Form automation and trigger rules
Booking-based triggers, audience, frequency, service linking
Form automation
Automation removes manual sending. Bookinda auto-sends the form when the event occurs.
The 5 trigger types
1. BEFORE_APPOINTMENT
When: X hours before appointment (you set, e.g., 24 hours). Use: collect consultation data, screen allergies. Customer answers, you prepare.
2. AFTER_APPOINTMENT
When: X hours after appointment (e.g., 1 hour, 24 hours). Use: feedback form, review request.
3. AFTER_BOOKING (booking event)
When: immediately on booking creation. Use: Consent form, Intake, pre-booking info.
4. AFTER_PAYMENT
When: immediately after payment finished. Use: purchase feedback, package activation form.
5. MANUAL
When: you send by hand from customer profile. Use: special cases, ad-hoc forms.
Audience targeting
Auto-send is filterable:
- All clients
- New clients only (their first booking)
- New to service (new to this service, not new customer)
- Returning clients (multiple bookings)
Frequency
- Every time – sends on every booking
- Once only – sends once per customer (e.g., Intake only on first booking)
Service linking
A form can link to one or more services. Trigger only fires for those.
Example
"Tattoo Consent" form → linked to "Tattoo" service. Customer books Tattoo, AFTER_BOOKING trigger → Consent goes out.
Customer books Haircut (unlinked), no Consent.
Channels (delivery)
Configurable:
- Email (custom subject + message)
- SMS / WhatsApp (max 160 chars, link only)
- In-app (Customer app push)
Send to future appointments
When the automation is activated, if existing future bookings match, Bookinda auto-generates submissions retroactively. No manual run needed.
Toggle on the automation page: "Send to future appointments."
Hourly cron
Trigger rules run every hour (cron). E.g., booking at 2026-05-05 14:00 with BEFORE_APPOINTMENT 24h → sent around 2026-05-04 14:00 (next hourly cron).
When to use it
Scenario 1, beauty pre-consultation Trigger: BEFORE_APPOINTMENT 24h. Audience: all. Frequency: every time. Service: all beauty. Channels: email + SMS.
Scenario 2, Intake for new customers Trigger: AFTER_BOOKING. Audience: New clients only. Frequency: once only. Service: all. Channel: email.
Scenario 3, Tattoo Consent Trigger: AFTER_BOOKING. Audience: all. Frequency: once only (don't make same customer fill twice). Service: "Tattoo" only. Channels: email + WhatsApp.
Scenario 4, feedback after every appointment Trigger: AFTER_APPOINTMENT 24h. Audience: all. Frequency: every time. Service: all. Channel: email.
Scenario 5, package activation Trigger: AFTER_PAYMENT. Only when payment is for a package. "Welcome to the package, pick your starting time."
Deduplication
System checks: was a submission already created for this customer + form? If yes and Once-only, doesn't send again.
Tips
- Start with 1-2 automations, measure for a month. Then expand.
- AFTER_APPOINTMENT timing matters: 1h is too early (not home yet), 7d too late (forgot). 24h optimum.
- Once-only protects customer from spam, don't skip.
- "Send to future appointments" saves manual run, enable when activating new automation.
- SMS / WhatsApp only sends the link, 160 chars is tight. Email for content.
- Audience targeting is powerful: greet new customers with Intake, returning ones with simpler forms.