All Collections
Apps in Formitable
Marketing
Reserve with Google: How does it work?
Reserve with Google: How does it work?

Guests can now reserve directly in Google, these bookings are synced with Formitable. Understand opportunities & differences with the widget

Operations avatar
Written by Operations
Updated over a week ago

Reserve with Google lets guests book a table in your restaurant seamlessly from the search results. Even though the reservations are synchronized with Formitable, there are some key differences with the widget. 

More guests without commission fees

Reserve with Google adds reservation buttons to your restaurant's search results on Google and Google Maps. The booking procedure in Google is fast, intuitive, and easy for your guests. It helps you to fill more tables, without any extra commission fees or marketing efforts.
Read more background information here

Integration with Formitable

  • Install the Reserve with Google app in Formitable, at Apps > Reserve with Google.

  • Usually, within two days, your restaurant can be booked on Google.

  • Bookings from Google are synced with Formitable in real-time. 

  • You can measure Google reservations on the Dashboard in the Acquisition channels section.

  • Guests can change and cancel their own bookings.

Reservations from Google are not the same as from the widget

Google is an external marketing partner and does not offer the same functionalities as the Formitable widget. 

Formitable synchronizes your bookings and makes sure that Google shows accurate availability for your restaurant for the upcoming 90 days. Other than that, Google takes care of all email communication and confirmations. Please keep this in mind when you let guests reserve with Google. 

Some Formitable functionalities like squeeze, show end time, show area, tickets, and prepayments are not supported or integrated with Reserve with Google yet.

Frequently asked questions about Reserve with Google (FAQ)

- How can I disable Reserve with Google?

You can disable reservations from Google by uninstalling the Reserve with Google in Fomitable. Click on your initials in the top right corner and click on apps. Go to Reserve with Google and click on uninstall.

- Can I disable certain shifts for Reserve with Google?

For each shift, you can determine through which channels it can be booked. Find more information on how to disable individual external channels like Reserve with Google here.

- Can guests leave additional info (dietary requirements, special requests) when they reserve with Google?

Yes, it is possible for guests to leave additional information when they reserve. This information will be included in the reservation you find in Formitable. 

- Why is there no availability on Google for my restaurant?

Google currently only looks at the availability of the upcoming 90 days. If there are no active shifts for the next 90 days, then Google does not find any availability. The blue 'Reserve a table' will also disappear. It will automatically reappear if there is availability in the next 90 days again.

- Why does Google not show the same availability as the widget?

There can be differences between your availability in the widget and on Google. Google currently only shows your availability for the upcoming 90 days. Google also ignores all shifts that are linked to a ticket with payments, and all reservations that would need to be squeezed.

- I installed the Reserve with Google app, why is my restaurant is not visible yet?

Sometimes Google can not instantly find an exact match for your restaurant name and address. Then manual approval is needed. If your restaurant is not bookable on Google after 48 hours, get in contact with our support team and we will look into it. 

- I added an event and a shift, why is this timeslot not available on Google yet?

The availability of your restaurant is fully updated every night. If your availability increases (more tables, new event, new shift), this is updated by the next day. If your availability decreases (pacing limits, closed day, other reservations are added), this is updated on Google immediately. 

- Can you show the area to guests that reserve with Google?

No, currently Google does not show the areas to guests as the Formitable widget does.

- What is the maximum number of guests for reservations in Google?

Google limits the maximum number of guests to 10 per reservation. The maximum number is also determined by your shifts and your pacing limits. If you limit the maximum number of guests to 6, reservations from Google will also only allow for 6 guests, etc.

- Are my Formitable tickets and experiences shown to guests that reserve through Google?

No, Google does not support Formitable tickets yet. Guests see only which time slots are available. Experience titles and descriptions are not shown. 

- Can you show the end time of the reservation to guests that reserve with Google? Can you use squeeze reservations?

No, these Formitable functions are not supported yet by Google. 

- Guests receive a reminder email with the request to reconfirm their reservation by phone. How can I turn this off?

Guests only get emails from Google and Google chooses to send reminder emails asking guests to reconfirm their booking by phone. The reasons for this are possible health complaints and corona symptoms. It is not possible to turn this off.

- Can you use prepayments and deposits for reservations with Google? 

Not yet. Currently, Reserve with Google does not support payments for Formitable yet. We are working on finding a solution to this.

- Do my normal cancel and change policies apply to Reserve with Google?

They will be displayed as a message to guests. Guests are still able to cancel and change their reservations outside of these limits. Unfortunately, Formitable has no influence on this.

Did this answer your question?