Frequently asked questions

Short answers to the most common questions about Joinways, grouped by topic. Each answer links to the article that details the screens and settings. You can also ask the Joinways agent: it searches this help center and gives you the link to the article.

Getting started

How long does it take to get started?

About ten minutes. You create the account, answer three questions (who you are, your venue, the address your clients write to), then follow the getting started guide up to your first quote. See Get started with Joinways: from sign-up to your first quote.

Do I need to set everything up before my first inquiries arrive?

No. As soon as your inquiry address is connected, inquiries arrive in "Inquiries". A Google or Microsoft mailbox connected directly also brings in the last three months. Your legal details are only asked for when you first send a quote. See Connect your business email (contact@, info@…).

Can I bring over the history from my previous tool?

Yes. "Settings" > "Import / Export" imports your companies, contacts and events from a CSV, Excel or JSON file; Tripleseat, Perfect Venue and Salesforce headers are recognized. Your venues, spaces and catalog can be imported too. A record that already exists is never duplicated. See Import and export your data.

What are the sample events?

Until an inquiry arrives, Joinways creates sample events with their quotes and tasks. They block no dates and archive themselves on your first real inquiry; "Remove the demo" removes them sooner.

Plans and trial

How much does Joinways cost?

The Free plan is free, with no time limit, for one venue with two spaces and 10 inquiries a month. The Pro plan is billed per venue, based on its number of spaces: from €69 excl. tax per month, billed annually, for a small venue (1 to 5 spaces) to €199 for a large venue (13 to 25 spaces). Users are unlimited on every plan. See Plans, pricing and subscription.

How does the trial work?

Every new workspace starts with a 30-day Pro trial, with no credit card: all Pro features, unlimited venues and spaces, and three e-signatures to test the full path to signature. If you've received inquiries, a summary email arrives about four days before the end.

What does the Free plan include?

Inquiries with AI extraction, events, the CRM and reports. It doesn't include quotes, e-signature, invoicing, workflows, or the API and MCP. Beyond 10 inquiries a month, the next ones arrive locked and all unlock when you move to Pro.

Does adding a teammate change the price?

No. Joinways bills per venue: invite as many teammates as you need. See Invite and manage your team.

Inquiries

How do my inquiries get into Joinways?

Joinways reads the address your clients write to and files event inquiries in "Inquiries", with the details extracted by AI. Inquiries that platforms send you by email arrive there too, sorted by platform. See Understanding Inquiries.

Which channels can I connect?

• Your business email: Gmail, Outlook and Microsoft 365, a Google group, a distribution list or forwarding from any other mail service.
• Instagram (direct messages) and WhatsApp Business.
• Your website's inquiry form: see Embed an inquiry form on your website.
• Aircall for calls, and Zapier to create inquiries from your other tools.
• The Chrome extension, to complete Kactus, Naboo or Funbooker requests from the platform's page.

"Inquiry" or "lead": what's the difference?

None. "Lead" is the sales word, "inquiry" the interface's: an incoming message, still to qualify, that you can convert into an event.

What do I do with an inquiry that isn't relevant?

Click "Reject" (or E): it moves to "Rejected", with an optional reason. To let the client know, choose the "Reject" pill in the composer, then "Send and reject". "Restore" puts it back in the queue. See Process an incoming inquiry.

A client sends their request again: will I get a duplicate?

No. Joinways records it as a follow-up, with the "Follow-up" badge. If the same request already exists for the same venue, the "Same request" block offers "Merge into this one"; nothing is deleted.

AI and the Joinways agent

What does AI read in an inquiry?

The event type, the date or period, the number of attendees, the budget (excl. or incl. tax, total or per person), the contact details and the needs. Next to the date, a badge checks the inquiry against your schedule. See How AI qualifies your inquiries.

Can AI get it wrong?

Yes, and you stay in control. The "Extracted data" panel is read-only: make corrections in the "Convert" form; the value you confirm is the one saved on the event.

What is the Joinways agent?

A single input box, opened from "Agent" in the sidebar or with ⌘J on a Mac. The agent answers questions about your inquiries, events, quotes, availability and statistics, and prepares actions (quote, email, task, status, blocked dates) that you confirm with one click. Nothing is created, changed or sent before you click "Confirm". It needs the Pro plan or the trial; on Free, it answers questions about Joinways. See The Joinways agent: ask, prepare, confirm.

Can the agent handle my new inquiries?

It prepares them. With "Prepare every new request", it reads each new inquiry, checks availability and prepares the reply to the client, or the event with its quote. You get a notification and approve each email before it's sent. See Automatic triage of new inquiries.

Can AI write my replies?

Yes. In an event's "Conversations" tab, "Write with AI" prepares a draft in the composer. You review, adjust, then send. See Reply faster with the AI email assistant.

Can AI transcribe my calls?

Yes, with Aircall: each call is transcribed and summarized. A call that brings a new request creates an inquiry; a call about an existing event joins its "Conversations" tab. See Transcribe and summarize your calls with AI.

Does Joinways fill in my company records?

Yes. From the company's name, Joinways looks up its website, contact details and VAT and registration numbers, and fills in the empty fields. See Automatically enrich companies with AI.

Quotes, signature and invoicing

How do I create a quote quickly?

Pick several items at once from the venue's catalog: price, VAT and quantity fill themselves in, and a package comes in as one line. "Generate with AI" prepares a draft from your comparable signed events. See Create a professional quote and Sell bundled packages.

How does the client sign?

They open the quote link, tick their options, click "Sign proposal" and enter the 6-digit code received by email, with no account. They receive their signed copy, and the event moves to "Confirmed". Joinways keeps proof of the verification: the signer's address, send and entry times, IP address and browser. See Get a quote signed online.

Can I edit a signed quote?

Not directly: its items are locked. Create an amendment, which the client signs like the quote; the original quote stays available. See Manage amendments to a signed quote.

How do I turn a quote into an invoice?

On the accepted or signed quote, click "Invoice": deposit, balance or full amount. You issue on Joinways (continuous numbering per venue, PDF with Factur-X), Stripe, Qonto, QuickBooks or the venue's own software. See Invoice a signed quote.

Can I take payments online?

Yes, with Stripe: the client pays from their quote page and the payment records itself. For a bank transfer, the page shows the IBAN and the reference. See Connect Stripe for payments.

Where do I set my legal details, VAT and deposit?

In "Settings" > "Venues" > the venue > "Proposals & invoicing": billing identity, financial options (deposit, security deposit), terms and contract. See Billing settings.

Venues, scheduling and the day itself

Can I manage several venues?

Yes. Each venue has its own spaces, catalog, opening hours and billing profile. You can limit a teammate to certain venues. See Manage your venues and their spaces.

How do I avoid double-bookings?

Joinways checks the date from the inquiry ("Available" or "1 conflict" badge), then when the event is created and on the calendar. Only "Option" and "Confirmed" events count, room by room and slot by slot, set-up included. A conflict is flagged, not blocked; only closures can block creation. See Manage availability and avoid double-bookings.

What is a BEO?

The document your teams read on the day: schedule, rooms and layouts, catering, staff, vendors, instructions. It picks up the quote line by line, is shared by link (team, client, vendors) and is completed with the client form. See Prepare a BEO.

How do I know where each booking stands?

With event stages: your own sub-statuses under "Option" and "Confirmed" (visit scheduled, deposit received…), some of which set themselves. See Track progress with event stages.

CRM, tasks and workflows

How do I link a contact and a company?

A person belongs to a company; the company record groups its contacts and events and brings out your repeat clients. See Manage companies.

Can I create tasks and follow-ups?

Yes. Tasks attach to events, are assigned to a teammate and are tracked by due date. See Tasks and follow-up.

What is an automation workflow?

A rule made of a trigger, a delay, conditions and actions: follow-up on an unanswered quote, a reminder before the event, a message after. Four ready-made templates give you a starting point. See Create your first automation workflow and Workflow examples to copy.

Reports

Which metrics can I track?

The "Reports" page has five tabs: "Inquiries", "Sales", "Confirmed revenue", "Clients" and "Operations". You filter by venue and period, compare with the previous year, open the details behind every figure and export to Excel. A monthly summary arrives by email. See Reports: tabs, filters and exports.

Are reports included in every plan?

Yes, Free included. The "Operations" role doesn't have access, because reports show revenue.

Mobile app

Is there a mobile app?

Yes, on the App Store for iPhone and iPad, and on Google Play for Android. The app alerts you to every new inquiry and lets you reply, convert it, follow your events, prepare a quote, edit the BEO and open the Joinways agent. See The Joinways mobile app.

What do I need the web for rather than the app?

Venue and space settings, the subscription, quote layout and terms, shared mailboxes and two-factor authentication.

Integrations

Which integrations are available?

They're connected from "Settings" > "Integrations":

• Email: Gmail, Outlook and any other mail service through forwarding.
• Calendars: Google Calendar and Outlook calendar.
• Messaging and telephony: Instagram, WhatsApp Business, Aircall, Slack.
• Payments and accounting: Stripe, Qonto, QuickBooks, Pennylane.
• Hotel software: Mews, Apaleo, Amenitiz, Thaïs.
• Automation: Zapier, webhooks and the REST API.
• AI assistants: Claude and ChatGPT, through the MCP server.

Can I sync my calendar?

Yes. Joinways sends your venues' events to Google Calendar or the Outlook calendar, with the statuses you choose, venue by venue. See Connect Google Calendar and Connect the Outlook calendar.

Does Joinways have an API?

Yes. Create keys in "Settings" > "Developers" for the REST API, and receive changes to your inquiries, events and quotes by webhook. See REST API: create and manage your keys and Webhooks: push Joinways events to your own tools.

Can I connect Joinways to Claude or ChatGPT?

Yes, through the MCP server: a URL, an approval screen, then your questions and actions in plain language, with your role's permissions. See Connect Joinways to Claude (MCP).

Data and security

Where is my data hosted?

In the European Union, in Paris. It's encrypted in transit and at rest, and each workspace only sees its own data.

Does Joinways read my emails?

Software reads your emails to spot inquiries; nobody at Joinways reads them, except for support and at your request. Gmail and Outlook connect through OAuth: Joinways never sees your password, and you can disconnect a mailbox at any time. See Manage your email connections.

Is my data used to train AI?

No. Reading inquiries and drafting replies rely on the OpenAI and Anthropic APIs, which don't use your data to train their models.

How do I protect my account?

Turn on two-factor authentication in "Settings" > "Security & Access", give each person the role that fits their job, and revoke API keys or connected apps you no longer use. See Security and access.

Can I export my data?

Yes, at any time, from the "Export" tab of "Import / Export": events, inquiries, companies or people, as CSV, Excel or JSON. See Import and export your data.

Team and access

Can several of us work together?

Yes. Invite your team at no extra cost, give everyone the role of their job ("Member", "Operations" or "Read-only", on top of owners and admins) and, if needed, limit each person to certain venues. See Invite and manage your team.

Does my client need an account?

No. They read and sign their quote, approve their BEO and fill in their form from links, with no account. See Share public access to an event.

How do I get alerted about new inquiries and signatures?

In "Settings" > "Notifications", choose "Email", "App" or "Push" for each alert. The bell gathers what needs your attention. See Set up your notifications and The notification center: read, clear, reply.

See also

• Get started with Joinways: from sign-up to your first quote
• Key concepts in Joinways
• Glossary: every Joinways keyword
• Plans, pricing and subscription
• Security and access