How patient messages work

The short version

• Patient messages go on WhatsApp.
• They're sent automatically by the platform: appointment reminders, follow-ups, review requests, recalls, birthday wishes. See Automatic messages.
• Staff don't send messages to patients by hand from Clinic24x7. There's no "send" button for messages, invoices or treatment plans.
• Every automatic message has its own on/off switch in Clinic Settings, and the whole clinic has a master switch.
• A patient who withdraws consent for messages never gets one.

Why no manual sending?

Sending messages by hand from a business number, especially to patients who haven't messaged you recently, can get the number flagged by WhatsApp. Keeping all sending inside automations with approved templates protects your number and keeps every message consistent and recorded.

You can still talk to patients yourself: buttons such as Open WhatsApp chat (on a data request, or in the mobile app's follow-up lists) open a chat in your own WhatsApp app on your phone or computer. That message comes from you, not from Clinic24x7.

What has to be true for a message to go out

1. The automation is switched on for your clinic (Clinic Settings → Preferences).
2. Your clinic's WhatsApp switch is on (Clinic Settings → WhatsApp).
3. The patient hasn't withdrawn consent for communications. Patients registered without ticking the messages box, or imported patients with no record, are treated as not having withdrawn. An explicit withdrawal always blocks messages.
4. The patient has a number to send to (their WhatsApp number, or mobile).
5. Anything specific to the message, for example review requests need your Google review link.
6. Your plan's WhatsApp allowance isn't used up (see Usage below).

The master switch

Clinic Settings → WhatsApp has one switch for every WhatsApp message your clinic sends.

Turning it off asks you to confirm: "Reminders, review requests, follow-ups and manual messages stop for this clinic. Anything due while it's off is skipped, not sent later."

Use it if you're closing for a holiday and don't want reminders going out, or while you check your templates.

Templates and language

WhatsApp only allows businesses to start a conversation with a pre-approved template. Clinic24x7 keeps approved templates for each kind of message, in several languages.

Clinic Admins choose them in WhatsApp → Templates & Language:

• Preferred language fills in every message type you haven't picked yet with the approved template in that language. Anything you've already chosen is left as-is.
• For each message type, pick a specific template, or leave it on Using platform default.

The 24-hour window

WhatsApp lets a business reply freely only within 24 hours of the patient's last message. Outside that window, only approved templates can be sent. Clinic24x7's automations always use approved templates, so they work at any time.

Usage

WhatsApp → Usage & Stats shows the messages sent this billing period and their delivery status (sent, delivered, read, failed), and how much of your plan's quota you've used (or Unlimited). The same numbers appear under Clinic Settings → Usage.

What patients see

Messages name your clinic, for example "Reminder: your appointment at Smile Dental Care is tomorrow at 10:30 AM." If a patient tells you they don't want messages, record it straight away by withdrawing their communications consent (see Patient consent). From then on, nothing is sent to them.

Every message is recorded

Each message sent to a patient appears in their Patient history → Messages, with its status. Patients also get it in their data copy if they ask for one.