How to set up your fitness studio & class business on Opraly (step-by-step)

Getting a class studio online usually means juggling a booking widget, a payment processor, a waiver tool and a spreadsheet of who is enrolled. Opraly puts all of that in one place, so you can take bookings, hold cards, send reminders and run packs without stitching tools together. This guide walks you through a full setup — from a blank account to a live, branded booking page — in an afternoon.

Before you start: what you’ll need

Have these handy and the rest goes quickly:

• Your studio name, logo and brand colours
• A list of class types (e.g. Vinyasa, Reformer Pilates, Spin, Beginner Barre)
• Your weekly timetable and room/equipment capacity
• Instructor names and the classes each one teaches
• A bank account for payouts

You do not need a developer or a separate website. Opraly gives every studio a hosted, branded booking page out of the box.

Step 1 — Open your account

Sign up and choose Classes & fitness studios as your vertical. That tells Opraly to set up the right defaults: a class-based calendar, enrollment and packs, instructor scheduling, and capacity per session rather than one-to-one appointment slots.

Add your logo and brand colours so your booking page and emails look like you, not a generic widget.

Step 2 — Build your class menu

Your “menu” in a studio is your class catalogue. For each class, set:

• Name and description — what the class is and who it suits
• Duration — a 45-minute express vs a 75-minute flow
• Capacity — how many spots per session (mats, bikes, reformers)
• Price — drop-in rate, and whether it can be paid with a pack or membership

Group similar classes so newcomers can find a beginner option fast. Clear, honest descriptions reduce no-shows because people book the right class for their level.

Step 3 — Add instructors and resources

Add each instructor as staff, then assign the classes they teach. Use staff roles & permissions to decide who can edit the timetable, see reports or process refunds — front-desk staff rarely need full admin access.

If a class depends on equipment or a specific room, model that as a resource so two classes never claim the same reformer studio at the same time. Run more than one location? Turn on multi-location and each site keeps its own timetable, staff and capacity under one login.

Step 4 — Set your timetable and hours

Open the calendar and build your recurring schedule. Opraly’s calendar gives you day, week and month views, plus drag-to-reschedule when an instructor swaps a slot or you move a class to a bigger room.

• Add recurring weekly classes (e.g. Mon/Wed/Fri 7am Spin)
• Block out holidays and instructor time off
• Set how far ahead clients can book

Members see real availability in real time, so you never double-book a mat.

Step 5 — Turn on online booking

Switch on your branded booking page. Now clients can browse your timetable, pick a class, and reserve a spot from any phone or laptop — 24/7, without messaging you.

A few settings worth tuning at launch:

• Waitlist for full classes so a popular 6pm session keeps filling as people cancel
• Booking cut-off (e.g. no bookings within 30 minutes of start)
• Cancellation window that protects your capacity

Step 6 — Connect payments, packs and memberships

Add your payout details to switch on payments + tips, then decide how you want to charge with capture timing:

• Prepaid — class packs and memberships paid in advance
• Pay-before — full payment when booking a drop-in
• Deposit — hold part of the fee for premium or small-group sessions
• Pay-after — charge a saved card after class

Most studios run on packages (packs) and memberships — a 10-class pack or an unlimited monthly. Set those up now and use card-on-file so renewals and drop-ins are one tap. Add gift cards for an easy revenue boost around the holidays.

Step 7 — Add intake and consent forms

For anything with physical risk — heated classes, strength training, prenatal sessions — attach an intake/consent form to the booking. Clients complete the waiver before they ever set foot in the room, so your front desk is not chasing paperwork at the door.

Step 8 — Set reminders and go live

Before you announce, turn on appointment reminders plus reschedule/cancel notices, and enable 2-way messaging so a client can simply reply to ask about a class. Reminders alone meaningfully cut empty mats.

Then do a quick dry run:

1. Book yourself into a class from the public page
2. Confirm the reminder and confirmation emails land
3. Run a test payment, then refund it
4. Check the booking shows correctly on your calendar

When that all works, share your booking page link on Instagram, your website and in your email signature. You are live.

What to do in your first week

• Watch reporting & analytics for early signals: class utilization, no-show rate and which times fill fastest
• Nudge your most loyal drop-ins toward a pack or membership
• Tighten cancellation rules on classes that fill and lose people late

Setup is only the start. Once bookings are flowing, the real wins come from filling quiet slots and lifting revenue per member — that is exactly what our companion guide, how to grow your fitness studio & class business with Opraly, covers next. You can also see the full picture on the Classes & fitness studios page.

Ready to build your timetable? Start free and have your studio taking bookings today.