What’s the difference between Instant Book and a regular job request on the app?

With a standard job request, a parent either sends you a direct request which you need to respond to, or they post a job, and wait for sitters to apply.

With Instant Book, a parent tells the app what they need, and they’re presented with a list of sitters who have set themselves as available for Instant Book in that time slot.

A parent can then just view their profile, and confirm the sit immediately. This is only if the parent and their job matches the preferences set by the Sitters in their Instant Book Settings page.

All in all, Instant Book gives the parents more certainty about making a booking, and for sitters, it makes them easier to book, which results in more work.

Think of it like an Airbnb Host, who can decide whether guests need to request their place for a booking and wait for their response, or whether they can just go ahead and confirm their booking immediately from the listings page.

If I'm available for instant booking, does that stop me getting other job requests?

No. You'd still get all the same job requests and opportunities through as your normally would.

Can I specify which types of jobs I want to be Instant Booked for?

Yes! You have an Instant Book setting page which gives you lots of different ways to specify the types of jobs you're happy to be Instant Booked for. For example, you might only want to be Instant Bookable for jobs that are extra close to you, or a certain duration. Or you might never want to be Instant Booked for jobs where the family has a dog or a cat. With all of these things, and more, you can set preferences for them in the Instant Book settings page.

Can parents use Instant Book at short notice?

No. For now, a parent only gets given the Instant Book option if their request is at least 16 hours in advance. This is to protect sitters from being booked at short notice for jobs they cannot reasonably be expected to do.

Can I only offer Instant Book to parents I’ve sat for before?

Yes. You have a dedicated Instant Book settings page which lets you decide on the types of jobs you’re willing to be Instant Booked for. Amongst your options is only allowing parents you’ve sat for before to Instant Book you.

Just note, the more open you are with your Instant Book availability, the more bookings you’re likely to get.

How will I know if I've been booked on Instant Book?

You will be sent an email confirmation, an SMS confirmation and a Push Notification on the app. A Triple Lock! 😀

Why do I need to refresh my Instant Book availability so often?

For Instant Book to be effective, it’s vital that the availability of sitters is fully accurate and up to date. This is to prevent parents confirming a job via Instant Book, only to find out that the sitter wasn’t actually free. So to help ensure this, we prompt sitters who want to use Instant Book, to reconfirm their settings are up to date once every 72 hours.

Can any parent on Bubble use Instant Book?

Yes. However those with no track record of sits on the platform are required to complete a real time identity check before they can make their first booking using Instant Book.

What if I don’t want to use Instant Book?

That’s totally fine. You don’t have to use Instant Book. You can just set your general availability and respond to job requests as they come through.