The first question we get from those using Booksy for years is the same: am I going to lose my clients? The short answer: no. The long answer, with plan and ready-to-send messages, is what you'll read below. We've migrated hundreds of professionals over the past 12 months - barbershops, hair salons, estheticians, physios. Average migration time: ~3 hours. Average clients lost in the process: practically zero.
This migration serves two goals: cut marketplace commissions that are eating your margin, and own the direct relationship with your clients. Let's go.
Before starting: why you'll win with the migration
| Booksy | BookHero | |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplace commissions | 25-30% | 0% |
| Monthly fee | Paid | Paid (flat, no commission) |
| Direct client relationship | ||
| Native PT invoicing (tax ID) | ||
| Native WhatsApp reminders | ||
| Human PT support by product team | ||
| Self-service setup in <10 min | ||
| Free assisted migration | - |
Step 1: Export your Booksy data (15 minutes)
Log into Booksy panel, go to Settings > Data/Exports. Paid plans allow exporting client list as CSV - name, phone, email. Save the file on your computer. If you also want to export booking history, export the bookings report (some plans limit this). Don't worry if history doesn't come complete: new history starts from zero in BookHero, but you're not losing anything useful because what matters to the client is the relationship with you, not the old app.
Step 2: Create your BookHero account (30 minutes)
- Sign up at bookhero.app - email, password, business name. 5 minutes.
- Pick your slug: bookhero.app/your-name. Short, easy to pronounce verbally.
- Add your services with name, realistic duration, price. 10-20 min depending on list size.
- Configure hours: working days, opening and closing times, lunch breaks. 5 min.
- Invite staff via email if you have a team. 5 min.
- Customize the page: logo, cover photo, brand color. 10 min.
Step 3: Import clients (10 minutes)
Via the Clients > Import CSV dashboard, upload the file you exported from Booksy. BookHero shows a preview with the first lines so you confirm the columns (name / phone / email). Confirm and it imports. 200 clients are imported in seconds. If there are duplicates (same phone), the system flags them so you decide.
Step 4: Configure invoicing (15 minutes)
In Settings > Fiscal data, fill: company legal name, tax ID, address, postal code. These data appear on every informational invoice you issue. This is a part Booksy didn't cover natively - here solved with 5 fields.
Step 5: Notify clients (one single message)
Send a message to active clients announcing the new link. You don't need to explain much - the simpler, the better. Template that works:
Step 6: Transition period (2-4 weeks)
Keep the Booksy link active for 2-4 weeks. Reason: not everyone reads every message, and some clients have the link bookmarked. Each time you catch someone still on Booksy, redirect them gracefully: hi [name], we moved to [new link] - book there so it gets recorded for me to send the reminder the night before. In 4 weeks, 95% have migrated. Booksy you can keep another 4 weeks as safety or cancel.
Step 7: Cancel Booksy
Before cancelling, export anything you still want to keep (final client list, history if you still use it). Then cancel. Commissions stop immediately; the monthly fee may have a billing cycle to respect. From that moment, 100% of what you bill is yours.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Cancelling Booksy before 4 weeks - you'll lose clients who haven't migrated yet.
- Changing slug halfway (e.g. starting with /barbershop-x then changing to /barbershop-tiago) - shared links break.
- Not setting fiscal data before first checkout - you have to enter tax ID, address, etc. to issue valid invoices.
- Not training staff: book 30 minutes with each staff member to use the platform before D-day.
- Forgetting to update the link on Instagram, Google Business, business card - you lose new client traffic.
Free assisted migration
If you'd rather not do it alone, our team migrates for you. Book a 30-60 minute call via help@bookhero.app, or +351 913 609 469 (Pro plan). We take your CSV, configure everything, leave it ready to operate. No charge. Reason: we want you to start well - if migration goes badly, we lose.
Summary: 4 hours of Sunday, gains for the rest of the year
Export data (15 min). Create account and configure (30 min). Import clients (10 min). Configure invoicing (15 min). Notify clients (10 min). Passive transition period for 2-4 weeks. Cancel. Total active time: ~80 minutes. Total elapsed: 4 weeks. Gain: up to €8,000/year saved on commissions + recovered hours + direct client relationship. Worth the afternoon.