Set up email and SMS appointment notification sets
Learn how to set up templates for appointment 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 number.
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 templates for:
Client booked notifications (SMS, Email)
Event rescheduled notifications (SMS, Email)
Event canceled notifications (SMS, Email)
Client canceled notifications (SMS, Email)
Reminders before the appointment (SMS, Email; one or more)
Each message type has:
An Enabled toggle
When off, the tile shows Disabled and Caspen will not send that specific SMS or email for that notification type.
A content editor with placeholders for Client, Appointment, Location, Practitioner, and Service details
Tip: In the set editor, templates are grouped into sections (for example, Client booked and Event canceled). Select the SMS notification or Email notification tile in the section you want to update.
Triggers at a glance
Client booked
Sends the booking confirmation message.
When an appointment is booked online or created in the calendar.
Event rescheduled
Notifies the client that the date or time has changed.
When an appointment is rescheduled.
Event canceled
Notifies the client that the appointment was canceled.
When an appointment is canceled.
Client canceled
Notifies the client that their booking was canceled.
When a client cancels their booking.
Reminders
Reminds the client before the appointment.
At the reminder intervals you set, relative to the appointment start time.
Reminders:
Sent only if the reminder window still applies. Appointments created close to the start time may skip earlier reminders.
Example: If you have a 24 hour reminder and a 2 hour reminder, and you book at 1:30 pm for a 3:00 pm appointment, those reminders will not send because their send times have already passed. Only a reminder that still falls before the start time would send (for example, a 1 hour reminder).
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.
Click 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 (when the reminders should be sent.
Click Create (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.
Link a set to a service
Assign a custom set so those messages and reminders apply to that service.
Steps
Go to Catalog → Services.
Find the service you want to link to a notification set, then click Actions → Edit service.
Scroll to Notifications. In Appointment notification set, choose the set you want. If none is selected, the Default set is used.
Click Save (bottom-right).
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.
You can send reminders up to 7 business days in advance, or as close as 1 hour before the appointment.
To add a reminder
Go to Settings → Appointment notification sets.
Find the set and select Actions → Edit.
Under Send reminders, click Add reminder, then select Add SMS reminder or Add Email reminder.
In the editor on the right, set Send to how many hours or days before the appointment the reminder should be sent.
Write your message and click Save (top-right).
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 → 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.
Old messages don’t disappear. If a service was using that set, any messages already sent (or logged) will still be visible in the client’s communication history.
Note: You cannot archive the default set.
To archive a set, first unlink it from every service: Catalog → Actions → Edit the service → clear the Appointment notification set → Save.
Related articles:
SMS character limits and credit usage guide (explains segments and credits)
Set up email and SMS class notification sets – Customize messages for class bookings, moved or canceled bookings, event changes, and reminders before upcoming classes.
FAQs
Why aren’t my clients getting SMS notifications?
Work through these checks:
SMS credits: Confirm you have credits in Settings → SMS Credits.
Enabled: Make sure the relevant message type (Booking, Reminder, Reschedule, Cancellation) is Enabled in the set.
Correct set: Check the service is linked to the intended notification set; otherwise it uses the default set.
Client mobile: Verify the client’s primary phone is a valid mobile (not a landline), and check that the correct country code is selected.
What if the wrong wording was sent?
Make sure the service is linked to the correct notification set. Changes apply to future sends only.
Why did my reminder not send?
The appointment was created or edited after that reminder’s send window (e.g., booked too close to the start time).
The reminder is disabled in the set, or its send time had already passed when the appointment was made.
Also worth checking: SMS credits, the service is linked to the intended set, and the client has a valid mobile number.
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