Guide

How to Set Up Consultation-First Booking

Require a consult (or any prerequisite service) before a treatment can be booked online — without hiding the menu or faking a membership gate

7 min read

In this guide

Some treatments should not be bookable until a consultation (or another prerequisite service) has happened — or at least been booked. Skin clinics, laser practices, med spas, and many wellness businesses need that pathway without forcing every client to call.

Bella Booking supports this with prerequisite services on the treatment or bundle. Locked treatments stay visible online with a clear path to book the missing service. Your team can still override from the dashboard. This guide walks through the modes, setup steps, and the mistakes to avoid.

When consultation-first is the right rule

Use a prerequisite when the rule is: “this treatment must follow service X.” Typical examples include a consult before laser, a patch test before colour, or an assessment before a body treatment.

•The treatment should remain visible on your online menu (not secretly removed)
•Clients need a clear next step — book the consult — instead of a dead end
•Your team still needs a dashboard override for walk-in consults or special cases
•You do not want to misuse a free membership as a fake gate

Not every “first visit” needs a prerequisite

If you only need different price and duration for new vs returning clients, use service variants with client eligibility instead. Prerequisites answer a different question: has this specific service been Completed or Booked?

Prerequisites vs eligibility vs approval

Tool	Use it when…
Prerequisite services	Treatment B must stay locked online until service A is Completed or Booked
Variants + eligibility	New clients should see “Initial” and returning clients should see “Follow-up”
Booking approval	Staff must confirm a booking before it is accepted — a different gate entirely
Membership requirement	Only members (or a paid plan) should access a service — not a consult workaround

Do not fake this with a membership

A complimentary (zero-price) membership used as a consult gate is a different product surface and confuses reporting, client portals, and your team. Configure prerequisites on the service menu instead.

Completed vs Booked mode

Completed mode

The prerequisite appointment must be marked Completed before the treatment unlocks online. Choose this when the consult must genuinely have happened — for example, an assessment that cannot be skipped by booking both in one cart.

Booked mode

Any non-cancelled booking of the prerequisite counts, including adding both the consult and the treatment to the same cart. Choose this when planning the pathway in one online session is acceptable.

Any vs All

When you list more than one prerequisite, require Any (one is enough) or All (every listed service must be satisfied). Keep the list short so clients understand the unlock path.

Cancellation behaviour in Booked mode

Cancelling the prerequisite later does not retro-cancel a treatment already booked under Booked mode. If the consult must have happened before treatment day, use Completed mode instead.

Step-by-step setup

1Create your consultation (or assessment) service with accurate duration, price, deposits, and any intake form.
2Open the treatment or bundle that must follow it in Services.
3Add the consultation as a prerequisite service.
4Choose Completed or Booked mode.
5If you add several prerequisites, set Any or All.
6Save, then open your online booking page in a private window as a client who has never had the consult.
7Confirm the treatment is visible but locked, with a clear path to book the consult.
8Book the consult (and the treatment in the same cart if you use Booked mode) and confirm unlock behaviour matches your rule.
9Brief the team: dashboard override still exists; do not invent workarounds.

Attach digital intake or consent forms to the consultation service so paperwork arrives before the assessment. Forms and prerequisites work together but are configured separately.

What clients see online

Unmet treatments stay on the booking page — locked — with a clear path to book the missing prerequisite. That keeps your catalogue honest and reduces “why can’t I book this?” phone calls.

•Configured on the service menu; enforced on the booking page
•Not the same as requiring staff approval on every booking
•Works for services and bundles that list prerequisites

Team override and edge cases

Your team can still book or override from the dashboard when a consult happened in person, was recorded elsewhere historically, or needs a one-off exception. Use override deliberately — if every booking needs an override, the online rule is wrong for that service.

•Migrated clients who already had a consult elsewhere may need a manual first booking or Completed history before online unlock (depending on mode)
•If you switch from Booked to Completed later, re-test the client journey
•Combine with deposits on high-value treatments after the consult unlocks them

Common configurations

Skin / laser clinic

Consultation (30–45 min) as prerequisite in Completed mode on invasive or high-risk treatments. Booked mode for low-risk pathways where consult + treatment can be planned together.

Med spa

Injectables consult as prerequisite on treatment services; intake form attached to the consult; deposit on the treatment once unlocked.

Wellness centre

Initial assessment as prerequisite on a specialised modality; variants handle initial vs follow-up pricing on the assessment itself.

For a deeper policy discussion of when to use prerequisites versus approval, see the booking policy strategy guide. For new-vs-returning menus, see service variants.

Frequently asked questions

Can clients book the consult and treatment together?

Yes, when the treatment uses Booked mode — an upcoming non-cancelled consult counts, including both services in the same cart. Use Completed mode when the consult must already be finished.

Can my team still book a treatment without the consult online?

Yes. Prerequisites are enforced on the online booking page; your team can still override from the dashboard.

Is this the same as first-time vs returning pricing?

No. Variants with eligibility control which price and duration a client sees. Prerequisites control whether a specific treatment is bookable online until another service is Completed or Booked.

Key takeaways

✓Prerequisite services lock a treatment online until a consult (or other service) is Completed or Booked
✓Locked treatments stay visible with a clear path to book the missing service
✓Booked mode allows same-cart pathways; Completed mode requires the consult to have happened
✓Do not misuse memberships or hide services as a substitute
✓Team dashboard override remains available for genuine exceptions