Reminding patients by text

Texts are often read faster than email, which makes them a strong choice for last-minute reminders. Set up a reminder text the same way as an email reminder, with its own timing.

Create the template

Go to your settings and open Reminder SMS templates, add a new one, and give it a name. Choose how many days before the appointment it should send.

The reminder SMS template form with name and days-before fields.
Setting the name and timing for a reminder text.

Write the message

Keep it short and to the point — a text is meant to be read in a glance. Use the available placeholders for appointment time, practitioner, and location so each message fills in the right details automatically.

The SMS content editor with placeholders for appointment details.
Writing the reminder text with placeholders.
Longer messages cost more Each message uses roughly one SMS credit per 160 characters. A longer message may send as more than one credit, so keep an eye on length if you're watching your SMS balance.

Choosing which appointments get one

As with email reminders, whether an appointment type sends reminder texts is controlled on the appointment type itself.

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