Question 1

How is Petboost different from recurring appointments for courses?

Accepted Answer

Generic booking systems try to manage courses as 'recurring appointments', but that doesn't give you enrolment tracking, capacity per course, attendance records, or lifecycle management. Petboost has native course concepts built in: templates define the structure, instances are scheduled courses with real dates, enrolments track which pets are registered, lessons auto-schedule based on recurrence, and attendance marks who showed up. No spreadsheet workarounds required.

Question 2

What is a course template?

Accepted Answer

A course template defines the structure of a program: lesson count, duration per lesson, frequency, and capacity. For example, "6-Week Puppy Basics" might have 6 weekly 90-minute lessons with a max of 12 puppies. Create the template once, then publish unlimited instances with specific start dates. Templates are your reusable blueprints.

Question 3

What is a course instance?

Accepted Answer

A course instance is a template with real dates. When you "publish" a template, you create an instance like "Friday Mornings starting May 31." All lessons auto-schedule based on the template's recurrence pattern. Customers enrol in instances, not templates. You might run multiple instances of the same template (e.g., Monday Puppy School and Saturday Puppy School).

Question 4

How do enrolments work?

Accepted Answer

Customers enrol in a course instance through your booking portal. They pay for the full course upfront (not per lesson). You see enrolment count vs. capacity (e.g., 8/12 enrolled). When a course fills up, customers can join a waitlist and receive automatic notification if spots open. Enrolment links the pet to all lessons in the course.

Question 5

How do I track capacity per course?

Accepted Answer

Each course template has a capacity limit (e.g., max 12 puppies). When publishing an instance, you can adjust capacity if needed. The system tracks enrolled pets vs. capacity in real-time. You'll see '8/12 enrolled' at a glance. Magic Schedule respects capacity limits, so customers can't book into full courses.

Question 6

How does waitlist management work?

Accepted Answer

When a course reaches capacity, customers can join a waitlist. If a spot opens (someone cancels or you increase capacity), waitlisted customers receive automatic notification with a link to complete their enrolment. First on the waitlist gets first notification. You can also manually move customers from waitlist to enrolled.

Question 7

Can I track attendance per lesson?

Accepted Answer

Yes! For each lesson, mark which enrolled pets attended. This gives you completion rates per pet, helps identify students at risk of dropping out (multiple missed sessions), and provides documentation for certification programs. Attendance tracking is essential for puppy schools issuing graduation certificates.

Question 8

How do course lifecycles work?

Accepted Answer

Courses progress through states: Upcoming (not started, open for enrolments), In Progress (lessons occurring, limited modifications), and Completed (all lessons done, historical record). This gives clear visibility into your course pipeline. Upcoming courses allow full editing; In Progress courses have restricted changes to protect enrolled customers.

Question 9

Can I run multiple courses simultaneously?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. Run beginner, intermediate, and advanced courses at the same time. Each has independent enrolment, capacity, and attendance tracking. You might have Monday Puppy School, Wednesday Obedience, and Saturday Agility, all running concurrently with different instructors and locations.

Question 10

How do customers enrol and pay for courses?

Accepted Answer

Customers browse available courses on your booking portal, select a course instance, and pay the full course fee upfront. Payment is processed through Stripe like any other Petboost transaction. After payment, they are enrolled in all lessons automatically. No per-lesson payment complexity.

Question 11

Can I offer make-up sessions for missed lessons?

Accepted Answer

Petboost tracks attendance but doesn't automatically schedule make-up sessions. For missed lessons, you can: (1) invite the pet to attend the same lesson in a different course instance, (2) offer a private catch-up session (booked as a regular appointment), or (3) provide homework/video resources. The approach depends on your business policy.

Question 12

How do I assign instructors and locations to courses?

Accepted Answer

When publishing a course instance, assign an instructor from your team members and a location from your resources. The system checks availability during course creation. You can have different instructors for different instances of the same template (e.g., Sarah teaches Monday, James teaches Saturday).

Question 13

What types of training programs work well with Petboost courses?

Accepted Answer

Petboost courses are perfect for: Puppy School (6-8 week programs), Group Obedience (beginner to advanced levels), Specialty Programs (agility, scent work, therapy dog prep), Life Skills Classes (recall, loose lead walking), and Socialisation Sessions (regular group meetups). Any structured, multi-session program with group enrolment benefits from native course management.

Courses & Group Training