Website setup

Troubleshoot the CoverCount booking widget

Fix common booking widget issues, including blank embeds, blocked scripts, wrong venue or experience slugs, short iframes, and publishing delays.

Updated 2026-06-22

Use this guide when the CoverCount booking widget does not appear, shows the wrong booking flow, looks cut off, or works in preview but not after publishing.

Most widget issues come from one of five places:

  • The website page did not publish the latest code
  • The widget script was blocked or removed by the website builder
  • The widget target does not match the page container
  • The tenant or experience slug is wrong
  • The iframe section is too short for the booking flow

Start With The Direct Booking Link

Before troubleshooting the website embed, confirm the hosted booking page works by opening the direct booking link.

https://explore.covercount.io/oak-and-vine/reserve

Replace oak-and-vine with your venue slug.

If you are linking to one experience, test that URL too.

https://explore.covercount.io/oak-and-vine/reserve?experience=wine-tasting

If the direct link does not load the expected CoverCount booking page, the issue is probably the venue slug, experience slug, or CoverCount booking setup. Fix that before editing the website embed.

The Widget Area Is Blank

Check that the page contains both parts of the widget snippet:

<div id="reserve-widget"></div>

and:

<script src="https://explore.covercount.io/widget/reserve.js"></script>
<script>
  ReserveWidget.init({
    target: '#reserve-widget',
    tenant: 'oak-and-vine',
    venueName: 'Oak & Vine',
    utm: window.location.search,
    height: 920
  })
</script>

The target value must match the container. If the container is id="reserve-widget", the target should be '#reserve-widget'.

The Browser Says ReserveWidget Is Not Defined

This means the widget script did not load before the initialization code ran.

Check for:

  • A missing <script src="https://explore.covercount.io/widget/reserve.js"></script> line
  • A website builder that strips external scripts
  • A security plugin or content security policy that blocks scripts from https://explore.covercount.io
  • Code pasted into a field that accepts HTML but does not run JavaScript

If the platform does not allow external scripts, use a direct booking link instead.

The Wrong Venue Appears

Check the tenant value:

tenant: 'oak-and-vine'

The tenant value must be your CoverCount venue slug. It is not always the same as your website domain, legal business name, or display name.

If you are not sure which slug to use, contact CoverCount support.

The Wrong Experience Appears

If the widget should show all public experiences, remove the experience option entirely.

If the widget should open one specific experience, check this line:

experience: 'wine-tasting'

The value must match the CoverCount experience slug. If the slug is wrong, CoverCount may show the broader public booking picker instead of the experience you expected.

The Widget Is Cut Off

Increase the height option.

height: 980

Start with:

  • 920 for ordinary reservation booking
  • 980 for tasting flows, longer descriptions, or deposit flows
  • 1040 or more if the website builder adds extra spacing around custom code sections

Some website builders also have a section height or forced-height setting. If the builder has its own height field, make sure it is at least as tall as the widget height.

The Widget Works In Preview But Not On The Live Site

Publish the website, then refresh the live page in a private or incognito browser window.

Website builders sometimes show unpublished changes in preview while the live site still serves the older page. Caching can also make the old version appear for a few minutes after publishing.

Check:

  • The site was published after adding the widget
  • You are viewing the public URL, not only the editor preview
  • Browser cache is not showing an older version
  • The custom-code section is not hidden on mobile or desktop

The Widget Works On Desktop But Not Mobile

Check the mobile preview in your website builder.

Common causes:

  • The custom-code section is hidden on mobile
  • The section height is shorter on mobile
  • The widget is placed inside a narrow column or tabbed section
  • The page has sticky headers or overlays covering the top of the booking flow

If the mobile embed is difficult to make reliable, use a visible Reserve now button that opens the direct CoverCount booking link.

Deposits Or Card Holds Do Not Appear

The widget uses the same hosted CoverCount booking flow as the direct booking link. If the direct booking link shows the expected deposit or card-hold flow, the embed should too.

If deposit steps do not appear:

  • Confirm you are testing the right experience
  • Confirm the selected date, time, and party size are covered by the deposit rule
  • Test the direct booking URL outside the website embed

Use A Direct Booking Link As A Fallback

Every venue should have a direct booking link available as a fallback.

https://explore.covercount.io/oak-and-vine/reserve?utm_source=venue-website&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=reservations

For one experience:

https://explore.covercount.io/oak-and-vine/reserve?experience=wine-tasting&utm_source=venue-website&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=reservations

Direct links work well for website buttons, navigation menus, Instagram profiles, Google Business Profile links, email campaigns, and any website builder that does not allow custom JavaScript.

Contact Support

When you contact CoverCount support, include:

  • The website page URL
  • The direct CoverCount booking URL you expected to embed
  • Your widget snippet
  • Whether the issue happens in preview, on the published site, on mobile, or on desktop

Send those details to support@covercount.io.