Hi community members,
We have developed a workaround for approval-based booking using Zoho Creator and Zoho Bookings! This provides a temporary solution as we work on the native feature, and it's useful for anyone needing an approval workflow when confirming appointments.
Solution overview
1. Intake form via Zoho Creator
Zoho Creator serves as the intake form where customers can submit their booking requests by providing details, such as:
2️. Scheduling and booking management via Zoho Bookings
Zoho Bookings acts as the scheduling engine in the background, handling:
Staff onboarding
Working hours configuration
External calendar and video conferencing integrations
Event creation and appointment management.
3️. Real-time data sync via API
This solution leverages API integration between Zoho Creator and Zoho Bookings to ensure real-time data synchronisation. When customers fill out the intake form, it dynamically fetches and displays available slots from Zoho Bookings based on their selection.
Since we are using APIs, any changes made in Zoho Bookings (such as staff availability or service modifications) will be instantly reflected
in the Zoho Creator form, eliminating concerns about outdated information.
Prerequisites for the workaround
How to access this solution
Zoho Creator allows you to export applications as DS files, making it easy to share and deploy solutions. We have attached the DS file for this solution so you can easily download and import it into your Zoho Creator account.
How it works
1️. Customer appointment request form
The Zoho Creator intake form allows customers to select their workspace, service, date, time zone, and preferred time slot.
The Zoho Bookings API dynamically fetches the available services and slots based on customer selections.
2️. Admin notification and approval dashboard
Once a customer submits a request, admins receive an email notification with access to the approval dashboard.
Admins can approve requests using two methods:
Auto-assign staff
If admins do not have a preference for assigning staff, they can simply click the Auto-Assign button.
The system checks the first available staff member for the selected service.
If the first staff member is available, the appointment is automatically assigned to them.
If the first staff member has an existing appointment for the day, the system will automatically move to the second staff member and check their availability for the approved date and time.
If the second staff member is also unavailable, an error message is displayed, prompting the admin to manually select a staff member.
This mechanism ensures that staff assignments are distributed efficiently every time the Auto-Assign button is clicked.
Manual staff assignment
Admins can manually select a specific staff member before approving the appointment.
If the selected staff member is unavailable, the system notifies the admin to choose another staff member.
3️. Deny function and automation options
If the appointment is denied, various automated actions can be configured, including:
Sending email notifications to customers about the cancellation
Notifying other admins or specific users
Triggering custom workflows based on business needs
Key highlights of the solution
No need to manually configure complex workflows—everything is ready to go.
Simply pass the Workspace ID and Staff ID while making API calls.
The system fetches all required booking details dynamically using Zoho Bookings API.
How to retrieve IDs from Zoho Bookings
Workspace ID
Navigate to Zoho Bookings and open the required workspace.
Retrieve the Workspace ID from the URL.

Important notes on payment handling
This solution does not currently handle payment processing. Since appointment requests require approval before confirmation, the payment function is not included by default.
However, if you need to integrate payment processing, here is a possible approach: Zoho Invoice and Zoho Books integration
You can connect Zoho Bookings with an invoicing system like Zoho Invoice or Zoho Books using Zoho Flow or Zapier.
How it works:
1️. When an admin approves an appointment, the booking is confirmed.
2. The system automatically generates an invoice based on the booked service.
This is just one way to integrate payments into this solution. If you have specific payment requirements or alternative workflows in mind, feel free to share them, and we will check the feasibility of implementation.
Need further customization?
Note: This solution is in its initial stage of development, and we will refine it wherever possible based on new ideas, feedback, and better implementation approaches. Your suggestions are always welcome.
If you require additional automation or a custom approval/denial process, feel free to reach out.
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