., weekly).
• Purpose: Supports recurring services like weekly therapy sessions.

Recurrence Settings (Visible if Enabled)

• Maximum Number of Recurrences: 

• Description: Set the maximum number of times an appointment can recur (0 = no limit).
• Input: Number field.
• Purpose: Limits the duration of recurring bookings to manage schedules.
• Example: Setting to 12 means a weekly appointment can recur for up to 12 weeks.

Payments Tab

The Payments Settings section allow you to configure payment options for your booking system, ensuring a smooth and secure transaction process for clients. This section includes general payment settings and integrations with payment gateways like PayPal and Stripe, tailored to meet your business needs.

– Select Currency

• The currency you select here becomes the primary currency for all services, bookings, and payments in your system.
• Example: United States Dollar (USD), Euro (EUR), etc.
•  Important: Ensure your selected currency is supported by your chosen payment gateway (PayPal or Stripe). Some currencies are not universally accepted.

– Enable “Pay in Cash” Option

• If enabled, clients can book services and pay later in person (cash or on-site card payment).
• Useful for businesses where local customers frequently pay on-site

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PayPal Settings

PayPal is one of the most popular online payment systems. To use it, you must configure it properly.

Enable PayPal Payments

• Check this option to make PayPal available during checkout.
• Clients will see a “Pay with PayPal” button when booking.

– PayPal API Credentials (REST API)

To connect your system with PayPal, you need API credentials from your PayPal Developer Dashboard.

• Client ID: Identifies your PayPal app.
• Client Secret: Private key used for authentication.
  Keep this secret! Never share it publicly.
• Webhook ID: A unique identifier for PayPal Webhooks you create.

– The Importance of Webhooks (PayPal)

Why Webhooks matter:
When a client pays with PayPal, the transaction does not always complete instantly. PayPal uses webhooks to notify your booking system of important events:

• Payment completed
• Payment failed
• Refund processed
• Dispute or chargeback

Without webhooks:

• Your system might show a booking as unpaid even if PayPal received the money.
• Refunds will not synchronize correctly.
• You risk booking conflicts or financial mismatches.

Always configure webhooks to ensure real-time, secure updates.

Sandbox Mode

• Yes: Use PayPal’s testing environment (no real money involved).
• No: Use live mode (real transactions).
  Use Sandbox during development to simulate payments safely.
• Price Correction

Sometimes you need to adjust the booking price when PayPal is used:

• None: No price adjustment.
• Amount: Add or subtract a fixed amount.

• Example: Add +2.00 to cover PayPal fees.
• Or subtract -5.00 to offer a discount for PayPal payments.

– Time to Hold Booking for Payment

• Defines how long a booking slot is held while the client completes payment.
• Example: Set to 15 minutes → the time slot is reserved for the client while PayPal processes the payment.
• OFF: The slot is never held; availability remains open until payment is confirmed.

Stripe Settings

Stripe is a modern payment gateway with strong developer support and wide currency compatibility.

Enable Stripe Payments

• Check this to allow clients to pay with credit/debit cards directly through Stripe.

– Stripe API Credentials

Obtain your keys from the Stripe Dashboard:

• Publishable Key: Safe to use in public (client-side).
• Secret Key: Keep confidential; used server-side.
• Webhook Signing Secret: Used to verify that webhook notifications really come from Stripe.

The Importance of Webhooks (Stripe)

Stripe also relies heavily on webhooks to keep your system in sync:

• Successful payments
• Failed or canceled payments
• Refunds
• Subscription updates (if applicable)

Stripe signs every webhook event, and your system verifies it using the Webhook Signing Secret.
This prevents fake notifications from malicious actors.

Without webhooks:

• Refunds may not reflect in your booking system.
• Failed payments may still appear as successful.
• You risk incorrect availability and financial records.

Always configure and secure Stripe webhooks for accurate payment handling.

-Test Mode

• Yes: Use Stripe test API keys to simulate payments.
• No: Live mode — real transactions.
  Always start in test mode before going live.

-Price Correction

• Adjust the booking price when Stripe is selected.
• Options: None or Amount (fixed adjustment).
• Example: Add +1.50 USD to cover Stripe fees, or subtract -5.00 USD as a discount.

-Time to Hold Booking for Payment

• Works like PayPal’s option.
• Example: Set 10 minutes → booking is temporarily reserved while Stripe processes payment.
• OFF: Slots are never held.

 Best Practices for Secure Payment Setup

1. Start in Sandbox/Test Mode — Always test thoroughly with fake transactions before enabling real payments.
2. Use Webhooks — Never skip this step. Webhooks keep your booking system in sync with payment providers.
   • For PayPal: Create a webhook in the PayPal Developer Dashboard, copy the Webhook ID.
   • For Stripe: Create a webhook in Stripe Dashboard, copy the Signing Secret.
3. Secure Your Credentials — Never share your Client Secret or Stripe Secret Key. Store them safely in your WordPress database.
4. Enable HTTPS — Webhooks and API communications require secure HTTPS connections.
5. Configure Price Corrections if you need to cover gateway fees or provide discounts.
6. Check Currency Compatibility — Confirm that your chosen currency is supported by your gateway.
7. Monitor Webhook Logs — Both PayPal and Stripe provide logs to verify that webhooks are firing correctly. Use these for debugging.

Working Hours Tab

This section defines the default business hours and breaks used as a template for staff schedules.

Enable Default Business Hours as Staff Template

• Description: Use the default business hours as the initial schedule for newly added staff members.
• Purpose: Simplifies staff onboarding by applying a standard schedule; existing staff schedules are unaffected.
• Example: If enabled, new staff inherit the default hours (e.g., 9:00 AM–5:00 PM).

Default Weekly Business Hours

• Description: Set the working hours for each day of the week, including breaks.
• Options: For each day (Monday–Sunday): 

• Start Time: Select the opening time (e.g., 9:00 AM) or “Off” for non-working days.
• End Time: Select the closing time (e.g., 5:00 PM) or “Off.”
• Add Break: Add break periods within working hours (e.g., 12:00 PM–1:00 PM for lunch).
• Duplicate: Copy a day’s schedule to another day or all days for consistency.

• Purpose: Defines the default availability for your business, which can be overridden for individual staff.
• Example: Setting Monday to 9:00 AM–5:00 PM with a 12:00 PM–1:00 PM break ensures no bookings during lunch.

Holidays Tab

This section sets default business holidays used as a template for staff.

Enable Default Business Holidays as Staff Template

• Description: Use the default holidays as the initial unavailable periods for newly added staff members.
• Purpose: Automatically applies holidays to new staff; existing staff holidays are unaffected.
• Example: If enabled, new staff inherit holidays like “December 25, 2025.”

Default Business Holidays

• Description: Add specific dates or date ranges when the business is closed.
• Options : 

• Add Holiday: Open a modal to select a date range and add an optional description.
• Remove Holiday: Delete an existing holiday.

• Purpose: Blocks bookings on specified holidays for all staff using the default template.
• Example: Adding “December 25, 2025” with description “Christmas Day” prevents bookings on that date.

Appearance Tab

This section customizes the look and feel of the Schedula admin panel. It allows you to select the Global Font Family from a dropdown of Google Fonts (e.g., Inter, Roboto) to enhance the visual style, such as applying Roboto to all admin text. You can also set the Header Background Color using a color picker to tailor the header’s appearance for branding or readability. The Header Text Color ensures text readability against the header background. Additionally, the Logo ‘S’ Background Color and Logo ‘S’ Text Color let you style the Schedula’s “S” icon for better visibility and branding. Use the “Save Settings” button to apply changes and the “Reset” button to restore defaults.

Dark Mode: The admin panel supports dark mode, with colors adjusting dynamically for better visibility. For that you can click on the toggle at the right corner on the header.

Analytics Tab

The Analytics Tab allows you to export your data, including appointments, clients, and payment information, for further analysis or record-keeping. You select the date range and then you click on export.