A new 1.6 alpha release is now available for download and testing!
Attention: this is a pre-release version and is currently under active development. Please do not install, run or test this version on production environments, but only evaluate this new version on test and development servers.
Contribute to the testing rounds
Testing is a crucial aspect of software development, offering a meaningful opportunity for everyone to contribute, regardless of experience level.
You can install this package just like the original Easy!Appointments version and click through the existing and new functionality, making sure that the app works as expected.
Should you encounter any issues, please share them in the Github Issues page, in the Support Group, on the Discord Server or directly to info@easyappointments.org.
What’s New in Easy!Appointments 1.6
The release of version 1.6 marks a significant milestone in the evolution of Easy!Appointments. This major update focuses on expanding integration capabilities, bolstering security, and refining the user experience to give you more flexibility and control over your scheduling workflow.
Video Conferencing & Jitsi Integration
In an era of remote collaboration, Easy!Appointments 1.6 introduces native support for online meetings. A new Meeting Link field has been added to appointments, allowing you to store and share video conference locations effortlessly. Most notably, the platform now features Jitsi integration, enabling the automatic generation of meeting links for appointments booked via the public page.
Enhanced Google Calendar Sync
We’ve overhauled how the application interacts with Google services. A dedicated Integrations Section has been created for Google Calendar, offering more granular control. Users can now utilize Google Meet settings to automatically generate links during sync, and administrators have the option to toggle the “Add to Google Calendar” button on the booking confirmation page to keep the interface clean and relevant.
Advanced Security & CAPTCHA Support
Security is a top priority in this release. To protect your installation from automated abuse, we’ve implemented CAPTCHA support across all public forms. This includes an integration with ALTCHA, providing a modern, user-friendly alternative to traditional CAPTCHA steps. Furthermore, password resets now utilize a secure link delivery system rather than immediate password changes, and request method checks have been enforced across the app to prevent unauthorized access.
GDPR & Legal Compliance
Staying compliant is now easier with the implementation of additional GDPR features. You can now include legal notices and imprint links directly on your booking page via the new Legal Settings. These tools ensure that your business meets modern data protection standards while maintaining transparency with your clients.
Streamlined Backend UI
The administrative interface has been reimagined for better navigation. We’ve shifted to a “List First” CRUD layout, making it faster to browse through records before diving into details. Small but impactful quality-of-life improvements—such as “Select All/None” buttons for multi-checkbox fields and the ability for providers to toggle their own synchronization—significantly reduce the administrative burden.
Flexible Scheduling & Working Plans
Managing complex schedules is more intuitive in 1.6. You can now define working plan exceptions for multiple dates at once, saving time when planning for holidays or office closures. Additionally, a new check has been added to the calendar booking process to verify provider availability in real-time, preventing double bookings even at the very last second.
Note: This release also includes significant performance optimizations, such as a session garbage collector to prevent database bloat and improved CalDAV compatibility for a broader range of external calendar systems.
These highlights are just the tip of the iceberg. To see the full list of technical fixes, removals, and minor additions, please refer to the Change Log section below.
Changelog
Added
- Added request method check on each request so that only allowed methods are accepted
- Add Jitsi integration and link generation for appointments made via the public page
- Allow providers to toggle the syncing themselves (#1731)
- Add new meeting link field to appointments for storing online video conference locations
- Create new integration section for the Google Calendar integration (#1690)
- Add settings to not display the Add to Google Calendar button in the booking confirmation page (#1763)
- Add new Google Meet setting and meeting link support for appointments while syncing with Google (#1589)
- Add Select All / None buttons to multi-checkbox fields
- Add prompt for client notifications so that they are not sent every time an appointment changes
- Connect RSS updates from the official blog and show them in the about page
- Allow users to assign a provider to the service in the services page and update the label (assign the service to)
- Perform various security optimizations in the app
- Custom fields are displayed in appointment details popup (#1830)
- When booking in calendar add a new check that will detect if the selected provider is still available or not
- If the current user has not available services or providers to be displayed in the public booking page, then show an info message instead of the booking page
- When someone clicks on password reset, implement a link delivery and not just change the password directly
- Add validation when saving the working plan (#1758)
- Login / Backend button on the disabled booking page message screen (#1777)
- Add CAPTCHA support for all the public forms in order to block abusive requests (#1754)
- Allow users to define working plan exceptions for multiple dates (#1706)
- Allow customers to save their information in local storage (#1696)
- Add a legal notice and imprint links to the booking page and the legal settings page (#1407)
- Implementation of additional GDPR features in Easy!Appointments (#535)
- ALTCHA integration added as an alternative CAPTCHA step (#1155)
Changed
- Make the phone number field of backend users optional (#1709)
- Change the main CRUD layout and navigation structure (list first)
- Replace the availabilities type with the new slot interval field
- Keep the provider option selected in the booking page if possible (#1672)
- Improve setting language by GET parameter (#1620)
Fixed
- Cannot modify appointment if provider changes time zone (#1789)
- Fix the customer appointment link so that it opens the modal even in the table calendar view
- Run the session garbage collector once in a while to avoid session bloat (#1793)
- Customer limit must not allow providers to select customers in the appt modal that they are not connected with
- Improve the CalDAV syncing compatibility with more systems (#1840)
- Optimize backend query during booking process (#1721)
Removed
- Remove the patch.php file
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