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How to Create Your Booking Page with Dotcal: A Step-by-Step Guide
Dotcal stands out for its remarkable simplicity in creating professional booking pages. Here's how to set up your appointment system in just a few minutes.
🚀 Initial Setup: The Basics
Step 1: Create your front page
On the home page, click on “New Booking” and select the model that best fits your needs. This first step determines the basic structure of your booking page.
Step 2: Customize Basic Information
| 📌 Element | ⚙️ Action | 💡 Tip |
|---|---|---|
| ⏳ Call Duration | Modify according to your needs | 30–60 min for most appointments |
| 🏷️ Meeting Name | Customize the title | Be descriptive and professional |
| 🖊️ Description | Add context | Clearly explain the purpose of the appointment |
| 🔒 Privacy | Choose public or private | Use a private page for specific clients |
🎥 Meeting Options and Integrations
Dotcal offers remarkable flexibility with its appointment options:
- In person - For physical meetings
- By phone - Simple and direct
- By video - Through your favorite platform
- Google Meet - Native integration (requires calendar connection)
- zoom - Automatic link (requires integration)
- Other applications - Extensive compatibility
⚠️ Important: To activate Zoom and Google Meet, you first need to integrate your calendar. This step is essential to access advanced features.
🎨 Visual and Advanced Customization
Choose a ready-to-use color palette or create your own by clicking on the “+” sign in the color menu. This personalization makes it possible to harmonize the page with your visual identity.
Advanced Setup Options
| 🧩 Feature | 📝 Description | 🎯 Usefulness |
|---|---|---|
| 👥 Co-organizers | Add collaborators to an event | Sharing appointment management |
| 🔗 Redirect URL | Customize the page after booking | Direct to your site, a thank-you page, or an upsell |
| ♻️ Rescheduling | Allow modification of time slots | Flexibility for clients in case of unforeseen events |
| ⏱️ Buffer Time | Add a pause before/after each appointment | Prevent overlaps or fatigue |
| 📝 Custom Fields | Add questions or fields to fill out | Collect specific information for your activity |
📋 Configuring Advanced Settings
- Appointment Management : In the advanced section, you can configure options that will improve the customer experience:
- Customer flexibility: Allow your guests to reschedule or cancel their meetings after booking. This editable option provides a more flexible user experience while keeping you in control.
- Smart Buffer Time : Add preparation slots before or after each meeting. This feature avoids stressful sequences and gives you time to prepare between appointments.
- Custom Information Fields : Collect specific information according to your needs: objectives of the meeting, specific preferences, or any data useful to optimize your exchange.
✅ Finalization and Sharing
- Once your setup is complete, use the option”
Overview“at the top right to visualize your reservation page from the point of view of your customers. - This preview allows you to adjust the final details as needed.
- Click on”
Save“then”Copy the link“at the top right. You instantly get the URL to share with your customers, whether by email, on your website, or via your social networks. - No more going back and forth emails to set up an appointment!
Your customers directly choose their slot according to your real availability, and you automatically receive the confirmations. This simplicity makes scheduling appointments a smooth and professional process.
This intuitive approach makes Dotcal a tool particularly appreciated by entrepreneurs and professionals who value efficiency without sacrificing the customer experience.
Conclusion
In my practice, using these services is great, that's another Alternative to Calendly which have a free, high-quality offer and an astonishing level of personalization.
But I want to point out that the service is easy to use.
You will be able to use it in less than 5 minutes.
After that, you immediately get a ready-to-use booking page with a beautiful design. In general, I recommend
FAQS
Is Dotcal still active in 2026?
No, Dotcal closed on January 15, 2024, as announced on their site: “Despite enthusiastic use... we have decided to shut down Dotcal on January 15, 2024.” The dotcal.co domain seems to be reused for unrelated content, such as online English schools, with no trace of original activity.
Why did Dotcal close?
No detailed official reason, but the founders cited a lack of demand despite initial enthusiasm: “we've found that there hasn't been as much demand for this type of product as we anticipated.” Fierce competition from Calendly and limited funding ($1.2 million in 2022 without follow-up) probably played a role, as seen with other SaaS startups in 2024.
What if I had a Dotcal account?
Export your data if possible using old synchronization tools (Google/Outlook), but it's late in 2026. Stop all subscriptions via your bank, because the pro rata payments were reimbursed as early as December 2023. Migrate your feeds to Calendly to easily import past events.
