Use Hostbook like the whole team depends on it.

Choose the right screen before you act

1. 1Use Service Dashboard for live service.This is the host-stand view. Use it when guests are arriving, tables are turning, or staff are asking what is happening right now.
2. 2Use Reservation Book for time changes.This view shows time across the top and tables down the side, so it is easier to see whether a new time or table creates an overlap.
3. 3Use Guests for memory, not just contact details.Guest profiles are where preferences, VIP tags, allergies, notes, and visit history should live so they can follow the guest into future reservations.
4. 4Use Reports after you have accurate statuses.Reports depend on reservations being marked seated, completed, cancelled, or no-show correctly. If statuses are messy, the report will be messy too.

Make the basic safety check

1. 1Confirm the venue.If your account can access more than one restaurant, make sure the venue name in the header is the one you intend to work in.
2. 2Confirm the date and service.A guest for tomorrow may look missing if the dashboard is on today. A lunch reservation may not appear when the dinner service is selected.
3. 3Confirm the guest and party size.Read the name, phone, time, and covers before editing. This prevents changing the wrong person when two guests have similar names.
4. 4Confirm table and status.A seated guest should not be cancelled, and a completed guest should not still be occupying the table. Choose the status that matches what physically happened.

Find the right guest quickly

1. 1Click the search field in the header.Type a guest first name, last name, phone number, or confirmation number. Use at least a few digits if searching by phone.
2. 2Open the matching reservation or guest.A reservation result opens the booking so you can act on it. A guest result opens the guest profile if you need history or contact details.
3. 3Check the date if the result is not visible.A guest may have a future reservation on another date. Opening the visit can move you to the correct date and Reservation Book context.

Use the live counts without misreading them

1. 1Open the covers count when the total feels wrong.The covers popover breaks down booked and seated information for the selected service. Use it to check whether the issue is booking volume or missing status updates.
2. 2Open Pending to compare period and day totals.Period counts focus on the active service seating window. Day counts include all reservations on the date. This matters if lunch and dinner share the same day.
3. 3Review highlighted rows.Guests sat, guests left, currently seated, cancellations, no-shows, walk-ins, same-day bookings, completed turns, and waitlist numbers are all operational clues.

Respond to an alert

1. 1Click the bell.Late means the reservation time has passed. Overdue means a seated party may be beyond the expected turn. Turn conflict means Hostbook sees a timing or table problem.
2. 2Open the related reservation if available.Check the guest, time, party size, and table. Do not assume the alert means the reservation is wrong; it means it needs human review.
3. 3Take the smallest accurate action.Mark arrived if the guest is here, no-show if the table is no longer being held, move the booking if the table plan changed, or leave it alone if the warning is acceptable.

Create a staff-entered reservation

1. 1Click New in the header.Hostbook opens the reservation form using the current service date as the starting point. Change the date if needed before saving.
2. 2Enter the guest phone first when possible.Phone lookup helps find an existing guest so notes, allergies, VIP status, and past visits are not lost in a duplicate profile.
3. 3Choose date, service, time, and party size.If the time falls outside the selected service, Hostbook can warn you or block the save until the service is corrected.
4. 4Assign a table only if you are ready.You can save without a table if the restaurant assigns later. If you choose a table now, read capacity and conflict warnings before saving.

If this does not work: If the form will not save, look for missing guest fields, a past date, an out-of-service time, offline availability checks, blocked tables, or unresolved turn conflicts.

Create a reservation from a call

1. 1Open New and enter phone first.If Hostbook finds a matching guest, choose that guest so existing notes, allergies, VIP status, and preferences stay attached.
2. 2Enter name, date, service, time, and party size.These fields determine availability, timeline placement, cover counts, and the service period where the reservation appears.
3. 3Add notes that staff can act on.Use reservation notes for this visit, such as patio request or birthday. Use guest notes for lasting preferences, such as favorite booth or allergy context.
4. 4Choose table assignment timing.Assign now when the table plan is known. Leave unassigned when the restaurant prefers to assign at service or when the best table depends on how the room opens.
5. 5Read warnings before saving.Capacity warnings, blocked tables, turn conflicts, and out-of-service times are there to prevent overbooking or seating promises the restaurant cannot keep.

Seat an arrived guest

1. 1Mark the guest arrived.Use Mark Arrived when the party checks in. If only part of the party is here or they are waiting at the bar, use the arrival options so other staff understand the situation.
2. 2Check or choose the table.If the reservation already has a table, confirm it is still right. If not, use Assign and Seat or Link and Seat to pick one or more tables.
3. 3Confirm seating.Hostbook changes the reservation to seated, connects it to the table, updates the floorplan, and starts the seated timing used by drawers and reports.
4. 4Do not seat a guest who is not physically going to the table.If the guest is waiting, keep them arrived or at the bar. Seating early makes the table look occupied and can distort turn timing.

Move or protect a table assignment

1. 1Open the reservation drawer.Check the current table, party size, status, and notes before changing the table. This avoids moving a guest with a special request by accident.
2. 2Use Assign a table or Change table.Choose single-table assignment for one table. Use linked tables when the party needs combined capacity across multiple physical tables.
3. 3Use Lock to table for protected assignments.A locked reservation cannot be moved by normal drag/drop until it is unlocked. Use this for VIPs, accessibility needs, buyouts, or manager-approved fixed seating.
4. 4Read conflict prompts.A conflict might mean overlapping reservations, party size mismatch, hidden table, blocked table, or a table already in use. Pick another table unless a manager intentionally overrides.

Close a reservation correctly

1. 1Use Completed when the seated party leaves.Completed releases the active table tracking and counts the reservation as a completed turn for reports when timing data is available.
2. 2Use Cancel Reservation for a cancellation.Cancelled reservations stay in history but do not count as served covers. Cancellation payment policies may create a fee or refund note.
3. 3Use No-Show when the guest does not arrive.No-show is available only when Hostbook considers the reservation eligible based on timing. It records lost covers in reports.
4. 4Use Unseat or Return to pool only to correct the active floor.Unseat reverses an accidental seating action. Return to pool releases a table while keeping the guest active for reassignment.

Track payment and deposit status

1. 1Open Payment & deposit in the drawer.Read the current label before changing it: no policy applied, card on file, deposit pending, deposit paid, refund needed, fee pending approval, fee charged, fee waived, or refunded.
2. 2Choose the new status.Pick the status that describes the real administrative state. Do not mark paid, charged, waived, or refunded unless that decision has actually been made.
3. 3Use manager approval where required.Fee charged, fee waived, and refunded are manager-level decisions. Hostbook may require approval and can show who approved it.
4. 4Check policy notes.Large-party or holiday deposits, no-show fees, cancellation fees, and refund-needed messages appear as reminders so staff know why the payment state matters.

Move around and reset the room view

1. 1Select the room tab.Choose the room where the table physically lives. A dining room, patio, and bar may each have different tables and sections.
2. 2Use zoom only when it helps you see detail.Zoom in to read dense areas. Zoom out when you need the full room. If you get lost, Fit recenters the room around the visible table layout.
3. 3Pan the map to inspect another area.Drag the floorplan background when you need to see tables that are outside the current viewport. Avoid dragging reservation cards unless you intend to move them.

Seat a guest who already has a table

1. 1Mark the reservation arrived first.This tells the team the party is present but not yet seated. If the guest is only partially present, use the arrival option that best describes that situation.
2. 2Check the assigned table on the floorplan.Confirm the table is available or intentionally ready. Look for a current guest, held/block state, or conflict highlight before seating.
3. 3Click Seat Now.Hostbook changes the reservation to seated, shows the guest on the table, and starts seated timing used by table drawers and reports.
4. 4Open Details if something looks off.The table drawer shows current guest, turn progress, upcoming bookings, previous bookings, and move/complete actions.

Assign and seat a guest with no table

1. 1Choose Assign and Seat or Link and Seat.Use Assign and Seat for one table. Use Link and Seat when the party needs two or more tables pushed together.
2. 2Select the table or tables on the floorplan.Selected tables should provide enough capacity and should not conflict with current or upcoming reservations.
3. 3Read the warning severity.A warning might be manageable, such as a tight turn. An error may mean blocked table, hidden table, occupied table, or overlap that should not be allowed.
4. 4Confirm only after the physical room matches the screen.If staff are still clearing or moving tables, wait until the actual table is ready before marking the guest seated.

Seat a walk-in from the floorplan

1. 1Click an available table.The quick-action menu appears near the table. Seat walk-in is disabled if the table is already seated, held, or blocked.
2. 2Choose Seat walk-in.Pick the party size. Hostbook creates a walk-in record and seats it to the table immediately.
3. 3Use the link icon for combined tables.If one table is not enough, use Link tables for walk-in, select the additional tables, click Done, then choose the party size.
4. 4Add notes later if needed.If the walk-in needs allergy, VIP, or contact information, open the reservation or guest details after seating and add the useful information.

Change table status during service

1. 1Click a table and choose Change status.Available statuses include appetizer, main course, dessert, billed, paid, held, and blocked depending on the current table state.
2. 2Choose the progress that matches the table.Meal progress statuses are meaningful only when a guest is seated. Hostbook disables choices that do not make sense for the current state.
3. 3Use Held when the table should be saved.Choose hold for this service, hold until end of day, hold until unheld, or custom hold time. Held tables are visible so staff understand why they should not seat there.
4. 4Use Blocked when the table cannot be used.Blocked is stronger than held. It means the table should not be booked or seated until someone releases the block.

Move a seated guest

1. 1Open the current table or reservation drawer.Check whether the reservation is locked to the table. If locked, a manager or authorized user must unlock it before moving.
2. 2Choose Move Guest.Hostbook starts an assignment flow. Select the destination table on the floorplan.
3. 3Confirm the destination table is ready.Do not move the guest onto a held, blocked, occupied, or conflicting table unless the manager has accepted that decision.
4. 4Review the floorplan after the move.The old table should no longer show that guest, and the new table should show the seated party.

Respond to a conflict instead of guessing

1. 1Identify the conflict type.Look for party size, overlapping turn window, hidden table, blocked table, occupied table, or linked-table capacity issues.
2. 2Choose the safest correction.Try a different table, different time, linked tables, or a hold release before using an override.
3. 3Use manager override only for an intentional decision.An override should mean the restaurant has a real-world plan for the conflict, not that the warning was skipped because the user was in a hurry.

Review the day without vague scanning

1. 1Start with the date and service window.Make sure the timeline is showing the day you intend to review. A perfectly clean book on the wrong date is not useful.
2. 2Read the Unassigned row first.Any booking here still needs a table. If service is near, this row tells the host which reservations need planning before guests arrive.
3. 3Read table rows from left to right.Each block shows when a table is expected to be occupied. Look for blocks that touch or overlap, because they leave little reset time.
4. 4Compare nearby tables in the same room.If one table has several turns and a similar table nearby is empty, you may be able to rebalance assignments before the rush.
5. 5Check held, blocked, and event overlays.These overlays explain why a table that looks empty may not actually be available.

Create a reservation at a specific slot

1. 1Find the table row.Use the room grouping and table number on the left. Check the capacity shown beside the table label before choosing it for a party.
2. 2Click the empty time slot.Hostbook opens quick actions for that table and time. Choose Add reservation.
3. 3Complete the reservation form.The selected table and time should already be filled in. Add guest, phone, date, service, party size, notes, allergies, and occasion as needed.
4. 4Review warnings before saving.The timeline can still warn about overlap, blocked tables, service windows, or capacity. The visual slot is a starting point, not a guarantee.

Move a reservation in time or table

1. 1Drag sideways to change time.Move the block left for earlier or right for later. The timeline snaps to service slots so the new time stays aligned with the book.
2. 2Drag up or down to change table.Drop the block on a different table row to reassign it. Hostbook checks whether that table can take the party during the turn window.
3. 3Watch for warning messages.A warning can appear if the target table is blocked, held, occupied, too small, outside an event window, or overlapping another active reservation.
4. 4Open the drawer after an important move.For guest-facing changes, open the reservation to confirm the new time/table and message the guest if the restaurant needs to notify them.

Adjust dining duration

1. 1Hover the right edge of the block.When the resize handle appears, drag the edge left or right to shorten or lengthen the expected turn.
2. 2Use duration changes for real dining expectations.A quick lunch, long tasting menu, large party, or guest-specific usual duration may justify changing the expected time.
3. 3Save a guest's usual duration only when it is meaningful.If Hostbook asks whether to save a duration as the guest's usual time for that party size, accept only when it reflects a pattern you want remembered.

Find and update a returning guest

1. 1Open Guests from the sidebar.Use the search field to enter the guest name or phone number. Phone is usually the strongest match when names are common.
2. 2Open the profile and review existing details.Read notes, tags, allergies, and recent visits before adding new information. You may find the detail already exists.
3. 3Update the correct field.Put lasting preferences in guest notes. Put one-time instructions in the reservation note for the active booking.
4. 4Save before leaving.If you navigate away without saving, the next reservation may not show the updated preference or warning.

Write notes staff will actually use

1. 1Lead with the action.Write 'prefers booth when available' instead of a long story about why. Write 'peanut allergy, confirm with kitchen' instead of only 'allergy'.
2. 2Keep private opinions out.Notes should help service and safety. Avoid comments that are subjective, insulting, or not useful for the next staff member.
3. 3Use tags for scanning.Tags help staff notice important information on cards. Notes explain the detail behind the tag.

Handle duplicate guests carefully

1. 1Compare phone, name, and visit history.Do not merge just because two guests share a last name. Confirm the records truly belong together.
2. 2Choose the profile to keep.Keep the profile with the most complete contact details and useful notes.
3. 3Review what will move.Reservations, waitlist entries, tags, and notes may be consolidated. If anything looks suspicious, stop and ask a manager.

Add a named waitlist guest

1. 1Open Add to waitlist from the Reservations header.The waitlist form opens from the hourglass button beside Reservations on the Service Dashboard.
2. 2Enter name and phone.Phone is important if the guest may leave the host stand before their table is ready.
3. 3Choose Walk-in or Reserve Time.Walk-in is for minute estimates. Reserve Time is for guests waiting for a specific time.
4. 4Click Add to waitlist.The guest appears in the Waitlist section and can be promoted or marked left.

Use anonymous walk-in for speed

1. 1Choose Anonymous walk-in.Hostbook creates a walk-in entry without name or phone. Use this for fast turn-and-burn service or when the party is going straight to a table.
2. 2Set party size accurately.Party size affects table fit, covers, and reports. Do not use party of 2 as a default if the party is larger.
3. 3Seat from the floorplan or waitlist.If seating immediately, picking the table on the floorplan is fastest. If they are waiting, keep them in Active until the table is ready.

Promote or close a waitlist guest

1. 1Update the quote when the room changes.For Walk-in guests, change the estimated minutes on the card. This keeps the list aligned with what staff told the guest.
2. 2Click Table Available or Confirm Availability.This opens the floorplan so you can select a table. The guest moves into the regular reservation list right away. A confirmation text may be sent when a phone number is on file.
3. 3Click Leave when the guest gives up.This removes the guest from the active waitlist and keeps end-of-service waitlist reporting accurate.

Message one reservation

1. 1Open the reservation or click the message icon.Check that the guest, date, time, and phone number are correct before sending or queueing a message.
2. 2Review the message purpose.A confirmation request, reminder, cancellation note, or custom service update should match what the restaurant intends to say.
3. 3Send or queue according to setup.If messaging is not fully connected, Hostbook may record the attempt or queue state rather than send live SMS.
4. 4Check the drawer afterward for delivery issues.A failed delivery warning means staff should verify the phone and may need to use Retry message or contact the guest outside Hostbook.

Send a bulk service message

1. 1Click the megaphone in the dashboard header.Bulk messaging uses the current service context, so check the date and service before opening it.
2. 2Review who will receive it.Do not send a bulk message until you understand the target group. It may include pending guests for the selected service.
3. 3Use clear guest-facing language.Mention the restaurant, date, time, and what the guest should do. Avoid internal shorthand.
4. 4Send only when the message is truly shared.Use individual messages for special cases, allergies, VIPs, or anything that should not go to every selected guest.

Recover from failed SMS

1. 1Open the reservation drawer.The failed delivery warning appears with context. If retry is available, the drawer can show a Retry message button.
2. 2Verify the phone number.Check for missing digits, wrong country format, or a landline. Fix the guest phone if needed before retrying.
3. 3Retry or contact manually.Use Retry message if it is available and appropriate. For urgent changes, call the guest or use the restaurant's manual communication process.

Open the right reporting range

1. 1Choose Service for closeout.Service mode uses the dashboard service date and shows the end-of-service summary for that date.
2. 2Choose 7 days or 30 days for trends.These ranges anchor to today and show range totals plus covers-per-day when there is more than one day.
3. 3Choose Custom for a specific period.Pick start and end dates when reviewing a holiday week, promotion, event period, or owner-requested range.

Read service closeout

1. 1Start with Total covers and Walk-in covers.Total covers tells you seated plus completed party sizes. Walk-in covers tells you how much of that total came from walk-ins.
2. 2Check Completed turns and Still seated.Completed turns should rise as tables leave. Still seated should be low or zero when service is fully closed.
3. 3Review Avg turn time.This only uses completed reservations with seated and completed timestamps. If staff skipped status updates, average turn becomes less reliable.
4. 4Review Cancellations and No-shows.These are not served covers. They show demand that did not turn into occupied seats.
5. 5Review Waitlist entries and Waitlist seated.A high total with low seated count may mean quotes were too long, tables were unavailable, or staff did not close entries correctly.

Use server load to balance sections

1. 1Compare covers and turns by server.Covers show guest volume. Turns show how many completed parties moved through the section. A server can have fewer tables but more covers if they handled larger parties.
2. 2Look for uneven bars.A section with much higher covers or turns may need help, fewer future seats, or adjusted sections next service.
3. 3Check section setup if data is missing.If the panel says no server sections are defined, reports cannot show server load until sections and assignments exist.

Investigate a number that looks wrong

1. 1Check active reservations.Look for parties still marked arrived or seated when they should be completed.
2. 2Check closed reservations.A party marked cancelled or no-show will not count as served covers. Make sure the closing status is correct.
3. 3Check walk-ins.If walk-ins are low, staff may have created normal reservations instead of walk-in records or forgot to seat them properly.
4. 4Check service date and range.A report on the wrong date or custom range can look like missing data even when the service was recorded correctly.

Change service and booking rules

1. 1Open Settings and enter the required PIN.If you do not have the right PIN, ask the manager or admin who owns the decision to approve it.
2. 2Open Services and booking rules.Choose the service you need to edit, such as lunch, dinner, brunch, or a special service period.
3. 3Edit only the fields you intend to change.Review service name, start time, last seating, close time, slot interval, booking cutoff, active days, and party-size limits.
4. 4Save, then test the visible effect.Check the dashboard service switcher, Reservation Book slots, and online booking preview if the rule affects guests.

Manage tables and floorplan setup

1. 1Open the floorplan editor from settings.Use editor tools to add or change rooms, table numbers, table shapes, capacity, position, and hidden/internal-only behavior.
2. 2Keep table numbers physical.Do not use creative numbers in the app if staff use different numbers in the room. The map should reduce confusion, not add translation.
3. 3Use hidden or internal-only deliberately.Hidden removes a seat from the visible map for that layout. Internal-only can keep a table available to staff while limiting guest-facing online booking behavior.
4. 4Review alternates and schedules.Alternate floorplans are whole-venue variants for events, patio season, holidays, and room changes. Existing assignments are preserved across matching physical tables. Capacity changes show conflicts; missing or hidden tables show the reservation as dislodged until staff or AI Host explicitly reassigns it.

Manage users and access

1. 1Open Admin Settings with admin approval.Use admin access for staff setup, restaurant-level configuration, and policy changes.
2. 2Assign the lowest useful role.Do not give admin access to someone who only needs to seat guests or send service messages.
3. 3Review access after staff changes.When staff leave or change roles, update access so old permissions do not remain active.

Test the guest booking flow

1. 1Copy the public booking link.Find it in Admin Settings. Use the public link for normal guest testing and the embed link only when testing an embedded website flow.
2. 2Choose party size and date.Pick values that should be available based on your service rules. If you choose a closed date or party size outside the limit, no times may appear.
3. 3Choose an available time.The times reflect current rules and capacity. If a time you expect is missing, check service window, cutoff, table capacity, and existing reservations.
4. 4Enter guest details and submit only if you want a real test booking.A submitted public booking creates a real reservation. Delete or cancel it afterward if it was only a test.

Troubleshoot missing online availability

1. 1Check online booking is enabled.If guest booking is disabled, the public page may not offer normal booking slots.
2. 2Check the service schedule.Make sure the service runs on that date and weekday and has a valid booking start and last seating time.
3. 3Check party-size limits.A party outside the service minimum or maximum will not get the same availability as a normal party size.
4. 4Check capacity and holds.Existing reservations, blocked tables, held tables, hidden tables, and internal-only tables can all reduce guest-facing availability.
5. 5Check booking cutoff.A time may be available operationally but too close for online guests to book.

Respond to Offline or Syncing

1. 1Stop non-urgent changes.Do not keep seating, cancelling, or moving guests if the app is telling you it cannot sync reliably.
2. 2Keep the page open.Closing the page can interrupt pending local actions before they finish syncing.
3. 3Reconnect the device.Check Wi-Fi, network, and device connectivity. If another device is online, use it for urgent changes.
4. 4Verify important records after sync.Open recent reservations and tables to confirm the changes that matter most: seats, moves, cancellations, and notes.

Use PIN prompts correctly

1. 1Read what action is being approved.Make sure the manager knows whether they are approving a setting change, fee action, override, or admin access.
2. 2Enter the approving user's PIN.Do not share PINs. The approval should point to the person who made the decision.
3. 3Complete only the approved action.After approval, avoid making extra unrelated changes under the same context unless they were also approved.

Handle warnings and disabled actions

1. 1Read the disabled reason or warning text.Service closed, past date, locked table, blocked table, offline availability, and conflict checks each require a different fix.
2. 2Check date and service first.If you are on a past date or closed service, live actions may be intentionally unavailable.
3. 3Check lock, hold, and block state.Unlock, release hold, or release block only if the real-world reason for that protection no longer applies.
4. 4Ask for manager help when the decision changes capacity or policy.Overrides, fee decisions, and service setup changes should be manager-level choices.