How do I send booking confirmation emails and reminders?
You send booking confirmation emails and reminders by setting up email notifications that trigger when a booking is created, accepted, paid, or approaching its start date. In WP Booking System, this usually means creating at least one confirmation email for the customer, one notification email for the admin, and optional reminder emails sent a certain number of days before check-in. The key is to keep the email content clear (dates, customer details, payment status, next steps) and to test the full flow with a real booking so you confirm delivery and content.
On this page
- What you’ll need
- Email types you should set up
- Step 1: Decide your booking status workflow
- Step 2: Create the customer confirmation email
- Step 3: Create the admin notification email
- Step 4: Set up reminder emails (optional)
- Step 5: Test email delivery and content
- Improve deliverability (recommended)
- Common issues (and quick fixes)
- Best practices
- Mini FAQ
What you’ll need
- WP Booking System installed and activated
- A booking form that collects at least an email address
- Access to email notification settings in WP Booking System
- (Recommended) An SMTP setup so emails reliably deliver
Email types you should set up
- Customer confirmation: sent to the customer when the booking is created (or accepted, depending on your workflow).
- Admin notification: sent to you (or your team) when a new booking request is received.
- Payment confirmation: sent when payment is completed (optional but recommended if you take payments).
- Reminder email: sent X days before check-in/start date (optional but very useful).
- Cancellation email: sent when a booking is cancelled or rejected (optional).
Step 1: Decide your booking status workflow
Email timing depends on your booking workflow. Decide which status triggers the “real confirmation” so customers are not confused.
- Instant confirmation: send confirmation immediately when the booking is submitted (best for automated bookings).
- Manual approval: send a “request received” email immediately, then send a “booking confirmed” email only after you accept it.
- Payment required: send a “booking pending payment” email, then send a “payment received” email when payment completes.
Tip: If you use manual approval, avoid using the word “confirmed” in the first email; say “request received” instead.
Step 2: Create the customer confirmation email
This email should answer the customer’s main questions: what they booked, for which dates, what happens next, and how to contact you.
- Recipient: the email field collected in the booking form.
- Trigger: booking created, booking accepted, or payment completed (choose based on your workflow).
- Subject line: include your business name and the dates to reduce confusion.
What to include in the email
- Booked dates and resource name (room/service).
- Customer details submitted in the form.
- Booking status (pending/accepted) and next steps.
- Payment summary (paid now, remaining balance, or payment instructions).
- Contact information and response time.
Example text you can use
Thank you for your booking request. Dates: {check-in} to {check-out}. Status: {status}. We will confirm your booking within {time}. If you have questions, reply to this email.
Step 3: Create the admin notification email
The admin email should help you process bookings quickly. It should contain the dates, the customer details, and a link to manage the booking.
- Recipient: your admin email address or a shared inbox.
- Trigger: booking created (or booking paid if you only want alerts for paid bookings).
- Content: dates, customer details, payment status, and booking notes.
Tip: If multiple people handle bookings, send this notification to a group inbox so nothing is missed.
Step 4: Set up reminder emails (optional)
Reminders reduce no-shows and reduce support emails because customers have the key information right before arrival. Common reminder timings are 7 days before, 3 days before, and 1 day before.
- Reminder 1: 7 days before check-in/start date (general details and preparation).
- Reminder 2: 1–3 days before check-in/start date (final instructions and contact info).
- Optional: payment reminder before the remaining balance due date (if you use deposits).
What to include in reminder emails
- Dates, address/location, check-in instructions.
- Parking/access details if relevant.
- What to bring, what to expect, and how to reach you.
- If a balance is due, include the amount and how to pay.
Step 5: Test email delivery and content
Do not assume emails work until you test with a real booking on the front-end. Email issues are often caused by WordPress hosting limitations, spam filtering, or missing SMTP configuration.
- Open your booking page in an incognito/private window.
- Submit a test booking using a real email address you can access.
- Confirm customer email arrives and content is correct.
- Confirm admin email arrives and includes the details you need.
- If you have reminders enabled, confirm the schedule and triggers are correct.
Tip: If you embed your calendar with [wpbs id="1" form_id="1"], keep a private test page for repeating these tests after updates.
Improve deliverability (recommended)
WordPress emails often fail or land in spam without SMTP. If you want reliable delivery, configure SMTP so your site sends emails through a trusted mail server.
- Use an SMTP plugin and connect it to a mail provider you control.
- Use a real “From” address on your domain (for example: bookings@yourdomain.com).
- Make sure your domain has proper email authentication records (SPF/DKIM) if your provider supports them.
Tip: After enabling SMTP, test again and check spam folders before assuming delivery is broken.
Common issues (and quick fixes)
Customer confirmation emails are not sending
- Confirm the form collects an email address and that field is mapped as the recipient.
- Confirm the notification trigger matches your workflow (created vs accepted vs paid).
- Set up SMTP and retest, because default WordPress mail often fails on many hosts.
Admin emails arrive, but customer emails do not
- Check that the customer email recipient is correctly set (it should use the form’s email field, not the admin email).
- Check spam folders and test with multiple email providers (Gmail, Outlook).
- Confirm your email content does not include spam-trigger keywords or too many links.
Reminder emails do not send at the correct time
- Check WordPress timezone settings and confirm they match your business timezone.
- Confirm reminders are based on check-in/start date, not booking creation date.
- If reminders rely on scheduled tasks (cron), confirm your site can run scheduled events reliably (some hosts require real cron).
Emails are going to spam
- Use SMTP and a domain email address for the From header.
- Reduce heavy formatting and avoid spam-like subject lines.
- Make sure you have a clear business name and contact info in the email footer.
Best practices
- Send “request received” immediately, then “confirmed” only when the booking is truly confirmed.
- Keep emails short, clear, and structured, with the dates and next steps near the top.
- Use SMTP for reliable delivery and test after any theme/plugin update.
- Use reminders to reduce no-shows and to reduce pre-arrival support questions.
Mini FAQ
Should I send confirmation on booking submission or after approval?
If you approve bookings manually, send a “request received” email on submission and a “booking confirmed” email only after acceptance. If your bookings are automatic, confirmation on submission is fine.
Can I send different emails depending on payment method?
Yes, if your notification system supports conditions. This is useful to show bank transfer instructions only to customers who selected bank transfer.
Do I really need SMTP?
If you want reliable delivery, yes. Many WordPress sites have email issues without SMTP, especially on shared hosting, and confirmation emails are critical for booking businesses.
