How to Set Up Online Booking for Your Tattoo Studio: The Step-by-Step
If you’re still booking through Instagram DMs, text messages, and phone calls, this guide will change your life. I’m not exaggerating. Going from manual booking to an automated online system saved me 8-10 hours per week in admin time and reduced my no-show rate from 22% to under 4%.
Let me walk you through the setup from zero to live in one afternoon.
Step 1: Choose Your Platform (15 Minutes)
Don’t overthink this. Pick one:
- TattooPro.io Starter ($29/mo): Best for solo artists. Booking, deposits, consent forms.
- Porter Solo ($79/mo): Best for artists who want premium features. Everything TattooPro has plus better CRM and SMS reminders.
- Square Appointments (Free): Best for zero budget. Basic booking without tattoo-specific features.
- Porter Studio ($149/mo): Best for multi-artist shops. Per-artist pages, commission tracking.
Sign up for a free trial and follow along with the steps below.
Step 2: Create Your Appointment Types (30 Minutes)
Every type of session you offer gets its own appointment type with specific duration, price, and deposit.
Typical appointment types for a tattoo artist:
| Appointment Type | Duration | Deposit | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consultation (free or low-cost) | 30 min | $25 (applied to session) | Discussion of design, placement, pricing |
| Small Piece (flash or simple custom) | 1-2 hours | $50 | Shop minimum pieces, small flash |
| Medium Piece | 2-4 hours | $100 | Custom work, medium flash |
| Half-Day Session | 4-6 hours | $150-200 | Larger custom pieces |
| Full-Day Session | 6-8 hours | $250-300 | Large-scale work, sleeves, back pieces |
| Touch-Up | 30-60 min | $25 or free | Touch-up on previous work |
For each appointment type, configure:
- Duration (including buffer time between appointments)
- Deposit amount
- Description (what clients should expect)
- Any special intake form fields
Step 3: Set Your Availability (15 Minutes)
Block out your working hours and non-available times:
Working hours: Your actual tattooing hours (e.g., Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-6pm)
Buffer time: Add 15-30 minutes between appointments for setup, breakdown, and breaks. Most platforms let you set this as an automatic buffer.
Blocked time: Lunch breaks, admin time, personal appointments. Block these out so clients can’t book them.
Lead time: How far in advance can someone book? Most artists set a minimum of 24-48 hours (no same-day booking — you need time to prepare) and a maximum of 8-12 weeks out.
Step 4: Build Your Intake Form (20 Minutes)
This is where tattoo booking systems shine. Your intake form should collect everything you need before the client arrives.
Essential fields:
- Full name
- Phone number
- Email address
- Tattoo description (what they want)
- Reference images (upload field — this is critical)
- Body placement
- Approximate size
- Is this your first tattoo? (yes/no)
- Any allergies or medical conditions?
- How did you hear about us?
Optional fields:
- Preferred style
- Budget range
- Color or black and grey preference
- Any specific date requirements
Why this matters: When a booking comes in with all this information, you can start designing immediately. No back-and-forth DMs asking “so what do you want?” and “where on your body?” The intake form does that work for you.
Step 5: Configure Deposits and Cancellation Policy (10 Minutes)
Deposit settings:
- Amount per appointment type (set in Step 2)
- Payment method (Stripe for most platforms, Square for Square Appointments)
- Automatic collection at time of booking
Cancellation policy (enter as text displayed during booking):
Here’s mine — steal and modify as needed:
“A non-refundable deposit is required to secure your appointment. Rescheduling with 48+ hours notice: deposit transfers to the new date (one transfer per deposit). Cancellations with less than 48 hours notice or no-shows: deposit is forfeited. Emergency situations handled on a case-by-case basis.”
Make sure this is displayed prominently during the booking flow. The client should have to acknowledge it before completing the booking.
Step 6: Set Up Automated Reminders (10 Minutes)
Configure automated messages at these intervals:
Immediately after booking: Confirmation email with date, time, deposit receipt, studio address, and cancellation policy.
7 days before: “Your appointment is coming up next [day]. Preparation reminders: eat well beforehand, stay hydrated, avoid alcohol and blood thinners for 24 hours, wear comfortable clothing that allows access to the tattoo area.”
24 hours before: “See you tomorrow at [time]! Please reply to confirm. Reminder: bring your government-issued ID and eat a good meal before arriving.”
2 hours before (for longer sessions): “Getting your station ready! See you at [time] at [address]. Parking is available [details].”
Post-session (same day): “Thanks for coming in today! Your aftercare instructions are below. If you have any questions during healing, don’t hesitate to reach out.”
2 weeks post-session: “Hope your [piece] is healing beautifully! If you’re happy with how it turned out, I’d really appreciate a Google review — it helps others find us. [review link]”
Most booking platforms let you customize these messages. Spend 10 minutes writing them once and they run automatically forever.
Step 7: Customize Your Booking Page (20 Minutes)
Your booking page is often the first real interaction a potential client has with your business. Make it look good.
Add to your booking page:
- Your logo or a header image of your best work
- A brief intro (“Custom tattoo artist specializing in [style]. [X] years experience. Based in [city].”)
- Portfolio images (if your platform supports it)
- Clear appointment type descriptions
- Your deposit and cancellation policy
- Studio address and hours
Step 8: Add Your Booking Link Everywhere (15 Minutes)
Your booking link should be anywhere a potential client might look:
| Location | How to Add |
|---|---|
| Instagram bio | Replace or update your bio link |
| Instagram story highlights | Create a “Book” highlight with a link sticker |
| Website | ”Book Now” button on every page |
| Google Business Profile | Add booking link in your GBP dashboard |
| Email signature | Add booking link to your email signature |
| Business cards | Print booking URL or QR code |
| Linktree / link-in-bio | Add as the top link |
| DM auto-replies | Include booking link in quick replies |
Step 9: Stop Taking DM Bookings (The Hardest Part)
This is the step everyone struggles with. You need to stop accepting bookings through DMs and redirect all inquiries to your booking system.
Set up an Instagram Quick Reply:
“Thanks for reaching out! I’d love to work with you. The best way to book is through my online booking system — you can see my availability, upload reference images, and secure your spot with a deposit: [booking link]. Let me know if you have any questions!”
Send this to every DM booking inquiry. Every. Single. One. No exceptions.
It feels weird at first. You’ll worry about losing clients who won’t “bother” with online booking. The reality? The clients who refuse to use a booking system are the same ones who would no-show. You’re filtering out bad clients, not losing good ones.
Within 2-3 weeks, your regulars will be used to it. Within a month, you won’t get “can I book?” DMs anymore — people will just book directly.
Step 10: Monitor and Optimize (Ongoing)
After your first month of online booking, review:
Booking conversion rate: How many people visit your booking page vs. actually book? If it’s low, your appointment types might be confusing or your deposit amounts might be too high (or too low — seriously).
No-show rate: Should be under 5% with deposits and reminders. If it’s higher, increase deposit amounts or add SMS reminders.
Popular appointment types: Which types are booked most? Least? Adjust your offerings based on demand.
Booking sources: Where are bookings coming from? (Instagram, Google, website, direct link) Invest more in the channels that drive bookings.
Common Setup Mistakes
Setting too many appointment types. 4-6 types is enough. Don’t create 15 different options — it confuses clients.
Not requiring deposits. If your platform allows booking without deposits, turn that off immediately. Every appointment needs a deposit.
No buffer time between appointments. Back-to-back bookings with zero buffer means you’re rushing between clients and never getting a break. Add 15-30 minutes.
Booking too far in advance. Allowing bookings 6 months out means you can’t adjust prices or availability. Cap at 8-12 weeks.
Not testing the booking flow yourself. Before going live, book a test appointment as if you were a client. Is it easy? Does the confirmation email look right? Are reminders working?
The Results You Can Expect
After implementing online booking with deposits and reminders:
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| No-show rate | 20-30% | 2-5% |
| Time spent on booking/scheduling | 8-10 hrs/week | 1-2 hrs/week |
| Booking inquiries answered manually | 15-30/week | 2-5/week |
| Client satisfaction (booking experience) | “Fine" | "Professional” |
| Revenue recovered from reduced no-shows | $0 | $1,000-3,000/month |
The setup takes one afternoon. The ROI is immediate and permanent.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I set up online booking for my tattoo studio?
Choose a platform, create appointment types with deposits, set availability, customize your intake form, enable reminders, and add your booking link everywhere. Setup takes 2-4 hours.
Should tattoo artists use online booking or DMs?
Online booking is significantly better — it eliminates double-bookings, collects deposits automatically, captures intake information, and sends reminders. Use DMs for discovery and direct clients to your booking system for scheduling.