Changelog

User-visible changes to OutfitterHQ. Newest first. Internal refactors and infra that don’t change what you see stay off this page.

How we write entries

Lead with what you can do now (or what broke and got fixed)
Name the surface: grid, bookings, online booking, deliveries, settings
Link the handbook page when one exists
No “excited to announce”

2026-09-12 — New booking shows on the grid before Save

From the grid (desktop side panel), the dates and boats on the form paint as dashed blocks on those rows so you can see the slots you are considering. They update as you change hulls or dates, and they go away when you Save or go back. See The scheduling grid and How to create a staff booking.

2026-09-12 — Handbook home is a table of contents

Search lives on how-to guides (and in the guides sidebar). The handbook index is the map, not another search box.

2026-09-12 — Unfinished onboarding tracker is not a handbook page

The video-onboarding draft and its status sheet are off the public handbook. Start with How-to guides.

2026-09-12 — Search the handbook like you talk at the desk

Handbook home and how-to guides now have a search bar. Type “move a boat” or “guest emailed” and it opens the right page — not a pile of keyword matches. / focuses the box. Guide pages keep a smaller search in the sidebar.

2026-09-12 — Questions at the bottom of handbook pages

Every handbook page now has a Questions section. Ask about that guide; replies stay on that thread. Signed in, the post shows your name. Signed out, you can sign in or post anonymous. See About.

2026-09-12 — Trailer sizes say usual / max

Settings → Trucks & trailers now asks Usual boats and Max boats, with a short tip on each. Same packing as before: max only when it avoids another hitch. See How to set trucks and trailers.

2026-09-12 — Trucks & trailers on Optimize

Settings → Trucks & trailers is where you list hitch sizes (usual / max) and how many trucks you run. Leave it blank and Optimize still uses per-boat trucking. Booking rules → Prioritization no longer holds those fields. See How to set trucks and trailers and Smart boat assignment.

2026-09-12 — Places map & outfit stops (optional)

Settings → Advanced → Places map & outfit stops (off by default). The access-points map colors the yard vs put-ins, lists unpinned places, and shows straight-line distance between two pins. Online booking hides the yard and tells the guest whether to stop at the outfit first. Staff new bookings show the same line. Booking rules can hide the guest map (sentence stays). See Fleet & access points.

2026-09-12 — Comfortable seats, optional squeeze

Boat types already had rec / max capacity (2 and 3 on a canoe). New bookings now recommend the comfortable number. If that adds a truck run and squeeze would save it, the form offers Use squeeze — it does not pick that for you. Auto-snug only happens when the party cannot fit at comfortable seats. Taking a boat off a trip someone already paid for needs a confirm and leaves a staff-only note; their quote stays put. See Smart boat assignment and How to create a staff booking.

2026-09-12 — Email holds copy does not credit Ask

Settings → Advanced → Email holds now says a hold lands as Pending. Ask at the desk does not create it. See Email holds.

2026-09-12 — How this outfit decides

Signed-in staff see this outfit’s decision tree on the matching handbook guides (boat pick, hull ticks, online vs desk, Optimize / overnight). Branches join instead of repeating. The block says it is from the outfit you are logged into, and that other readers do not see it. Settings stay knobs-only, with a one-line link. See How to set boat prioritization.

2026-09-12 — Ask stays Ask when something fails

If Ask cannot answer, it says to try again or take the booking by hand. It does not name how it is built. See Ask (OutfitterAI).

2026-09-11 — Optional trailer loads on Optimize

Settings → Booking rules → Prioritization has an optional Trailer loads block (how many trailers, comfortable boats per load, squeeze capacity). Leave them blank and assignment stays as it is. When set, Optimize packs one hitch at a time and only squeezes to avoid another trip. See Smart boat assignment and How to optimize the grid.

2026-09-11 — Email holds and overnight truck pass

Email holds (Settings → Advanced, plus OutfitterHQ enable): guests write book+your-shop@inbound.outfitterhq.ca. A complete request holds boats as Pending. You still approve. Ask at the desk does not create the booking. See Email holds.
Overnight truck pass (same dual gate): before the dock opens, only clean truck-saving swaps on tomorrow-or-later confirmed trips are applied. Morning digest + grid Revert. See Overnight truck pass.

2026-09-11 — Ask hulls you named stay ticked

If Ask puts a specific boat on the New booking form (C4 even when it does not fit), that pick stays. The recommendation card does not swap it for Z1/Z2. Tap Use recommendation if you want the engine pick. See Bookings.

2026-09-11 — Ask knows when you Save or Apply

After Ask fills a booking or settings page, the card goes away. You Save on the page. Ask then confirms and can take the next step (deposit, another hull). Apply in Ask still sits on moves, cancel, and start trip until you tap it. See Ask (OutfitterAI).

2026-09-11 — Ask fills the grid side panel

On the grid (desktop), Ask opens New booking or the trip you named in the side panel instead of leaving for the full page. If that panel is already open, it fills it. Phone still uses the full page. See Ask (OutfitterAI).

2026-09-11 — Delivery follows the boats, and you can override it

Delivery and Pickup tick from where the hulls are. Uncheck (or check) if the truck plan is different — the amber note stays next to the box, including after Save. The fee and the In & Out delivery line cover only boats that are not already at the start lake. See Bookings and In & Out sheet.

2026-09-10 — Setup waits if analysis is already running

Import, upload, and Review what we found won’t stack while the wizard is still reading. A quicker pass can kick in after a lot of analysis in one week — you still confirm every rate. Let us know if you need a fuller read. See How to run the setup wizard.

2026-09-10 — Ask Dismiss drops a staged move

Dismiss on an Ask card throws away the staged Apply without changing the board. The chat stays. See Ask (OutfitterAI).

2026-09-10 — Bookings shows how many are waiting for approval

When online bookings are in review, Bookings in the nav shows the count. It clears when you approve or decline. See Bookings and Online booking.

2026-09-10 — Ask cap can wait until next week

Ask still pauses when the shop hits today's cap. If the shop is on a weekly cap, it waits until next week instead. Let us know is unchanged. See Ask (OutfitterAI).

2026-09-10 — Ask New starts a clean pad

New in Ask clears this tab's thread and the staged Apply card. Thirty minutes quiet does the same, so the next person at a shared login does not see the last guest. A refresh still keeps the current job. Apply is in Ask, not on the grid, and stays on this tab through a reload. See Ask (OutfitterAI).

2026-09-10 — Ask taps sit in the empty thread

What's on this week and Suggested moves (and the other page taps) show when Ask is empty. After you send, they go so the reply and the box keep the room. See Ask (OutfitterAI).

2026-09-10 — Edit recommendation can keep the boats already on the trip

Opening a booking, the optimizer treats those hulls as free for this trip only. The card can say keep them, or suggest a different set if dates or the party changed. You still choose Use recommendation. See Bookings.

2026-09-10 — Edit keeps the booked boats; Ask points at the move

Opening a trip from the grid keeps the hulls already on it. If Ask has a staged move, that shows as Ask suggested — you still choose Use recommendation or Apply. The grid flash is that trip plus dashed bars on the empty target boats, then it clears. See Ask (OutfitterAI).

2026-09-10 — Ask Expand is for reading

The corners icon on Ask makes the floating chat wider and taller so a table or handbook quote is readable. Tap again to return the compact popout. Same thread, same page — not a separate Ask screen. See Ask (OutfitterAI).

2026-09-10 — Ask lists and tables keep their shape

Ask replies can use real lists, bold, and tables again. A finished answer no longer gets flattened into one line. See Ask (OutfitterAI).

2026-09-10 — Ask can read the handbook

Ask can search the same guides and feature pages you already have, then quote the page with a link. It does not invent how a flow works. See Ask (OutfitterAI).

2026-09-10 — Ask can show the grid as a table

Ask can read the live board (who is on which hull, put-in / take-out, truck runs, empty hulls) and answer in a table. Suggested moves checks that board against the optimizer — destination free, already at the splash, saves a truck — instead of repeating the suggestion list. It still does not apply swaps. See Ask (OutfitterAI).

2026-09-10 — Ask can read and fill settings

Ask can read settings you are allowed to see, including optimizer suggestions and boat-order / substitution rules. If you can edit, it opens the page and fills the fields. You tap Save. It does not write settings, change a password, or apply grid swaps. See Ask (OutfitterAI).

2026-09-10 — New booking: Done does not record the deposit

After you save a booking, Done leaves only once cash, terminal, or card has recorded the deposit. If you click it first, it tells you the deposit is not recorded. Skip for now still leaves it unpaid. See How to create a staff booking.

2026-09-10 — Ask: fill stays in the chat

Ask no longer collapses into a confirm bar after it paints the New booking form. Looks right / Show on form stay in the thread, and you can keep talking. See Ask (OutfitterAI).

2026-09-10 — Settings: embed preview stops at the widget

Settings → Business: the website embed preview is as tall as the booking form, not a tall empty frame you scroll past.

2026-09-10 — Grid: dark mode lines are muted again

Dark grid no longer draws bright white cell lines. Day borders use the same lakeshore color as the rest of the board.

2026-09-10 — Settings: Guest communication is a hub

Settings → Guest communication is now two cards you click into — Emails (confirmation / pending-review templates, reply-to, CC) and Waivers (liability PDF). Same pages as before; they are no longer stacked on one scroll. See Team, roles & settings and Liability waivers.

2026-09-10 — What you rent: Other, in your words

Settings → Business and setup: tap Other and type what you rent, where they live, and what you call guests. Same three fields as the named packs. See Team, roles & settings.

2026-09-10 — Handbook: year-round fleet ops are in

Who this is for no longer rules out a hotel-style PMS or a twelve-month season. Same grid in January as in July.

2026-09-10 — Online booking: embed the checkout on your site

Settings → Business: copy a one-line script (like Stripe’s) to drop the guest book flow on your own page. Pick Night, Pine, Lake, Sand, or Canvas so the widget matches the site. Card fields inside use Stripe’s night theme. Your standalone /book/… link still works. See Online booking.

2026-09-10 — Ask: talks back, and you can drag it

Ask (Settings → Advanced → OutfitterAI) now replies as you type — not a one-shot “Done.” Lists and bold render in the chat. Hold the header to move it; let go to drop. Double-click to put it back. You still Save. See Ask (OutfitterAI).

2026-09-10 — Online booking: quote updates as you change the trip

Public book page: changing dates, starting lake, party size, package, or experience checks availability on its own. The old quote clears so you cannot Continue on stale boats. See Online booking.

2026-09-10 — Bookings: no sign link until a waiver PDF exists

Booking detail: Copy / Email sign link do not send when Custom waivers is on and no PDF is uploaded. Admins get Upload waiver PDF (Settings → Guest communication → Waivers). Staff see why and who to ask. Paper attest still works. See Liability waivers.

2026-09-10 — Confirmation email lists the online booking fee

When you pass the software fee to the guest, their confirmation (and pending) email itemizes Online booking fee as paid or due now. Trip total and balance stay the rental quote. Same wording on the public book page and payment link. See Payments, deposits & billing.

2026-09-10 — Settings: upload prompt when Custom waivers is on

Settings → Advanced: turning on Custom liability waivers shows where to put the PDF (Settings → Guest communication → Waivers) and a button that opens the upload. See Liability waivers.

2026-09-10 — Home: stay on the public site when you’re signed in

Visiting outfitterhq.ca no longer dumps you onto the grid. Open [your shop] (hero and header) takes you in. Log in and sign up still land in the app.

2026-09-10 — Ask: open and fill a booking from any page

Ask (Settings → Advanced → OutfitterAI, off by default) can open the New booking form, fill it in front of you, and let you Save as usual. See Ask (OutfitterAI).

2026-09-10 — Handbook: desk walkthrough plays when you see it

Marketing home and handbook home: the desk walkthrough starts when it is on screen (muted; unmute from the player). See The OutfitterHQ Handbook.

2026-09-10 — Online booking: missing waiver PDF no longer blocks guests

Online booking: if Custom waivers is on but you have not uploaded a PDF, guests can still finish the book link. Waiver signed stays unchecked until they e-sign or staff mark it. See Liability waivers.

2026-09-10 — Grid: full screen keeps the preview banner

Grid: full screen no longer covers the amber Preview environment strip (or the impersonation banner). See The scheduling grid.

2026-09-10 — Pricing: pick a model

Pricing now has a short form: who you are, email, which fee shape you’d rather see (guest flat, guest percent, or the shop pays per booking), and an open note. Amounts still TBD.

2026-09-10 — Handbook: two-minute desk walkthrough

Handbook home now plays a short recording of a new booking and the grid. See The OutfitterHQ Handbook.

2026-09-10 — Offline editing paused

Deep offline sync (replica / Add to Home Screen) is off. It broke clicking from Grid to Settings and other pages. The grid can still show a recent cached schedule. See Offline.

2026-09-10 — Grid: full screen is the expand icon

Grid: full screen is the expand/collapse icon next to Optimize — no labeled button. Same action; Esc still leaves. See The scheduling grid.

2026-09-10 — Grid: new booking while a trip is open; honest move errors

Grid: drag empty days on a boat row to start a new booking even if another trip is open in the side panel — the panel switches to New booking. See The scheduling grid.
Grid: if a drag-move fails (usually gear), you see the real reason. Force move anyway is on that banner. Needs attention / Sync is only when offline v2 is on. See How to move and edit bookings.

2026-09-10 — Grid full screen; backdated staff bookings

Grid: Full screen fills the window with the board. Esc or the same button leaves. See The scheduling grid.
Staff bookings: you can save a trip that is all or partly in the past; the form warns you. Online guests still cannot start in the past. See How to create a staff booking.

2026 — handbook published as the public docs home

This handbook is now the public documentation set: who the product is for, voice, pricing model (amounts TBD), features, roadmap, and comparisons.

App: outfitterhq.ca

Older product changes will be backfilled here as we harden the public site. If something shipped and isn’t listed, email hello@outfitterhq.ca — that’s a bug in the changelog.