Arbox Bridge: client guide (source copy)
Canonical, client-facing explanation of the Arbox Bridge. In-app help, the Spotter help article and customer-success scripts derive from this file; keep them in sync with it. It is written for gym owners and managers. Behavior details and code live in README.md.
Status: available to every gym’s owner under Settings > Integrations. Do not publish on the marketing site: TKN-332 forbids naming Arbox or promising sync until the official-API route and claims are approved.
What the bridge does
You run your gym day to day in Taikan, while Arbox (and the Move/FreeFit connection that runs through it) keeps an accurate picture. Classes come in from Arbox, bookings go both ways within seconds, and members you add in Taikan are created in Arbox. You move over at your own pace, one class series at a time, and can stop at any point without losing anything in either system.
It uses Arbox’s official public API with your own API key. It never logs in as you and never touches payments.
Before you start
- An Arbox plan that includes an API key. Arbox shows the key under its settings (Integrations). Some Arbox plans do not include API access; ask Arbox if you cannot find it.
- In Arbox, create one free membership type for members you manage in Taikan: price 0, not recurring (for example “Taikan”). The bridge gives it to each member it creates so their Taikan bookings can be registered in Arbox without Arbox charging them.
- Pick a cancellation reason in Arbox that Taikan will use when a member leaves.
- You must be the owner of the Taikan organization to connect.
Setting up, step by step
Everything starts in preview mode: Taikan shows what it would do in Arbox without changing anything there.
- Connect. Settings → Integrations → Arbox. Paste your API key. Taikan checks it and shows how many of your recent members it can match in Arbox.
- Import the schedule. Choose the Taikan class type for imported classes and turn on schedule import. Check a few days of classes, times, coaches and capacity against Arbox.
- Link coaches. Match each Taikan coach to their Arbox staff member so coach changes can reach Arbox.
- Turn on members, then memberships. Choose the free membership type and cancellation reason. Taikan then goes through the members you already have: it links each one to their existing Arbox record by email or phone, and creates in Arbox only those it cannot find. Review the queued changes, any “two Arbox records match” issues, and members with no email or phone.
- Turn on bookings.
- Go live. After Taikan has confirmed a test run with you, switch off preview. From now on changes are written to Arbox.
- Move series over when you are ready (see “Moving a class series to Taikan”).
What to do where
| I want to… | Do it in | What happens in the other system |
|---|---|---|
| Add a new class or change a class time, title or capacity (series still run from Arbox) | Arbox | Appears in Taikan within about 5 minutes |
| Cancel a class (series still run from Arbox) | Arbox | Cancelled in Taikan within about 5 minutes. Existing Taikan bookings stay for you to handle (refunds, messages) |
| Change the coach of a class | Taikan or Arbox | Taikan pushes it to Arbox if the coach is linked to Arbox staff |
| Add a class you created in Taikan to Arbox | Arbox, by hand | Taikan lists it under “Create in Arbox”. Create it with the same title and time; Taikan offers to link the two and you confirm |
| Run a series from Taikan | Taikan (switch the series) | Arbox is no longer updated for that series. Taikan tells you what to change or cancel in Arbox by hand |
| Book or cancel for a member | Either | Reaches the other system within seconds (Taikan → Arbox) or about 5 minutes (Arbox → Taikan) |
| Add a new member | Taikan | Created in Arbox with the free membership, without Arbox sending a welcome message. Members added in Arbox are not brought into Taikan automatically |
| Edit a member’s name, email or phone | Taikan | Updated in Arbox. Edits made only in Arbox are not copied to Taikan |
| Sell plans and take payments | Where that member is billed today | Nothing is synced. Each system bills its own members |
| Check members in | Either | Arbox check-ins mark the Taikan booking attended. Taikan check-ins are not sent to Arbox |
| Manage the waitlist | Separately in each | Waitlists are not synced. When Taikan promotes someone from its waitlist, that booking reaches Arbox |
| Manage Move/FreeFit members | Move / Arbox, as today | Their bookings take seats in Taikan’s classes. Taikan never changes them |
| Leads | Taikan | Not synced |
What syncs and what does not
Syncs
- Classes from Arbox to Taikan, every 5 minutes, two weeks ahead.
- Coach changes from Taikan to Arbox (linked coaches only).
- Bookings and cancellations, both ways.
- Members and contact details from Taikan to Arbox, including members who were in Taikan before you connected, plus the free Taikan membership.
- Check-ins from Arbox to Taikan.
- Move/FreeFit bookings, which count against Taikan capacity.
Does not sync
- Creating, moving or cancelling classes from Taikan to Arbox (Arbox’s API does not allow it; Taikan gives you a to-do list instead).
- Payments, plans, prices and paid Arbox memberships, in either direction.
- Credits: a booking made in Arbox does not use Taikan credits, and a booking made in Taikan does not use paid Arbox memberships. Each system keeps its own billing rules; they are not kept in step.
- Members created in Arbox, and edits made to members in Arbox.
- Waitlists, leads, messages, forms, workouts and notes.
Billing during the move
Each member is billed by one system: members on Arbox plans keep paying Arbox, members on Taikan plans pay Taikan. The bridge never charges anyone and never cancels a paid Arbox membership. To move a member’s billing to Taikan, sell them a Taikan plan and cancel their paid Arbox membership yourself.
Members you manage in Taikan also hold the free Taikan membership in Arbox. If they book through the Arbox app, that booking is not charged in either system. Ask them to book in the Taikan app, and check whether your Arbox settings let you restrict who can book with that membership type.
What your members see
Nothing about the bridge. Bookings made in the Taikan app are confirmed and charged by Taikan’s normal rules; the same seat appears in Arbox within seconds. Members who still use the Arbox app during the transition can keep doing so. Bridge problems are never shown to members.
When something needs your attention
- Class full in Arbox. If Arbox or Move filled the last seat moments before a Taikan booking reached Arbox, the Taikan booking stays and you get an email and a push. Decide with the member what to do.
- Two Arbox records for one member. Taikan will not guess; link the right one by hand.
- “Update in Arbox” / “Create in Arbox”. Things Taikan cannot change in Arbox for you, with the exact details to enter.
- The issues list (Settings → Integrations → Arbox) shows anything waiting on you. Retry or dismiss each one; both are recorded.
- Connection stopped. If Arbox rejects the API key, syncing pauses and the card tells you to reconnect. Reconnecting starts in preview mode again.
Moving a class series to Taikan
A series is a class with the same title, weekday and start time (for example “CrossFit, Sunday 18:00”).
- In the Arbox card, switch the series from Arbox to Taikan. Taikan now owns its title, time, capacity and cancellations.
- Existing classes stay linked, so bookings keep flowing to Arbox and Move.
- When you change or cancel one of those classes in Taikan, it appears under “Update in Arbox”. Until Arbox matches, Taikan stops sending bookings for it and releases the seats it held there.
- When the series no longer needs to exist in Arbox (for example it is not offered on Move), delete it in Arbox. Mark series you never want in Arbox as Taikan only.
Stopping
Disconnect from the same card. Syncing stops immediately. Everything already in Taikan and Arbox stays as it is, including bookings already registered in Arbox. You can reconnect later; it starts in preview mode.
Questions we should expect
- Why can’t I edit this class in Taikan? Its series is still run from Arbox. Edit it in Arbox, or switch the series to Taikan.
- Why didn’t a member I added in Arbox appear in Taikan? Only members added in Taikan are synced. Add them in Taikan (the bridge links them to their Arbox record if the email or phone matches).
- Will members get double notifications? Taikan never asks Arbox to send welcome messages. Whether Arbox sends its own notifications for bookings made through the API depends on your Arbox settings; we verify this with you during the preview period.
- Does this cost anything in Arbox? The bridge needs an Arbox plan with an API key. It never creates paid memberships or charges.