Keep your bookings up to date

Use the method that fits your business. You can combine several booking tools, as long as every booking and unavailable period is included.

Enter a bookingAdd bookings, cancellations and maintenance directly in TownSays.Add an update →Upload a spreadsheetImport a CSV or TSV file and review the changes before they apply.Import a file →Connect GoogleRead rental records from Google Sheets or Calendar.Choose booking records →Booqable or RentmanBring your existing equipment catalogue into TownSays.Connect rental software →

Email, WhatsApp and AI assistants

Email and WhatsApp updates require assisted setup. Until connected, enter these bookings in TownSays or include them in your connected records. Ask about your booking process.

Connect ChatGPT or Claude to read your business information and help with private setup. These assistants cannot change bookings or turn on customer sharing. Manage permissions in Account → Assistant connections.

Signing in with Google or ChatGPT only opens your TownSays account. It does not connect booking records or give an assistant permission to use them.

Connect your rental software

Connect your account. In Connections, choose Booqable or Rentman and enter an API key in the secure form. Never share the key in an assistant conversation.
Choose equipment and pickup locations. Import only items managed by that platform. Avoid listing the same stock again through a manual or Google connection.
Review your equipment. Check the selected equipment and customer preview. Connections shows whether customer sharing is enabled. Your rental records remain in your original software.

Booqable: exact dates and quantities

TownSays asks Booqable for available stock for each requested rental period and pickup location. Buffer times are handled by Booqable. A check does not hold stock or create a booking. API access requires a supported plan; see Booqable’s API key instructions.

Rentman: catalogue import

Rentman equipment can be imported for customers to discover. Exact date availability is not confirmed by this connection yet; customers are directed to your business to confirm. Services, sales items and packages are not imported.

Find API access in Rentman’s Extensions settings. Creating a new token may invalidate an existing token used elsewhere. See Rentman’s API instructions.

Update, pause or disconnect

Reload the catalogue after changing your product names or locations. Reloading makes the selection private until you review and share it again. Pause stops date checks. Disconnect removes the API key from TownSays. Deleting the TownSays copy removes the imported catalogue, while your original rentals remain unchanged.

Google setup

Using Google Sheets

Choose your spreadsheet and tab. Each row needs one equipment item, a start date and an end date.
Match your column headings. You can keep your own headings. Match each item to the name or code your staff use, such as PC-01 for the plate compactor.
Check the date settings. Choose your date format and whether the last day is booked or available.

Does my spreadsheet need changes?

Written dates and a separate row for each item are required. Colour alone, merged calendar cells or a quantity such as "three compactors" cannot identify which equipment is booked.

TownSays reads hidden and filtered rows too. Make sure those bookings are still accurate.

How do cancellations and maintenance work?

If you use a status column, match your words to booked or cancelled. If you track maintenance or late returns, match those words too.

Leave these optional columns blank in TownSays only if every row is a current rental booking.

Using Google Calendar

Choose the calendar your team uses for rentals, then tell TownSays which equipment it covers.

One item per calendar: select the item and choose "One item, used for every booking". Events block that item for their dates.
Several items per calendar: put equipment codes in square brackets in event titles. "Rental [PC-01] [MD-01]" books both items.

All-day events, time zones and events marked Free

All-day bookings cover the days shown in Google Calendar. Timed bookings use the calendar's time zone.

You choose whether events marked "Free" keep equipment available or count as bookings. TownSays asks you to fix events it cannot match to equipment.

Review before sharing

Add your equipment. Set up your items and booking link in Equipment.
Preview availability. Compare the equipment and dates with Google. Include maintenance and any other unavailable periods recorded elsewhere.
Share when everything matches. Choose "Share availability". TownSays checks Google again before confirming dates to customers.

Customers see equipment availability and how to book with you. Customer names and event titles stay private. Checking availability does not reserve equipment.

Open connections

Keep bookings current

Add phone, email and walk-in bookings to Google when you confirm them. Record cancellations and changed dates there too.

TownSays can only account for bookings your team has recorded.

How often does TownSays check?

When checks are running, TownSays reads Google about once a minute. Larger booking lists can take longer.

After five minutes without a successful check, TownSays stops confirming availability. Connections shows the last check and anything that needs your attention.

When something needs attention

Check that every booking has an item, a start date and an end date.
Make sure equipment codes match. Calendar titles need square brackets around the codes.
In Sheets, fix formula errors or repeated column headings. Each booking reference must be unique.
If you renamed a column, update it under "Change equipment or booking settings".

Then choose "Check again". Previous bookings keep equipment unavailable until TownSays can confirm the changes. If many bookings disappear together, you must review them before those dates become available.

Google access expired or checks are paused

Choose "Reconnect" to sign in again if Google access expired. For paused checks or an error that keeps returning, email hello@townsays.com.

Your records and access

Your original Google records stay unchanged when you disconnect or delete the TownSays copy.

Disconnect bookings or a Google account

Disconnect bookings stops sharing availability from those records.

Disconnect account removes the Google connection and asks Google to remove TownSays access. Other TownSays connections using that Google account may need to sign in again.

Download or delete the TownSays copy

Download booking records saves a copy of the bookings TownSays read.

Delete TownSays copy removes those records from TownSays. See our privacy and data use policy for retention details.