Find your way around Hostbook

The menu (a narrow strip of icons on the left) stays hidden until you open it.

1. 1Click the button with three horizontal lines at the far left of the header (Toggle menu).
2. 2A column of icons opens down the left edge. Hover an icon to see its name.
3. 3Click a screen. The menu closes on its own once you pick one; click the three-line button again to close it without choosing.

The screen you're on is marked with a short coloured bar beside its icon.

• Icons from top to bottom: Service Dashboard, Reservation Book, Events, Guests, Reviews, Reports, Application Settings, then Admin Settings, Help and your initial (account) at the bottom.
• Events only shows when Events is turned on for the venue, and Reviews only on the Premium plan.

Below 1024 pixels wide, Hostbook swaps the menu for a bar along the bottom of the screen.

1. 1Tap List for tonight's reservation list.This is the list half of the Service Dashboard.
2. 2Tap Floor for the floor.On a tablet this is the drawn floorplan. On a phone it's a list of tables instead of a map.
3. 3Tap Book for the Reservation Book (the timeline of tables and times).
4. 4Tap More for everything else.More is grouped into Operations (Ask AI Host, Waitlist, Guests, Events, Messages, Alerts, Pending actions), Management (Reports, Reviews, Service adjustments, AI Host, Bulk messaging, Print reservations), Help and Settings (Device settings, Application Settings, Admin Settings, About Hostbook, Sign out).

• A small dot on More means messages, pending actions or alerts need attention.
• The big New button in the middle of the bar starts a new reservation.

On management screens the venue name at the top left is replaced by a back button.

1. 1Tap ‹ Service at the top left of the header.

You're back on the Service Dashboard, on the List or Floor tab you used last.

Settings are split in two. Application Settings (services, tables, floorplan, printing, messages) needs a manager or admin PIN. Admin Settings (venue, bookings, payments, staff and data) needs an admin PIN and only shows for the owner and admins.

1. 1On a computer, click the three-line button at the far left of the header. On a phone or tablet, tap More and look under Settings.
2. 2Click Application Settings (gear icon) or Admin Settings (shield icon).
3. 3Enter your PIN when Hostbook asks (Unlock Application Settings or Unlock Admin Settings).

If this doesn't work: If you don't see Admin Settings, your account isn't an admin. Ask the owner. Three wrong PINs in a row close the prompt.

Hide the browser's tabs and address bar on a host-stand computer.

1. 1Click the full-screen icon near the right end of the header, just before the ⋯ button (Enter full screen).
2. 2To leave, click it again (Exit full screen) or press Esc.

• Only on computers whose browser allows full screen.

Hostbook has one shortcut of its own.

1. 1Press Ctrl+K (Windows) or ⌘K (Mac) to open AI Host from anywhere on the dashboard.
2. 2Press Esc to close a popover, cancel a table pick or a drag on the floorplan, or close the slot menu on the Reservation Book.
3. 3In the Reservation Book, Tab to a booking and press Enter to open it.

Everything (list, floor, book and counts) follows the date in the header.

1. 1Click the left or right arrow beside the date in the header (Previous day / Next day) to step one day.
2. 2Or click the date itself to open a calendar, then click any day.
3. 3Click the calendar icon with a dot (Today) to jump back to today.On very narrow phones the Today button is hidden; use the calendar instead.

The screen loads that day. Hostbook keeps your chosen service period if it runs that day, otherwise it picks the first one.

Each day can have several service periods. The list, floor, book and covers show one period at a time.

1. 1Click the service name in the header (clock icon, with a small down arrow).
2. 2In the Service period list, click the period you want. The one you're on is marked Active.

• If only one period runs that day, the name is plain text and can't be clicked.

If this doesn't work: A booking that seems missing may be in the other service period. Switch periods, or check the covers count with Day selected.

The header search looks through every guest and booking, not just the date on screen.

1. 1Click Search guests and bookings... in the header.On smaller computers and phones it's a magnifying-glass icon.
2. 2Type at least two letters of a name, three digits of a phone number, three characters of an email, or a confirmation number.
3. 3Click a row under Confirmation to open that booking.Hostbook switches to the booking's date and service, opens the Reservation Book, and opens the booking.
4. 4Or click a guest's name to open their profile in Guests.

• While you type, the reservation list on the Service Dashboard also filters to matching bookings.
• Search doesn't look up table numbers. To find who is on a table, use the floorplan.

If this doesn't work: If you see Preparing guest search…, wait a moment and try again. No matches found. means no guest or booking has those letters; try the phone number instead.

Check whether a caller already has a booking, or when they last came in.

1. 1Search for the guest in the header.
2. 2Click the small arrow at the right end of their row (View visits for…).
3. 3Read the visits, grouped Today, Upcoming and Past.Each line shows date, time, status, covers, table and any menu. The top line counts visits, cancellations and no-shows.
4. 4Click a visit to open it on its date.

If your account works at more than one restaurant, swap between them.

1. 1On a computer, click ⋯ at the far right of the header, then Switch venue. On a phone or tablet, tap the venue name at the top left of the header.
2. 2Pick the venue from the list.

Hostbook reloads with that venue. Only venues your account belongs to are listed.

Add another location to your account (owners and admins).

1. 1Open Admin Settings (main menu › shield icon, admin PIN) and go to Organization › Restaurants.
2. 2Click Add another restaurant and finish the setup steps for the new venue.
3. 3Switch between venues with ⋯ › Switch venue (phone or tablet: tap the venue name at the top left).

• Each restaurant is set up separately, with its own floorplan, services, staff PINs and reservations.

Sign out of a shared device at the end of the night.

1. 1On a computer, click the three-line button at the far left of the header, then click your initial at the bottom of the menu.
2. 2Click Sign out. On a phone or tablet, tap More › Sign out.

• There's no confirmation: you're signed out straight away. This device's saved offline copy is cleared too.

Support may ask which version you're on, or for a report from the device with the problem.

1. 1On a computer, click ⋯ at the far right of the header, then About. On a phone or tablet, tap More › About Hostbook.
2. 2Read the version line (Version … · Build …).
3. 3To help support, click Send device report to Hostbook support.

You'll see Sent to Hostbook support. The report holds the app version, browser, connection and sync status and recent errors. It holds no guest details.

If this doesn't work: Sending needs a connection. If you see Reconnect to send a device report., get back online first.

Hostbook runs in the browser, but you can put it on the home screen or dock.

1. 1On iPhone or iPad, open Hostbook in Safari, tap Share, then Add to Home Screen.
2. 2On Android or a computer in Chrome or Edge, open the browser menu and choose Install (or Add to Home screen).

• Hostbook has no install button of its own; the browser does it.