Set up watch folders and automatic backups

Two set-and-forget helpers live in Settings > General: watch folders, which pull files you drop into a folder straight into your Booking HQ, and automatic backups, which copy your data somewhere safe on a schedule. Set both up once and stop thinking about them.

Watch folders: drop a file, it lands in your Booking HQ

A watch folder is any folder on your computer that Booked Solid keeps an eye on. Drop a contract, a rider, a photo, or any file into it, and the app copies it into your Booking HQ inbox where Otto can use it.

1. Open Settings > General and scroll to Watch folders.
2. Click Watch a folder and pick the folder (your Downloads folder is a popular choice).
3. Use the per-folder toggle to pause or resume watching any folder without removing it.
4. Click Remove to stop watching a folder entirely.

One important rule: the app copies the dropped file into the Booking HQ inbox. Your original file never moves and never disappears from where you put it.

Automatic backups: the Back up my data schedule

Backups run through the Runs on its own section of Settings > General - the same place all scheduled tasks live.

1. In Runs on its own, choose the Back up my data preset.
2. Pick the time of day you want the backup to run.
3. Pick the backup folder - where the copies should go. An external drive or a synced cloud folder both work well.
4. Click Add. The task now appears in your scheduled list with its own Run now button, an on-off toggle, and a Remove button.

Scheduled tasks run daily at the time you set, while the app is open. If your computer was asleep at the scheduled time, the runner catches up and runs the missed time after wake, so a closed laptop lid does not silently skip your backup.

Two safety rules worth knowing

• Restores are safe: if you ever restore a backup, the app copies your current Booking HQ first, so a restore can never destroy what you have now.
• Keys are never in a backup: API keys and other secrets from the vault are never written into backup files. A backup on a shared drive cannot leak your keys.

A solid starting setup

• Watch your Downloads folder, so anything a client emails you flows into the Booking HQ the moment you save it.
• Schedule Back up my data once a day, to a folder that lives on a different drive than your Booking HQ.

Still stuck? Submit a ticket from this help center and we'll take it from there.