zenpageCustom fields in booking: which questions to ask before a session
Add questions to the booking form: text fields or text areas, required or not, per service. What to ask, and what to avoid.
The booking form is the last place where you can inform the client before the session. Well used, it has you arrive prepared. Badly used, it discourages. Zenpage lets you add your own questions, with two types of answers and simple rules. Here is how to choose them.
The two field types
A field is either a short text, for a one-line answer, or a text area, for a free answer over several lines. Short text suits factual information, like the person to notify. The text area is for open questions, like the reason for consultation or expectations.
Required or optional
Each field can be marked required. The client cannot confirm their booking without filling it in. Keep this option for what you really need to prepare the session. The rest can stay optional, which keeps the form short and reassuring.
A question about a diagnosis, a treatment or a medical history touches on health. This information belongs to your interview and your records, not to the booking form. A general wording, like "What brings you here?", is enough.
Per service or for the whole practice
A field can apply to all services, which suits a question like "How did you hear about us?". It can also be limited to a specific service. An initial assessment can ask for the client's goals, which make no sense for a follow-up session.
Show or hide
To test a question without imposing it, add it as optional and watch the answers for a few weeks. You can also hide it temporarily, without losing its wording. This is useful when you change how you're organized.
Examples of useful questions
- Person to notify if needed (short text, optional).
- First consultation or follow-up (short text, required on the assessment).
- What you'd like to work on (text area, optional).
- Contact preference for the confirmation (short text, optional).
Going further
Fields are configured with services: read our guide to services. For a concrete example with an osteopath, see online booking for osteopaths. The full documentation is in the Services section.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make a question optional?
Yes. Each field is either required or optional. For a reason for consultation, the optional choice avoids blocking someone who doesn't want to specify it.
Can a field apply to a single service?
Yes. You can attach a field to all services or to just one, for example a question about goals for the initial assessment only.
Can I hide a field without deleting it?
Yes. A field can be shown or hidden. A hidden question no longer appears to the client, but the configuration is kept.
