Becoming a host

Hosts (also called creators) are the people who publish services and take bookings on Book A Sloth. Setting up is a short guided flow.

Sign in with Google

Hosts sign in with Google — there's no separate password to create or remember. Start from the Be a Sloth page and continue with your Google account. If you already booked something as a guest, you can turn that into a host account the same way.

Using Google also lets you connect your Google Calendar later, so your bookings land on the calendar you already use.

The setup steps

A guided setup walks you through everything you need to go live:

1. Sign in with Google — no password to create; your Google email is already verified.
2. Claim your username — this becomes your public link, bookasloth.com/your-name.
3. Tell us about you — individual or business, and whether you work online, offline, or both.
4. Pick your category / profession — so you show up in the right place.
5. Verify your WhatsApp number — so booking alerts and confirmations reach you (this is the one step you can skip for now).
6. Choose a plan — start free on Starter, or pick a paid plan for more.

Then you launch and you're live. Your profile, working hours, and first service are set up from the dashboard right after launch.

Finish the setup to reach your dashboard

Until setup is complete, you'll be guided back to the step you left off at — you can't reach the full dashboard until your page is ready to take bookings. Pick up where you left off any time by signing in.

Stuck on a step? Reach us from the Help page.

Onboarding — common questions

Do I create a password? No. Hosts sign in with Google — there's no password to set or remember, and no email-verification step (your Google email is already verified).

What are the actual steps? Six, in order: sign in with Google → claim your username → tell us about you (individual or business, and whether you work online, offline, or both) → pick your category/profession → verify your WhatsApp number → choose a plan. Then you launch and you're live.

Username rules? 3–30 characters, lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens only, and it must be unique — it becomes your public link bookasloth.com/your-name. If one's taken, pick another. You can change it later, but changes are limited and go through a check.

Is the WhatsApp step required? It's the one step you can skip for now — but verifying means booking alerts and confirmations reach you, so it's worth doing. The code is valid for 10 minutes; you get 3 tries per channel, then a short lockout before you can retry. Didn't get it? Check WhatsApp and email (incl. spam) and request a new one.

Can I skip other steps? No — every other step is required and must be done in order; you can't jump ahead. Choosing a plan is mandatory to finish (start free on Starter or pick a paid plan).

Is my progress saved / can I continue later? Yes. Each completed step is saved. Sign back in any time and you resume at the step you left off — you can't reach the full dashboard until onboarding is complete.

Do I connect Google Calendar during onboarding? No — that's optional and done later from your dashboard. See Availability and Google Calendar.

What happens after I launch? Your host account is active — add services, set your working hours, take bookings, and track earnings from the dashboard. Most of it (profile, availability, services, pricing, contact details) is editable any time.

What if my paid plan expires? Your account automatically falls back to the free Starter tier until you renew — nothing is deleted. Renew from the Plans section.

Can I book my own service? No — you can't book your own service from your own host account; the system blocks it. To test your booking flow, open your page from a different phone number or a guest account.

Do I need KYC to start? No. You can onboard, publish services, and take bookings without KYC — it's only needed to withdraw earnings. See KYC and identity verification.

Stuck during onboarding? Contact Book A Sloth Support and mention the step you're on.