The booking is separate from the record
The appointment sits in one tool and the client's history in another, so the person serving them opens two screens or none.
Nothing to wire up. You describe the business in plain language, Ifa designs and builds it, and you check the plan before any of it exists.
Appointment scheduling software
Appointment scheduling software that keeps the client record behind every booking.
Ifa is online booking software inside a workspace you set up by describing how your business runs. It creates a booking page for your business, takes bookings in chat on a connected channel, and your team can always book for a client. Every booking is checked for conflicts and lands on the client's record.
Illustrative workflow · Guided pre-launch setup
Starting workflow
- 1Request
- 2Availability check
- 3Confirmation
- 4Reminder
- 5Appointment
- 6Follow-up
Scheduling tools book the time but forget the client.
A calendar link fills the diary, but the history, the files and the follow-up live somewhere else.
Double bookings still happen
Two workers share one room or one chair, and the calendar that does not know it books both.
No-shows go unchased
The reminder goes out only if someone remembers, and the missed slot is found at the end of the month.
The back-and-forth never ends
Finding a time takes five messages because availability lives in someone's head.
From the booking request to the follow-up.
Six stages every appointment goes through, each with an owner and a next step.
- Step 01
Request
A client books on your booking page, in chat or by phone; a form request is confirmed by your team.
- Step 02
Availability check
Working hours, the policy for the service and a conflict check decide which slots exist.
- Step 03
Confirmation
The booking is written to the worker and the client record, and the client hears back on the channel they used.
- Step 04
Reminder
A workflow you define sends the reminder through a connected channel at the time you choose.
- Step 05
Appointment
The worker opens one record: history, notes, files and what was promised.
- Step 06
Follow-up
Rebooking, a thank-you or a check-in, logged with an owner so it happens.
Illustrative workspace
See the week's bookings and who they belong to.
An illustrative workspace built from example records. It shows the views a team would review during guided setup.
Guided setup
Guided setup starts with the way people book you today.
We follow one real appointment from the request to the follow-up, agree the policies, then go through the workspace with your team before any pilot.
Questions we map together
- How do bookings reach you today: a page, a call, a chat or a walk-in?
- Who or what gets booked: people, rooms, chairs, bays or equipment?
- What are the working hours, and which services need a policy of their own?
- What should a reminder say, when should it go out, and on which channel?
You see the proposed stages, fields and responsibilities, and correct them, before the pilot starts.
Who this starting workflow is (and is not) for
A practical fit for
- Salons, groomers, repair shops and cleaning companies that book people and places
- Coaches, consultants and tutors who book sessions and want the notes on the same record
- Teams replacing a calendar link and a spreadsheet with one workspace
Not designed for
- Teams that need two-way Google or Outlook calendar sync today
- Businesses that must take a card deposit at the moment of booking
- Clinics and other regulated healthcare practices
Compared
How Ifa compares with appointment scheduling software
Calendly, Acuity, Setmore, Square Appointments and SimplyBook.me are built around the calendar. Ifa is built around the client record, with the booking page, chat bookings and reminders attached to it.
| What matters | Ifa | Typical scheduling tools |
|---|---|---|
| Where the day starts | The client record: history, files, bookings and the follow-up in one place. | The calendar and the booking link. |
| How clients book | Through a booking page Ifa creates, in chat on a connected channel, or through your team; form requests are confirmed by a person. | Through a hosted booking page or an embedded widget. |
| What a booking is attached to | A client record with your own fields, notes and files, plus the worker, room or equipment that was booked. | A calendar event with a contact attached. |
| Calendar sync | Workspace calendar only. Two-way Google or Outlook sync is not available today. | Included. |
| Payments and deposits at booking | Planned. Today payments stay in your card terminal or invoicing tool. | Included on paid plans, usually through Stripe or Square. |
| Reminders | A workflow you define: the timing, the wording and the connected channel, logged on the record. | Fixed reminder settings per booking type. |
| Pricing | Preview the workspace, then pay. No free tier. | Most offer a free tier with limits, then monthly plans per user. Check each vendor. |
Written by Ifa from the vendors' public pages on September 2, 2026. Features and prices change, so confirm them with each vendor before deciding.
Switching
Switching from your scheduling tool or a spreadsheet
Export clients and appointments, import them, and approve the match before anything is written.
Google Sheets or Excel
Download the sheet as CSV or keep it as XLSX. Column names become the field names you approve.
Calendly
Export scheduled events as CSV from the Meetings view.
Acuity Scheduling
Export the client list as CSV from the Clients tab.
Square Appointments
Export the customer list as CSV from the Square Dashboard.
Setmore
Export customers as CSV from Settings.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Ifa create a booking page for my business?
- Yes. Ifa creates a separate booking page you can link from your website and social profiles. Clients can also book in chat on a connected channel, and your team can always book for them.
- How are double bookings prevented?
- Workers, rooms, chairs and equipment are bookable records with working hours; a policy per service decides who can be booked, and every booking is checked for conflicts before it is written.
- Does it send appointment reminders?
- Reminders are a workflow you define: you choose the timing, the wording and the connected channel it sends through, and every send is logged on the client record.
- Does it sync with Google Calendar or Outlook?
- No. Bookings live in the workspace calendar. Two-way sync with Google or Outlook calendars is not available today.
- Is there a free plan?
- No free tier. Ifa is pre-launch: you join the waitlist, preview your workspace and pay when it fits. Payments at booking and invoicing are planned.
Continue exploring
Whichever one answers your next question.
Put the client record behind your bookings.
Join the waitlist and tell us how people book you today and where a no-show or a double booking last hurt.
We check every waitlist request against what we can actually support during pre-launch.