The owner of a salon, studio or workshop wants clients to book appointments directly from the Google Business Profile — without searching for a website, without calling, without leaving a message in a messenger. Google allows you to add a booking button to the business profile, but here's the question: your own link to the booking system or a ready-made provider integrated with Google? And then there are buttons in the profile from companies the owner never signed a contract with — where do they come from and can they be removed.
On this page you'll find a detailed comparison of both approaches, learn how automatic links work in the profile and how to configure the booking button that actually leads to your system.
Two ways to add booking to your Business Profile
Google offers two paths for adding a booking button to the business profile. The first is your own link — the address of the booking system page you already run or plan to launch. The second is an integrated provider through Reserve with Google — an external platform that appears in the profile as a ready-made appointment booking option. Both paths work differently and produce different results, so it's worth comparing them before making a decision.
Your own link to the booking system
If you already run your own booking system — on your website, in a CRM or in a dedicated application — you can add this link directly to your Business Profile. Then the client who clicks the button in Google Maps lands exactly where you run your business: on your page with the calendar, in your customer service system, with your cancellation policies and reminders that you configure yourself. You maintain full control over the process appearance, over customer data and over what the appointment confirmation looks like.
Integrated provider (Reserve with Google)
The second solution is connecting through one of Google's partners — booking system providers who have been integrated with the platform. In this case, the client sees in the profile a button leading to the provider's system, and the provider typically appears in the profile within a week of activation. Google clearly states in the documentation that when using an external provider, «your customers also get reminders about their appointments» and that «your provider might charge you» — you need to check this with the specific partner before signing a contract. More details in Google Help: Set up bookings through a provider.
Comparison table: own link vs provider
| Aspect | Own link | Provider (Reserve with Google) |
|---|---|---|
| Customer reminders | depend on your system | provider may send automatically |
| Fees | no additional Google fees | provider may charge |
| Customer data control | full — everything in your system | data with the provider, depending on contract |
| Time to appear in profile | immediately after saving the link | up to a week |
| Technical requirements | working link to booking page | signing contract with provider |
Own link: up to 10 links per category and preferred link
Google's documentation on managing links in the business profile clearly specifies that you can add links for appointment booking, reservations and orders to the profile — up to 10 links per category. This means if you run a beauty studio, you can add separate links for different services: manicure, pedicure, facial treatments — each leading to a different page in your system. More details in Google Help: Manage your local business links.
Google also allows you to designate one link as «preferred by the company». This link receives prominent placement in the profile — it's displayed as the main booking button, and the others appear as expand options. This is important if you want to direct traffic primarily to a specific service or to the general booking calendar.
Where do foreign buttons in the profile come from
It happens that booking buttons from companies the owner never signed a contract with appear in the business profile. Google documentation explains this directly: «links to certain services can automatically appear — external partners or Google's automatic data provide and update them». This means if you use an external booking system, and that system is a Google partner, its link may appear in your profile without your active consent.
To check and manage these links, go to the Business Profile panel, go to the «Bookings» section and review all active links. You can remove links you don't want and mark as preferred those leading to your own system. If you see a button from a provider you don't work with, contact them directly or report the issue through Google support.
What to check before connecting a provider
Before connecting an external booking provider through Reserve with Google, it's worth asking them a few questions. First, what exact fees they charge: per booking, monthly, or perhaps a transaction commission. Second, where exactly customer data is stored and whether you have access to it at any time. Third, whether the provider offers SMS and email reminders, when they send them and whether you can customize their content. Fourth, what the customer outflow process looks like back to your system after the booking is completed.
Google's documentation states that the provider appears in the profile within a week of activation. If after this time you don't see them in your business profile, check whether the activation process was completed correctly or contact the provider's support.
Reminders and vague promises
Many booking system providers, including Microsoft Bookings, advertise their solutions with the statement that «email and SMS notifications reduce no-shows». However, you need to understand that this is the manufacturer's declaration, not independent scientific research. Microsoft describes Bookings as a tool where notifications «reduce no-shows» — but presents no numerical data from controlled studies to confirm this. Details in Microsoft documentation: Microsoft Bookings overview.
In practice, reminders can help, but their effectiveness depends on many factors: whether the client actually opens the messages, whether the no-show is due to forgetting or deliberate cancellation, and whether the system allows easy rescheduling. Before you conclude that reminders will solve the no-show problem, check it yourself on your own data — run bookings with and without reminders and compare the no-show rate over a month.
One place for all bookings
Regardless of whether clients book through Google Business Profile, call by phone or write in WhatsApp — all these bookings must go into one calendar. Otherwise, you risk double bookings: a client books through Google, you independently take a phone call and book the same time in your calendar. The result is an overfilled schedule, a nervous client who arrived for an appointment that doesn't exist, and wasted time.
Therefore, every booking channel should be connected to a common system. If you use your own link in Google, make sure your booking system collects entries from the website, from the contact form, from the phone handled by AI or reception, and from every messenger you use. Only then does the calendar know what's actually occupied, and the client receives confirmation with the exact time, not an empty promise.
Where these numbers come from:
The share is calculated from the websites that could be opened.
Learn more about hair salon automation — reservations, SMS and clients who return.
Phone vs online booking
A client who didn't book through the form on the website or through the button in Google will probably call. If you don't answer that call, you lose a potential appointment. Business owners often don't know exactly how much they lose on missed calls — however, a simple formula can calculate it: average value of one appointment times the percentage of calls that weren't answered times the percentage of those calls that would have resulted in a booking. More details are in the article «How much do missed calls cost in a company» — you'll find a formula you can substitute with your own numbers.
Also read about no-show in restaurants — the confirmation chain that protects your Friday night table.
If you see that a significant portion of your bookings comes from phone calls rather than online bookings, consider two parallel actions: improve the visibility of the booking button in Google and make sure missed calls are handled — for example by AI reception that answers when you're not in the office. Read about query handling automation — one queue instead of five inboxes.
Do it yourself: how to configure the booking button
If you want to configure booking in your Business Profile yourself, follow these steps. First, sign in to the Google account that manages your profile and find your profile in Google Search or Google Maps. Then select «Edit profile» and go to «Bookings». There you can add your own link to the booking system or connect to a provider through Reserve with Google.
After adding the link, check what your profile looks like in Google Search and Google Maps — make sure the button is visible and leads to the right place. If you're adding several links to different services, mark as preferred the one that leads to the main calendar or to the most popular service. Finally, review the list of all links in the bookings section and remove those leading to companies you don't work with.
Over the next month, compare booking sources: how many came through Google, how many through the website, how many through phone. Record this data in a table every week — this will let you evaluate which channel brings the most bookings and where it's worth investing in improvement.
Learn more about restaurant data in Google, on the website and on portals — who updates it.
What booking looks like when a system manages it
When you decide on a comprehensive booking management solution, the entire process looks like this: the client clicks the button in Google Business Profile and lands on your online calendar. They choose an available time themselves — no phone call, no waiting for confirmation. The system immediately records the booking and sends confirmation: by SMS, email or through WhatsApp, depending on your configuration. Before the appointment, the client receives an automatic reminder — a day and a few hours before the time. If the client doesn't show up, the system marks the no-show and you can analyze it in a report.
Importantly, all channels — booking from Google, phone recording, messenger message — go to one place. You have one calendar, one customer history, one report that shows the effectiveness of each channel. You don't have to guess where the client came from — the system sees it.
In Aura, we gather bookings from multiple channels: from the button in Google, through phone with AI, to messages in messengers. Every booking goes to one calendar with confirmations and reminders, so the same slot is never taken twice.
See how Booking Systems work — we launch online bookings with confirmations and reminders. If you want the button in Google to lead to your system rather than a random provider, we'll configure this as part of Google Business Profile. And if you care about automatic reminders that reduce no-shows, we'll launch Automatic messages — confirmations, reminders and thank-yous go out on their own. Also check CRM and automations and AI reception and telephony, and if you need messenger handling — Telegram / WhatsApp Integrations.
Frequently asked questions
Can I have both my own link and a provider in my Business Profile at the same time?
Yes, Google allows adding up to 10 links per category. You can have your own link as preferred and simultaneously see buttons from providers you work with. However, remember that foreign buttons can appear automatically — it's worth regularly checking the bookings section in the panel and removing unwanted links.
Is using Reserve with Google free?
The integration itself with Google is free, but the provider whose services you use may charge fees. These can be fees per booking, transaction commissions or a fixed monthly fee. Before connecting a provider, ask them exactly about the pricing and terms of cooperation.
How quickly does the booking button appear after adding a link?
Your own link appears immediately after saving it in the Business Profile panel. A provider integrated through Reserve with Google usually appears within a week of activation — it depends on the verification process on the provider's side.
Do I need a website to add a booking link?
You don't need a full website, but you need a working URL that the client lands on after clicking the button. This can be your booking system directly, a page with a calendar or a contact form. It's important that the link leads to a working page where the client can actually book an appointment.
What to do when I see a button from a company I don't work with in my profile?
Go to the Business Profile panel, go to the «Bookings» section and review all active links. Remove those leading to companies you don't have a contract with. If the link won't disappear, contact the provider whose button you see and ask to remove it from your profile — or report the issue through Google support.