How to Set Up Guest Bookings for Your Show
Stop managing guest bookings across spreadsheets, email threads, and calendar apps. This guide walks you through setting up Guest Booking System end-to-end — from creating your show to your first confirmed booking.
Who this guide is for
Whether you run a podcast, a radio segment, live events, webinars, or business appointments — if you schedule guests or speakers, this platform was built for you.
What Guest Booking System handles for you
Guest Applications
A professional form your guests complete — no email back-and-forth.
Online Scheduling
Guests pick from your real availability — no calendar ping-pong.
Payment Collection
Optional booking fees collected automatically via Stripe or PayPal.
Automated Reminders
8-hour and 1-hour email reminders sent to both you and your guest.
Setting up your show, step by step
Create Your Host Account
Visit guestbookingsystem.com and click Sign Up. Choose the plan that suits your situation — see full details on the pricing page. Founding Member is a one-time payment for lifetime access at a price locked forever. Monthly is a recurring subscription you can cancel any time, with your rate locked for as long as you stay subscribed. Pay securely by card via Stripe or through PayPal. Your account is activated instantly and you'll receive a welcome email with your next steps.
View full plan details and pricing →
Founding Member spots are limited. If you're serious about the platform long-term, the one-time payment works out far cheaper than paying monthly.
Create Your Show Profile
From your dashboard, click Create New Show. Add your show title, a description of what your show covers, the category that best fits your format, and a brief description of the type of guest you're looking for. Your show profile is what applicants see when they visit your booking page — make it clear, professional, and specific about who you want.
Be specific about the type of guest you want. "Marketing professionals with B2B SaaS experience" converts better than "interesting people".
Set Your Availability Schedule
Go to your show's Availability settings and configure your weekly schedule — the days and times you're available for sessions. You can set different hours for different days. Block out specific dates using the Block Dates tool for holidays, travel, production breaks, or any time you don't want new bookings. Guest Booking System automatically shows only your open slots to applicants, so double-bookings are impossible.
Block availability 4–8 weeks in advance to give guests enough options without filling your calendar too far ahead.
Configure Booking Fees and Session Formats
In your show's Settings, decide whether to charge a booking fee. Fees are entirely optional — many hosts keep their shows free. If you do charge, you can set different fees per format: Audio Only, Audio + Video, and Premium. Connect your Stripe account or PayPal credentials in Settings → Integrations to receive payments directly. Guest Booking System takes no percentage cut of your booking fees — 100% goes to you.
Booking fees reduce no-shows significantly. Even a modest fee makes guests more likely to show up prepared and on time.
Copy and Share Your Booking Link
Every show gets a unique, permanent booking URL. Copy it from your show settings and share it wherever you connect with potential guests: mention it in your episodes or events, add it to your website, include it in your email signature, post it on LinkedIn, or send it directly to specific people you'd like to invite.
Receive and Review Guest Applications
When a guest submits an application and selects a time slot, you'll receive an email notification immediately. Log in to your dashboard to see all pending applications. Each one includes the guest's name, bio, website and social links, their proposed topic, the time slot they've chosen, and their payment status. Take your time reviewing — there's no deadline pressure.
Check the guest's website and social profiles before deciding. A quick 2-minute search tells you a lot about whether they'd be a good fit for your audience.
Approve or Reject Applications
From the dashboard, click Approve or Reject on each application. Approved guests receive a confirmation email with their session details. Rejected guests receive a polite notification email — and if they paid a booking fee, a full automatic refund is issued immediately. You can also request a reschedule without rejecting: the guest receives an email with a link to choose a new time slot, and their payment remains intact.
Add Your Meeting or Session Link
After approving a booking, add the meeting link for that session. You have three options: connect your Google account to auto-generate a Google Meet link and add it to your calendar automatically, set a default meeting link that applies to all bookings (Zoom, Teams, Riverside, or any platform you use), or add links per-booking from the dashboard. Guests receive an email with the link as soon as it's added.
Set a default meeting link if you always use the same platform. It saves you from manually adding it to every booking. Important: if you ever need to cancel or reschedule a booking, always do it from the GBS dashboard — never by deleting the event from Google Calendar. Deleting from Google Calendar removes the calendar entry only; the booking stays active in GBS and the guest receives no notification.
Let Automated Reminders Do the Work
Guest Booking System sends automatic email reminders to both you and your guest: one 8 hours before the session and another 1 hour before it starts. Both reminders include the meeting link and a preparation checklist for the guest. No manual follow-up required — the system handles it entirely.
Mark Sessions as Complete
After each session, open the booking in your dashboard and click Mark as Complete. This moves it to your completed history, keeps your active queue clean, and helps you track output over time. Your full booking history stays accessible for reference.
Review and Publish Guest Testimonials
About 1 hour after each completed session, Guest Booking System automatically emails your guest a feedback request — no action needed from you. When they respond, their submission appears in your Testimonials dashboard, accessible from the Testimonials link in your host sidebar. Review each submission and click Approve or Reject. Approved testimonials from guests who ticked the consent checkbox on their form appear on your public testimonials page — a shareable URL you can add to your website, emails, or social profiles. For any approved guest you can upload a headshot to make their card stand out. Once you have at least one approved, consented testimonial, a "View public page" button appears at the top of the Testimonials dashboard.
Only guests who ticked the consent checkbox appear publicly — the system enforces this automatically. Guests who didn't consent remain in your dashboard for your own reference only.
Closing Your Host Account
If you subscribed via Stripe, click "Manage Billing" in your dashboard to open the Stripe Customer Portal and cancel your subscription. Your access continues until the end of the current billing period, then your account is automatically downgraded to a free guest account — no action needed from you or Rick. Shortly after cancellation is confirmed, you'll receive a farewell email with a personal link to a short exit feedback form. Your honest feedback goes directly to Rick and takes less than 2 minutes. If you subscribed via PayPal, contact support at guestbookingsystem.com to cancel — your subscription will be cancelled and your account downgraded immediately.
You're always welcome back. Your guest account remains active after cancellation. If you ever want to re-subscribe, sign in and upgrade at any time — your show history and guest data stay intact.
What your guests experience
Every guest who receives your booking link goes through a smooth, professional process — no login required to apply.
They visit your booking page
A clean profile showing your show details and what kind of guests you're looking for. Professional and on-brand.
They complete the application
Name, bio, social links, topic proposal, and any custom questions you've added to your show.
They pick a time slot
A calendar showing only your available times. They choose the slot that suits them.
They receive a confirmation
An automatic email confirming their application is submitted and under review — with all the details they need.
You approve or reject
They're notified immediately either way. Approved guests get session details. Rejected applicants are refunded automatically.
Reminders before the session
Automatic reminders 8 hours and 1 hour before the session — with the meeting link and a prep checklist.
Feedback request after the session
About 1 hour after the session, they receive an automatic email asking for feedback. They rate the experience, write a short testimonial, and optionally consent to it being shown publicly on your testimonials page.
Want to see the full guest experience step by step? Read the Guest Guide →
Frequently asked questions
How do guests find my booking page?
You share the link directly. Guest Booking System is not a public directory — your booking page is private until you share it. This means you control exactly who applies. Share it only with people you'd genuinely consider as guests.
What types of shows and formats does this work for?
Guest Booking System works for any format where you schedule guests or speakers: podcast interviews, radio segments, live events, webinars, virtual summits, speaking appearances, corporate Q&A sessions, and more. If you need to collect applications, confirm a time, and manage the booking, this platform handles it.
Can I run multiple shows on one account?
Yes. Each host plan supports up to 3 shows. Each show has its own booking page, availability schedule, fees, session formats, and application inbox. You manage all of them from a single dashboard.
Do I need a Stripe or PayPal account to use the platform?
Only if you want to charge guests a booking fee. If your show is completely free, no payment integration is needed. You can add payment credentials at any time from Settings → Integrations.
What payment methods can guests use to pay me?
Guests can pay by credit or debit card via Stripe, or using their PayPal account. You control which methods are available on your show. You can offer one or both.
Can I block out dates so guests cannot book during certain periods?
Yes. Use the Block Dates tool in your show's Availability settings to block out holidays, travel, production breaks, or any dates you don't want bookings. Blocked dates are immediately removed from the calendar guests see.
What happens if I need to cancel or reschedule a confirmed booking?
Use the Reschedule or Reject option on the booking in your GBS dashboard — never manage this from Google Calendar directly. Deleting a Google Calendar event only removes the calendar entry; it does not cancel the booking in GBS, does not notify the guest, and leaves the booking in an active state. Always use the dashboard: the Reschedule option cancels the time slot, emails the guest with a link to choose a new time, and keeps their application and payment intact. Rejecting cancels entirely and triggers an automatic refund if the guest paid.
Can I add custom scripts or tracking to my booking page?
Yes. Go to Settings → Integrations → Custom Embed Code to add any custom HTML or JavaScript to your show's booking page. This is useful for adding tracking pixels, analytics scripts, or live chat widgets that you want to appear when guests visit your booking page.
How do I connect Google Calendar and Google Meet?
Go to Settings → Integrations and connect your Google account. Once connected, approved bookings automatically create a Google Meet event and add it to your Google Calendar. The meeting link is shared with the guest immediately.
Does Guest Booking System take a cut of my booking fees?
No. Guest Booking System charges a flat subscription fee. We take no percentage of your guest booking fees — 100% of what guests pay goes directly to your Stripe or PayPal account.
How do I cancel my platform subscription?
If you subscribed via Stripe, log in to your dashboard and click "Manage Billing" — this opens the Stripe Customer Portal where you can cancel. Your access continues until the end of the billing period and your account is automatically downgraded to a free guest account when it expires. Shortly after cancellation is confirmed, you'll receive a farewell email with a personal link to an exit feedback form — your honest feedback is genuinely valued and goes directly to Rick. If you subscribed via PayPal, contact support to cancel — your subscription will be cancelled and your account downgraded immediately.
What is the exit feedback form I receive when I cancel?
When your subscription is cancelled — whether through Stripe, PayPal, or via support — you'll receive a farewell email with a personal link to a short exit feedback form. It asks why you cancelled, what you loved, what could have been better, what one thing would have made you stay, and whether you'd consider returning. It takes less than 2 minutes. Your answers go directly to Rick and are used to improve the platform. You can also tick a box if you're happy for Rick to follow up with you personally.
What happens when I reject a guest who paid a booking fee?
A full automatic refund is issued immediately — no action required from you. The refund goes back to the payment method the guest used (card via Stripe, or PayPal). The guest is also notified by email that their application was not accepted and that a refund has been issued.
How does the guest feedback and testimonials feature work?
About 1 hour after each session, Guest Booking System automatically emails your guest a feedback request — no action needed from you. When they respond, their submission appears in your Testimonials dashboard (host sidebar → Testimonials). You review each one and choose to Approve or Reject. Approved testimonials from guests who ticked the consent checkbox on their form appear on your public testimonials page — a shareable URL you can use on your website or in marketing. You can also upload a headshot for any approved guest. Guests who did not consent are stored in your dashboard for your reference only and never appear publicly.
Ready to start booking better guests?
Set up your show in under 10 minutes. Share your link. Let the system handle the rest.