Building Custom Scheduling Workflows with APIs

Sometimes out-of-the-box scheduling isn't enough. Here's how to build custom integrations that fit your exact needs.

Why Use a Scheduling API?

• Embed booking in your own app
• Sync with your CRM automatically
• Create custom notifications
• Build unique booking flows

Getting Started

Most scheduling APIs follow REST conventions. Here's a typical workflow:

// Create a new event type
const eventType = await fetch('/api/event-types', {
  method: 'POST',
  body: JSON.stringify({
    name: 'Sales Call',
    duration: 30,
    description: 'Quick intro call'
  })
});
// Get available slots
const slots = await fetch('/api/availability?date=2024-12-20');
// Create a booking
const booking = await fetch('/api/bookings', {
  method: 'POST',
  body: JSON.stringify({
    eventTypeId: 'et_123',
    startTime: '2024-12-20T10:00:00Z',
    attendee: {
      name: 'John Doe',
      email: 'john@example.com'
    }
  })
});

Common Integrations

CRM Integration

Automatically create contacts and log meetings in Salesforce, HubSpot, or your CRM.

Slack Notifications

Get notified in Slack when bookings are made or cancelled.

Custom Emails

Send branded emails from your own domain.

Payment Processing

Charge for appointments using Stripe or PayPal.

Webhooks

Most APIs support webhooks for real-time updates:

// Webhook handler

app.post('/webhooks/scheduling', (req, res) => {
  const { event, data } = req.body;
  if (event === 'booking.created') {
    // Add to CRM
    // Send custom email
    // Update analytics
  }
});

Best Practices

1. Handle rate limits - Implement exponential backoff

2. Validate webhooks - Check signatures to prevent spoofing

3. Log everything - Debug issues faster

4. Use idempotency keys - Prevent duplicate bookings

Calimatic API

Calimatic offers a full REST API with webhooks on all paid plans. Check the documentation at /docs for full details.