A good appointment reminder names the business, the date and the time, and tells the customer in one line how to confirm or change the appointment. Below you find templates for text and email that you can copy and adapt. Replace the parts in square brackets with your own details.
What every reminder needs
Keep reminders short. The customer should understand them in a few seconds on a lock screen. Check each message against this list:
- Who is writing. Put your business name at the start. A text from an unknown number without a name looks like spam.
- Day, date and time. Write the day of the week as well. It catches mistakes.
- One clear action. Confirm, move or cancel, and how.
- The place, if you have more than one location or customers come for the first time.
- No private details. Do not name the treatment or the reason for the visit. Other people may see the screen.
Text messages work well for the short reminder. Email is better when you need to add directions, forms or things to bring. Our comparison of text and email reminders explains when to use which.
Templates for text messages
Booking confirmation
[Business name]: Your appointment is booked for [day, date] at [time]. Need to change it? Reply to this message or call [phone number].
Reminder a few days before
[Business name]: A reminder of your appointment on [day, date] at [time]. If the time no longer suits you, reply MOVE and we will find a new one.
Reminder the day before, with confirmation
Hi [first name], see you tomorrow at [time] at [business name]. Please reply YES to confirm or MOVE to reschedule.
Same-day reminder
[Business name]: See you today at [time]. Address: [address]. Running late? Call [phone number].
Keep each text to about two or three short sentences. Long texts are split into several parts by some networks and are harder to read.
Templates for email
Confirmation email
Subject: Your appointment on [day, date] at [time]
Hello [first name],
thank you for booking with [business name]. Here are the details:
Date: [day, date]
Time: [time]
Duration: about [duration]
Address: [address]
Please bring: [items]
If you need to change or cancel, reply to this email or call [phone number]. Please tell us at least [notice period] before.
Kind regards,
[your name]
Reminder email the day before
Subject: Reminder: your appointment tomorrow at [time]
Hello [first name],
this is a short reminder of your appointment tomorrow, [day, date], at [time] at [business name].
Can you make it? Please reply with a short yes. If you need another time, tell us and we will find one.
See you tomorrow,
[your name]
Put the date and time into the subject line. Many people only read the subject.
When there is no reply, or the customer did not come
No answer to the reminder
Hi [first name], we have not heard from you about your appointment tomorrow at [time]. Are you still coming? A short YES or NO helps us plan. Thank you. [business name]
After a missed appointment
Hi [first name], we missed you today at [time]. We hope everything is fine. Would you like a new appointment? Reply to this message or call [phone number]. [business name]
Stay friendly, also after a no-show. You do not know the reason. A calm message brings many customers back, and a sharp one loses them for good.
Thank you for cancelling in time
Thank you for letting us know, [first name]. Your appointment on [date] is cancelled. Would you like a new time? Here are two options: [option 1] or [option 2].
If you have a cancellation policy, add one short line to the day-before reminder, for example: Free changes are possible until [time and day]. Whether you may charge a fee depends on your country and profession.
Small rules that make templates work
- Send from a number or address that accepts replies. If you ask for a YES, someone has to read it.
- Use the same words every time. Customers learn what YES and MOVE mean.
- Mind the hour. Send during the day or early evening, not at night.
- Get permission. Ask at booking how the customer wants to be reminded and keep a note of it. Rules for texts, email and messaging apps differ by country. This is general information, not legal advice.
- Offer a way out. If someone does not want reminders, stop sending them.
- Do not add advertising. A reminder is a service message. Mixing in offers can change which rules apply.
- Test on your own phone. Check names, dates and links before real customers get the message.
Sending by hand or automatically
With a handful of appointments a day you can send reminders by hand. Save the templates as text shortcuts on your phone and block ten minutes each afternoon for the next day's list.
This breaks down when you are busy, ill or on holiday, which is exactly when a no-show hurts most. Many booking tools include basic reminders. Check first what your current calendar or booking system can already do.
If you want reminders with confirm and reschedule replies that run without you, the No-Show Stopper from Astranode is built for this. It is in early access.
Name your business, give day, date and time, and ask for one clear reply. A short reminder that makes rescheduling easy does more than a long one that only warns.