Keap Appointment Scheduler: Features, Pricing, Alternatives

Looking for a clear guide to the Keap appointment scheduler? 

With Keap's built-in scheduling tool, you can automate meeting bookings, reduce no-shows, and connect your calendar for hassle-free appointment management. But is it right for your business?

In this article, we'll walk through everything you need to know about the Keap scheduler - from setup and features to pricing and better alternatives, like Zeeg, which also integrate with Keap in case you need it.

What is Keap appointment scheduler?

Keap's appointment scheduler is a built-in feature of the Keap CRM platform (formerly known as Infusionsoft) that allows businesses to automate their appointment booking process. The tool lets clients self-schedule meetings based on your availability, reducing the back-and-forth emails typically needed to find suitable meeting times. It won't be considered one of the best appointment scheduling apps out there, but it's definitely a useful resource if you're using Keap for other reasons.

The scheduler works by creating online booking pages that connect to your Google or Outlook calendar, automatically showing only times when you're available. When someone books a meeting, it's added directly to your calendar, and both you and your client receive confirmation emails. The system also sends automated reminders to reduce no-shows.

As part of Keap's all-in-one CRM solution, the appointment scheduler integrates directly with your contact management system, allowing you to track client interactions and trigger follow-up automation based on scheduled meetings.

👉 Read more: Keap vs Pipedrive

How to set up Keap appointment scheduler

Setting up Keap's appointment scheduler involves connecting your calendar and creating customized booking pages. Here's a step-by-step process:

Connecting your calendar

1. In your Keap account, click on your avatar and select Settings
2. Choose Integrations
3. Click Connect next to either Google Calendar or Outlook Calendar
4. Follow the prompts to give Keap permission to access your calendar
5. Once connected, click Set up to create your first appointment type

Note: Currently, only one Google or Outlook account can be connected per user per application. Internet Explorer and Edge browsers are not supported for clients scheduling appointments.

Creating a booking page

After connecting your calendar, you'll need to set up your booking page:

1. Enter a name for your appointment type (e.g., "Initial Consultation")
2. Choose the location type (online, phone, or in-person)
   
   • Online: Provide your own meeting link or let clients provide theirs
   • Phone: Choose whether you'll call the client or they'll call you
   • In-person: Set a fixed meeting location or let clients choose the location
3. Set meeting duration (15, 30, 45, 90 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, or custom)
4. Add buffer time between appointments (15, 30, or 45 minutes)
5. Specify minimum notice before appointments can be booked
6. Select your available days and times for each day of the week
7. Add pre-appointment instructions (optional)
8. Choose which calendars Keap should check for availability conflicts
9. Set up automation triggers (optional)
10. Preview your booking page and publish

Once published, you'll receive a unique booking link that you can share with clients, embed on your website, or include in automated email sequences.

Key features of Keap appointment scheduler

The Keap appointment scheduling tool offers several features designed to make booking and managing appointments easier:

Calendar integration

Keap synchronizes with Google Calendar and Outlook, allowing the scheduler to check your existing appointments across multiple calendars and only display truly available times to clients. When a new appointment is booked, it's automatically added to your selected calendar.

Important note: To avoid double-booking, make sure all your calendar appointments are marked as "Busy." Otherwise, customers can still schedule during that time frame.

Customizable booking pages

You can create multiple appointment types with different durations, buffer times, and availability. Each appointment type gets its own unique booking link, making it easy to offer different meeting options for various services or client segments.

After first connecting your calendar, Keap automatically creates two default appointment types: a 15-minute "Initial Consultation" and a 60-minute "Coaching Call." You can use, edit, or delete these as needed.

Location flexibility

Keap lets you set different meeting location types:

• Online: Provide your own meeting link or let clients provide theirs
• Phone: Choose whether you'll call the client or they'll call you
• In-person: Set a fixed meeting location or let clients choose

Automated reminders

Clients automatically receive appointment confirmations and reminders 24 hours and 1 hour before meetings. These notifications help reduce no-shows and can be customized using Keap's automation features.

Time zone intelligence

The booking page automatically detects a client's time zone and displays available appointment times accordingly. This feature is particularly valuable for businesses serving clients across different regions.

Contact management integration

When someone books an appointment through your Keap booking page, they're either added as a new contact in your CRM or their existing contact record is updated, eliminating duplicate data entry.

Appointment management

You can easily view, reschedule, or cancel appointments from the Appointments page. The calendar interface shows today's date circled, with the currently viewed date shown as a solid circle. Days with calendar events have a dot beneath them.

You can filter your calendar view to show all events (including those not created by Keap) or only Keap appointments.

Booking link sharing

You can send your booking link to clients via:

• Email directly from the Appointments page
• Text message (requires Keap Business Line)
• Embedding on your website
• Including in automated email sequences
• Adding to your social media profiles

Pros and cons of Keap appointment scheduler

✓ Seamless CRM integration: As a native feature of Keap, the appointment scheduler directly connects with your contact records and automation sequences.
✓ Automated reminders: The system automatically sends confirmation emails and reminders to reduce no-shows.
✓ Multiple appointment types: You can create different booking pages for various meeting types or service offerings.
✓ Time zone handling: The booking page displays available times in the client's local time zone, preventing scheduling confusion.
✓ Calendar sync: Two-way sync with Google and Outlook calendars prevents double-booking.
✓ Mobile access: Access appointments on the go with Keap's mobile app.
✓ My Day view: See all your upcoming appointments and tasks in one place.

✗ Limited customization: The booking page design options are somewhat basic compared to dedicated scheduling tools.
✗ Browser limitations: Internet Explorer and Edge browsers aren't supported for clients making bookings.
✗ No free-standing option: The scheduler is only available as part of the full Keap platform, making it costly if you only need scheduling functionality.
✗ Single calendar account: Only one Google or Outlook account can be connected per user.
✗ Learning curve: As part of the larger Keap platform, there's a steeper learning curve compared to standalone scheduling tools.
✗ No Apple Calendar integration: Unlike alternatives like Zeeg, Keap doesn't offer native integration with Apple Calendar.

Keap pricing and the cost of the appointment scheduler

Keap's appointment scheduler is included as a standard feature in their Pro and Max plans, but it's important to understand the overall pricing structure:

Keap's pricing starts at $249/month for 2 users and 1,500 contacts when paid annually ($2,988/year). The cost increases based on both user count and contact volume:

• 2 users with 2,500 contacts: $278/month ($3,334/year)
• 3 users with 2,500 contacts: $310/month ($3,718/year)
• 10 users with 11,500 contacts: $697/month ($8,364/year)
• 30 users with 26,500 contacts: $1,481/month ($17,772/year)

All plans include access to the appointment scheduler along with Keap's full suite of CRM, automation, and marketing tools. There are no separate plans for just using the scheduling feature.

Keap offers a 14-day free trial for new users to test the platform, including the appointment scheduler.

Zeeg: Stay with Keap, but improve your scheduling

If you're primarily looking for appointment scheduling functionality or seeking a more affordable option, Zeeg provides a powerful alternative that can integrate with your existing Keap system. Zeeg is a dedicated scheduling tool that offers advanced features at a fraction of Keap's cost. It provides comprehensive scheduling capabilities while integrating seamlessly with your existing CRM setup.

Zeeg's key features

• Smart routing: Qualify leads through custom intake forms that direct prospects to the appropriate team members.
• Full GDPR compliance: GDPR compliance with end-to-end encryption ensures your scheduling data meets privacy regulations.
• Team scheduling: Round-robin distribution ensures fair distribution of meetings among team members.
• Custom booking pages: Extensive branding options to match your company's visual identity.
• Calendar integration: Connects with Google Calendar, Outlook, and Apple Calendar.
• Payment processing: Accept payments at the time of booking.
• Buffer times: Set preparation time between appointments.
• Automated workflows: Customized notification sequences, like meeting reminders, follow-ups, etc.

Integrating Zeeg with Keap

Through Zapier, you can create seamless workflows between Zeeg and Keap. This integration allows you to enjoy Zeeg's advanced scheduling features while maintaining the benefits of your Keap CRM. Here's a few common integration workflows (but there are more):

1. New Zeeg appointments to Keap contacts: When someone books an appointment through Zeeg, automatically create or update their contact record in Keap.
2. Meeting notifications: Trigger Keap automations when appointments are scheduled, rescheduled, or canceled in Zeeg.
3. Lead qualification: Use Zeeg's routing forms to qualify leads, then pass that information to Keap for appropriate follow-up sequences.
4. Two-way synchronization: Keep appointment data consistent between both systems.

Setting up the integration is straightforward:

1. Connect your Zeeg and Keap accounts in Zapier
2. Choose a trigger event from Zeeg (e.g., "New Appointment Scheduled")
3. Select an action in Keap (e.g., "Create/Update Contact")
4. Configure the data mapping between the two systems
5. Test and activate your integration

Once set up, this integration allows you to leverage Zeeg's user-friendly scheduling interface while maintaining the robust CRM and automation capabilities of Keap.

Zeeg's pricing

Zeeg offers a tiered pricing structure to fit different business needs:

• Starter: Free forever. Ideal for solo users getting started with scheduling‍
• Professional: 10€/month/user (billed annually). Best for those needing more advanced scheduling features.‍
• Business: 16€/month/user (billed annually). For teams and power users requiring collaborative scheduling.‍
• Enterprise: Custom pricing. Larger companies needing the best security features and support

How to automate appointment scheduling and reminders in Keap

Beyond basic scheduling, Keap allows you to create sophisticated automation around your appointments. Here's how to set up effective appointment automation:

Creating appointment reminders

1. Access the Easy Automation builder from your Keap dashboard
2. Select the "Appointment scheduled" trigger
3. Add email or SMS reminders at your desired intervals (typically 24 hours and 1 hour before)
4. Customize reminder messages with appointment details and preparation instructions
5. Activate the automation

Building a consultation booking workflow

For a complete "Schedule a Free Consult" automation, prepare these assets:

1. Booking page: Set up your appointment scheduler with appropriate duration and availability
2. Pre-consult instructions: Create guidelines for what clients should prepare
3. Confirmation email: Customize the booking confirmation with important details
4. Confirmation text: Send a brief text confirmation if using Keap's Business Line
5. Day-before email: Remind clients of their upcoming appointment
6. Day-before text: Send a short text reminder
7. 2-hour reminder email: Send a reminder email shortly before the appointment
8. Final reminder text: Send a final reminder text (1 hour before for in-person meetings, 15 minutes before for virtual meetings)

Then set up these components in Keap:

• Apply an "Appointment scheduled" tag when bookings occur
• Create email and text message templates
• Build automation sequences triggered by the appointment tag

This automation will run automatically whenever someone books through your scheduling link, ensuring consistent follow-up and reducing no-shows.

Measuring appointment automation success

Track these key metrics to evaluate your appointment automation effectiveness:

• Increased number of free consultation appointments booked
• Reduced no-shows
• Reduced time spent corresponding about appointments

Common challenges and solutions with Keap appointment scheduler

Users sometimes encounter these issues when using Keap's scheduling tool:

Calendar synchronization issues

Problem: Appointments not appearing correctly across calendars, creating confusion and potential double-bookings.

Solution:

• Verify your Einstein Activity Capture configuration for bidirectional sync
• Check permission settings for calendar access
• Maintain consistent time zone settings across integrated systems
• If you switch to Keap from Max Classic, note that existing appointments won't carry over

Resource availability conflicts

Problem: Double-booking or offering unavailable times to clients.

Solution:

• Implement real-time availability checking
• Maintain accurate absence records with precise start and end times
• Configure appropriate buffer times between appointments
• Make sure all calendar events are marked as "Busy"

Complex policy implementation

Problem: Difficulty implementing sophisticated scheduling rules.

Solution:

• Break complex policies into manageable components
• Implement custom logic for specialized requirements
• Use a phased approach for policy implementation
• Document policy logic thoroughly

Browser compatibility

Problem: Clients using unsupported browsers can't complete bookings.

Solution:

• Include browser compatibility information in booking links
• Provide alternative booking methods when necessary
• Consider Zeeg as an alternative with broader browser support

Acuity Scheduling integration with Keap

For users of Acuity Scheduling who also use Keap, Zapier provides a way to connect these platforms. This integration allows data to flow between the two systems, creating a more unified workflow.

Common integration scenarios include:

• Creating or updating Keap contacts when new Acuity Scheduling appointments are booked
• Creating blocked-off times in Acuity Scheduling for new contacts in Keap
• Tagging new Acuity Scheduling appointments as contacts in Keap
• Updating contacts in Keap when appointments are rescheduled in Acuity

This integration is particularly useful for businesses that have established workflows in Acuity but want to leverage Keap's CRM and automation capabilities.

Infusionsoft appointment scheduler (Keap Max Classic)

If you're using the older Infusionsoft platform (now called Keap Max Classic), it's important to note that the appointment scheduling features differ from those in current Keap plans.

In Keap Max Classic, appointment management was handled through the "My Day" feature rather than a dedicated appointment scheduler. When migrating from Max Classic to current Keap plans, your existing appointments won't automatically transfer over.

The current Keap appointment scheduler offers more robust features and tighter integration with the rest of the platform compared to the Max Classic version.

Conclusion: Is Keap appointment scheduler right for your business?

Keap's appointment scheduler offers a decent solution for businesses already using or planning to use Keap's CRM platform. Its direct integration with contact management and automation features creates a seamless experience for businesses that need comprehensive client relationship management.

However, the high entry cost of Keap (starting at $249/month) makes it expensive for businesses primarily seeking scheduling functionality. In these cases, a dedicated scheduling tool like Zeeg provides more advanced features at a fraction of the cost, while still allowing integration with Keap through Zapier.

And even if you want Keap as your CRM, you might need a better scheduling system - one that allows you to connect more calendars, or that has Apple integration, for example.

Consider these factors when making your decision:

• If you need a complete CRM with integrated scheduling, Keap could be that
• If you're looking for advanced scheduling features at a low price point, Zeeg offers great value, and can integrate with Keap through Zapier
• If GDPR compliance is essential, Zeeg's European data hosting provides an advantage
• If you use Apple Calendar, also consider alternatives like Zeeg
• If you're already committed to Acuity Scheduling, consider using Zapier to integrate with Keap.

By understanding both options, you can choose the appointment scheduling solution that best fits your business needs and budget while ensuring a smooth, professional booking experience for your clients.