Instagram and Facebook
A booking link for Instagram and Facebook
Most of your customers will never visit your website. They will see a photo of a dish on Instagram or a post on Facebook and want to book right then. Tablez gives you one link that works in a bio, a story, a Facebook action button or a message, and takes the booking in under a minute.
Why the DM inbox is a bad booking system
Taking bookings by direct message feels friendly and it is how many venues start. It also means someone has to read every message, check the diary, reply, and hope the customer sees the reply before they book somewhere else. Messages get missed. Two people book the same table. Nobody gets a reminder, so no-shows are high. And the whole history lives in an app that is not yours.
A booking link fixes all of that without making you look corporate. The customer taps, picks a time, and gets a confirmation email with a reference and a way to cancel. You get an alert on your phone. The DM inbox stays for the questions that actually need a human.
Your link
Every Tablez venue gets a booking page at its own address:
https://tablez.uk/book/your-venueBetter still for social, every venue gets its own short address. Free venues get a random code like 5434.tablez.uk; on Starter and above you choose your own, like yourpub.tablez.uk, which fits in a bio, reads well on a story and is easy to say across the bar. Both go to the same booking page. Your dashboard has a QR code and a printable poster for it. The page is built for phones and opens fine inside the Instagram and Facebook in-app browsers, which are more restrictive than a normal browser.
Bio link
Go to Edit profile, Links, and add your booking link with the title "Book a table". Instagram allows several links, so you can keep a menu link too. If you use a link-in-bio tool, add the booking link as the top button.
Stories
Use the link sticker on a story and paste your booking link. Change the sticker text to "Book a table". Stories with a booking sticker on a Thursday, when people plan their weekend, are the single most effective post many venues make.
Posts and captions
Links in captions are not clickable, so write "Book through the link in our bio" and make sure the bio link is right. A pinned post explaining how to book helps new followers.
Action button
Instagram business profiles can add an action button. The "Reserve" button is limited to partner platforms Instagram has chosen, which Tablez is not yet. Use the bio link instead; customers are used to it.
Page action button
On your Facebook page, edit the action button and choose the option that lets you link to a website (the wording varies: "Sign up", "Learn more" or "Book now" depending on your page category). Paste your booking link. It appears at the top of your page on desktop and mobile.
About section and posts
Add the link as your website in the About section if you do not have a website, or alongside it if you do. Links in Facebook posts are clickable, so a post that says "Sunday lunch is now bookable online" with the link works well and can be pinned.
Messenger auto reply
Set an instant reply in your Facebook page settings: "Thanks for the message. To book a table, use this link: ... For anything else we will reply as soon as we can." That alone removes most booking messages from your inbox.
WhatsApp, Google and everywhere else
The same link goes in your WhatsApp Business profile and catalogue, as the reservation link on your Google Business Profile, in your email signature, and on a QR code printed on menus. One link, everywhere, and every booking ends up in the same list on your staff app.
What the customer sees
Your name and logo, a party size picker, a colour coded calendar, time slots that actually fit, and a short form for name, phone and email. Confirmation on screen with a reference, and an email with a calendar file and a manage link. The live demo is the real thing; try it on your phone.
FAQ
Social booking questions
Does the customer need to leave Instagram?
No. The booking page opens in Instagram's built in browser and works there. They finish the booking and go back to scrolling.
Can I get the "Reserve" button on Instagram or Facebook?
Those buttons are limited to platforms Meta has partnered with. Tablez is not one of them at present. The bio link and Facebook's website action button do the same job for customers.
Do I need a website at all?
No. Plenty of venues run entirely on Instagram, Facebook and Google with a Tablez link. If you get a website later, the embed takes one line.
Can I still take bookings by message?
Of course. Add them by hand in the staff app so they sit alongside online bookings and the customer gets a confirmation and reminder like everyone else.
Is it free?
Yes, up to 60 bookings a month, then £5 a month, paid yearly (£60 a year). No per cover fees. See pricing.