How can I set up a mini-session sign up in the Form Builder?

How to Set Up Mini-Session Booking with PhotoBiz Forms

Overview

The PhotoBiz Form & Contract Builder allows you to create a customizable mini-session booking form with specific appointment times. You can limit how many clients can select each time, collect session information, accept payment, and automatically email clients a copy of their booking details.

This guide explains how to select a predesigned booking form, customize its fields and appointment times, configure an automatic confirmation email, and test the completed form.

For the easiest schedule and submission management, create a separate booking form for each mini-session date. After you complete the first form, you can copy it for additional dates instead of recreating the form from scratch.

Should You Use Forms or Scheduler?

PhotoBiz Forms and PhotoBiz Scheduler can both be used for mini-session booking.

A booking form may be the better option when:

Your sessions are shorter than 15 minutes
You want to create each appointment time manually
You need a customizable registration form or questionnaire
You want clients to select a time and provide additional information in one form
You prefer to manage bookings through form submissions

PhotoBiz Scheduler may be better when you want PhotoBiz to generate appointment times from your availability and manage bookings through the Scheduler Dashboard.

To use Scheduler instead, see How Do I Set Up Mini Sessions on Scheduler?

Available Mini-Session Form Templates

PhotoBiz includes four predesigned booking form templates:

Mini Session Booking (30-minute sessions)
10-Minute Booking - Radio
10-Minute Booking - Menu
5-Minute Booking - Menu

The session length in each template name describes the sample appointment times included with the form. It does not limit the session length or schedule you can create.

You can rename, add, remove, and reorder the appointment choices to match your mini-session.

Best Practice: Create One Form Per Date

Create a separate booking form for each mini-session date.

For example, if you offer sessions on Saturday and Sunday, create one form for Saturday and another form for Sunday. Include the date in each form name, such as Fall Mini Sessions - October 17 and Fall Mini Sessions - October 18.

Using one form per date makes it easier to:

Review each day’s bookings
Export submissions for one date
Update one schedule without affecting another
Close registration for one date while keeping another available
Share a separate booking link for each event

Form submission exports are organized by when each submission was received. They are not automatically grouped by the appointment date selected by the client. When one form contains several dates and many appointment times, you may need to sort or edit the CSV file after exporting it.

STEP ONE

This opens the Forms Dashboard, where you can manage your forms, contracts, and submissions.

STEP TWO

Click FORMS at the top center of the Forms Dashboard to open the Form Editor.

STEP THREE

Click NEW FORM.

The available predesigned form templates will appear by category.

STEP FOUR

Scroll to the PAYMENT category to locate the mini-session booking templates.

Choose Mini Session Booking, 10-Minute Booking - Radio, 10-Minute Booking - Menu, or 5-Minute Booking - Menu. Click View Sample Form to preview a template before selecting it.

Click SELECT under the template you want to use. PhotoBiz will create the form and open it in the Form Editor.

Each template is a customizable starting point. Select the template with the layout or sample appointment intervals that most closely match your mini-session.

Mini Session Booking (30 minute sessions) (View Sample Form)
10 Min Booking - Radio (10 minute sessions) (View Sample Form)
10 Min Booking - Menu (10 minute sessions) (View Sample Form)
5 Min Booking - Menu (5 minute sessions) (View Sample Form)

STEP FIVE

Click the form name at the top of the Form Editor and enter a clear internal name.

Include the mini-session name and date. For example, enter Fall Mini Sessions - October 17. A descriptive name makes the form easier to locate when reviewing submissions or managing more than one mini-session date.

You can also add a Form Tag below the form link. A Form Tag can help you organize mini-session contacts and create targeted Email Marketing campaigns later.

Review the fields included with the template and customize them based on the information you need from each client. You may want to collect the client’s name, email address, phone number, participant names, or other session details.

Use Contact Fields for information you want PhotoBiz to save to the client’s contact record. Make the email address field required so the client can receive an automatic booking confirmation.

For more information, see What Are the Different Form Fields I Can Use on My Custom Form?

STEP SIX

Locate the field containing the preconfigured appointment times and click its pencil icon.

Click ADVANCED to manage the choices included with the field. Each choice represents one available appointment time for the mini-session date assigned to the form.

Click the CHOICE TITLE you want to edit.

Enter the appointment start time in the TITLE field. For example, enter 10:00 AM.

Enter the number of available bookings in the QUANTITY field. Set the quantity to 1 when only one client can reserve that time. Enter a higher quantity when more than one client may select the same option. Leaving the quantity blank allows unlimited submissions for that choice.

Add, edit, delete, or reorder choices until all available appointment times are listed. Use a consistent time format and arrange the choices in chronological order.

Click SAVE CHANGES when you finish editing the appointment field. Click GO BACK to return to the Form Editor.

STEP SEVEN

Click the gear icon in the upper-right corner of the Form Editor and select SETTINGS.

Enter the subject and message clients should receive after submitting the form. Your message can confirm that the booking was received and provide important details such as the session location, arrival instructions, cancellation policy, or next steps.

Select Yes for Email Thank You Message, and then click SAVE CHANGES.

When a client submits the form, PhotoBiz will email your customized message and a copy of the submitted responses to the email address entered on the form. This gives the client a record of the appointment time and other booking information they selected.

For more information, see How to Automatically Send Clients Their Booking Form Details.

STEP EIGHT

If you want clients to pay while booking, add or configure a Payment block.

If the selected template already includes a Payment block, click the block to open its settings. To add one, open the MISCELLANEOUS section on the right side of the Form Editor and select Payment.

Choose your active merchant account and configure the session price and available payment settings. You can use the Payment block to collect the full session price, a retainer, or another required amount.

You must have an active merchant account connected through the ECommerce Dashboard before the form can accept online payments.

Click SAVE CHANGES after configuring the Payment block. If you do not need to collect payment, you can remove the Payment block from the form.

For complete payment instructions, see How Can I Accept Payments Through a Custom Form?

FINAL STEP

Review the form and click SAVE CHANGES anywhere that button appears.

Some updates in the Form Editor save automatically. Other fields, blocks, and settings require you to click SAVE CHANGES before leaving the section. Review the appointment choices, confirmation email, and Payment block to make sure all required changes have been saved.

Preview the client-facing form and confirm that the mini-session information is correct. Check that the appointment times appear in chronological order, each time has the intended quantity, the email address field is required, and the payment amount is correct when payment is enabled.

Submit a test response before sharing the form. Create a temporary test time or temporarily increase the quantity of one appointment so the test does not use an actual client booking.

Confirm that the form submits successfully and that the automatic confirmation email includes your customized message and the submitted booking details. After testing, delete the test submission and restore the correct appointment choices and quantities.

Your mini-session form is ready to share when clients can select an available time, submit their information, and receive their confirmation successfully.

Create Forms for Additional Dates

After completing and testing the form for your first mini-session date, make a copy for each additional date. Copying the form allows you to reuse its fields, appointment choices, settings, and payment configuration without rebuilding it from scratch.

Return to your list of saved forms and locate the completed mini-session form. Hover over the form and click COPY. Enter a name for the copied form, and then click CREATE COPY.

Include the new date in the copied form’s name. For example, you could copy Fall Mini Sessions - October 17 and name the new version Fall Mini Sessions - October 18.

Open the copied form and review the following information:

Form name
Mini-session date and instructions
Available appointment times and quantities
Automatic confirmation email
Payment amount and settings
Form Tag
Form link used on your website or in Marketing campaigns

Changes made to the copied form will not affect the original. Preview and test each copied form before sharing its link with clients.

For complete instructions, see How Can I Copy My Form?.

Helpful Notes

Set the quantity to 1 when only one client should be able to reserve an appointment.
Leaving the quantity blank allows unlimited submissions for that choice.
Use Contact Fields for information you want saved in the Contacts database.
Add a Form Tag when you want to organize or contact mini-session clients later.
Bookings created through Forms are managed through form submissions, not the Scheduler Dashboard.
Keep one booking form per date for cleaner submission reviews and CSV exports.
Always preview and test each form before sharing it with clients.
When payment is enabled, do not complete a live test charge unless you are prepared to process and refund the payment.

Get Personalized Help

PhotoBiz 1-on-1 Coaching Services can help you plan your mini-session workflow, organize your booking process, and get more from the tools included with your account.

Learn more about PhotoBiz 1-on-1 Coaching Services.

Need Help?

Support Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm EST

Phone: 866.463.7620

Support Channels: Phone, Live Chat, Support Ticket

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