Require a phone number

An online client always leaves an email — that is where the confirmation, the reminder and the link to manage the booking go. The phone is optional by default. If you want everyone who books online to leave a phone number too, switch on Require a phone number.

The number is not verified by SMS. The system only checks that it is a valid phone number. It is there so you can reach the client, not to prove who they are. The email stays required, exactly as before.

1. Where to switch it on

1. In the board column open the Setup hub.
2. In the Salon operations group choose Settings.
3. Find the Require a phone number row — next to Confirmation window (minutes). The two settings sit side by side because both say what the client has to do on the public page.
4. Flip the switch next to the heading.
5. Unsaved changes appears at the bottom right. Press Save changes and confirm the Save board changes? question.

The text under the switch always tells you the current state:

Switch	Text underneath
Off (default)	“The phone is optional — customers only have to leave an email.”
On	”Customers booking on the public page will have to enter a valid phone number. It isn’t verified by SMS — it’s only for getting in touch. Bookings your team makes in the admin aren’t affected.”

The change applies as soon as it is saved. Close the page without pressing Save changes and nothing changes.

2. What the client sees

The change is in the same checkout form the client sees on a phone and on a computer.

	Off	On
Field label	Phone (optional)	Phone
The booking button	works without a phone	waits for a valid number
Empty field or an incomplete number	nothing is said — the phone isn’t needed	”Enter a valid phone number” appears under the field once the client leaves it
A client signed in to their profile	fills in no contact details — the profile’s are used	if the profile has a phone, the field isn’t shown and that number is used; if not, a Phone field appears

The field starts with the flag and dialling code of the salon’s country. A client with a foreign number picks their country from the flag or types the number with + and the country code.

If the client opened the page before you switched the setting on, the form doesn’t know about it yet. Their first booking attempt then answers: “This venue only takes online bookings with a phone number. Enter a valid number and try again.” The field becomes required on the spot and the client carries on from there — nothing they filled in is lost.

3. Where it applies and where it doesn’t

Way of booking	Phone required
A 1-to-1 appointment online	yes
A visit with several services at once	yes
A rental and a day pass	yes
A group class — one date or a series	yes
The waitlist for a full class	yes — the form says “Enter a valid phone number — the venue requires it.”
Buying a package or a gift card	no — that is a purchase, not a booking
A booking entered by your team (New booking)	no
Changing or moving an existing booking	no

Switching it on doesn’t touch bookings made before. They stay as they are — with or without a phone.

4. What the setting does NOT do

• It doesn’t check the number belongs to the client. There is no SMS code. The client can type any correctly formatted number. If you want proof that the contact is real, switch on the confirmation window as well — it checks the email.
• It doesn’t send SMS or WhatsApp. The confirmation, the reminder and every other message go by email. The number is for you — for when you need to call.
• It doesn’t replace the email. A guest without a profile still has to enter an email.
• It doesn’t affect your team. Bookings you make in the admin are accepted as before — with or without a phone.
• It doesn’t change who the client is. The booking is linked to the client card and to their profile exactly as before — by email and by signing in.

5. When it’s worth switching on

Switch it on if:

• you call clients when something changes — a sick instructor, a closed room, running late;
• your services are long or expensive and one missed appointment costs you a lot;
• you run group classes and need to warn everyone quickly when a session is cancelled;
• your clients often mistype their email and you’d otherwise have no way to find them.

Leave it off if:

• you want booking to be as short as possible — every required field loses some people;
• email is enough for you — the confirmation and the reminder arrive by email anyway.

6. Where your team sees the number

The number the client typed is stored on the booking itself. You see it:

• in the booking card, when you open it from Schedule or Bookings;
• on the client’s row in the Bookings list — the number can be tapped to call;
• in the attendee list of a group class.

7. If something isn’t working

Symptom	Check
A client says the booking button won’t press	The Phone field is empty or the number isn’t valid. Check the country in the flag
I switched it on but bookings without a phone still arrive	Check the change was saved — Unsaved changes must not be showing. Staff bookings and package purchases don’t need a phone
A client from abroad can’t enter their number	Have them pick their country from the flag, or type the number with + and the country code
The number turned out to be wrong	The system doesn’t check it by SMS. Switch on the confirmation window to have at least a verified email
A signed-in client sees no phone field	Their profile already has a phone — it’s used automatically

What’s next

• The confirmation window — the neighbouring setting: the client confirms with a link from the email.
• The client’s email — the other contact and where it’s entered.
• Client notifications — what the client gets and when.
• The client card — everything about one client in one place.