Dokan Marketplace for Services – Custom Build Guide

Most people use Dokan to sell physical products, but one of its most powerful (and underrated) use cases is building a service-based marketplace.

If you want to build a platform like:

• Freelance services

• Consulting bookings

• Home services

• Digital or on-demand services

Using Dokan, this guide will show you how to build a service marketplace with Dokan and where custom development is required.

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🔴 What Is a Service-Based Marketplace?

A service marketplace allows vendors to sell time, skills, or expertise, not physical products.

Examples:

• Designers offering design packages

• Tutors offering hourly sessions

• Consultants offering calls

• Repair professionals offering services

Unlike products, services need:

• Time-based pricing

• Booking or scheduling

• Custom service details

• Approval workflows

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🧠 Can Dokan Be Used for Services?

Yes — but not out of the box.

Dokan is built on WooCommerce, which means:

• Everything is treated as a “product”

• Payments & commissions work perfectly

• But service logic needs customization

With the right setup, Dokan can power very advanced service marketplaces.

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🧩 Core Components of a Dokan Service Marketplace

To build a service marketplace, you typically need:

1️⃣ Service listing (instead of product listing)
2️⃣ Custom service fields
3️⃣ Booking or request-based flow
4️⃣ Custom pricing logic
5️⃣ Vendor dashboard customization
6️⃣ Commission & payout logic

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1️⃣ Creating Service Listings in Dokan

In Dokan, services are usually created as:

• Simple products (for fixed-price services)

• Variable products (for multiple service tiers)

Example:

• Basic Consultation – ₹999

• Premium Consultation – ₹2,499

You can rename:

• “Products” → “Services”

• “Add Product” → “Add Service”

This improves vendor clarity.

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2️⃣ Adding Custom Fields for Services (Very Important)

Service marketplaces require extra information, such as:

• Service duration

• Delivery time

• Location (online/offline)

• Required documents

• Custom notes

These are added using custom fields in Dokan vendor forms.

👉 Without custom fields, service listings feel incomplete.

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3️⃣ Booking, Scheduling & Request-Based Flow

Most services are not “instant checkout”.

Common flows:

• Request a quote

• Book a time slot

• Schedule a session

This usually requires:

• Booking logic

• Availability management

• Approval workflows

👉 This is where custom development or advanced plugins are required.

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4️⃣ Custom Pricing Logic for Services

Service pricing can be:

• Hourly

• Fixed

• Tier-based

• Add-on based

Examples:

• ₹1,000 per hour

• ₹5,000 per project

• Add-ons like “Urgent Delivery”

Dokan supports pricing via WooCommerce, but advanced pricing rules require customization.

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5️⃣ Customizing Vendor Dashboard for Service Providers

Service vendors need a simpler dashboard than product sellers.

Common customizations:

• Hide shipping options

• Remove inventory fields

• Add service-specific tabs

• Show bookings or requests

This improves adoption and reduces support tickets.

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6️⃣ Commission System for Service Marketplaces

Dokan’s commission system works perfectly for services.

You can use:

• Percentage commission (e.g., 10%)

• Fixed commission per order

• Vendor-based commission

Example:

• Service price: ₹2,000

• Commission: 15%

• Admin earns: ₹300

• Vendor earns: ₹1,700

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⚠️ Limitations of Default Dokan for Services

Out-of-the-box Dokan does not fully support:

• Advanced booking flows

• Multi-step service requests

• Conditional fields

• Performance-based commissions

• SLA or delivery tracking

That’s why custom Dokan development is essential for service marketplaces.

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🛠️ When You Need Custom Dokan Development

You should go for custom development if you want:

• Booking-based services

• Custom workflows

• Role-based dashboards

• API integrations (Zoom, CRM, etc.)

• Scalable service marketplace

Custom development ensures:
✔ Clean & update-safe code
✔ Better performance
✔ Business-specific features

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📚 Also Read

• How to Customize Dokan Vendor Dashboard

• How Commission System Works in Dokan