=== VikAppointments Services Booking Calendar ===
Contributors: e4jvikwp
Tags: appointments, booking calendar, appointment booking, employee management, zoom meetings
Requires at least: 4.7
Tested up to: 6.9
Stable tag: 1.2.18
Requires PHP: 7.4
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

A reliable tool for managing any kind of appointments, scheduling the bookings of various services, and organizing the calendars of several employees.

== Description ==

= Vik Appointments Services Booking Calendar for WordPress =

The popular appointments booking calendar system is now available also for WordPress as a Native Plugin!

If you are looking for a professional tool to schedule and manage both appointments and bookings of various services or employees, then this is definitely the right solution for your project.

Vik Appointments is an experienced piece of software with thousands of tailored functions designed to fit the needs of several types of business, such as medical centers, doctors, lawyers, hair stylists, SPA services, escape games and much more.
Accept online reservations and schedule the appointments for each employee in a smart and efficient way. 

Thanks to its key features, Vik Appointments is the perfect plugin for those kind of companies and service providers that have many employees: 
you will be able to manage and let the employees to receive payments singularly; as well, each employee will be able to manage its working time and the services that he offers thanks to a dedicated personal area.
An "employee" can represent a person, an object, a room or anything else that could be scheduled to receive bookings.

Those who need to offer/sell online services through meetings or video-conferences can use the complementary (not included) Zoom meetings plugin for Vik Appointments.

Born for a different CMS than WordPress, the same powerful framework is now at the service of all webmasters, designers and web-agencies that build websites with WordPress.

Do not look any further, the features of Vik Appointments will outnumber any other similar plugin!

Visit [VikWP.com](https://vikwp.com/) for more details.

= Some of its key features =

* Customizable dashboard and analytics pages
* Custom types of service with custom durations and rates
* Employees management
* Employees personalized cost for services
* Extended working days with custom shifts
* Front-end smart appointments booking process
* Manual/offline reservations via back-end to keep the availability calendars up to date
* Calendars overview and reports
* Invoices generation
* Coupons to offer reservation discounts
* Status codes management
* Composite taxes
* WebHooks and API framework
* Search widget for the front-end to easily book an appointment
* A stunning widget to book the appointments without leaving the page

= Some of the Pro version features =

* Full booking management from the back-end
* Front-end employees area
* Customers & documents management
* Services options and special rates
* Employees locations
* Packages purchase
* Employees subscription fees to build a portal
* Customers subscriptions e-commerce
* Custom fields management
* Payments to Service Providers or directly to the Employees
* Cart system to book multiple appointments at once
* Custom Payment Gateways (over 60 available on VikWP.com)
* SMS Gateways and Cron Jobs for automated notifications
* Various widgets to enhance the look of your front-end

= Supported Add-ons =

* Zoom meetings & online video-conferences integration (Zoom.us)
* Google ReCaptcha forms validation

The following integrations may require some of our additional plugins, which might not be free in some cases. Please visit [VikWP](https://vikwp.com/) for further details.

= Interested in, curious about the Pro version? =

You should take a look with your own eyes at the demo website to see what you can do with Vik Appointments. Do not stop at the front-end though, make sure to visit the wp-admin section too.

1. [Front-end Demo Website](https://vikwp.com/demo/vikappointments)
1. [Admin Demo Website](https://vikwp.com/demo/vikappointments/wp-admin)

== Installation ==

= Installation through the WordPress Plugins Browser =

* Search for "Vik Appointments" in the Add Plugins section of your website back-end
* Install the Plugin by clicking on the apposite button
* Activate the Plugin by using the related activation button
* A link to access and configure Vik Appointments will be visible in the side menu
* Enjoy it

= Alternative Installation Method =

You can only install the **free** version of Vik Appointments, not the Pro version. If for some reasons the WordPress Repository installation won't work, you can contact us to receive the zip installer file and upload it via FTP onto your server.

* Download the installer zip file from [VikWP.com](https://vikwp.com/)
* Unzip the archive on your computer's local drive
* Upload via FTP the unzipped folder *vikappointments* onto your */wp-content/plugins* directory
* Log in to your *wp-admin* section and activate the plugin

Or, alternatively, just try to directly upload the ZIP archive through the **Upload Plugin** section of your website.

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= Is upgrading to Pro mandatory? =

No, not at all. However, it took our company 5 years to build the *Pro* version and we are willing to spend a lot more years of work on this software. We encourage you to evaluate the free version first, and then upgrade to Pro to unlock its potential.

= Why some functions are not available in the free version? =

We make money by selling licenses of the Pro version because our goal is to keep Vik Appointments the best solution for those who need to use it everyday for their business. Maintaining and always developing new features is a heavy cost for our company.

= Is it worth upgrading to Pro? =

Vik Appointments is not a one-page plugin. You can build websites worth a lot of money thanks to this plugin. You don't need anything else to deliver a complete website, if not a Theme and some experience with WordPress.

= Can I build a portal? =

You can do that with the Pro version, but it depends on what type of portal you need.
If you are working on a project for a portal with independent employees, like a network of doctors, baby-sitters, hair stylists or any other professional, then Vik Appointments is the right choice.
However, multiple vendors, like companies that should be able to manage several of their employees (but not all), are not supported. This means that employees can either be managed by the website administrators, or by themselves through their accounts. Not by some sort of groups or companies.

= Can I use Vik Appointments with my preferred Theme? =

Yes, of course. You are free to install Vik Appointments on your website with your own Theme. The plugin will adjust to it thanks to its own CSS framework. It is also possible to work on a custom CSS file to adjust some layouts.

= Will I lose any contents if I upgrade to Pro? =

Absolutely not. Upgrading to the Pro version is a simple and smooth process. You won't lose any data from your current configuration.

= Is Google Calendar syncing supported? =

Yes it is, if you are using VikAppointments 1.2.5 or an higher version.

Alternatively, Vik Appointments only supports one-way syncing with any ICS Calendar, such as Google or Apple iCal. You can tell your calendar system to import the reservations from Vik Appointments by using the apposite calendar subscription URL of the plugin.
However, Vik Appointments will not sync with such external calendar URLs. For example, if you create an event from your Google Calendar, this won't be listed in Vik Appointments.

Anyhow, you can achieve something similar by connecting the **API** framework of VikAppointment to **Zapier**, a third-party system able to dispatch certain web hooks at specific trigger events.

== Screenshots ==

1. Dashboard & Analytics: 60+ widgets available for your dashboard.
2. Appointments Calendar: keep all the reservations under control.
3. Services List: organize all services for booking.
4. Service Details: the timeline makes the booking process easy and smooth.
5. Weekly Calendar: easily switch the layout to display a weekly calendar.
6. One-Page Booking: a widget to complete the booking process in a single page.
7. Working Days: set up the working days and times for each employee.
8. Employees List: a clean interface to show the working times of every professional.
9. Special Rates: set up different costs for the services and test them through the back-end.
10. Online Payments: collect credit card payments through your preferred bank.
11. Reviews & Ratings: let the customers rate the services and the employees.
12. Subscriptions: sell your subscription plans to both your customers or employees.
13. Zoom Meeting: let Vik Appointments handle & schedule your Zoom meetings.
14. Customizer: change the main colors of the plugin with a live preview.

== Changelog ==

= 1.2.18 =
*Release date - 4 February 2026*

= New Features =

* It is now possible to request a custom deposit for each reservation.
* Implemented Country, SSN and PEC/SDI custom field rules.

= Improvements =

* The availability search now ignores the publishing status of a service if we are in the back-end.
* The description of the options now supports HTML tags.
* It is now possible to use Whatsapp templates for SMS notifications.
* Pending appointments that have been partially paid are no longer automatically marked as expired.
* Improved the validation of shareable options.
* The system is now able to redirect the users to the specified return URL also in case of login failures.
* Several improvements to One-Page Booking widget.
* The mail reminder cron job now supports a tag to display the link to the booking page.
* URL rewriting minor improvements.

= Bug Fixes =

* Fixed an issue that was not able to check whether the check-out of a reservation was not exceeding the ending time of a shift, when configured at midnight.
* The logo image displayed in the e-mail templates now uses a maximum width.
* The profile page now lets the employees fulfill the required custom fields, even if they are not allowed to edit the profile page.
* Fixed an issue that was restoring the stock feature for the options.
* The min/max booking dates now properly consider the employee timezone.
* Fixed the fatal error that could occur after clicking the Save & New button under the service working days page (employees area).
* The service/employee details page now shows the correct maximum capacity according to the custom override.
* Fixed an issue that was triggering the AJAX Filters layout after clicking the buttons of the pagination.
* Fixed issue with the editor tags highlighting (cron jobs).
* Minor fixes to improve WordPress compatibility.
* Minor fixes to improve PHP 8.4 compatibility.

= 1.2.17 =
*Release date - 7 January 2025*

= Bug Fixes =

* Fixed CSRF vulnerability on back-end wizard.

= 1.2.16 =
*Release date - 16 December 2024*

= New Features =

* The customers are now able to edit the custom fields after booking an appointment.
* Implemented a stock system for the options.
* Added the possibility to display the service details page with 3 different layouts (default, image banner, featured image).
* Implemented WhatsApp driver to send SMS messages (WhatsApp Business account required).
* It is now possible to specify a different reply-to address for the notification e-mails sent to the customers.
* Introduced a new setting to choose whether the e-mail address of a specific employee should be used as reply-to for the notifications sent to the customers.
* Implemented a new setting to choose whether a notification e-mail should be automatically sent whenever the status of the appointment changes (also from the back-end).

= Improvements =

* Various UI adjustments to improve the layout on small devices.
* In case a remote iCal event is named as "Closure", the system will now automatically create a closure rather than an appointment.
* The employees filters widget is now able to properly use textual inputs.

= Bug Fixes =

* Fixed the layout of the user notes displayed in the front-end.
* Fixed an issue with the employees list filters.

= 1.2.15 =
*Release date - 15 August 2024*

= Bug Fixes =

* Fixed an issue that could display certain time slots as available but that were actually occupied. Despite this issue, the availability system was still preventing overbookings. 
* Fixed a minor PHP warning.

= 1.2.14 =
*Release date - 30 July 2024*

= New Features =

* Implemented quarterly, bi-yearly and yearly recurrence types.
* The override manager is now able to display the differences among the override and the original file.

= Improvements =

* The system doesn't auto-remove anymore all the reservations in case the pending status hasn't been configured.
* Added a server directive to decrease the possibility of facing a lock on the maintenance page.
* Added a "Retry" link to force the plugin to launch the update process again in case the website is stuck on maintenance mode.
* Styled the form used to make the recurrence of an appointment from the employees area.

= Bug Fixes =

* Fixed the fatal error related to the currency converter widget that could appear in the appearance section of WordPress.
* The URL used to pause the cron notifications is now properly rewritten and should work as expected.
* The system is now able to properly display an error message in case the saving process of an appointment fails.
* The system is now able to properly display the error messages raised by the last database query execution.
* The "Make Recurrence" button is no longer displayed when creating a new reservation from the employees area.

= 1.2.13 =
*Release date - 18 July 2024*

= New Features =

* It is now possible to clone the working days from the management page of the employees.
* Implemented a new configuration section to configure the currency conversion.
* Added a new widget to let the users select their preferred currency.
* The employees area now forces the users to fill in all the missing required fields before to start/keep using it.
* Implemented a framework to override the pages of the plugin from the back-end.
* Implemented a new API event to fetch the details of the appointment matching a given identifier.

= Improvements =

* The script URL for the conversion tracking now supports custom attributes.
* Added a new parameter to choose the height per pixel used to display the events in the weekly calendar.
* Improved the readability of the events displayed in the calendar widget (dashboard).
* The access level of the services is now ignored if we are in the back-end.
* The system is now able to auto-remove the expired reservations also for those users that only use the One-Page Booking widget.
* The separator custom field now prefers the description, when specified.

= Bug Fixes =

* The service duration can now be lower than 5 minutes.
* Fixed an issue with the check-in timezone used in the cron job notifications for the employees and administrators.
* Fixed an issue with the end date calendar under the page used to export the appointments.
* The URL used to print an appointment from the front-end is now properly rewritten.
* Fixed various PHP errors.

= 1.2.12 =
*Release date - 22 April 2024*

= New Features =

* Created a new analytics section to support the statistics for the options.
* The options now support the shared parameter to limit the number of units depending on the selected participants.
* The Search widget now supports an employee filter to display only the services assigned to the latter.
* The One-Page Booking widget now supports 2 new filters to force the booking process with a specific employee and/or service.
* The Shortcodes block now lets you create new shortcodes directly from Gutenberg editor.
* The Shortcodes block for Gutenberg is now able to display an instant preview.
* All the widgets have been converted into native blocks for Gutenberg.

= Improvements =

* Implemented a services filter for the review reminder cron job.
* The employees are now able to toggle their "listable" status directly from the employees area.
* It is now possible to choose whether the ical importer should validate the availability of the events.
* The system is now able to delete/cancel the appointments that no longer belong to the source calendar used to download them.
* The CSV export now includes the required checkbox custom fields.
* The system automatically refreshes the availability timeline after adding something into the cart.
* The plugin is now able to properly load the language site from the WPML configuration.

= Bug Fixes =

* Fixed an issue that was not applying the payment charge to single appointments.
* Fixed issue with the availability timeline in case the working shifts exceeded the midnight and the service allowed the check-out selection.
* Fixed an issue with the initial date of the monthly calendar.
* Fixed an issue that was allowing the selection of the payment methods only in case they were eligible for the subscriptions and the packages.
* Fixed an issue that was automatically changing the calendars by clicking a date and then by switching employee/service.
* Fixed an issue with the ical events importer, which was not properly registering the provided description as appointment note.

= Earlier versions =

For further details about older versions, please refer to the [changelog.md](https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/vikappointments/trunk/changelog.md) file of the plugin.