=== Schedula – Smart Appointment Booking ===
Contributors: vertim
Donate link: https://vertimcoders.com/apps/schedula-pro-smart-appointment-booking/
Tags: appointment booking, calendar, scheduling, reservation, services
Requires at least: 6.0
Tested up to: 6.8
Requires PHP: 7.4
Stable tag: 1.1
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

Accept online bookings on WordPress, manage services & staff, send notifications, and take payments. A fast, modern appointment scheduler built for growth.

== Description ==

Schedula is a complete appointment booking solution for WordPress. It helps service businesses accept online bookings 24/7, manage staff schedules, keep a clean calendar, and automate reminders — so you can focus on delivering great service.

Whether you run a salon, clinic, training center, garage, consulting practice, or any local service, Schedula gives you a frictionless booking flow on the front end and a powerful, simple admin on the back end.

• Mobile-first booking form  
• Services, categories, and variable durations  
• Staff schedules and availability  
• Email notifications and reminders  
• Clean admin calendar (day / week / month)  
• Works with any theme — no coding required

Live demo: https://demos.vertimcoders.com/schedula-smart-appointment-booking-live-demo/  
Docs: https://docs.vertimcoders.com/docs/schedula-smart-appointment-booking-doc  
Plugin site: https://vertimcoders.com/apps/schedula-pro-smart-appointment-booking/

= Why Schedula =
• Convert more visitors with a fast, 3-step booking flow  
• Keep your calendar organized with color-coded services  
• Reduce no-shows with automated notifications  
• Scale easily with Pro features when you grow

= Who uses Schedula =
Beauty & wellness, medical & clinics, fitness & coaching, education & tutoring, garages & workshops, professional services (legal, finance, consulting), and more.

== Key Features (Free) ==

* Modern, responsive booking form
* Create services, categories, and pricing
* Variable service durations
* Staff members (basic) and availability
* Day/Week/Month admin calendar
* Email notifications (booking, update, cancel)
* Customer list with quick add from calendar
* Shortcode and Gutenberg block
* Translatable and theme-friendly

== Schedula Pro (Upgrade) ==

Unlock advanced scheduling:

* Unlimited services and staff members
* Advanced form customization (steps, labels, fields)
* Multiple payment methods (Stripe, WooCommerce Checkout)
* SMS notifications and reminders
* Advanced templates for emails
* Google Calendar sync
* Reports & analytics dashboard
* Deposits, coupons, buffers, blackout dates
* AI-assisted slot optimization

Learn more: https://vertimcoders.com/apps/schedula-pro-smart-appointment-booking/

== Benefits ==

= For your customers =
* Book in minutes on mobile or desktop
* See only real-time available slots
* Get instant email confirmations and reminders

= For your business =
* Reduce manual admin and back-and-forth
* Keep staff schedules centralized
* Customize the form to match your brand
* Track bookings and customers in one place

== Blocks ==

This plugin provides 1 block.

1. Schedula – Booking Form

== Shortcodes ==

Use the shortcode anywhere (pages, posts, widgets):

[schedula_booking]

Optional attributes (examples):
* service="ID" – preselect a service
* category="ID" – preselect a category
* staff="ID" – preselect a staff member
* layout="compact|steps" – choose form layout

Example:
[schedula_booking layout="steps" service="12"]

== Integrations ==

* Stripe (Pro) – secure payments at booking  
* WooCommerce (Pro) – use existing checkout, tax, and receipts  
* Google Calendar (Pro) – 2-way syncing per staff member  
* WP Mail / SMTP – transactional emails

== Compatibility ==

* Works with any modern WordPress theme
* Compatible with Gutenberg and classic editor
* Tested with major page builders via shortcode and block

== External Services / Privacy ==

To deliver some features, Schedula may connect to third-party services:

* Stripe – payment processing (customer name/email, appointment details, card/payment data via Stripe elements). Policies: https://stripe.com/privacy
* Google Fonts – optional fonts loaded by the browser (IP address may be transmitted to Google). Policies: https://policies.google.com/privacy
* IP2C (ip2c.org) – optional country detection for phone field (IP address to determine country code)
* ipapi.co – optional timezone detection fallback in admin (IP address to determine timezone)
* Email – uses WordPress wp_mail or configured SMTP to send transactional emails (recipient name/email, booking details)

Site owners are responsible for displaying an appropriate privacy notice and obtaining any required consent in their jurisdiction.

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= How do I add the booking form to a page? =
Use the “Schedula – Booking Form” block in Gutenberg, or add the shortcode [schedula_booking] to any page.

= Can I customize the steps, labels, and fields? =
Yes. In the free version you can rename key labels and choose layout. The Pro version adds full step control, custom fields, and deeper styling options.

= Does Schedula work with my theme or builder? =
Yes. Schedula is theme-agnostic and works with Gutenberg, Classic Editor, and popular builders via shortcode or block.

= Can I accept online payments? =
Yes with Schedula Pro (Stripe and/or WooCommerce). You can also take bookings without payment in the free version.

= Do you offer SMS notifications? =
Yes, SMS reminders and templates are available in Schedula Pro.

= Is there a Google Calendar sync? =
Yes, 2-way syncing per staff member is available in Schedula Pro.

= Where can I get help? =
Documentation: https://docs.vertimcoders.com/docs/schedula-smart-appointment-booking-doc  
Support: https://vertimcoders.com/contact-us/

== Installation ==

= Minimum Requirements =
* WordPress 6.0 or greater
* PHP 7.4 or greater
* MySQL 5.6 or greater

= Automatic Installation =
1. In WordPress, go to Plugins → Add New.
2. Search for “Schedula”.
3. Click Install Now, then Activate.

= Manual Installation =
1. Download schedula.zip
2. In WordPress, Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin
3. Choose schedula.zip and click Install Now
4. Activate the plugin

= Getting Started =
1. Create at least one Service (duration, price)
2. (Optional) Add a Staff member and set availability
3. Configure notifications (email)
4. Add the booking form to a page (block or shortcode)

== Screenshots ==

1. User-friendly booking form
2. Service creation with duration and pricing
3. Staff schedule and availability
4. Admin calendar (day/week/month)
5. Email notifications templates (Pro)

== Developer Notes ==

Source code (unminified assets included):  
https://github.com/vertim-coders/schedula-smart-appointment-booking

Actions/Filters and template overrides are documented in the developer section of the docs.

== Changelog ==

= 1.1 – 2025-11-27 =
*Security: Removed problematic search by email endpoint to prevent potential security risks


= 1.0 – 2025-09-22 =
* First stable release

== Upgrade Notice ==

= 1.1 =
Security update: Important security fixes for API endpoints. All users should update immediately.

= 1.0 =
A fresh, modern booking experience. If you're upgrading from beta, clear caches and re-save settings.
