# Booking statuses and how places book | WhatsDo Docs

URL: https://whatsdo.ai/docs/booking-statuses

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# Booking statuses

How a place books and where to read the status of a booking.

## How a place books

booking_source on each search result says how a booking goes through. Pass it to book unchanged. You do not need to interpret it: read status.

| Way | What happens | First status | Typical time |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Instant | The booking system confirms directly. | confirmed | Seconds |
| Through the venue’s page | WhatsDo fills in the venue’s own booking page. | pending | Minutes |
| Reservation partner | WhatsDo books on the venue’s page with its reservation partner. | pending | Minutes |
| By a person (source: "manual") | A WhatsDo team member finishes the booking. | pending | Varies |

Most bookable places book through the venue’s page. Salons, spas, massage and yoga book through the venue’s page only.

## Before booking

There is no availability check before book. Each call is a real request. Confirm the place, date, time and party size with the person first, and always send date_time with an offset.

## Statuses from book

| status | Meaning | What to tell the person |
| --- | --- | --- |
| confirmed | The booking went through. | Booked. Give confirmation_number when there is one. Instant bookings do not issue one: say so and give the venue’s phone. |
| pending | Sent, not confirmed yet. | Requested, not confirmed yet. Then poll my_bookings. |
| requires_payment | The booking system asked a follow-up question. | Answer the non-payment part with continue_booking. For anything the venue charges, send the person to its own page. |
| failed | Not booked. | Read message. It often names another time. |
| slot_unavailable, unavailable | That time is not available. | Offer the times in message or alternatives word for word. |
| conflict | The time clashes with the person’s calendar. | Show busy_intervals and ask for another time. |

## Reading the status

Nothing is pushed. Call my_bookings to read the current status of each booking: pending, confirmed, failed or cancelled. A time that was gone shows as failed, with the offered time in message.

- Poll about every 30 seconds for up to about five minutes. If it is still pending, tell the person it is still being processed.
- Never report pending as booked.
- source can change after booking. manual means a WhatsDo team member is finishing the booking by hand. Keep polling.

## When status and message disagree

A row can read confirmed while its message says no booking was submitted. Treat it as not booked, show both to the person and ask them to check with the venue.

## Cancelling

- cancelled: cancelled on WhatsDo.
- cancellation_requested: a WhatsDo team member cancels by hand. The booking stays confirmed until then. Instant bookings cancel this way.
- A pending booking through the venue’s page is cancelled on WhatsDo only. Nothing reaches the venue. If the venue already sent a confirmation, use its cancellation link or phone.
- There is no reschedule. Cancel, then book again.

On this page

- How a place books
- Before booking
- Statuses from book
- Reading the status
- When status and message disagree
- CancellingCopy page

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