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Terminology

This section outlines the key concepts and terminology used within the Bookla Platform. Understanding these terms is crucial for effectively integrating and utilizing the platform's capabilities.

Core Entities​

Merchant​

  • Definition: The primary user of the Bookla Platform.
  • Characteristics:
    • Can create and manage multiple companies
    • Has administrative access to the platform

Company​

  • Definition: A legal entity created by a merchant within the Bookla ecosystem.
  • Key points:
    • A merchant can create and manage multiple companies
    • Serves as the top-level organizational unit for resources and services

Resource​

  • Definition: A bookable entity attached to a company.
  • Examples:
    • Human resources: hairdressers, coaches, instructors
    • Physical assets: tennis courts, guest houses, boats, meeting rooms
  • Characteristics:
    • Can be linked to one or more services
    • Has its own availability and scheduling rules

Service​

  • Definition: An offering provided by the company that can be booked by clients.
  • Key points:
    • Can be linked to one or multiple resources
    • Defines the type of booking (fixed, flexible, group, ticket, or days)
    • Has associated pricing and capacity rules

Client​

  • Definition: An individual or entity that makes bookings for services.
  • Characteristics:
    • Can be managed manually by the merchant or self-registered
    • May have authentication credentials for online booking

Booking​

  • Definition: A reservation made by a client for a specific service and resource.
  • Components:
    • Service details
    • Resource allocation
    • Time slot or duration
    • Client information
    • Payment status (if applicable)

Rules and Constraints​

Bookla employs various rule types to define and manage the complexities of booking scenarios:

Pricing Rules​

  • Purpose: Define the cost of services based on specific conditions.
  • Factors may include:
    • Resource type
    • Time of day
    • Day of the week
    • Seasonal variations
    • Ticket types (for ticketed services)

Working Hours​

  • Definition: Specifies the availability windows for particular resources.
  • Characteristics:
    • Can be set individually for each resource
    • Supports complex schedules (e.g., split shifts, varying hours by day of week)

Closing Periods​

  • Purpose: Defines periods when a resource is unavailable for booking.
  • Use cases:
    • Holidays
    • Maintenance periods
    • Special events

Capacity Rules​

  • Purpose: Sets limits on the number of bookings allowed for a service or resource.
  • Factors may include:
    • Resource type
    • Time of day
    • Day of the week
    • Seasonal variations
    • Ticket types (for group or ticketed services)

Slots​

  • Definition: Predefined time windows for group and ticketed services.
  • Characteristics:
    • Specifies start times and durations for bookable periods
    • Can have associated capacity limits

Platform Extensions​

Plugin​

  • Definition: A modular piece of functionality that extends the core capabilities of the Bookla Platform.
  • Examples:
    • Payment providers
    • Email notification systems
    • Promo code handlers
    • Gift card management
    • Analytics tools

Understanding these terms and concepts is essential for effectively leveraging the Bookla Platform's APIs and integrating booking functionality into your applications. For detailed information on how these elements interact and can be manipulated through our API, please refer to the specific API documentation sections.