Question

How do I customise the copy of our SMS appointment reminders? 

Solution

HotDoc Reminders pre-populates a default copy for your Appointment Reminders. We recommend using this copy where possible as it sits within the SMS credit limit as per our Fair Use Policy (160 characters) and allows the patient to both reply to the SMS and use the unique link to confirm/cancel.

If your practice has specific needs that aren't addressed in the default copy, you can customise this copy in the Reminders > Template section of your HotDoc Dashboard following the steps below.

• How to edit your Regular and Immediate Reminders copy
• How to edit your Early Reminders copy
• How to edit your Custom Reminders copy
  

How to edit your Regular and Immediate Reminders

In the Standard Reminders section, you will have the ability to edit your Regular Reminder settings & Immediate Reminder settings.

• Regular reminders: Sent 24 hours before the appointment by default, located at the top of the page
• Immediate reminders: Sent for appointments booked less than 24 hours but more than 2 hours in advance by default, located at the bottom of the page

To edit the copy in these reminders, follow the instructions below: 

1. Navigate to Reminders > Templates > Standard Reminders:
   
   
   
   
2. Go to either the Regular Reminders or Immediate Reminders section, and locate the SMS Message section to edit your copy as desired. You will see any changes reflected on the SMS Preview on the right:
   
   
   
   
   • To customise and reduce the character limit, you can use placeholders by clicking Insert placeholder and selecting an option from the list:
     
     
     
     
   • The message must contain the {{time}} placeholder and we strongly suggest using the confirmation link and including the clinic's name in the copy.
     
   • These placeholders will be automatically replaced with the appointment and patient's information we sync from your book when sending each reminder.
     
     
   • You can click Clear message to delete the current copy and start from scratch
     
     
3. Once you are done making the copy changes, click Save on the bottom right corner of the screen:
   
   
4. If you would like to add any specific sending or cancellation settings for your regular or immediate reminders, please see:
   • How do I enable or disable appointment reminders from sending for specific appointment types?
   • How do I enable or disable appointment types from being cancelled via an appointment reminder?

How to edit your Early Reminders copy

1. Navigate to Reminders > Templates > Early Reminders:
   
   
2. On that screen, scroll to the SMS Message box and edit your Reminder copy as desired. You will see any changes reflected on the SMS Preview on the right:
   
   
   • To customise and reduce the character limit, you can use placeholders by clicking Insert placeholder and selecting an option from the list:
     
     
     
   • The message must contain the {{time}} placeholder and we strongly suggest using the confirmation link and including the clinic's name in the copy
     
     
   • These placeholders will be automatically replaced with the appointment and patient's information we sync from your book when sending each reminder.
     
     
   • You can click Clear message to delete the current copy and start from scratch
     
     
3. Once you are done making the copy changes, click Save on the bottom right corner of the screen:
4. If you would like to add any specific sending or cancellation settings for your regular or immediate reminders, please see:
   • How do I enable or disable appointment reminders from sending for specific appointment types?
   • How do I enable or disable appointment types from being cancelled via an appointment reminder?

How to edit your Custom Reminders copy

If your clinic has access to Custom Reminders and you would like to edit them in your dashboard, please follow the steps here: How to edit a Custom Reminder Template?