When should I send an appointment reminder?

A common schedule is a confirmation immediately after booking, a reminder 24 hours before the appointment, and a short reminder one to two hours before. Adjust the timing to how far in advance your customers usually book.

Can customers confirm or reschedule from the message?

Yes. Add quick-reply buttons such as “Confirm” and “Reschedule” to the template. The customer’s selection arrives as a reply in Hello’s inbox and opens a 24-hour window for follow-up.

Are appointment reminders utility or marketing messages?

Utility, provided they relate to an appointment the customer booked. Adding promotional content makes them marketing messages.

Can I send reminders without an integration?

Yes. Upload the day’s bookings as a recipient list and send the reminder template from Hello’s dashboard. You can connect your booking system through the API later.

WhatsApp appointment and booking reminders

Missed appointments cost revenue and leave slots unused. WhatsApp reminders are read promptly, and customers can confirm or reschedule with a single tap instead of calling.

Reminders suit any business that works by appointment, including salons and spas, clinics, repair and home services, consultants, tutors, vehicle servicing, restaurants and events.

A reminder sequence

When	Message	Buttons
Immediately after booking	Confirmation with date, time and address	Add to calendar link
24 hours before	Reminder	Confirm, Reschedule
1 to 2 hours before	Short reminder with directions	None
After the appointment	Thank-you message and feedback request	Rate us

Example template

Appointment reminder Hi {{1}}, this is a reminder of your {{2}} appointment on {{3}} at {{4}}. Reply STOP to stop reminders [ Confirm ] [ Reschedule ]

The header, footer and buttons are part of the approved template, and each message supplies only the four variables. See header and footer and buttons in the documentation.

Automating reminders from your booking system

curl -X POST "$HELLO_API_URL/v1/<your-phone-number-id>/messages" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $HELLO_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "to": "+447700900123",
    "type": "template",
    "template": {
      "name": "appointment_reminder",
      "language": { "code": "en_GB" },
      "components": [
        { "type": "body", "parameters": [
          { "type": "text", "text": "Sam" },
          { "type": "text", "text": "haircut" },
          { "type": "text", "text": "Thursday 3 October" },
          { "type": "text", "text": "10:30" } ] }
      ]
    }
  }'

Schedule this request 24 hours before each appointment. The message is queued immediately and the response includes an ID for tracking delivery.

Handling replies

When a customer selects Confirm or Reschedule, the reply appears in Hello’s inbox and opens the 24-hour customer service window. Your team can then offer new times in a regular message. With coexistence, you can also reply from the WhatsApp Business app on your phone.

Recommendations

State who and when in the first line. Many customers read only the notification preview.
Use the customer’s local time and an unambiguous date format.
Limit the number of reminders. Two reminders per appointment suit most businesses.
Keep reminders transactional. Send offers separately, as opted-in marketing messages.