Service categories, organising your menu

A service catalog with 50+ items in a flat list is a usability disaster. Categories group your services into logical sections (Hair, Nails, Beauty, Spa) so everyone can navigate them in seconds, customers on the booking page, staff in the booking modal, and you in the catalog.

Where categories appear

• Online booking page: customers browse by category, then pick a service.
• Booking modal (calendar): services group under category headers, search filters by category.
• Reports: revenue can be broken down by category, useful for spotting which areas drive the business.
• Service list: filter and sort by category in the manager.

Setting up categories

Open Services in the sidebar, then click Categories at the top, or open any service and assign it to a category from the dropdown. The category list lets you:

• Create a new category with a name and color.
• Reorder categories (drag and drop).
• Edit name or color of existing categories.
• Delete a category (its services become uncategorised).

The category color shows up as a stripe on the appointment card on the calendar, so it's also a visual cue.

Use case scenarios

Scenario 1: Multi-service salon

A salon offers hair, nails, and beauty services. They create three categories: "Hair", "Nails", "Beauty". Each service goes under one. The booking page now has three clean sections instead of a 30-item flat list.

Scenario 2: Spa with packages

A spa offers Massage, Facials, Body Treatments, Couples Packages. Four categories. Couples packages get a distinct color (pink) so they stand out on the calendar.

Scenario 3: Hair-only salon with depth

A hair salon doesn't need top-level categories like "Hair", but does need depth: Cuts, Color, Styling, Treatments, Extensions. Five categories make a 25-service catalog navigable.

Scenario 4: Seasonal organisation

Add a "Holiday Specials" category in December. Move bridal-related services there in spring wedding season. Use categories as a temporary marketing tool.

Tips

• 3-7 categories is the sweet spot. Less, and you don't differentiate enough. More, and customers can't scan them.
• Category colors should be distinct: don't use 5 shades of blue. Pick visually different colors so the calendar reads at a glance.
• Order by frequency: put your most-booked category first. The booking page lists them in your specified order.
• Don't nest: Bookinda doesn't support sub-categories. If you need depth, use service variants under each service instead.
• Empty categories disappear: if no services are in a category, it doesn't show on the public booking page. Useful for staging new categories before launching.