Porter makes it simple for clients to request appointments and for artists or shop managers to accept and schedule them efficiently. Here’s how the booking request flow works from start to finish:
🔧 Customize Your Booking Form
Before any client submits a request, make sure your booking form is set up correctly.
Head to Profile → Porter Booking Form in the mobile app.
You can copy your booking form link here to share on Instagram, your website, or other socials.
Click Customize Your Form to adjust which questions you want clients to answer. You can toggle individual questions on/off and save your changes.
Want to revert back to our proven default? Just hit Reset to Default.
Our default form is tested across 100K+ appointments and is optimized for both conversion and clarity. Use it as-is, or tailor it to your style. Read more about customizing your form here.
👥 Clients Submitting a Request
Clients will use your booking form to provide the info you need to decide if and how to move forward. This includes:
The tattoo idea or reference
Size, placement, budget
General availability
Photos of the area (if enabled)
Guest spot or service location (if applicable)
Once submitted, the request enters your “📥 Your Turn” queue in the Porter mobile app on the requests page.
✅ Responding to Booking Requests
When a new booking request comes in, you’ll see it in the “Your Turn” section of your Porter mobile app. Click into the request to view the client’s submission, including photos, availability, and any reference or idea notes.
From here, you have several options for how to respond:
💬 Open a Chat
If you need more info before deciding, tap “Message” in the top right to start a conversation.
Clients receive your message via SMS and can reply directly by text.
You can ask follow-up questions, request more photos, or clarify details like placement, size, or budget.
The request will remain in “Your Turn” until you officially accept or reject it.
❌ Reject the Request
If the project isn’t a good fit or you’re not currently accepting new clients, you can hit “Reject” at the bottom of the request.
You’ll be prompted to type a quick message to the client explaining why.
The client will receive a text message letting them know you’re not moving forward, and the request will be marked as closed.
✅ Accept the Request
If you’re ready to move forward, hit “Accept Request.”
You’ll be guided through a simple flow to finalize the details:
How many sessions you want to plan for (1 or more)
Quote – exact amount, price range, or hourly rate
Deposit amount – and whether it should apply to the first or last session if it's a multi-session appointment
Appointment length – how much time you want to block off
Reply message – add a quick note or custom message
Once accepted, clients will get a text message with a link to schedule their appointment and pay the deposit.
📅 Schedule the Appointment for Them
If you already know the date and time, tap “Schedule Appointment” directly from the request.
You’ll be able to select the appointment time yourself and finalize everything on the client’s behalf.
Once scheduled, the client will get a confirmation with appointment details and a link to pay the deposit.
💬 Schedule a Consultation
Need to meet before locking in the tattoo? Tap “Schedule Consultation” from the request.
You can pick the consultation date and time.
Clients will receive a confirmation and show up just like a normal appointment—but it’ll be marked as a consult, not a tattoo session.
After the consult, you can go back and accept or reject the original request based on how it went.
Each of these options is designed to give you flexibility and control, while keeping the experience smooth and clear for your clients.
📅 Clients Scheduling Their Appointment
After accepting a request, clients are taken to a self-scheduling page:
They pick a date & time from your real-time availability
They pay their deposit securely online
The appointment is automatically added to your calendar
For multi-session requests, they’ll be able to book up to the number of sessions you approved (e.g., 3 out of 3). If they only book one now, the others will stay in “
Turn” so they can book later using the same link.
💬 Chatting With Clients
After a request is submitted, a chat thread automatically opens between you and the client. Use this to ask clarifying questions or follow up. Clients receive SMS messages anytime you send a reply, and they can respond directly via text.
⚡ Tip: Use General Requests (Studio Pro)
If you’re on the Studio Pro plan, you can enable General Requests so clients can request with “Any Artist” at your shop. These requests are routed to your designated request managers who can assign them to the right artist.
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