Appointment reminder templates
Send a reminder 24 to 48 hours before the appointment, plus a second one the morning of for long or high-value visits. Keep it to a few lines: date, time, place, what to bring, and an easy way to confirm or reschedule, so you can refill the slot instead of discovering a no-show.
By Alvyn Detavernier, founder · published
When to use it
- Appointments booked more than a week out, which are easy to forget.
- Visits where a no-show is costly: medical or dental, long salon services, in-home estimates.
- Appointments that need prep: paperwork, fasting, dropping off a vehicle.
- Sales demos or B2B meetings booked weeks in advance.
- Recurring sessions (therapy, physical therapy, lessons) whose time changes week to week.
The templates, ready to copy.
Replace the parts in brackets with your details, proofread, send.
Template 1
Day-before text
[Company name] reminder: you're booked tomorrow, [weekday], at [time] at [address]. Reply C to confirm or R to reschedule, or call [phone]. Reply STOP to opt out.Template 2
Email 48 hours ahead, with prep
Subject: Reminder: your appointment [Weekday, Month Date] at [time]
Hi [First name], Quick reminder: we'll see you on [Weekday, Month Date] at [time] at [address]. To make the most of your visit, please bring: - [Item 1] - [Item 2] Can't make it? Please let us know by [deadline] at [link] or [phone] so we can offer the time to someone on our waitlist. See you soon, [Company name]Template 3
Morning-of text (home service)
Hi [First name], [Technician's first name] from [Company name] is on the schedule today between [time] and [time] for your [service]. They'll call 30 min before arriving. Questions: [phone]Template 4
B2B video call reminder
Subject: Tomorrow at [time] [time zone]: [meeting topic]
Hi [First name], Looking forward to our call tomorrow at [time] [time zone]. Join here: [link] Length: [duration] Goal: [one-sentence outcome, for example: agree on scope and budget for the project] If the time no longer works, grab another slot here: [booking link]. Talk tomorrow, [Full name]Template 5
Confirm-or-reschedule reminder
[Company name]: your appointment on [Weekday, Month Date] at [time] is coming up. Reply YES to confirm or call [phone] to reschedule. If we don't hear back by [deadline], we'll give you a call.
Tips to make it work.
- Two reminders at most: one a day or two before, and one the morning of for long or expensive appointments.
- Restate the cancellation deadline. Customers who know they can still cancel are more likely to actually tell you.
- Only write "Reply C to confirm" if your system reads replies; otherwise give a phone number or link.
- Keep texts vague about the reason for the visit, since they show on lock screens. Healthcare providers should leave out diagnoses and procedures entirely.
- Send between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. in the customer's time zone, not the office's.
- Honor STOP replies immediately: the FCC has recognized a "stop" reply as a reasonable way to revoke consent to texts.
Mistakes to avoid.
- Reminders without the address or time, forcing the customer to dig up the original confirmation.
- Stacking reminders at 7 days, 3 days, 1 day and 2 hours until people tune them out.
- Slipping a promotion into a reminder: under TCPA rules, marketing texts generally require prior express written consent.
- Inviting text replies nobody monitors, then marking the customer as a no-show after they canceled.
- Forgetting to update the automated reminder after a reschedule, so it shows the old time.
Frequently asked questions.
How far in advance should you send an appointment reminder?
Do I need consent to text appointment reminders?
Text or email for appointment reminders?
How do I reduce no-shows?
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