SMS & reminders
Automated appointment reminders, service check-in pings, and direct client messaging.
Getting SMS enabled
SMS in Chartling is delivered through a shared carrier integration — your clinic doesn't need to set up a separate Twilio account or manage credentials. Contact support@chartling.io to request SMS activation for your clinic.
Once enabled, you can turn individual reminder types on or off from Settings → Communications → Reminders.
SMS delivery costs are covered by Chartling's carrier agreement and included in your plan. You don't receive a separate SMS bill or need to top up a balance.
What triggers a message
| Event | Channel | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Appointment reminder | Email + SMS | 48 hours before |
| Day-of appointment reminder | SMS only | Morning of the appointment |
| Boarding check-in confirmation | SMS | On check-in |
| Boarding check-out notification | SMS + Email | On check-out |
| Daycare session booking | SMS | At booking |
| Waitlist offer (daycare) | SMS | When spot opens |
| Appointment cancellation | Email + SMS | At cancellation |
| Discharge notification | Email + SMS | When discharge is sent |
| Report card sent | Email + SMS | When report card is sent |
Client opt-out
Clients can opt out of SMS at any time by replying STOP to any message from your number. Chartling automatically records the opt-out and stops sending SMS to that client's phone number. Email reminders continue unless also opted out.
To manually manage a client's opt-in status, go to the client profile → Communication preferences → toggle SMS on or off.
Per-client preferences
Each client profile has a Preferred contact method setting: Email, SMS, Both, or None. Reminders are sent only via the client's preferred channels. For new clients, the default is Email (SMS is added after they've received their first message and haven't opted out).
Recall campaigns
Recall campaigns are a Practice-tier feature for reaching clients who are overdue for a wellness visit, vaccine, or other recurring care — a batch outreach on top of the individual reminders above. Campaigns live outside Settings: click Campaigns in the main sidebar to build a list (e.g. patients overdue for a rabies booster), write the message, and send it to everyone on the list at once by email and/or SMS.
FAQ
Yes. In Settings → Communications → Reminders, each trigger type has its own on/off toggle. For example, you can enable the 48-hour appointment reminder but disable the same-day reminder if you don't want to double-message clients.
Yes. Each reminder type has an editable template in Settings → Communications → Message templates. Templates support merge fields like {{patient_name}}, {{appointment_date}}, and {{clinic_name}}. Keep SMS messages under 160 characters to avoid splitting into multiple segments.
Chartling logs delivery failures against the client's record and doesn't retry automatically. Persistent failures appear in Settings → Communications → Delivery log so you can follow up manually (for example, the client's number may be wrong or SMS-disabled).
Inbound SMS replies arrive at Chartling's shared number. Native inbound inbox support — where staff can see and reply to client messages in-app — is on the roadmap. For now, reply traffic is not surfaced in the app.