How to Create a Booking Page (With or Without a Website)
A booking page lets someone click a link, see your open slots, pick a time, and land on your calendar — no email back-and-forth. You don’t need a website to have one. Here are five ways to create a booking page.
Option 1: Carly Booking Pages
Carly offers free booking pages where anyone can see your availability and book time with you — a direct alternative to Calendly and Cal.com. Group availability polls are also free. As a bonus, Carly doubles as an AI scheduling assistant that can coordinate meetings over email and text.
How to Set It Up
- Create a booking page at carlyassistant.com/booking-pages/new and connect your Google or Outlook calendar.
- Set your availability and meeting preferences (duration, location, buffer time).
- Share the link anywhere — email signatures, LinkedIn, website, cold outreach.
Who It’s Best For
Anyone who wants a free booking page without the feature limits of Calendly’s free plan or Google Calendar’s single-page restriction.
Tradeoffs
Newer than Calendly and Cal.com, so less brand recognition. No self-hosting option.
Option 2: Calendly
Calendly is the most widely recognized scheduling tool. You get a hosted booking page at a URL like calendly.com/yourname/30min, and anyone with the link can book time with you.
How to Set It Up
- Sign up at calendly.com and connect your Google, Outlook, or Exchange calendar. Calendly reads your existing events so it only shows open time slots.
- Create an event type. This is your booking template — give it a name (e.g., “30-Minute Call”), set the duration, add a description, and choose a location (Zoom, Google Meet, phone, etc.).
- Set your availability. Define which days and hours you’re bookable. Add buffer time between meetings and a limit on how many bookings per day if you want guardrails.
- Customize intake questions. Add form fields so you know what the meeting is about before it happens.
- Share the link. Copy your Calendly URL and drop it in emails, your LinkedIn bio, social profiles, or your website. You can also embed the booking page directly on a webpage using Calendly’s inline embed, popup button, or popup widget.
Who It’s Best For
Salespeople, consultants, and freelancers who need a polished booking page fast. It just works, and most people recognize the Calendly interface.
Tradeoffs
The free plan limits you to one active event type and one connected calendar, with no automated reminders, payment collection, or team features. Multiple meeting types or workflows require a paid plan.
Option 3: Cal.com
Cal.com is the open-source alternative to Calendly with a more generous free plan and the option to self-host.
How to Set It Up
- Create an account at cal.com. Choose a username — this becomes your booking URL (
cal.com/yourname). - Connect your calendars. Cal.com supports Google Calendar, Outlook, and Apple Calendar. Connect multiple calendars so availability reflects everything on your schedule.
- Set your availability schedule. Define your general working hours, then override specific dates as needed.
- Create event types. Click + New on the event types page. Set a title, duration, location (Zoom, Google Meet, phone, in-person), and description. You can create as many as you want on the free plan.
- Add booking questions. Customize the form guests fill out when they book — name, email, and any custom fields you need.
- Share or embed. Copy your booking link and share it, or embed it on your website using Cal.com’s inline, popup, or floating button embed options.
Who It’s Best For
Anyone who wants Calendly-level functionality without paying for it. Developers who want to self-host. Teams evaluating open-source scheduling infrastructure.
Tradeoffs
The free plan is limited to one user. Round-robin scheduling, collective team availability, and admin controls require a paid plan. Brand recognition is lower than Calendly’s.
Option 4: Google Calendar Appointment Scheduling
Google Calendar has built-in appointment scheduling that generates a shareable booking link — no extra tools needed.
How to Set It Up
- Open Google Calendar on desktop. Click Create (top left) and select Appointment schedule.
- Name your schedule and set a duration. Give it a title like “Office Hours” or “Quick Chat” and pick a meeting length (minimum 5 minutes).
- Define your availability. Set which days and time windows you’re available. You can add buffer time between appointments and cap the number of bookings per day.
- Add a location. Choose Google Meet (auto-generated), in-person, phone, or a custom location.
- Customize the booking form (optional). Add questions for guests to answer when they book.
- Save. Your appointment schedule appears on your calendar. Click on it and hit Share to grab the booking page URL.
Who It’s Best For
Google Workspace users who want something simple without adding another tool.
Tradeoffs
The free tier gives you one booking page with no email reminders, no payment collection, and only one connected calendar. Multiple booking pages and automated reminders require a higher-tier Workspace plan. The booking page has minimal branding options, and anyone booking needs a Google account or must enter their email manually.
Option 5: Build Your Own Booking Page on Your Website
If you have a website, you can add booking functionality directly to it for full branding control.
Approach A: Embed a Scheduling Tool
The fastest method. Take a Calendly, Cal.com, or Google Calendar booking page and embed it on your site.
- Calendly: Go to your event type, click the three dots, select Add to website, and choose inline embed, popup button, or popup widget. Copy the embed code into your site’s HTML.
- Cal.com: From the event type settings, grab the embed code. Options include inline, popup, and floating button.
- Google Calendar: Share your appointment schedule link and iframe it into your page, or link to it with a button.
This takes five minutes and works on any website platform — Squarespace, Wix, WordPress, or custom-built.
Approach B: Use Your Website Builder’s Native Booking Tools
Some platforms have scheduling built in:
- Squarespace integrates with Acuity Scheduling (which Squarespace owns). You can add booking pages, accept payments, and send reminders.
- Wix has Wix Bookings baked into the platform. Add services, set availability, accept payments, and manage staff calendars. Included with Business plans.
- WordPress doesn’t have native booking, but plugins like Amelia, Simply Schedule Appointments, or BookingPress add it. Most have free tiers for basic functionality.
Who It’s Best For
Service businesses, agencies, and anyone whose website is a primary lead channel. If clients find you through your site, keeping them there to book (instead of redirecting to Calendly) reduces drop-off.
Tradeoffs
More setup and maintenance. Embedded third-party tools depend on that tool’s uptime and styling. Native website builder tools (Acuity, Wix Bookings) lock you into that platform. WordPress plugins vary in quality.
Quick Comparison
| Free Tier | Multiple Event Types (Free) | Needs a Website | Best For | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carly | Free booking pages + polls | Yes | No | Free Calendly alternative |
| Calendly | 1 event type, 1 calendar | No | No | Fast, recognized booking pages |
| Cal.com | Unlimited events & calendars | Yes | No | Feature-rich free scheduling |
| Google Calendar | 1 booking page | No | No | Google Workspace users |
| DIY (Website) | Depends on tool | Depends on tool | Yes | Branded, on-domain booking |
Picking the Right Approach
Start with what matches how people actually reach you:
- You want a free booking page with no feature limits — Carly gives you free booking pages, group polls, and AI scheduling via email.
- You share your link in bios, signatures, and cold outreach — Calendly or Cal.com gives you a clean, dedicated booking URL.
- You’re already deep in Google Workspace — use the built-in appointment scheduling. One less tool to manage.
- People find you on your website — embed a scheduling tool or use your platform’s native booking. Keep them on your domain.
Most people who schedule a lot combine approaches: a booking link in their email signature for inbound, plus a tool like Carly that covers both booking pages and AI-assisted scheduling over email.
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