Setting up an embeddable Availability Calendar

Available with any of the following subscriptions:
✓ Ultimate

The Embeddable Availability Calendar allows you to display your live availability directly on your website. Visitors can instantly see whether you're available for a date, fully booked, or whether they should contact you before making an enquiry.

The calendar automatically updates from your Band Pencil events, so once it's set up there's nothing else to maintain.


Creating an Availability Calendar

To create a new availability calendar:

  1. Open your event in Band Pencil.
  2. Navigate to Event Settings.
  3. Select Availability Calendar from the left-hand menu.
  4. Create a new calendar or edit an existing one.

Calendar Settings

Give your calendar a name so you can identify it within Band Pencil.

Examples:

  • Wedding Availability
  • Function Band Calendar
  • DJ Availability

This name is only visible inside your Band Pencil account.


Enabled

Choose whether the calendar is publicly available. If disabled, the calendar will no longer be visible, even if the embed code remains on your website.


Use Band Pencil's Lead Capture Form

Choose how enquiries are collected:

Band Pencil Lead Capture Form

Enable this option to display Band Pencil's built-in enquiry form directly inside the availability calendar popup. Visitors can enquire without leaving your website and all enquiries are automatically added to your Band Pencil account.

Your Own Enquiry Form

Prefer to use your own website's contact form? Simply disable the Band Pencil lead capture form and enter the URL of your own enquiry page instead.

When visitors click Book / Enquire or Enquire Now, they'll be taken directly to your chosen page in a new browser tab.


Available Message

This message is shown when a visitor selects an available date.

Example:

Good news! We're available on this date. Please send us an enquiry to check pricing and we'll explain the next steps.


Unavailable Message

This message is displayed when the selected date is fully booked.

Example:

Unfortunately we're fully booked on this date.


Speak with Us Message

This message is shown for dates where you'd still like visitors to contact you before assuming you're unavailable.

For example:

Please speak with us about this date – we may be able to help!

This is useful if you occasionally have flexibility or alternative options available.


Show Confirmed Events As

Choose how confirmed bookings appear on your public calendar.

You can display confirmed bookings as:

  • Unavailable – the date appears fully booked.
  • Speak with us – encourage visitors to enquire anyway.
  • Available – confirmed bookings do not affect the public calendar.

This gives you complete control over how availability is presented to potential clients.


Which Services Does This Calendar Use?

You can choose whether the calendar checks:

  • All services, or
  • Selected services only

For example, if you offer weddings, corporate entertainment, DJs and acoustic acts, you can create separate availability calendars for each. Only bookings linked to the selected services will affect that calendar's availability.


Embedding the Calendar

Once your calendar has been configured, Band Pencil generates an embed code.

Simply copy and paste this code into your website builder wherever you'd like the calendar to appear. Most website builders, including WordPress, Wix, Squarespace and many others, support embedding custom HTML. Alternatively, you can use the direct calendar link instead of embedding it within a page.


How Availability Is Calculated

The calendar automatically checks your Band Pencil events and displays availability accordingly based off their status and your calendar's settings.

Available: No bookings exist for that date.

Speak with Us: The date contains bookings in Band Pencil, but they aren't set to confirmed, or you've chosen to display confirmed bookings as "Speak with us".

Unavailable: The date is fully booked, or you've chosen to display events in Band Pencil with the status as confirmed as unavailable.


Blocking Out Dates

Need to block holidays, annual leave or personal time off? Simply create a General Event in your Band Pencil calendar with the title: UNAVAILABLE the title must be entered exactly as shown (all capitals).

Any dates covered by that General Event will automatically appear as Unavailable on your embedded availability calendar, regardless of any event bookings.

This is perfect for:

  • Holidays
  • Annual leave
  • Travel days
  • Personal commitments
  • Venue maintenance
  • Dates you don't wish to accept bookings

Multi-day General Events will automatically block every day in the selected date range.


How Far Ahead Does the Calendar Show?

The Embeddable Availability Calendar always displays the next 24 months of availability. As time passes, the calendar automatically rolls forward, so your website will always show the next two years without requiring any updates.


Tips

  • Create separate calendars for different services.
  • Customise the availability messages to match your brand.
  • Use the Band Pencil lead capture form to collect enquiries directly into your account, or link visitors to your own enquiry page.
  • Use UNAVAILABLE General Events to block holidays and other dates you don't want to accept bookings.
  • Once embedded, the calendar updates automatically whenever your Band Pencil calendar changes, so there's nothing else to maintain.

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