Take online bookings without building a website

You do not need a website to take bookings online

Plenty of successful UK salons, barbers, and therapists run entirely on Instagram, Google, and word of mouth — with no custom website at all. What you do need is a single link where clients can see services, pick a time, and confirm.

A booking page replaces the back-and-forth of DMs and phone calls. Clients self-serve 24/7; you wake up to confirmed appointments instead of unread messages.

Step 1: Create your booking account

Sign up for Sway with a business account — Free works and requires no credit card. Enter your business name, address or service area, and contact details. This becomes the header on your public booking page.

Set your opening hours and any regular closure days. Clients will only see slots inside hours you define.

Step 2: Add your services

• List each bookable service: name, duration, and price.
• Free plans support up to 10 services — enough for a focused menu.
• Choose whether each service requires a deposit or allows pay-at-venue.
• Add a short description so new clients know what to expect.
• Set how far ahead clients can book and your cancellation policy.

Step 3: Set availability

Block out lunch breaks, school runs, and days off in your calendar. Sway only offers slots you have marked as available.

If you offer group sessions or classes with fixed capacity, set those up as separate services with attendee limits.

Step 4: Connect payments (optional)

Stripe handles card payments for deposits and checkout. Connect once in your Sway dashboard — clients pay securely without you handling card details.

Prefer cash or card in person? Enable pay-at-venue and skip Stripe until you are ready. No Sway platform fee applies on pay-at-venue bookings.

Step 5: Share your booking link

• Google Business Profile — add your Sway link as the booking URL so Maps searchers book directly.
• Instagram bio — replace 'DM to book' with your live booking link.
• WhatsApp — pin your link or add it to quick replies.
• Printed materials — QR code on mirror stickers, business cards, and receipts.
• Email and SMS — send the link when someone asks about availability.

Adding a website later

When you are ready for a full site, you do not start over. Keep the same Sway account and booking page URL. On Individual plans and above, embed the booking widget on a 'Book now' page inside Squarespace, Wix, WordPress, or Webflow.

Until then, your booking page is your website for conversion purposes — and it costs nothing on Sway Free.