Understanding Garage Link Modules
Garage Link is the customer-facing online platform built into Garage Hive, designed to help garages connect with their customers digitally. It powers everything from online bookings and customer authorisation to real-time service updates and self-service check-in. Garage Link is available in three modules — Essentials, Advanced, and Advanced Plus — each offering progressively more features to suit the needs of your garage.
This article explains what is included in each Garage Link module so you can understand which features are available to you and your customers.
Garage Link Essentials
Garage Link Essentials gives your garage the core online tools needed to interact with customers digitally. It is included with Garage Hive Core and Pro plans.
With Garage Link Essentials, you get:
- Online Booking (Solo) — Customers can book one published service online (e.g., MOT). You choose a single service to make available for online booking through your website.
- Customer Surveys (NPS) — Automatically send satisfaction surveys to customers after their visit, helping you gather feedback and improve your service.
- Customer Online Authorisation (10 documents/month) — Share Vehicle Inspection Estimates (VIEs), Estimates, or Jobsheet reports with customers via a secure link. They can review and authorise work online. Essentials includes up to 10 documents per month.
- Customer Self Check-In — Allow customers to check in their vehicle on arrival using a link sent to their phone. They confirm their details, parking spot, and any notes — reducing time spent at the front desk.
Garage Link Advanced
Garage Link Advanced unlocks the full suite of customer engagement tools, removing the limits found in Essentials. It is included with the Garage Hive Enterprise plan and available as an optional upgrade on the Pro plan.
Garage Link Advanced includes everything in Essentials, plus:
- Unlimited Online Booking — Publish as many services as you like for online booking, rather than being limited to a single service. Customers can choose from your full range of available services when booking through your website.
- Unlimited Customer Online Authorisation — No monthly document limit. Send as many online authorisation documents as your garage needs.
- Pre Check-In — Send customers a pre check-in link before their appointment (e.g., a few days in advance). They can confirm the planned work, agree to terms and conditions, select additional services, and even upload their driving licence if a courtesy car is required. This reduces admin time on the day and ensures the garage has all the information it needs before the vehicle arrives.
- Live Work Status — Give customers real-time visibility of their vehicle's progress through the workshop. Customers receive a link and can see live status updates — from vehicle arrived, to work in progress, to ready for collection — without needing to call the garage.
- Web Chat — Enable two-way live chat between your garage and customers directly through Garage Link. Customers can ask questions, get updates, and communicate with your team in real time without needing to call.
Garage Link Advanced Plus
Garage Link Advanced Plus includes everything in Garage Link Advanced, with the addition of expanded API access for deeper integrations. Built for power users and tech-enabled businesses that need high levels of customisability, this module acts as the key to Garage Hive's expanded API collection — allowing you to connect custom apps or third-party tools directly with your garage management system.
With Advanced Plus, you get access to new AI-optimised API endpoints — including the Online Booking API — that provide a broader range of data access than ever before. These APIs offer full two-way (read-write) connectivity, meaning external systems can not only pull data from Garage Hive but also write records back into the system directly. This opens the door to building custom internal tools, automating workflows, and syncing data with third-party platforms. Here is some key information to know:
- Your existing integrations are safe — Upgrading to Advanced Plus does not affect any of your current connections. All integrations that are part of the core system will continue to work on your previous plan exactly as they do now.
- Multi-location advantage — If you operate multiple branches, you only need to upgrade one location to Advanced Plus to unlock the expanded API access for all your other locations.
- Technical support included — The Advanced Plus module includes dedicated technical support to help ensure your custom integrations run smoothly and your system remains stable.
- Upgrade when you are ready — You only need to move to Advanced Plus when you are ready to go from testing to active implementation of the new API capabilities. Contact the Garage Hive support team to upgrade.
Note: For more details on the available API endpoints and how to use them, see the Garage Link API Documentation .
Feature Comparison
The table below provides a side-by-side comparison of what is included in each Garage Link module.
Online Booking
Single service only
Unlimited services
Unlimited services
Customer Surveys (NPS)
✅
✅
✅
Customer Online Authorisation
10 documents/month
Unlimited
Unlimited
Customer Self Check-In
✅
✅
✅
Pre Check-In
—
✅
✅
Live Work Status
—
✅
✅
Extended API Endpoints
—
—
✅
Web Chat
—
✅
✅
Your Garage Link module depends on your Garage Hive plan:
- Core plan — includes Garage Link Essentials
- Pro plan — includes Garage Link Essentials (with the option to upgrade to Garage Link Advanced)
- Enterprise plan — includes Garage Link Advanced
Garage Link Advanced Plus is available as an add-on for garages that require API access. Speak to your Garage Hive Support team for more information.
English (UK, IE, IM and IZ). To find documentation in other regions where Garage Hive operates, click here.
English (UK, IE, IM and IZ). To find documentation in other regions where Garage Hive operates, click here.