DEBUT Bookings for Checkfront

1. 01Install and activate the plugin, then go to DEBUT Bookings . The setup steps open automatically.
2. 02Connect: enter your Checkfront address, then create an API key in Checkfront ( Manage → Developer → New Application , choosing Token ) and paste in the key and secret. The connection is tested before anything is saved.
3. 03Categories: untick anything customers shouldn’t browse, such as add-ons or gift vouchers.
4. 04Look: pick an accent colour and a layout.
5. 05Pages: pages that already show bookings or What’s on are found for you. Tick any you’d like created, or add the Bookings page block or [debut_bookings] shortcode yourself.

For an activity page, add [debut_bookings_activity id="123"] .

Do I need a Checkfront account?

Yes. The plugin shows the inventory and availability you’ve set up in Checkfront. Your Checkfront plan needs API access.

Does it take bookings or payments?

No. Customers choose a session on your site, then complete the booking and payment on your Checkfront booking page, so nothing changes in how you take payments.

Which shortcodes are there?

DEBUT Bookings → Help lists them all with examples and copy buttons, along with your own activities and categories and their IDs, so you don’t have to look anything up in Checkfront. There are three:

• [debut_bookings] – your main bookings page: the search bar with results, or the month calendar, as set under Appearance. Attributes: layout ( search or calendar ), id and category (one ID or several separated by commas), view ( cards or list ), times , pills , show_price , show_image , button .
• [debut_bookings_whats_on] – every upcoming session as one list, grouped by date. Attributes: months , id , category , filter_label .
• [debut_bookings_activity id="123"] – for an activity’s own page. show="card" (the default) is a booking card: pick a month and a session, then book. show="dates" is its calendar and sessions, show="details" its picture, description and next sessions, and show="button" a Book now button. Several IDs ( id="123,124" ) let people switch activity on the card.

The older shortcodes ( [debut_bookings_upcoming] , [debut_bookings_card] , [debut_bookings_item] , [debut_bookings_availability] and [debut_bookings_book_now] ) still work.

Does it work with Google Analytics?

Yes. Under Advanced → Tracking , choose Google Tag Manager or the Google Analytics tag, and the plugin sends GA4 ecommerce events to the tag already on your site: view_item_list , view_item , select_item and begin_checkout . It never adds Google’s script itself. Every event is also dispatched in the browser as debut-bookings:track , for other analytics tools.

How do I change the look?

Under Appearance : cards across, card style, accent colour (with preset swatches), button text, corners and which parts of the cards to show. The search page’s own settings (where results show, the field names and the time of day filter) are under Search page . Developers can override any of the --dbk-* CSS custom properties listed under Advanced → For developers .

How do I change the templates?

Copy any file from the plugin’s templates folder to a debut-bookings folder in your theme and edit it there. Templates receive Debut_Bookings_Item and Debut_Bookings_Session objects.

Which hooks are there?

Actions: debut_bookings_before_card , debut_bookings_card_body_end , debut_bookings_after_card , debut_bookings_before_row , debut_bookings_after_row . Filters: debut_bookings_template (template path), debut_bookings_template_vars , debut_bookings_theme_vars (CSS custom properties), debut_bookings_format_price , debut_bookings_periods (morning, afternoon and evening boundaries).

Why does a date show nothing when Checkfront looks open?

If Checkfront has no sessions published for that date, or bookings aren’t open that far ahead, the plugin shows the next date that has availability instead. Add ?dbk_debug=1 to the page while logged in as an administrator to see exactly what Checkfront returned and why each item was shown or hidden.

How far ahead does the calendar go?

12 months by default. Change it under General → How far ahead to show (up to 24). Dates past that aren’t shown, and categories with nothing on before then don’t get a button. This matters because Checkfront treats dates with no season or rates set up as open: without a limit, a category with nothing on for a while would jump to “available every day” a year or two away.

How up to date is availability?

Very. Spaces for the date a visitor is looking at are at most a minute old, and a session that’s nearly full is checked with Checkfront live. The calendar and what customers can see (hidden items and categories) update every 5 minutes, and item details and prices every 30 (change this under Advanced ). To update everything straight away, click Refresh from Checkfront at the top of the plugin’s screens. Bookings are always checked by Checkfront itself, so a customer can never book a place that’s gone.

Why are some categories greyed out?

They’re hidden from customers in Checkfront, so they can’t be booked on your Checkfront booking page: Book now would show “No results found”. The plugin checks what customers can book (using Checkfront’s public API, the same view your customers get) and leaves those categories and their items out. To show one, make the category visible to customers in Checkfront. The Categories screen shows the change as soon as you reload it, and your site picks it up within a few minutes.

Can I try it without a Checkfront account?

Yes. Under Advanced → Demo data , pick a kind of business and turn it on: your pages fill with made-up activities, dates and prices, and nothing is booked. Your settings are kept, and visitors see the demo too, so use it before launch or on a staging site. Turn it off to show your own Checkfront account again.

Will it work with page caching?

Yes. Pages with a date or category in the address are excluded from full-page caches automatically, and the calendar corrects itself if a cached page is from an earlier day.