Question
Why does my Sidebar show a 'No PMS' or 'No Service PMS' error?
Example of a 'No PMS' error
Solution
If your HotDoc Sidebar shows No PMS or No Service PMS, HotDoc is unable to connect to your practice management system.
This may affect all devices at your practice, or only some computers. Follow the steps below to restore the connection. If the issue started after a server, network, database, or PMS change, HotDoc’s connection settings may also need to be reviewed.
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If your clinic uses Best Practice as your Practice Management Software, please see the following article instead: Why does HotDoc show a Best Practice connection error? (No PMS) |
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In this article |
What this error means
When HotDoc cannot connect to your practice management system, it may be unable to read information from your database or sync changes correctly.
While this issue is active:
- Online bookings may not confirm immediately
- Appointment reminders may be affected if the connection is down for an extended period
- New recalls may not sync through
| If your connection is down for a period of time, HotDoc Support may temporarily disable your online bookings. Once a connection is restored, online bookings will be automatically re-enabled shortly after. |
How to troubleshoot the issue
Quick checks to try
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Refresh the HotDoc Sidebar
You can refresh the HotDoc Sidebar by clicking the 'HotDoc' Logo in the top left corner of the Sidebar:
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Log out of the Sidebar and log back in.
This can usually be a simple fix for a 'No PMS' issue. (Make sure you know your password before logging out.)
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Restart Services
The HotDoc services run in the background and are required for your Sidebar to be connected to HotDoc. See How to restart the HotDoc services to learn how to perform this easy troubleshooting step.
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Check if there are any internet or network issues at the site
A local internet or network issue is one of the most common reasons the Sidebar cannot connect.
When to check with your IT provider
If the issue is still happening, it may be related to recent changes made behind the scenes by your IT team.
Check with your IT provider to confirm:
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Whether any server, database, or PMS changes have been made recently. > server update contact Support
HotDoc relies on specific server and database settings to connect and sync data correctly. These changes can sometimes happen without practice staff being aware (for example, during upgrades or maintenance).If changes have been made, your HotDoc setup may need to be updated or reinstalled. Please follow the instructions located here for your specific practice management system. -
Whether any firewall, antivirus, or security changes could be blocking the connection
HotDoc requires access to certain ports and domains to maintain a connection. Security updates can sometimes block this access.If changes have been made, your IT provider may need to ensure the correct ports and domains are allowlisted by following the instructions located here for your specific practice management system.
When to contact HotDoc Support
If the issue continues after trying the quick checks and contacting your IT team, please contact HotDoc Support.
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To help our team investigate quickly, please include:
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FAQs
Can I still use HotDoc while the Sidebar shows No PMS?
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Some HotDoc functions may still appear available, but HotDoc may not be able to read information from your practice management system or sync updates correctly while the connection is down.
What if I see errors in the Sidebar after reconnecting?
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This can happen when bookings made while the connection was down don’t match your appointment book, which may result in double bookings.
For more information on how to manage this, please see: Time already taken in PMS error
Will bookings made during this time be lost?
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Not necessarily, but online bookings may not confirm immediately while the connection is unavailable. If the connection has been down for some time, it is a good idea to check whether any appointments were made during the outage.