splose can automatically send SMS and email messages to clients: confirmations, reminders, reschedules and cancellations, using templates you set up once. That keeps client communication consistent without messaging manually for every appointment.
In this guide, we'll show you how to set up appointment templates, customise them with placeholders, link them to services, and make sure clients get the right message at the right time.
Before you begin
Ensure your clients can receive automated communications
Before you get started setting your templates up, make sure your clients have the correct communications preferences.
To ensure automated messages are delivered, check the following:
Clients have the correct timezone
Client must have their correct timezone set up on their profile. If you have clients across different timezones, go to their profile and Edit the timezone
Clients have valid contact details and communication preferences
Client must have communication preference set to Email, SMS or both
The phone number must be a mobile number (not landline)
SMS credits are available
Go to Settings → SMS Settings
Top up if needed
Templates are switched on and attached
Go to Settings → Templates → Appointments
Make sure templates are enabled
Then check Settings → Services to confirm the correct templates are attached to each service
You can change the communication preferences for all clients by navigating to Settings → Details → Default Contact Preferences Settings.
Set the default preference (e.g., SMS & Email) for new clients, including those created via online bookings. To apply these preferences to existing clients, select "Apply to all existing clients and override current contact preferences" before saving.
What about secondary mobile numbers?
By default, only the client's first mobile number receives automated messages. Here's how to send to a secondary number.
To send a message to a secondary number:
Link the number to a Contact (make sure it's a mobile number-type and the first listed one), then
Add them as an Associated Contact under the client's profile
Tick the box for Appointments so they'll receive communications
Only the client's mobile number can reply via two-way SMS replies.
How-to
Set up your appointment templates
The steps below show you how to create a template and customise it with placeholders.
Once you've opened the Appointments templates section, you can start building templates that suit the way you run your services. From confirmation messages to reminders, each template can be customised with placeholders and linked to specific services- saving you time every time you book.
💡 Along with creating specific templates for different services, you can also toggle SMS and Email on or off for each appointment template type. This gives you more control over how and when you communicate with clients.
Go to Settings → Appointment Templates
Click + New template, or Edit an existing one
Create your SMS and email content using placeholders
You can use placeholders for:
Business and location details
Patient and practitioner names
Appointment info
Forms
When you attach a form to an appointment template, it'll be automatically generated in the client's file.
Take it a step further by setting up:
Form reminders → to prompt clients to complete the form
Form notifications → to notify selected team members when a form is submitted
Want to get forms automations set up? Learn more here →
Enable Reminders for Appointments
Reminder templates notify clients before an upcoming appointment. The steps below show you how to set the timing and channel.
Navigate to your Workspace Settings.
Under Templates, select Appointments.
Select the Template that you would like to use for your reminders. Please ensure that the template type that you select is Reminder.
Select when you would like the reminder to be sent out.
You can select the following options:
Days
Business Days
Hours
Toggle the SMS and/or Email options to ON depending on your preferences.
Click Save to confirm your changes.
Add Telehealth links
To make a Telehealth link clickable in your emails, insert it as a placeholder and link it; here's how.
Use the placeholder from the Appointment dropdown
Highlight the placeholder → click the link icon → paste the same placeholder in the URL field (this ensures it's clickable)
For mobile providers (provider travel)
If you visit clients off-site, use the provider travel placeholder to pull the appointment address into your message.
Tip: Preview your SMS and email before saving to check formatting and placeholder use.
Attach templates to services
You can assign specific templates to services- perfect for tailoring your communications based on session type. For example, one set of templates for recurring consults, another for Telehealth.
If you add a Telehealth link to a service after the appointment is created, it won't send retroactively. To be safe, add Telehealth placeholders to reminder templates as well.
Test your email notifications
Before relying on templates, send yourself a test to confirm emails arrive.
Create a test appointment using your public booking link.
Use your own email address to receive the confirmation.
Check your inbox and spam/junk folders for the email.
Delete the test appointment from the calendar once testing is complete.
Troubleshooting Email Notifications
If confirmation or reminder emails aren't sending, work through the checks below.
Verify that the appropriate templates are enabled and assigned to the relevant services.
Check the client's communication preferences and ensure their email address is correct.
For online bookings, test the functionality by making a test booking using your public booking link and checking your inbox (including spam/junk folders) for the confirmation email. Delete the test appointment afterwards.
Template types explained
Here's what each template type does and when it's triggered.
Confirmation templates
Confirmations are sent automatically when an appointment is first created or booked online, and include a calendar invite.
Reminder templates
Reminders notify clients before an upcoming appointment by SMS or email.
You can:
Send reminders up to 7 business days in advance
Send reminders as close as an hour before
💡 You can attach multiple reminder templates to a service
Reschedule templates
Reschedule messages are sent only when you use the Reschedule button, and include a new calendar invite.
Cancellation templates
Cancellation messages let clients know an appointment has been cancelled.
If you're using two-way SMS, avoid using the word "Cancel" in your messages- clients who reply with "Cancel" will unsubscribe from future texts.
Instead, say something like:
"Reply Y or N"
"Contact the clinic to cancel"
If a client has already unsubscribed, they can reply Start to opt back in.
SMS character limits and message segments
SMS length affects cost; longer messages are split into segments. Here's how the limits work.
Character sets and limits:
Standard GSM characters: 160 characters per SMS
Longer messages: Split into 153-character segments
Messages with special characters or emojis: Limited to 70 characters (67 per segment after splitting)
Characters that reduce your limit:
Emojis
Accents (é, ü, ñ)
Currency symbols (€, £, ¥)
Symbols like { } [ ] ~ |
Tips to avoid extra costs:
Stick to basic characters (A–Z, numbers, standard punctuation)
Avoid emojis and symbols unless necessary
Use an online SMS segment calculator to check message length before sending
Costs:
1 SMS credit per outbound segment
0.5 credits per inbound segment
Additional troubleshooting and FAQs
My client received two reminder messages — where did the second one come from?
My client received two reminder messages — where did the second one come from?
If you edit an appointment after it's booked, splose sends your rescheduled notification, even if you didn't change the date or time. That can look like a duplicate reminder. Finish edits before confirmations are sent, or adjust your rescheduled template.