Reminders are the single biggest lever you have against no-shows. ApptOnly sends them automatically and lets you tune the channels, timing, and content. This guide walks through what is configurable and what to set them to.
What gets sent out of the box
Without any configuration, every confirmed booking triggers:
- Confirmation email at booking time.
- 24-hour reminder the day before the appointment.
- 2-hour reminder on the day of.
- Post-visit follow-up the morning after.
You can turn any of these off, change their timing, add SMS versions, or write custom text.
Channels
Each reminder type can be sent over email, SMS, or both:
- Email is on by default for all types.
- SMS is opt-in and sent only to clients who have a phone number on file and have consented (the booking page collects consent at first booking).
SMS has a small per-message cost passed through from Twilio. For most solo practices the cost is trivial; for higher-volume practices the cost shows up in your billing.
Timing windows that work
The defaults are sensible. If you tweak, a few patterns that practitioners settle into:
- Confirmation — keep at booking time. There is no reason to delay.
- First reminder — 24 hours is the sweet spot. Earlier than 48 hours and clients forget; later than 12 hours and you cannot recover from a "I forgot" cancellation.
- Second reminder — 2 hours works for most practices. Move to 1 hour if your clients are walk-in-style and you want a last-minute heads-up. Move to 4 hours if your clients drive a long way and need lead time.
- Post-visit follow-up — same-day evening or next morning. Either is fine.
Customizing the message
Under Settings, Notifications, each reminder type has a customizable subject and body. You can:
- Add a personal greeting style.
- Include directions, parking notes, or what to bring.
- Set a cancellation policy reminder.
- Add a rebooking link to the follow-up.
Use the merge tags (, , , ) so the message reads naturally.
SMS request-confirmation
For SMS specifically, there is a "request confirmation" option. When on, the SMS reminder includes "Reply YES to confirm." Clients who reply YES are auto-confirmed; clients who do not are flagged for you to follow up on. This is useful for very high-value or hard-to-fill slots.
For most appointments, the friction is not worth it. Leave it off unless you have a real reason.
Opt-out behavior
Clients can opt out of either channel:
- Email — every reminder has an unsubscribe link in the footer. Clicking it removes them from reminders only; they still get critical booking confirmations and receipts.
- SMS — replying STOP unsubscribes them per Twilio's compliance requirements. Same scoping: they still get transactional confirmations.
Both opt-outs are stored on the client record. You can see who has opted out from the client's profile.
The post-visit follow-up template
The default template thanks the client and offers a rebooking link. If you want to write a more personal version, do it from Settings, Notifications, Follow-up. Avoid making this one too sales-y. A simple thank-you with a clear next-step link converts better than a promotional pitch.