Appointment Reminders
Appointment reminders help clients stay on track and reduce no‑shows. You can customize when and how reminders are sent at the account, client, and appointment levels to match your practice’s communication preferences.
In this article:
- Video Tutorial
- Account‑Level Settings
- Client‑Level Overrides
- Appointment‑Specific Overrides
- Troubleshooting Appointment Reminders
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Related Resources
Video Tutorial
Watch this overview to see how appointment reminders work in Sessions Health.
Account‑Level Settings
You can set global reminder defaults under Account Settings > Client Notifications. These settings apply to all new appointments unless you override them at the client or appointment level.
ℹ️ Only administrators can view or edit these practice-wide settings. All other roles can adjust reminder settings at the client level and on individual appointments as long as they have access to the client’s chart or the scheduling calendar.
Enable Appointment Reminders
Toggle Enable appointment reminders to turn reminders on or off for your entire practice.
Default Delivery Method
Choose how reminders are sent by default:
- Text
- Email and Text
- Email and Phone
💡 Phone reminders appear only for clients who have selected Phone call as their preferred method under Clients > [Client Name] > Details > Contact Preferences.
Automatically Send Appointment Confirmation Emails
Enable this to send a confirmation email immediately when an appointment is created.
Email and Text Templates
You can customize the default reminder messages sent to clients. You can edit the message body and choose which tokens (also called variables) to include. Use Preview to see how your message will look with real appointment details.
| Token | Description |
|---|---|
| Appointment Location | Inserts the location address. For telehealth sessions, this token includes the telehealth link and additional instructions. |
| Appointment Time | Inserts the appointment’s start date and time, using the client’s time zone. |
| Client First Name | Inserts the client’s first name. |
| Client Full Name | Inserts the client’s full name. |
| Practice Name | Inserts your practice name from Account Settings. |
| Practice Phone Number | Inserts your practice phone number. |
| Practitioner Name | Inserts the practitioner’s full name. |
💡 The Appointment Location token is required for telehealth links to appear.
Default Reminder Timing
Set one default reminder (e.g., “1 day before”). You can choose timing in:
- Weeks
- Days
- Hours
- Minutes
Reminders can be scheduled up to two weeks before the appointment.
Include Calendar Attachment (.ics)
Enable this to include a calendar file with email reminders. The downloadable attachment includes:
- Appointment date and time
- Practitioner name
- Location or telehealth URL
- Additional instructions
ℹ️ If you set a Business Email in Account Settings > Account > Business Information, client replies to email reminders will go to that address. If you don’t set a Business Email, replies go to the practitioner’s email instead. If you want clients to reply directly to practitioners, leave the Business Email field blank.
Client‑Level Overrides
You can customize reminder settings for individual clients under Clients > [Client Name] > Details. These settings override your account‑level defaults for all future appointments with that client.
You can adjust:
- Whether reminders are allowed
- The client’s preferred delivery method
- Custom reminder templates
- Reminder timing
Phone Call Reminders
Clients can receive automated voice call reminders if their contact preferences allow it. To enable phone reminders for a client, scroll to their Contact Preferences and make sure:
- OK to call/text is enabled
- OK to send voice/text appointment reminders is enabled
- Phone call is selected as their preferred method
Custom Client Templates
If a client has a custom reminder template, they will receive that version instead of your account‑level template. You can remove a custom template at any time to return them to the default.
Appointment‑Specific Overrides
When creating or editing an appointment, you can override both account‑level and client‑level defaults for that specific session.
💡 Each appointment supports up to 4 email reminders and up to 1 text or phone reminder
Checking Reminder Statuses
Open the appointment on the calendar to see the status of each reminder. Hover over the status icon to see whether it was sent, is pending, or could not be delivered.
Troubleshooting Appointment Reminders
If reminders are not sending, check the following:
Client Preferences
- The client has not opted out of email, text, or phone reminders
- The client’s preferred method matches the reminder type
Appointment Details
- The appointment is not in the past
- The reminder timing has not already passed
Contact Information
- The client’s email address is valid
- The client’s phone number is valid
Need More Help?
If reminders still aren’t sending after these checks, reach out to Sessions Health Support at support@sessionshealth.com for help reviewing your communication settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do reminder changes apply to existing appointments?
No. Any changes you make to reminder settings or templates apply to new appointments moving forward. Existing appointments keep the settings and template that were in place when they were created.
How do reminders work for couples or multi‑client appointments?
Each client’s contact preferences are checked individually. Email, text, or phone reminders may send to one client and not another based on individual preferences. The reminder status icons show delivery for each person.
Why doesn’t my telehealth link appear in reminders?
Make sure the Appointment Location token is included in your template.
Related Resources
You may find these related articles helpful as you work with appointments and client information: