> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.meetzela.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Services: Define What Your Business Offers to Customers

> Add, edit, and organise the services your business offers so Zela can accurately book appointments and answer customer pricing questions.

Services are the backbone of Zela's booking capability. Every time a customer calls in and describes what they need — whether it's a leaking tap, a full garden clear, or an end-of-tenancy clean — your agent matches their words to the services you've defined and books the right type of job. The more clearly you define your services, the more accurately and confidently your agent can handle those conversations without needing to escalate to you.

## Adding a Service

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Services Page">
    In your Zela dashboard, go to **Business** in the left-hand sidebar, then select **Services**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start a New Service">
    Click **Add Service** in the top-right corner to open the service creation form.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter the Service Name">
    Type a clear, recognisable name for the service — for example, *"Drain Unblocking"*, *"AC Service"*, or *"End of Tenancy Clean"*. This is the name your agent will use when confirming a booking with a customer.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Write a Description">
    Add a free-text description that explains what the service involves. This is particularly important for helping your agent recognise when a caller is requesting this service, even if they use different words. Include common variations and synonyms here.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the Estimated Duration">
    Enter how long the job typically takes. This is used by Zela's scheduling logic to block out the right amount of time on your calendar. You can enter anything from 15 minutes to multi-day jobs.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add Pricing (Optional)">
    Optionally enter a starting price or price range for the service. If provided, your agent can share this with callers who ask about cost before committing to a booking.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save the Service">
    Click **Save**. Your new service is now live and available for your agent to book.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Service Fields Explained

| Field                 | What It Does                                                                                               |
| --------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Name**              | The display name of the service, used in bookings and agent confirmations                                  |
| **Description**       | A free-text explanation of the service, used by the agent to match caller language to the right job        |
| **Duration**          | How long the job typically takes — from 15 minutes to multiple days — used for calendar scheduling         |
| **Price**             | A starting price or fixed price (optional) — the agent can share this with callers who ask                 |
| **Active / Inactive** | Toggle a service on or off without deleting it — inactive services won't be offered or booked by the agent |

<Info>
  The more detail you add to each service description, the better your agent can match a caller's words to the right service. Vague descriptions lead to mismatches; detailed ones give your agent the context it needs to handle calls confidently.
</Info>

## Editing and Deactivating Services

You can update any service at any time without affecting past bookings. To edit a service, go to **Business > Services**, find the service in the list, and click **Edit**. Update any fields and click **Save** — changes take effect immediately.

If you stop offering a service temporarily (for example, during a seasonal slowdown or while a team member is on leave), use the **Active / Inactive toggle** rather than deleting the service. Inactive services remain in your list with all their details intact but are hidden from your agent — it won't offer them to callers or accept bookings for them. You can reactivate at any time by flipping the toggle back on.

To permanently remove a service, open it in edit mode and click **Delete Service** at the bottom of the form. Note that deleting a service does not affect any existing bookings already made under that service.

## Service Categories

If your business offers a wide range of services, you can organise them into categories to keep your Services page manageable. Categories are for your own organisation — they don't change how the agent works, but they make it easier to find and manage services in the dashboard.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Creating a Category" icon="folder-plus" href="/business/services">
    On the **Services** page, click **Manage Categories**, then **Add Category**. Give it a name (e.g., *"Plumbing"*, *"Electrical"*, *"Maintenance"*) and save. You can then assign services to that category when creating or editing them.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Assigning Services to Categories" icon="tag" href="/business/services">
    When adding or editing a service, use the **Category** dropdown to assign it to an existing category. A service can belong to one category at a time.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Tip>
  Add common synonyms in the description — for example, for a service called *"Blocked Drain"*, include phrases like *"clogged drain, blocked pipe, slow drain"* so your agent recognises the different ways callers might describe the same job.
</Tip>


## Related topics

- [Onboarding Checklist to Launch Your Zela Receptionist](/getting-started/onboarding.md)
- [Meet Your Zela AI Agent: What It Does and How It Works](/agent/overview.md)
- [Business Profile: Keep Your Company Details Up to Date](/business/profile.md)
- [Zela: AI Voice Receptionist for Home Service Businesses](/introduction.md)
- [Configure Your Zela AI Agent: Voice and Personality](/agent/configuration.md)