Title: DEBUT Bookings for Checkfront
Author: debutstudio
Published: <strong>9 Oktober 2026</strong>
Last modified: 13 Oktober 2026

---

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# DEBUT Bookings for Checkfront

 Oleh [debutstudio](https://profiles.wordpress.org/debutstudio/)

[Download](https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/debut-bookings.1.7.1.zip)

 * [Details](https://ms.wordpress.org/plugins/debut-bookings/#description)
 * [Reviews](https://ms.wordpress.org/plugins/debut-bookings/#reviews)
 *  [Pemasangan](https://ms.wordpress.org/plugins/debut-bookings/#installation)
 * [Pembangunan](https://ms.wordpress.org/plugins/debut-bookings/#developers)

 [Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/debut-bookings/)

## Description

DEBUT Bookings puts your Checkfront inventory on your own pages instead of in an
embedded widget. Visitors search by what, when and how many, or browse a calendar
of what’s on, then choose a session, all in your site’s fonts, colours and layout.
When they click Book now, they go straight to that item and date on your Checkfront
booking page to pay, so your payments, deposits, emails and reports keep working
exactly as they do now.

#### What it does

 * **A search page.** A What / When / Who bar, then every activity with space as
   cards or a list, each with its dates and times.
 * **A calendar of what’s on.** One month at a time, with a dot on every date that
   has availability, beside the sessions for the selected date. It stops at the 
   last month you’re taking bookings for.
 * **Activity pages too.** A “Check availability” card for each activity’s own page:
   pick a month and a session, then book. Every date shows its day of the week.
 * **Guided setup.** Connect, choose categories, pick a look and create your bookings
   and What’s on pages in a few minutes.
 * **Live availability and prices** from your Checkfront account, with spaces left
   on every session (“2 spaces left” when it’s nearly full).
 * **Cards or list.** Cards show one card per activity with its times inside; list
   shows a timetable, one row per session.
 * **Morning, afternoon and evening filter** on busy days.
 * **Category filter** across the top, using your Checkfront categories. Hide the
   ones you don’t want shown anywhere (add-ons, gift vouchers) on the Categories
   screen.
 * **Items bookable on request** (no fixed sessions) shown separately for the date.
 * **Book now** goes straight to the item and date on your Checkfront booking page.
 * **Looks like your site.** Fonts and text colours come from your theme. Pick an
   accent colour, corner style and card style, or go further with CSS custom properties.
 * **Fast.** Responses are cached, the next few dates are loaded in the background,
   and pages work without JavaScript.
 * **Blocks and shortcodes** for the block editor, classic editor and page builders.

#### Built for developers

Every template can be overridden from your theme, and everything the plugin shows
is available in PHP:

    ```
    $item = debut_bookings_get_item( 435 );
    echo $item->name;              // White Water Tubing
    echo $item->formatted_price(); // £64.99

    foreach ( $item->sessions( '2026-11-14' ) as $session ) {
        echo $session->time();     // 09:30 – 12:00
        echo $session->spaces;     // 10
    }
    ```

Also: `debut_bookings_get_items()`, `debut_bookings_get_sessions()`, `debut_bookings_next_available()`,`
debut_bookings_get_categories()`, template hooks around every card, row and time
slot, and filters on the data. See the FAQ.

DEBUT Bookings is an independent plugin by DEBUT Studio. It is not made, endorsed
or supported by Checkfront.

#### Need more?

DEBUT Studio builds custom Checkfront booking journeys on WordPress, and can set
the plugin up and style it for you. [debut.studio](https://debut.studio/)

### External services

This plugin uses Checkfront, the booking system you connect it to. It only works
with a Checkfront account, and only connects to the account you enter in the settings.

**From your website’s server to the Checkfront API**

 * **What is sent:** your Checkfront API key and secret (to authenticate), and the
   item IDs, category IDs and dates being looked up. The list of categories and 
   items customers can book online is fetched without your key, as a customer would
   see it. Nothing about your site’s visitors is sent this way.
 * **When:** when a page showing plugin content is viewed or a visitor picks a date
   or category, and the answer isn’t already cached; and when you connect, test 
   the connection or open the Categories screen in the settings.
 * **Where:** `https://{your-account}.checkfront.com/api/3.0/` (or `.checkfront.
   co.uk`).

**From your visitors’ browsers to Checkfront**

 * **Images:** activity images are the ones you uploaded to Checkfront and load 
   directly from Checkfront’s servers, so a visitor’s browser shares its IP address
   and browser details with Checkfront when it shows them. Turn images off with `
   show_image="0"` if you’d rather not.
 * **Book now:** clicking Book now takes the visitor to your Checkfront booking 
   page, where Checkfront’s own terms apply.

**With Pro: meeting point maps**

 * If you turn on **Booking  Meeting point**, the review step of a booking shows
   a map of the coordinates in the item’s chosen Checkfront field, embedded from
   OpenStreetMap (`https://www.openstreetmap.org/`) or Google Maps (`https://maps.
   google.com/`) as you choose. The visitor’s browser loads the map from that service,
   sharing its IP address and browser details with it. Three-word addresses link
   to what3words (`https://what3words.com/`) and load nothing until clicked. Off
   by default.
 * OpenStreetMap: [Privacy Policy](https://osmfoundation.org/wiki/Privacy_Policy).
   Google: [Privacy Policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy).

Checkfront is provided by Checkfront Bookings Inc.: [Terms of Service](https://www.checkfront.com/terms/),
[Privacy Policy](https://www.checkfront.com/terms/privacy/).

## Screenshots

[⌊The calendar and sessions, cards layout.⌉⌊The calendar and sessions, cards layout
.⌉[

The calendar and sessions, cards layout.

[⌊List layout, with the morning, afternoon and evening filter.⌉⌊List layout, with
the morning, afternoon and evening filter.⌉[

List layout, with the morning, afternoon and evening filter.

[⌊On a phone.⌉⌊On a phone.⌉[

On a phone.

[⌊Settings: connecting to Checkfront.⌉⌊Settings: connecting to Checkfront.⌉[

Settings: connecting to Checkfront.

[⌊Appearance: accent colour, corners, cards and layout.⌉⌊Appearance: accent colour,
corners, cards and layout.⌉[

Appearance: accent colour, corners, cards and layout.

[[

## Blocks

This plugin provides 2 blocks.

 *   Item availability Upcoming sessions for one item, with Book now links for each
   date. For activity pages.
 *   Bookings page Your activities and their availability: a What / When / Who search,
   or a calendar planner, with Book now links to your booking system.

## Installation

 1. Install and activate the plugin, then go to **DEBUT Bookings**. The setup steps
    open automatically.
 2. **Connect:** 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. **Categories:** untick anything customers shouldn’t browse, such as add-ons or 
    gift vouchers.
 4. **Look:** pick an accent colour and a layout.
 5. **Pages:** 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"]`.

## FAQ

### 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**: an accent colour (with preset swatches), corners, card style,
layout and which parts of the cards to show, with a live preview in your own theme.
Developers can override any of the `--dbk-*` CSS custom properties listed there.

### 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.

### 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.

## Reviews

There are no reviews for this plugin.

## Contributors & Developers

“DEBUT Bookings for Checkfront” adalah perisian sumber terbuka. Orang-orang berikut
telah menyumbang kepada pemalam ini.

Penyumbang

 *   [ debutstudio ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/debutstudio/)

[Translate “DEBUT Bookings for Checkfront” into your language.](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/debut-bookings)

### Berminat dalam pembangunan?

[Layari kod](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/debut-bookings/), periksa
[repositori SVN](https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/debut-bookings/), atau langgani
[log pembangunan](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/debut-bookings/) dengan
[RSS](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/debut-bookings/?limit=100&mode=stop_on_copy&format=rss).

## Changelog

#### 1.7.1

 * Fixed: activating Pro while the free version is active no longer stops with an
   error, and the free version switches off as it should.
 * Fixed: deleting the free version after moving to Pro (or the other way round)
   keeps your settings.
 * The upgrade screen shows yearly prices in pounds and the DEBUT icon.

#### 1.7.0

 * New (Pro): add-on items. Offer other Checkfront items, like a photo pack or a
   video, as extras on chosen activities, booked in the same booking (Booking  Extras).
 * New (Pro): a deposit per person, as well as a percentage of the total (Booking
   Payment).
 * New: Cards across under Appearance, to show at most 3, 4 or 5 cards in a row.
 * New: Text on buttons under Appearance. Automatic now keeps white text on most
   brand colours.
 * New: sort=”name” and group=”0″ on the booking card, for one A to Z list of activities.
 * New: debut_bookings_card_empty filter, for a “no dates” message per activity.
 * Improved: themes can change the font, but no longer the size, case or spacing
   of the plugin’s headings and text.
 * Improved: chosen options and active fields share one accent edge, and tick boxes
   are drawn in the accent colour.
 * Improved: tick box lists in the details form sit in a compact grid, and guests
   and extras show as simple rows.
 * Improved: on phones, a “Book now” link to the booking card opens it, filters 
   open properly, the search sheet no longer leaves an empty box, and “Continue 
   to payment” stays on one line.
 * Improved: the booking page calendar has proper arrows.
 * Fixed: the settings screens pick up updated scripts straight after an update.

#### 1.6.1

 * Fixed: no extra gaps between days in the search list on themes that pad sections.

#### 1.6.0

 * New: a search page. A What / When / Who bar, then every activity with space as
   cards or a list. Cards show how many dates there are and never pick a date for
   the visitor.
 * New: three simple shortcodes: [debut_bookings], [debut_bookings_whats_on] and[
   debut_bookings_activity]. id takes one activity or several. The old shortcodes
   still work.
 * New (Pro): a booking page with the steps on the left and a summary on the right,
   opened from any Book now.
 * New (Pro): stays. Arrive and leave dates on a two-month calendar, with the nights
   and price for the whole stay.
 * New (Pro): Due today in the summary when a deposit applies, set under Booking
   Payment to match Checkfront.
 * New (Pro): filters, flexible dates and group size on the search page, with a 
   message for groups bigger than you take online.
 * Improved: the booking card shows the day of the week, months in date order, and
   matches the booking page’s fields and ticks.
 * Improved: plainer settings. The Checkfront connection lives in Setup, Settings
   is now General, and Booking is split into smaller pages.
 * Improved: the Appearance preview always uses demo activities, so it loads quickly
   on any account.
 * Improved: one field and button size across every step, and cards stay white with
   Match my theme.

#### 1.5.1

 * Updated Freemius SDK to the latest version.

#### 1.5.0

 * New: Help page with every shortcode, examples and copy buttons, plus your own
   activity and category IDs.
 * New: setup finds or creates your Bookings and What’s on pages, opens on first
   activation and ends with a checklist.
 * New: Appearance has a live preview in your theme, preset accent colours, and 
   show or hide images, prices and spaces left.
 * New: Google Analytics 4 events (view_item_list, view_item, select_item, begin_checkout)
   for Tag Manager or gtag.
 * New (Pro): meeting point map or what3words link on the review step, from the 
   item’s Details or Summary.
 * New (Pro): add_payment_info event when a booking goes to Checkfront to pay.
 * New (Pro): guests chosen per cabin, and the review lists each cabin with who’s
   in it.
 * Improved: the booking card shows the same steps, wording, months and badges as
   the Endless widget.
 * Improved: availability for a month loads several days at once, so cold loads 
   are about 3x faster.
 * Improved: accent text darkens automatically when the accent is too pale to read.
 * Fixed: demo totals include extras.

#### 1.4.0

 * New: booking card. [debut_bookings_card] lets people switch activity, pick a 
   month and session, and book, with a phone bar (sticky=”1″).
 * New (Pro): the booking steps carry on inside the card, and it can ask for the
   group size first.
 * Improved (Pro): the booking popup matches the card’s look.

#### 1.3.0

 * New (Pro): More info on extras, with a description and image for each, edited
   under DEBUT Bookings  Extras.
 * Improved (Pro): extras follow Checkfront’s maximum, or one per person.
 * Improved: the What’s on filter is called Activities, and can be renamed with 
   filter_label.
 * Improved: listed prices leave out paid extras.

#### 1.2.7

 * Improved: calendar month arrows are SVG icons.

#### 1.2.6

 * Changed: What’s on dates use plain divs, so theme section styles don’t apply.

#### 1.2.5

 * Fixed: What’s on lists every session on live Checkfront accounts.

#### 1.2.4

 * Fixed: What’s on lists every activity’s sessions on live Checkfront accounts.

#### 1.2.3

 * Fixed: scripts no longer clash with other scripts on the page (filters and Show
   more not working on some themes).

#### 1.2.2

 * Fixed: What’s on rows lay out properly at desktop width.

#### 1.2.1

 * Fixed: What’s on rows lay out properly at desktop width.

#### 1.2.0

 * New: What’s on list. [debut_bookings_upcoming] shows every session over the next
   few months, grouped by date, with category filters and Show more.
 * Improved: booking spaces update live as people are added, and the spaces count
   is never served from a cache.

#### 1.1.0

 * New: What’s on list. [debut_bookings_upcoming] shows every session over the next
   few months, grouped by date, with category filters and Show more.
 * New: demo data. Try the plugin, style your theme or take screenshots with a made-
   up outdoor centre before connecting Checkfront (Advanced tab, or the link on 
   the Setup screen).
 * New: multi-day items booked as one span (a 2-day course) show “2 days” and the
   full price, and only their start days are offered.
 * New: Book now opens Checkfront’s booking popup on the chosen date.
 * Improved: time slots are shown as labels; Book now is the one link on each card.
 * Improved: live re-checks of nearly full sessions are limited to one every 30 
   seconds.
 * New: optional, opt-in connection to Freemius for updates and the Pro upgrade.
 * Developers: debut_bookings_admin_tabs filter for add-on settings tabs; debut_bookings_slot_url
   filter for time slot links.

#### 1.0.0

 * First release.

## Meta

 *  Version **1.7.1**
 *  Last updated **6 jam lalu**
 *  Active installations **Kurang dari 10**
 *  WordPress version ** 6.3 or higher **
 *  Tested up to **7.1.3**
 *  PHP version ** 8.0 or higher **
 *  Language
 * [English (US)](https://wordpress.org/plugins/debut-bookings/)
 * Tags
 * [availability](https://ms.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/availability/)[booking](https://ms.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/booking/)
   [calendar](https://ms.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/calendar/)[Tours](https://ms.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/tours/)
 *  [Paparan Lanjutan](https://ms.wordpress.org/plugins/debut-bookings/advanced/)

## Ratings

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## Penyumbang

 *   [ debutstudio ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/debutstudio/)

## Support

Got something to say? Need help?

 [View support forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/debut-bookings/)