Cancellations and no-shows leave holes in your day that are hard to fill on short notice. The Waitlist gives those slots a second life: when a client doesn't see a time that works for them, they can join your Waitlist instead of walking away. If a matching opening comes up later, Porter texts them a link to grab it.
Every artist has their own Waitlist, and shop managers can see and manage all of them from Business Web (app.getporter.io).
📋 How clients join
When a client is booking and doesn't find a time that works, they can add themselves to your Waitlist. They'll tell you:
The date range they're open to
The time of day that works best for them
Which days of the week they prefer
That's it — no deposit, no back-and-forth. They stay on your list until a matching slot opens or you remove them.
🔔 What happens when a slot opens
When an appointment is cancelled or a new opening appears on your calendar, Porter checks everyone on your Waitlist and finds the clients whose preferences match that time.
Matching clients get a text with a link to book it. First one to book it gets it.
⚙️ Choosing how notifications go out
You control how Porter sends those texts in your Waitlist settings. There are two options:
Notify everyone at once — every matching client on the list gets the text at the same time. This is the fastest way to fill a slot, and the best pick when you just need the chair full.
Notify in batches of 4 — Porter texts the first four matching clients, ordered by when they joined your list. They get about 5 minutes to book before the next group is notified. This rewards the people who have been waiting longest and keeps the scramble down.
💡 Tip: If your main worry is last-minute holes, notifying everyone at once fills faster. If you'd rather take care of your longest-waiting clients first, go with batches.
🖥️ Managing your Waitlist
Head to the Waitlist area in Business Web (app.getporter.io). From there you can:
Turn the Waitlist on or off
Choose your notification style
View everyone currently on the list and what they're waiting for
Notify a client manually about a specific opening
Remove a client from the list
Shop managers can see the Waitlist for every artist at the shop. Artists see their own.
Want help getting the Waitlist switched on for your shop? Reach out to our support team — we'll walk you through it.
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