Appointments · 12 min read · Updated:
WhatsApp appointment booking: creating bookings, confirmations and reminder message examples
Your customers already message you on WhatsApp. We explain how to turn bookings made in chat into an orderly system, the rules to follow and ready-made message texts.
In short
- A WhatsApp appointment system keeps bookings in a calendar rather than in the chat, and uses WhatsApp for confirmations, reminders and change messages.
- An appointment reminder should be short and include only the day, time, business name and how to cancel or change; healthcare businesses don't write treatment details.
- A reminder about an existing appointment is informational; messages with campaigns or promotions are commercial electronic messages and need the recipient's prior consent.
- WhatsApp expects businesses to get the recipient's permission and not to send unwanted bulk messages; numbers that break the rules can be restricted.
- In Heyşirket, the appointment tracking system on the Premium plan lets you approve a booking request from your site by replying Yes or No on WhatsApp and sends automatic reminders 2 to 72 hours before the appointment.
In many businesses, appointments are already arranged on WhatsApp. A customer writes "Are you free Thursday evening?", you check your diary, then two days pass and the message sinks to the bottom of the chat. On the day, the customer doesn't turn up, because nobody reminded them.
A WhatsApp appointment system brings this mess together. Bookings are kept in a calendar, and WhatsApp is used for confirmation, reminder and change messages. In this article we explain how to set this up, the rules you need to follow and reminder message examples you can copy and adapt.
- Request — Site or message
- Written in the calendar — Single source
- Confirmation — Straight away
- Reminder — Before the appointment
- Attended / no-show — Recorded
Part 1 · Definition What is a WhatsApp appointment system?
A WhatsApp appointment system is a setup where bookings are kept in one calendar and communication with customers runs through WhatsApp. The key distinction is this: WhatsApp isn't a calendar. If a booking agreed in chat isn't written down somewhere, the same slot gets given to two people, and a cancelled slot is forgotten.
| WhatsApp chat only | WhatsApp + booking system | |
|---|---|---|
| Where does the booking live? | In the chat history | In the calendar, tied to a person and time |
| Clash check | Your memory | Booked slots aren't offered |
| Reminder | Manual, if you remember | Automatic, at the time you choose |
| Cancelled slot | Often stays empty | Opens in the calendar immediately |
| Team | Whoever holds the phone knows | Everyone looks at the same calendar |
| No-show rate | Unknown | Recorded and measured |
We cover the general levels of booking systems, from a free request form to a full tracking system, in online appointment system. This article focuses on the WhatsApp side.
Part 2 · Setup How do you create bookings via WhatsApp?
There are two ways to move a booking request from WhatsApp into a system. The first is to send the customer to a page where they can book themselves; the second is for you to enter the request from the chat into the calendar. Most businesses use both.
Setting up a booking routine that works with WhatsApp
Pick a single calendar
Keep all bookings in one place. Every booking from the phone, your site or WhatsApp goes there. Two separate diaries are the most common cause of clashes.
Enter working hours and service durations
Define once which days and hours you work and how long each service takes. Free slots are calculated from these.
Prepare your booking link
Save the link to the booking page on your site as a quick reply in WhatsApp. Send it to everyone who says "I'd like to book".
Enter chat bookings straight away
If the customer has picked a time in the chat, enter it in the calendar right then, and then send the confirmation. A booking left for "I'll write it down later" gets lost.
Turn on reminders
Send a reminder a day before and, if you like, a few hours before. If you send them manually, check the next day's list every morning.
Mark the outcome
After the appointment, mark it as attended, no-show or cancelled. Without knowing your no-show rate, you can't see whether reminders are working.
Part 3 · Rules Rules for sending appointment messages on WhatsApp
When you use WhatsApp as a business channel, its own rules and Turkish legislation both apply. Following them protects both your number and your customers' trust.
- Permission: WhatsApp expects businesses to message only people who have given them their number and agreed to receive messages. On the booking form or at the first contact, tell the customer you'll keep them informed on WhatsApp.
- No unwanted bulk messages: messaging everyone in your contacts in bulk increases blocks and reports. WhatsApp may then restrict the number.
- Right to opt out: if a customer says "I don't want messages", record it and don't send them reminders again.
- Separate information from promotion: confirming, reminding about or changing an existing appointment is informational. A message like "Discount on hair treatments this month" is a commercial electronic message; it needs the recipient's prior consent, and consents are recorded in the Message Management System (İYS).
- Personal data: appointment details are personal data. State in your KVKK privacy notice which channels you use for communication.
Part 4 · Ready-made texts Appointment reminder message examples
A good appointment message can be read at a glance: who, when, where, and what to do if something changes. In the texts below, replace the square brackets with your own details. Each is a single message and contains no promotion.
| Message | Example text |
|---|---|
| Booking confirmation | Hi [name], your appointment is booked for [day] [date] at [time]. Address: [short address]. To change it, just reply to this message. [Business name] |
| Reminder 1 day before | Hi [name], you have an appointment tomorrow at [time]. If you can't make it, please let us know so we can offer the slot to someone else. [Business name] |
| Reminder a few hours before | [Name], we're expecting you today at [time]. Directions: [map link]. [Business name] |
| Time change | Hi [name], as you requested, your appointment on [date] has been moved to [new time]. If that doesn't suit you, message us. [Business name] |
| Cancellation confirmation | Hi [name], your appointment on [date] at [time] has been cancelled. To book again, use [booking link]. [Business name] |
| Slot opened (waiting list) | Hi [name], a slot has opened on [day] at [time]. If you'd like it, just reply "yes". [Business name] |
| Review request | Hi [name], thank you for choosing us today. If you'd like to share your experience: [review link]. [Business name] |
If you send review requests, send them to everyone, not only happy customers, and don't offer a discount or gift in return. We explain how to reply to the reviews you get in how to respond to customer reviews.
Part 5 · Timing When should reminders be sent?
There's no single right time; it depends on the type of work and how far ahead the customer booked. As a general rule, a reminder the day before gives the customer time to change plans, and a second reminder a few hours before prevents forgetting.
| Appointment type | First reminder | Second reminder |
|---|---|---|
| Hairdresser, beauty, treatments | 24 hours before | 2 hours before |
| Clinic, examination, therapy session | 24 or 48 hours before | 2-3 hours before |
| Consulting, training, meeting | 24 hours before | 1 hour before |
| Booked weeks ahead | 72 hours before | One day before |
| Booked the same day | The confirmation is enough | 1 hour before |
Don't send messages at night or very early. If you use automatic reminders, check with a test booking that the sending time falls within your working hours.
Part 6 · Panel How does WhatsApp booking work in Heyşirket?
In Heyşirket, appointments are a module of your company panel, and WhatsApp helps in different places depending on your plan. On paid plans you can link your own WhatsApp number with a QR code; in the appointment tracking system on the Premium plan, confirmation and reminder messages go out automatically.
| Feature | What it does | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Online booking form | The customer picks a day and time on your site, and the request lands in the panel | Professional |
| Your own WhatsApp number | You link your number with a QR code; notifications and customer messages go from your number | Professional |
| Message templates | You edit the WhatsApp, SMS and email texts sent to customers | Professional |
| Approval via WhatsApp | When a request comes from your site, a message comes to your number; replying "Yes" or 👍 approves it, "No" rejects it. Up to 3 numbers can be added | Premium |
| Automatic confirmation and reminders | A message when the appointment is confirmed, a reminder before it and an optional second reminder | Premium |
| Cancellation and time change notice | After cancelling or moving, a Notify the patient option appears; nothing is sent unless you choose it | Premium |
| Review request | When the appointment is marked attended or completed, your Google review link is sent a few hours later | Premium |
Message settings are on the Appointment settings › Messages screen. The main switch is off by default; until you turn it on, no confirmation, reminder or review message goes to anyone. The reminder can be sent 2, 4, 12, 24, 48 or 72 hours before the appointment, and the second reminder 1, 2, 3 or 6 hours before.
- Channel order: you arrange WhatsApp, SMS and email in the order you like. If the first channel can't be used, for example the person has no number or WhatsApp isn't connected, the next one is tried.
- Sending number: WhatsApp messages go from My own number or the Heyşirket number; with Automatic, your own number is used if it's linked, otherwise the Heyşirket number.
- People who opt out: if a person has said they don't want messages, the system sends them nothing.
- Content: messages contain no treatment details; only the day, time and business name. Ready-made texts come in Turkish, English and German and are changed on the Message templates screen.
- Reply to people who book on your site: you can turn on a short message to someone who requested an online appointment when you approve or reject it, independently of the main switch.
The full appointment calendar and online booking rules are on the appointment system page, and managing site requests day to day is covered in managing site requests. Step-by-step guide in the panel: Help › Appointment tracking system.
What is a WhatsApp appointment system?
A WhatsApp appointment system keeps bookings in one calendar and runs confirmation, reminder and change communication with customers through WhatsApp. A WhatsApp chat on its own isn't a calendar; if bookings aren't written into a system, the risk of clashes and forgetting grows.
How do you create a booking via WhatsApp?
You send the customer the link to the booking page on your site, or enter the day and time agreed in the chat straight into your calendar. Then you send the customer a short confirmation with the day, time and address, and set a reminder before the appointment.
What should an appointment reminder say?
The person's name, the day and time of the appointment, the business name and how to let you know if something changes are enough. The message should be short with no promotion; healthcare businesses shouldn't write the treatment, diagnosis or session type.
Do I need the customer's permission to send appointment reminders?
Confirmations and reminders about an existing appointment are informational messages. Even so, WhatsApp expects businesses to message only people who have agreed to receive messages; tell the customer you'll inform them on WhatsApp and respect requests to opt out. Campaign and promotional messages need prior commercial message consent and İYS registration.
How long before the appointment should a reminder be sent?
Usually one reminder a day before and, if you like, a short second reminder a few hours before works well. For bookings made weeks ahead, 72 hours before is better; for same-day bookings, an hour before.
Do WhatsApp reminders go out automatically in Heyşirket?
Yes, in the appointment tracking system on the Premium plan. When you turn on the main switch and choose reminders on the Appointment settings › Messages screen, the message goes out 2 to 72 hours before the appointment, using the channel order you set. The main switch is off by default.
Set up your appointment messages Open your calendar and choose WhatsApp approval and reminder times, so your customers don't forget their appointments. Go to appointments
If you don't have a site yet, start for free; online booking is on the Professional plan, and WhatsApp approval and automatic reminders are on Premium.
Author: Heyşirket Editorial Team