Getting Started
Importing From Another Platform
Importing From Another Platform
Save time setting up your venue by importing your services, opening hours, and business details from your current booking platform.
Overview
Booking link import lets you:
- Paste your existing booking page URL and automatically extract your service menu
- Import your opening hours so you do not have to re-enter them manually
- Pull in your business description, phone number, and address
- Review and edit everything before confirming the import
The import step appears at the start of the onboarding wizard when you first set up your venue. It is entirely optional — you can skip it and set everything up manually.
Supported Platforms
OpenChair can import from the following booking platforms:
| Platform | What It Reads |
|---|---|
| Fresha | Services (including full service list), hours, contact details, description |
| Timely | Services, hours, contact details, description |
| Vagaro | Services, hours, contact details, description |
| Boulevard | Services, hours, contact details, description |
| Square | Services, hours, contact details, description |
| Shortcuts | Services, hours, contact details, description |
You can also paste a URL from any other booking page. OpenChair will attempt to extract what it can, though results may vary for unrecognised platforms.
Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Paste Your Booking Page URL
- On the import screen, you will see the heading "Already on another booking platform?" with an Optional badge
- Paste your public booking page URL into the field labelled "Your current booking page URL"
- If OpenChair recognises your platform, the button updates to show the platform name — for example, "Fetch my Fresha details"
- Click the fetch button
The URL must be your public booking page that customers use to book appointments. Private admin or dashboard URLs will not work.
Tip
Use the direct link to your booking page — the one you share with customers. For Fresha, this looks like https://www.fresha.com/a/your-salon-name. For Timely, it looks like https://bookings.gettimely.com/your-salon.
Step 2: Wait for Extraction
OpenChair reads your booking page and extracts your business details. You will see a progress feed showing each step:
- Connecting to your booking page…
- Reading your page… (or "Reading your Fresha page…" if the platform is recognised)
- Scanning your service menu…
- Reading your opening hours…
- Checking contact details…
- Building your profile…
Each line shows a checkmark when complete. The process typically takes 10–15 seconds.
Step 3: Review What Was Found
After extraction, you see the heading "Here's what we found" with an expandable review screen. An info notice reminds you:
"We've captured what we could find. Add-ons, packages, and extras may not have been included — take a moment to check your services look right before moving on."
Review each section:
Services
Each imported service shows its name, duration, and price. You can:
- Select or deselect individual services using the checkbox — only selected services are imported
- Select all or Deselect all using the link at the top of the services section
- Edit a service by clicking the pencil icon — change the name, duration, or price inline
- Delete a service by clicking the bin icon
If a service has no price, you will see a warning: "Set a price before saving". You can edit the price inline or set it later in the services step.
Opening Hours
Your imported opening hours are displayed day by day (Monday to Sunday), showing the open and close times for each day or Closed for days you are not open.
The toggle "Apply these hours to my schedule" is on by default. Leave it on to carry these hours into the next step of the wizard. Turn it off if you prefer to set your hours manually.
About Your Business
Your business description is shown in an editable text area (maximum 600 characters). You can edit the text before importing.
Contact Details
If a phone number or address was found, they appear here as editable fields. These are written to your venue record only if you do not already have them set.
Business Facts for AI
If OpenChair extracted facts about your business (for example, "We specialise in balayage and colour correction"), they appear here with checkboxes. Uncheck any facts that are not accurate. These facts help train your AI concierge about your business.
Step 4: Confirm the Import
- Review your selections across all sections
- Click "Import selected"
- The wizard advances to the next step (setting your opening hours)
Your imported services, hours, and description are carried forward into the onboarding wizard. You can still edit everything in the subsequent steps.
What Transfers and What Does Not
| Data | Transfers? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Services (name, duration, price) | Yes | Individually selectable; edit inline before importing |
| Service categories | Yes | Carried as metadata if detected |
| Service descriptions | Yes | Truncated to 200 characters |
| Opening hours | Yes | All 7 days; toggle to apply or skip |
| Business description | Yes | Editable; maximum 600 characters |
| Phone number | Yes | Only written if your venue has no phone set |
| Address | Yes | Only written if your venue has no address set |
| Business facts | Yes | Used by AI concierge; individually selectable |
| Add-ons and packages | No | Not extracted — add these manually in the services step |
| Client list | No | Client data is not imported |
| Booking history | No | Past appointments are not imported |
| Staff profiles | No | Team members must be added manually |
| Photos and images | No | Upload your own in the branding step |
| Reviews | No | Reviews stay on the original platform |
Skipping the Import
If you prefer to set up manually, click "Skip, I'll set up manually" at the bottom of the URL entry screen. You can always add your services and hours in the next steps of the onboarding wizard.
The import step only appears once — when you first enter the onboarding wizard as a new venue. If you skip it or complete it, you will not see it again.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| "We couldn't read that page" | The URL may point to a private page or require a login. Use your public booking page URL — the one customers use to book. |
| "We couldn't extract details from that page" | OpenChair could not parse the page content. Try a different URL for your booking page, or click "Continue without importing" and set up manually. |
| "Please enter a valid URL starting with https://" | The URL must begin with https:// or http://. Copy the full URL from your browser address bar. |
| No services were found | The page may not list services publicly, or services may load dynamically. Click "Try a different URL" or set up manually in the next step. |
| Prices are missing or showing as $0 | Some platforms do not display prices publicly. Edit the price inline on the review screen, or set prices in the services step. |
| Import is taking a long time | Extraction typically takes 10–15 seconds. If you see "This is taking a moment, almost there…", wait a few more seconds. If it fails, click "Try again". |
| "You've already imported from this URL" | You previously fetched this URL. Click "Use existing import" to reuse the previous results, or "Re-fetch" to scrape the page again. |
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Last updated: March 2026