Vagaro doesn’t offer an open scheduling API for third-party apps, but you can use its Google Calendar sync to connect an AI answering service like Upfirst to your appointment workflow. This page explains how the pieces fit together and what to expect.

What is Vagaro?

Vagaro is an all-in-one scheduling and business management platform used by salons, spas, barbershops, fitness studios, and other service-based businesses. It includes online booking, calendars for each staff member, point-of-sale tools, forms, and client management features.

What can you do with Vagaro and Upfirst’s AI answering service?

Upfirst integrates directly with Google Calendar. Vagaro offers a two-way sync with Google Calendar.

Because of that sync, you can:

• Let Upfirst check availability and book into Google Calendar
• Let Vagaro pull those Google events into its system as personal tasks
• Convert those tasks into Vagaro appointments if needed

This isn’t a native Vagaro integration, but it is the most reliable way to use an AI receptionist for scheduling alongside Vagaro.

How the Vagaro calendar sync works

Vagaro → Google Calendar

When syncing from Vagaro to Google:

• Vagaro appointments and blocked times show up in Google Calendar
• Repeating Vagaro appointments repeat in Google
• Customer info (like guest emails) does not sync
• “Busy” events block time; “free” events do not

Google Calendar → Vagaro

When syncing from Google to Vagaro:

• Google events appear in Vagaro as Personal Tasks
• These tasks stay synced unless you convert them into a service or class
• Once converted, updates happen only inside Vagaro
• Google events marked “busy” block scheduling in Vagaro

This is the mechanism Upfirst relies on.

How Upfirst's AI receptionist fits in

Upfirst can:

• Connect to a Google account
• Check one or more Google Calendars for availability
• Book appointments directly into Google Calendar in real time
• Apply rules like appointment duration, buffers and minimum notice

Once the appointment is on Google Calendar, Vagaro sees it during its next sync cycle and imports it as a personal task (or a blocked time slot if it’s marked “busy”).

What if you have multiple stylists or providers?

Upfirst supports multiple calendars if they’re all visible under one Google account with read/write access. A common setup is:

1. Each stylist has their own Google Calendar
2. All stylists share their calendars with one “master” Google account
3. You connect that master account to Upfirst
4. You create appointment types in Upfirst that point to the correct stylist’s calendar

Because Vagaro syncs at the Google Calendar level, those events flow back into each provider’s Vagaro schedule as personal tasks or blocked times.

Two ways to use Upfirst With Vagaro

1. Send your Vagaro booking link (simplest)

You can add your Vagaro online-booking link to Upfirst and tell the AI receptionist to send it in a text anytime someone inquires about booking an appointment. This keeps scheduling entirely inside Vagaro.

2. Book directly into Google Calendar

Upfirst can place the appointment directly on your Google Calendar. Vagaro then pulls that event in. This is useful if you want callers to book immediately without navigating the online booking flow.

Setup instructions

1. Turn on Vagaro ↔ Google Calendar sync

In Vagaro:

1. Go to Calendar and Scheduling > Export and Sync Your Calendar
2. Connect your Google account
3. Choose whether you want:
   • Vagaro → Google
   • Google → Vagaro
   • Or both
4. Confirm time zones, visibility (“busy” vs “free”), and provider-level settings

2. Create a master Google account

Recommended if you have multiple stylists.

1. Create a single Google account for scheduling
2. Have each provider share their calendar with this account (read/write)
3. Verify the calendars appear under that account

3. Connect Google Calendar to Upfirst

In Upfirst:

1. Go to Integrations → Google Calendar
2. Choose which calendars to use for availability

4. Create appointment types

In Upfirst:

1. Go to Agent > Scheduling
2. Add a new appointment type for each service/provider (e.g. Men's Haircut, Women's Haircut, Pedicure, etc.)

Confirm:

• The AI receptionist books into the correct Google Calendar.
• The event syncs into Vagaro as a personal task.
• You can convert it to a Vagaro appointment if needed.

What this setup can and cannot do

Can

• Block time in Vagaro based on appointments booked through Upfirst
• Sync provider availability through Google Calendar
• Handle multiple providers using shared calendars
• Send your Vagaro booking link via text
• Book appointments instantly during a live phone call

Cannot

• Create or modify appointments directly inside Vagaro
• Sync custom Vagaro form fields or service details
• Automatically convert imported Google events into Vagaro services
• Replace Vagaro’s provider-by-provider availability configuration

FAQ about integrating Vagaro with an AI receptionist

Does Upfirst integrate directly with Vagaro?
Not natively. Vagaro doesn't have an open API, which limits the ability to AI answering services to offer native integrations. The connection happens through Google Calendar using Vagaro's two-way Google Calendar sync which is native.

Will appointments show up in Vagaro automatically?
Yes—appointments booked by Upfirst appear in Google Calendar first, then import to Vagaro as personal tasks.

Do personal tasks block time?
Yes, personal tasks marked “busy” prevent new bookings in Vagaro.

Can this work for multiple stylists?
Yes, as long as their Google Calendars are all visible to the same Google account connected to Upfirst.