The booking widget is the public-facing page where customers browse your inventory, select dates and times, configure add-ons, and add items to their cart. It can be hosted on your RentalTide subdomain, embedded as an iframe on your own website, or integrated via the WordPress plugin.
Booking flow
- Location select -- if you have multiple locations, the customer picks one first.
- Browse inventory -- a grid of available items with photos, descriptions, capacity, and pricing. Items are organized by category.
- Item details -- expanded view with photo gallery, pricing breakdown, specifications, and real-time availability.
- Date and time -- select the rental date and start time. The calendar respects operating hours, blocked dates, seasonal availability, and last-call cutoffs.
- Duration and quantity -- choose the rental duration (hourly slider or multi-day date range) and number of units. For tours, select a departure time and choose price tiers (Adult, Child, etc.).
- Add-ons -- optional extras such as protection plans, equipment add-ons, and fuel packages.
- Cart -- review all selections before proceeding to checkout. Supports multiple items from the same or different inventory types.
URLs
The booking widget is accessible at:
/booking/{customerId}-- direct customer ID URL/booking/{slug}/{locationSlug}-- human-readable slug URL
Booking types
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Hourly rentals | Select a date and start time, then adjust a duration slider to set the rental length |
| Multi-day rentals | Select a date range using a start and end date picker |
| Tours | Select a departure session from a grid of available times, choose price tiers and quantities |
| Moorage/Slips | Slip booking with date range selection |
| Bundles | Pre-configured packages that combine multiple inventory items with bundled pricing |
Tour bookings
For tour products, the booking widget displays a departure grid showing available sessions with:
- Departure time and end time
- Available spots remaining
- Price tiers (Adult, Child, etc.) with per-tier pricing
- Private vs. open booking modes (dual cards shown for dual-mode products)
- Availability status indicators (available, call to book, waitlist)
Configuration
Branding
Customize the look and feel to match your brand:
- Colors -- primary and accent colors applied throughout the widget
- Logo -- displayed in the widget header
- Custom CSS -- inject additional styles via the Custom Code Block integration
- Custom JS -- add tracking scripts or behavioral customizations via the Custom Code Block integration
Analytics
Connect your analytics and advertising platforms via the App Store:
- Google Tag Manager / GA4 -- per-location GTM container ID or GA4 measurement ID
- Meta Conversion API -- server-side Facebook/Instagram conversion tracking
- TikTok Pixel -- TikTok conversion tracking
Features
Enable or disable capabilities:
- Multi-location -- location picker for businesses with multiple sites
- Gift cards -- allow gift card purchases through the widget
- Memberships -- display membership options and apply member pricing
- Custom HTML -- inject custom content blocks into the booking flow
- Reviews display -- show Google and TripAdvisor review ratings and counts
Embedding
Embed the widget on your website using an iframe:
Alternatively, install the WordPress Plugin from the App Store for native WordPress integration with shortcode support.
Cart and cart recovery
The cart persists items as customers browse. When a customer adds items but does not complete checkout:
- The cart is automatically saved for recovery
- A recovery URL is generated that can be included in follow-up emails
- Staff can send private booking links that pre-populate the cart
Test your booking widget regularly by going through the full flow as a customer. Use high-quality photos -- they are the first thing customers see. Availability in the widget respects all overrides, blocked dates, and operating hours. Brand colors are configured in your Location Settings. Set up Google Tags to track your booking funnel and conversion rates.
No availability showing -- Check that your inventory has published availability, operating hours are set, and no date blocks are preventing bookings. Verify your operating season dates.
Page looks broken -- Custom CSS can cause layout issues. Disable custom CSS temporarily via the Custom Code Block integration to isolate the problem. Clear your browser cache.
Wrong prices displayed -- Verify your pricing settings and check for active promotions, seasonal pricing, or membership discounts that may be modifying the displayed rate.
Cannot select certain dates -- The date may be blocked, fully booked, or outside your operating season. Check your availability settings and any date overrides.
Widget not loading in iframe -- Make sure your website's Content Security Policy (CSP) allows framing from the RentalTide domain. Check the browser console for CSP errors.
Tour departures not showing -- Verify that tour sessions have been generated for the selected date and that the sessions are not marked as call-to-book or unavailable.