LaMarie Bookly-Square Real-Time Availability Sync
Overview
La Marie Beauty operates two parallel booking channels: the LMB website (via Bookly/WooCommerce) and the Square app used directly by staff. Without synchronization, a booking made in Square would not immediately reflect in Bookly, creating a window where a second customer could book the same slot — resulting in a double-booking.
The confirmed solution is a real-time, bidirectional sync between Bookly and Square via the Square API, with no polling delay.
The Double-Booking Risk
| Channel | Actor | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| LMB website (Bookly) | Customer self-booking | Sees stale availability if Square was updated first |
| Square app | Staff or walk-in booking | Does not update Bookly until sync fires |
Without instant sync, any lag between a Square booking and a Bookly availability update creates an exploitable window. A five-minute polling interval, for example, would allow multiple customers to book the same slot.
Confirmed Implementation
Bookly syncs with Square instantly via the Square API. There is no delay between a booking event on either platform and the availability update visible on the other.
Key properties of the sync:
- Bidirectional: A booking made in Square updates Bookly availability; a booking made through Bookly updates Square.
- Real-time: No polling interval — the sync fires on booking events, not on a timer.
- Admin calendar propagation: If availability is manually adjusted in the Square admin dashboard, that change is reflected in Bookly as well.
Edge Case: Simultaneous Booking Attempts
The near-impossible but theoretically possible scenario — two customers attempting to book the exact same slot at the exact same millisecond — is handled by Square's backend. Square will process one request and return an error on the second. Bookly will surface that error, and the second customer will need to select a different time.
This is an acceptable outcome. No additional application-level locking is required.
Technical Notes
- The sync is implemented using the Square Appointments API, which Isahaque Mahmud (developer, Asymmetric) confirmed is capable of real-time event-driven updates.
- The Square API key is created and managed by the developer; no action is required from the La Marie Beauty team to provision it.
- Zapier has been fully removed from the integration stack. All Bookly↔Square communication goes through direct API calls.
Related Decisions
- [1] — Client overview
- [2] — Custom PHP payment flow using Square APIs for card tokenization
- [3] — Custom JavaScript on service pages creating a developer-only content update bottleneck
Source
Confirmed during the La Marie Beauty Booking & Payment System Technical Review call (2026-04-05) between Kimberly Gehrmann (LMB consultant), Isahaque Mahmud (Asymmetric developer), and Melissa Cusumano (Asymmetric PM). See transcript timestamps ~00:08:39–00:12:53.