Blocked time or appointments? Choosing how Treatwell bookings land in Phorest
Booking Connect can put each Treatwell booking into Phorest in one of two ways: as blocked time, or as a full appointment. Neither is wrong. Which suits you depends on how you work.
The two options
Blocked time (the default). The time is blocked out in the stylist's diary with a break. The break's label shows the booking status, the service, the customer's name and contact detail, and the Treatwell reference, so your team knows who is coming.
A full appointment. The booking is created as a normal Phorest appointment, linked to the client's record, so it can be checked out like any other.
How they compare
Blocked time:
protects the stylist's time and is simple;
no price to reconcile, so Treatwell discounts don't affect Phorest;
the booking isn't a Phorest appointment, so it doesn't appear in your Phorest appointment reports and can't be checked out there.
A full appointment:
is a proper appointment with a client record, ready for checkout;
appears in your Phorest reporting;
takes its price from Phorest, not from Treatwell, so check how your Treatwell prices and discounts line up;
needs each Treatwell service linked to a Phorest service.
Adding Treatwell bookings to Phorest at all, either way, is part of the Plus plan.
You can mix them
You choose separately for prepaid and unpaid bookings. Many salons create a full appointment for unpaid bookings, so the client is taken to checkout and pays, and leave prepaid ones as blocked time. See Treatwell prepaid vs unpaid bookings in Phorest.
What you'll see in your dashboard
When a new Treatwell service arrives, it starts on the default, blocked time. For the first week, your Health card shows a friendly note with two choices: Keep as blocked time, or Link the service so future bookings become appointments. It's information, not a fault.
Once you've chosen, or edited the service in Setup, or simply left it alone for a week, Booking Connect treats blocked time as what you want. You stop seeing notes about it, and the bookings don't send warning emails.
How to link a service
Go to Setup and find the Mapping section. Choose what should happen for prepaid and unpaid bookings. Product name and option must match your Treatwell menu exactly. See Configure mappings and "Service not mapped" – what to do when a booking only blocks out time.
Booking Connect is an independent service. It isn't run by Treatwell, Phorest, Fresha or ClassPass.