Gracely has two tools that both involve people signing up for a time — Appointments and Events. They solve different problems. Here's how to pick the right one.
Use Appointments when…
You want people to book a personal time slot with you or a team member. Each booking is its own short session at a time the person chooses from your availability.
Good fits:
Pastoral counseling or prayer meetings
One-on-one check-ins
Pre-marital or follow-up sessions
Office hours with a staff member
How it works: you create an appointment type, set your available days, times, and session length, and share the public link. People pick an open slot and book themselves. You manage who's booked in the Bookings tab. (See How to Set Up and Manage Bookings.)
Use Events when…
You're running a gathering that many people attend at the same time and you want registration, attendance tracking, or check-in.
Good fits:
Sunday services and special services
Conferences, retreats, and workshops
Kids/youth programs with child check-in
Paid or ticketed gatherings
How it works: you create an event with a date, location, and optional registration. People register, and on the day you track attendance and check people in from the event's Attendees tab. Events also support secure child check-in (printed Child + Guardian labels with a pickup code) on supported plans, paid ticketing, and volunteer assignment.
Quick comparison
Appointments | Events | |
Best for | One person booking a personal time slot | Many people attending one gathering |
Who picks the time | The person, from your available slots | You set the date and time |
Sign-up | Public booking link per appointment type | Event registration page |
On the day | View bookings in the Bookings tab | Track attendance / check-in in the Attendees tab |
Extras | Embeddable booking form, open/close bookings | Child check-in, paid tickets, volunteers, headcount |
💡 Tip: Need a recurring weekly gathering people just show up to? That's an Event. Need someone to grab 30 minutes with a pastor? That's an Appointment.
Still need help? Start a chat with us.