Bookly Widget Customization Scope & Limits

wiki/knowledge/wordpress/bookly-widget-customization.md · 419 words · 2026-04-05

The Bookly booking widget ships with a generic UI that often clashes with custom-designed WordPress sites. Customization is possible but operates within hard limits imposed by the plugin.

What You Can Customize

Icons — existing icons can be replaced with custom alternatives
Data fields — fields can be removed or hidden (e.g., suppressing a duplicate staff name that appears in both the tile and the modal)
Button styling — button shape, color, and layout can be restyled via CSS to match the site's design language
Layout / sidebar position — elements like the sidebar can be repositioned (e.g., moved from left to top)
Form fields in the booking modal — the detail-entry form can be restyled

What You Cannot Do

Add new UI elements — new buttons, custom action links, or additional interactive controls cannot be injected into the widget
Extend Bookly's functionality — the customization surface is limited to restyling and hiding existing elements, not augmenting behavior

Practical Implications

Out of the box, Bookly's widget feels "plug and play" — block-style buttons, generic tile cards, and a modal that does not match a bespoke design system. If the rest of the site uses refined interactions (e.g., edge-transition hover effects on buttons), the Bookly widget will require deliberate CSS work to feel cohesive.

The customization ceiling means that any desired UX pattern must be achievable through restyling existing elements. If a design calls for a control that Bookly does not natively render, it cannot be added.

Workflow Note: Design Approval Before CSS Work

CSS customization of the Bookly widget should not begin until the final design has been approved by the relevant stakeholder. Iterating on CSS against an unapproved design wastes effort and risks rework.

A recommended approach before the design review:
1. Record a Loom walkthrough of the full Bookly booking flow (all steps, desktop and mobile)
2. Share the Loom with the design approver so feedback is grounded in the actual widget behavior, not mockups

Evidence

Confirmed during a technical implementation review for ^[1]. Developer Isahaque Mahmud (Asymmetric) clarified the customization boundaries directly; Kimberly Gehrmann noted the aesthetic mismatch between the site's minimalist design and Bookly's default UI. Design approval from Lisa (LMB) was identified as a blocker before proceeding with CSS work.