The Queue is your studio’s operational hub. It’s where artists and managers spend most of their day: checking clients in, tracking active sessions, processing checkouts, and managing the floor. Every client who walks through the door passes through here, whether they booked online or showed up unannounced.
It’s more than a waiting list. The Queue combines real-time client tracking, session timers, form status, health alerts, and checkout into one screen. Think of it as your digital front desk, waiting room, and register rolled into one.
How Clients Get Into the Queue
Clients reach the queue through a few paths:
- New Client form - after a first-time client’s intake form is saved, an “Add to Queue” button appears for team members to push them into the queue.
- Return Client → Add to Queue - from the Home/kiosk screen, searching a returning client and choosing “Add to Queue”.
- Appointment check-in - when a client uses an appointment-specific check-in link from their reminder SMS and completes the form, a queue item is created or updated automatically.
- Walk-in check-in via the public link or QR code - clients who self-check-in using your walk-in URL land in the Walk-Ins tab of the check-in modal, NOT directly in the queue. Team members then pull them into the active queue from that tab when they’re ready.
- Quick actions on the queue page - Quick Sale, Check In, Client Lookup, and New Client buttons let team members move people through quickly. Available on both web and mobile.
See Check-In Links for setting up online and walk-in check-in.
Check-In Modal
From the queue page, clicking Check In opens the check-in modal, your tool for team members for moving clients into the queue. It has two tabs:
- Appointments - clients with a scheduled appointment today, ready to be checked in for their session
- Walk-Ins - clients who self-checked-in via your public walk-in link or QR code. This tab was called “Online Forms” before v4.2 and was renamed for clarity.
Faster loading: The check-in modal now opens significantly faster, especially for studios with many appointments or walk-ins on a busy day. When a walk-in’s contact info matches an existing client, the match is remembered so future check-ins for the same person skip the lookup entirely.
No-show appointments are protected: If an appointment is marked as no-show, its check-in button in the Appointments tab is automatically disabled. Team members can’t accidentally check in a client who already counts as a no-show. To check them in anyway, clear the no-show status from the appointment popover in the calendar first, then reopen the modal.
QR code for walk-ins: You can print a QR code for your public walk-in check-in URL from Settings > Sharing. Display it at your front counter so clients can scan and check themselves in from their phone. See Check-In Links for details.
Live Stat Strip (New in v4.2)
The top of the queue page shows a row of five clickable stat cards with live counts. Counts update in real time, so a tablet finishing an intake form flips Incomplete to Ready without anyone refreshing the page.
| Card | What It Shows | What Clicking Does |
|---|---|---|
| In Queue | Clients currently in the active queue | Default view; resets any active filter |
| Appointments Today | Today’s appointments not yet checked in | Opens the Check-In modal already on the Appointments tab |
| Walk-Ins | Self-checked-in walk-ins waiting in the modal | Opens the Check-In modal already on the Walk-Ins tab |
| Incomplete Forms | Queue items whose intake form isn’t done | Filters the queue table to incomplete-form items |
| Ready to Check Out | Queue items with status Complete | Filters the queue table to ready-to-checkout items |
Pre-queue cards (Appointments Today, Walk-Ins) jump straight into the Check-In modal on the right tab, so getting a client into the queue is one click. Status cards (Incomplete Forms, Ready to Check Out) toggle a list filter on the queue table, threaded through the underlying query so pagination and totals stay correct.
Artist and Service Filters (New in v4.2)
Two dropdowns sit at the right of the queue table header (next to the existing sort toggle):
- Artist filter - narrow the queue to a single artist’s clients
- Service filter - narrow the queue to a single service type
Filtering is form-aware: appointments match by exact service name, walk-ins match via the linked form. Clear either filter by selecting All to return to the full queue. Filter state is local to the page session.
Queue Display
Each client in the queue shows:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Client Name | Full name |
| Service | Type of service (Tattoo, Piercing, etc.) |
| Type | Appointment or Walk-in |
| Artist | Assigned team member |
| Time In | Date/time client entered queue (MM/DD/YYYY h:mm A). Red text = over 24 hours old |
| Form Status | See below |
| Health Alert | Red badge if client has health conditions or allergies |
| Actions | A dropdown menu with Checkout, Form, Client Profile, and Delete options |
Form Status Badges
- Complete (green) - intake form is finished; checkout button is available
- Incomplete (orange/yellow) - form not yet complete; client needs to finish before checkout
- No Form (red) - client has no intake form; they may need to complete one before service
Important: Status updates automatically when a client completes their form. You don’t need to manually change it. If it looks stale, refresh the page.
Health Alert Badge
A red Health Alert badge appears when a client has documented allergies or health conditions. Always review this before starting work.
Sorting and Searching
Sort: Click the sort button in the table header to toggle between “Newest First” (default) and “Oldest First.” Use “Oldest First” to prioritize clients who have been waiting longest. Sort order is local to the page session.
Search: Type in the search bar to filter by client name. Results update as you type.
Processing Checkout
Checkout is only available when a client’s status is Complete.
- Find the client in the queue
- Ensure status badge shows “Complete”
- Click/tap the Checkout button
- Review client info and services
- Add line items (services and products from your catalog)
- Apply a tip if needed
- Select a payment method
- Complete the transaction
- Client is automatically removed from queue; visit is recorded
See Payments and Checkout for full checkout details.
Quick Sale (Cash Only)
For small cash transactions where you don’t need client records:
- Click “Checkout” (or “Quick Sale” button)
- Click “Quick Sale (Cash Only)”
- A generic “Quick Sale” customer is loaded automatically
- Add items and services
- Payment method is set to cash - cannot be changed
- Complete the transaction; it’s recorded in reports
Use for: Walk-in cash sales, small merchandise purchases, situations where no client file is needed.
Not for: Card payments - use “Quick Add Client” instead.
Quick Add Client
Add a new client without leaving the checkout flow:
- Click “Checkout”
- Click “Quick Add Client”
- Enter first name (required), last name (required), phone (optional)
- Click “Add Client”
- Client is created and automatically selected for checkout
- Continue with the checkout normally
Viewing Client Forms from Queue
- Find client in queue
- Click the Form (clipboard) icon
- Completed form: Opens as a PDF in a viewer modal - no new tab needed
- Incomplete form: Opens the form editor to complete it
- Review consent forms, health info, signatures, and notes
Overdue Queue Items
Items in the queue more than 24 hours show red text in the “Time In” column.
How to handle:
- If the client completed service but wasn’t checked out → process checkout
- If the client left without service → click Remove to clean up the queue
Removing a Client from Queue
- Open the actions dropdown for the client
- Click Delete
- Confirm in the dialog
Note: Deleting does not process payment or record a visit. Only delete clients who won’t be completing service. If they paid, use Checkout instead.
Mobile Notes
The web and mobile queue screens are nearly identical. A few mobile-specific touches:
- Red triangle warning for queue items over 24 hours old (same idea as red text on web)
- Touch-friendly action sheets in place of dropdown menus
The Quick Sale, Check In, Client Lookup, and New Client buttons exist on both web and mobile, not just mobile.
Troubleshooting
Client not showing in queue
- Refresh the page - queue updates in real-time but may need a refresh
- Check if they were already checked out and removed
- Check pagination - they may be on another page
Checkout button disabled
- Status must be “Complete” to enable checkout
- If status shows Incomplete or No Form, client needs to complete their intake form
- Refresh after form completion to see updated status
- For cash-only transactions, use “Quick Sale (Cash Only)” instead
Status not updating after form completion
- Refresh the page - status updates automatically but display may lag
- Verify the form was actually submitted/saved
- Try refreshing again after a few seconds
Walk-in client checked in but not in the queue
- Walk-in clients first appear in the Walk-Ins tab of the check-in modal, not directly in the queue. Open the check-in modal and switch to that tab.
- Once you check them in from the Walk-Ins tab, they appear in the active queue.
Appointment client checked in but not appearing in queue
- Refresh the page
- Check that the client completed the full check-in process
- Verify they used the correct link
- Check pagination - they may not be on page 1
Can’t remove a client
- Confirm you clicked Remove and confirmed the dialog
- Check your permissions (some actions require manager access)
- Refresh and try again
Related Docs
- Payments and Checkout - Detailed checkout and payment info
- Check-In Links - Online check-in setup
- Forms - Intake form details
- Clients - Client profiles