Customising email and SMS appointment templates
Learn how to set up templates for booking confirmations, reminders, reschedules, and cancellations.
Before you start
Make sure clients can receive automated messages:
Clients have a valid mobile number and email.
You have SMS credits available: Settings → SMS Credits.
Note: SMS is sent to the client’s primary phone number, and it must be a mobile.
How notification sets work
The Default appointment notification set is used for any service that does not have a specific set assigned. Create custom sets when a service needs different wording or reminder timing.
Each set includes:
Booking notifications (SMS, Email).
Rescheduling notifications (SMS, Email).
Cancellation notifications (SMS, Email).
Reminders before the appointment (SMS, Email; one or more, scheduled in hours or days).
Each message type has:
An Enabled toggle.
A content editor with placeholders for Client, Appointment, Location, Practitioner, and Service details.
Triggers at a glance
Booking
Sends the confirmation message and provides a confirm link.
Appointment is created in the calendar or booked online.
Rescheduling
Notifies the client that the time or date has changed.
Appointment is rescheduled.
Cancellation
Notifies the client that the appointment was cancelled.
Appointment is cancelled.
Reminders
Reminds the client before the appointment.
At set intervals before start (if applicable) .
Reminders:
Sent only if the reminder window still applies. Appointments created close to the start time may skip earlier reminders.
Example: If you have 24-hour and 2-hour reminders and you book at 1:30 pm for a 3:00 pm appointment, those earlier reminders won’t send. Only a 1-hour reminder would.
Edit the default set
Tip: By default, all services use the Default set. You can edit the Default, or duplicate it to test changes without affecting current messages. If you create another set, link only the services that need different reminders. Others will keep using the Default automatically.
Use this when the same wording and timing should apply to most or all services.
Go to Settings → Appointment notification sets.
Next to the Default appointment notification set, select Actions → Edit.
In the left column, select the message type you want to change.
In the editor on the right, toggle Enabled on or off (when off, it shows Disabled) and update the message.
For Reminders set Send to the number of hours or days before the appointment (to dictate when reminders are sent).
Click Save.
Add or adjust reminders in this set — see Add reminders for more info.
Create a custom set
Use this when a service needs different wording or reminder timing.
Go to Settings → Appointment notification sets.
Select Add appointment notification set.
Name the set (top left).
Turn Enabled on for the message types you want to send and write the content.
Add one or more Reminders and set the timing.
Click Save (top right).
Add or adjust reminders in this set — see Add reminders for more info.
Next: Link your new set to a service so it is used for bookings (see below).
Link a set to a service
Assign a custom set so those messages and reminders apply to that service.
Steps
Go to Catalogue → Services and edit the service.
Scroll to Notifications. In Appointment notification set, choose the set you want. If none is selected, the Default set is used.
Click Save.
Result
That service now uses the selected set.
Services without a selection continue to use the Default set.
Add reminders
You can add multiple reminders to the same set. Each reminder can be scheduled in hours or days before the appointment.
To add a reminder
Go to Settings → Appointment notification sets.
Find the set and select Actions → Edit.
Select Add reminder, then choose Add SMS reminder or Add Email reminder.
In the editor on the right, set Send to the number of hours or days before.
Write your message and click Save (top right) for the set template.
Duplicate or archive a set
Duplicate when you want a copy to adjust instead of starting from scratch.
Archive when you no longer want a set selectable for new services.
Steps
Go to Settings → under Scheduling click Appointment notification sets.
In the list, open Actions for the set.
Choose Duplicate or Archive.
What happens when archived
The set moves to the Archived tab and cannot be edited or linked to new services.
Services already linked continue to show their message history, but you should relink them to an active set for future notifications.
Note: You cannot archive the Default set.
SMS length and limits
Caspen uses standard SMS rules, which determine how long a message can be before it is split into segments.
Standard GSM characters:
1 segment = 160 characters.
Long messages use 153 characters per segment.
With emojis or special characters:
1 segment = 70 characters.
Long messages use 67 characters per segment.
What Counts As Standard GSM Letters, numbers, spaces, and common punctuation (A–Z, a–z, 0–9, . , ! ? ' " : ; ( ) / @ #).
Special Characters Curly quotes “ ” and ‘ ’, long dashes, many accented letters like é or ü, and symbols such as { } [ ] ^ \ |, and emojis.
Using emojis or special characters reduces how many characters fit in one SMS, which may increase the number of segments (and credits) used.
Cost You use 1 SMS credit per outbound segment.
Tips to reduce SMS costs
Keep SMS short and clear.
Use standard GSM characters.
Limit emojis and special characters where possible, as they can increase cost.
If you’re curious about credits, try an online SMS segment calculator to estimate usage.
FAQs
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