Changing when reminders and review requests send

Three messages let you move their send time: the 48-hour reminder, the 24-hour reminder and the review request. Everything else fires at its built-in time.

Setting the timing

1. Go to Settings > Messaging and find the message's card.
2. In the Hours before the appointment box (or Hours after the visit for the review request), enter the number of hours you want.
3. Press Save.

Only owners can change these settings. Reminder and review timing is measured from the appointment's start time. The review request still needs the visit to be marked completed.

The 48-hour reminder is off by default, so its timing only matters once you have switched it on. Leave the box blank to use the default: 48 hours and 24 hours before the appointment for the reminders, and 72 hours after the visit for the review request. You can set anything from 1 to 336 hours (two weeks).

Examples

• Set the second reminder to 4 to text patients on the morning of their appointment rather than the day before.
• Set the first reminder to 72 if your cancellation policy needs three days' notice.
• Set the review request to 24 to catch patients while the visit is fresh.

No double sends

Changing these hours does not repeat a reminder that has already gone out. Moving the appointment to a later time is different: it can re-arm reminders for the new booking time. These messages are picked up within sending windows, rather than at an exact instant. An appointment whose new window has ended is not picked up; one still inside the window can be.