Building a Calendar-Integrated Modern Booking Platform

By far my favorite thing about software development is building real tools that solve real business problems for actual people. Of course, easiest place to start is things I already know, and boy did I ever have a problem pre-covid.

Some of you might know this, but I've been a licensed massage therapist since ~2015. Massage therapy has been a consistent side hussle for me for as long as I've been a developer, and it has continued to drive me to build better software, particularly in the calendar booking space.

The Struggle

There are many booking systems out there, some of them are configued better or worse for a solo-entrepreneur. Pre-covid, prior to me having enough knowledge to truely build my own solution, I was relying on calendly and squarespace to create a functional booking site.

Up to this point, I haven't seen a tool that intentionally puts a solo massage therapist at the center of the booking platform.

What I needed was something that would take into account Google Calendar free/busy times, be highly automated, and function without having to deal directly with the admin tools.

What I settled on was a system that keeps calendar events at the center, using them to configure availability windows, booking times, and promotional events.

Purpose

The platform serves three primary audiences:

For Clients: A user-friendly way to discover services, check availability, and book appointments.

For Business Operations: Tools to manage bookings, handle customer inquiries, and maintain service quality.

For Marketing: A professional showcase of services, client testimonials, and educational content to attract new clients.

The core goal was to create a system that would keep a solo-entrepreneur at the center, building tools that will remove hassle and complexity of the daily slog of managing multiple inbound client messages and balancing a calendar.

Features

SEO friendly marketing pages Up to date availability Push notifications for client inquiry

Built with

Nextjs JS 15 (App router)
Tailwind
Redux
Markdown
Google Calendar API
Nodemailer
Pushover
Typescript
Zod

Core Booking System

Dynamic Booking Flow: Customizable booking pages with location-specific pricing and availability
Instant Confirmation: Real-time booking validation with immediate email confirmations
Flexible Scheduling: Calendar integration with timezone-aware appointment management
Service Customization: Multiple massage types (Swedish, Deep Tissue, Couples) with varying durations

Immediate notifications for client inquiry

pushover integration

Interactive Service Maps

MapLibre Integration: Open-source mapping with custom service area visualization
Geocoding: Address validation and drive-time calculations
Location-Based Availability: Dynamic pricing based on service location
Mobile-Responsive: Optimized map experience across all devices

Customer Experience

Review Management: Client testimonial collection and display system
Secure Event Access: Email-verified client portals for viewing appointments
Promotional System: Discount codes and special offers with expiration handling
Content Marketing: MDX-powered blog for service information and wellness tips

Admin Dashboard

Booking Management: Comprehensive appointment tracking and modification tools
Analytics Integration: PostHog-powered insights into business performance
Gmail API Integration: Automatic calendar synchronization and third-party booking imports
User Access Control: Secure admin authentication with role-based permissions

Technical Features

Type-Safe Development: Full TypeScript implementation with Zod validation
Modern UI/UX: Tailwind CSS with responsive design and accessibility compliance
Performance Optimized: Next.js 15 with static generation and image optimization
Testing Suite: Comprehensive Vitest coverage with automated CI/CD

Struggles and Solutions

Challenge: Complex Location Management

Problem: Early versions used simple string fields for addresses, making it difficult to handle city/zip code logic and URL-based location configuration.

Solution: Implemented a structured LocationObject type with dedicated parsing utilities. This enabled proper slug-based routing (e.g., /westchester, /culver-city) and consistent location handling across forms, APIs, and templates.

Challenge: Calendar Complexity

Problem: Managing appointments across multiple systems (Google Calendar, internal booking, third-party platforms) led to synchronization issues and double-bookings, compounded by multiple monthly service fees for services that ultimately were only a mild fit for the usecase.

Solution: Built a Gmail API integration that automatically imports bookings from platforms like Soothe, with intelligent conflict resolution and calendar event creation. The system now handles timezone conversions and maintains data consistency.

Challenge: Form Validation and User Experience

Problem: Complex booking forms with multiple validation rules were causing user frustration and submission errors.

Solution: Adopted Formik with Zod schemas for type-safe, client-side validation. This provided real-time feedback, prevented invalid submissions, and ensured data consistency across the entire booking flow.

Challenge: Scaling Content Management

Problem: As the business grew, managing service descriptions, pricing, and promotional content became time-consuming.

Solution: Implemented Contentlayer2 for MDX-based content management. This allows for rich content creation with proper SEO optimization, while maintaining type safety and build-time validation.

Integrated System

The platform operates as a cohesive ecosystem:

Frontend Layer: Next.js 15 with App Router provides server-side rendering and optimal performance.

State Management: Redux Toolkit handles complex booking flows and user session management.

API Layer: RESTful endpoints manage bookings, events, and admin operations with proper authentication.

Integration Layer: Gmail API and PostHog analytics ensure seamless data flow and business insights.

Content Layer: MDX files power the blog and static content with automatic optimization.

Deployment: Vercel provides global CDN distribution with automated builds and environment management.

Usage

Client Journey

Discovery: Clients find the site through search or referrals
Service Selection: Browse services, read reviews, check service areas
Booking: Select location, time, and service type with instant confirmation
Preparation: Receive automated reminders and preparation instructions
Session: Enjoy professional in-home massage therapy
Follow-up: Leave reviews and manage future appointments

Business Operations

Daily Management: Check admin dashboard for new bookings and schedule
Client Communication: Automated emails for confirmations and reminders

Technical Maintenance

Code Quality: Automated linting, testing, and type checking
Performance Monitoring: Build analysis and runtime optimization

Takeaways

Technical Lessons

Start with Type Safety: TypeScript + Zod caught countless bugs before they reached production
Prioritize User Experience: Complex features are worthless if clients can't use them effectively
Build for Scale: Modular architecture made it easy to add features as the business grew
Automate Everything: CI/CD, testing, and monitoring reduced maintenance overhead significantly

Business Lessons

Professional Online Presence Matters: The website became a key marketing asset and credibility builder
Data-Driven Decisions: Analytics revealed booking patterns and helped optimize service offerings
Client-Centric Design: Features that improved client experience directly correlated with business growth
Balance Automation with Personal Touch: Technology should enhance, not replace, human connection

Future Vision

The platform has become the foundation for business growth, with plans for:

Mobile app development
Advanced analytics and reporting
Enhanced client relationship management
Location-based on-demand booking
Accounting for travel time between appointments for reduced down time between sessoins