A clinic can send the right reminder and still lose the appointment, simply because it arrived at the wrong time. A text that lands three weeks early is forgotten. A text that lands ten minutes before the session is too late to help anyone rearrange their day. Timing is half of what makes a reminder work.
If you use Cliniko, DataFlows gives you two ways to control that timing: rolling reminders and fixed-time reminders. You can also stack several reminders per appointment and rely on built-in duplicate-timing detection to stop messages colliding.
In this guide you will learn how each timing mode works, how multiple reminder slots fit together, and how to choose a setup for your type of clinic. If you are new to the integration, start with our complete guide to Cliniko SMS features or the overview of Cliniko SMS reminders with DataFlows.
What Is Cliniko SMS Reminder Timing?
Cliniko SMS reminder timing is the set of rules that decides when an appointment reminder text is sent to a patient relative to their booking. In the DataFlows and Cliniko integration, DataFlows reads your appointment calendar directly from Cliniko and applies one of two independent timing modes for each clinic: a rolling mode, which sends a reminder a chosen number of hours before each individual appointment, and a fixed mode, which sends reminders once a day at a set clock time for everything due the following day. You can also add more than one reminder slot per appointment, each with its own timing and its own wording. Because the integration is native, DataFlows polls Cliniko's API itself, so no third-party automation tool sits between the two systems. Getting these rules right controls when patients see your message, how much time they have to respond, and how much work your front desk does.
Why Reminder Timing Matters for Australian Businesses
Australian clinics run on tight schedules. A single unfilled slot with a physio, dentist or psychologist is lost capacity that is hard to recover. Reminders only help if the patient has enough notice to confirm, cancel or move the booking, and enough proximity to remember it.
Timing also affects the people at the front desk. A reminder that goes out at an awkward moment produces replies when nobody is available to handle them. A well-planned schedule puts messages in front of patients when your team can respond.
There is a compliance angle as well. DataFlows respects the reminder and follow-up SMS consent setting recorded in each patient's Cliniko record before sending. Good timing never replaces consent. For the wider rules, see our Australian SMS compliance guide.
Key Benefits of Choosing the Right Timing Mode
- Fewer last-minute surprises. A reminder placed at the right distance from the appointment gives patients time to act while there is still a chance to refill the slot.
- Predictable front-desk workload. Fixed-time sends bring replies in a known window, so staff can plan when to check the inbox.
- Accuracy for every booking. Rolling reminders are recalculated per appointment, so each patient gets the same lead time regardless of when their slot falls in the day.
- Resilience. Fixed reminders self-heal. If a run is missed, the next run still covers what is due, so patients are not silently skipped.
- Layered coverage. Multiple reminder slots let you send an early heads-up and a later nudge, each worded for its purpose.
- No accidental double texts. Duplicate-timing detection stops two reminders firing on top of each other.
How the Two Timing Modes Work
Both modes read from the same source, the appointment calendar in Cliniko. They differ in what triggers a send.
Rolling reminders: X hours before each appointment
In rolling mode you choose a number of hours. DataFlows works out, for every appointment, the moment that many hours before the start time, and sends the reminder then. The calculation is made per appointment, so a 9am booking and a 3pm booking each get their own send time.
Rolling mode suits clinics where the lead time matters more than the clock. If you want every patient to hear from you a fixed distance ahead of their visit, rolling gives you that consistency.
Rolling reminders also handle change well. If an appointment is moved in Cliniko, the reminder recalculates for the new time. Patients are not reminded about a slot they no longer hold.
Fixed-time reminders: once a day at a set clock time
In fixed mode you choose a clock time, for example a morning hour that suits your clinic. Once a day at that time, DataFlows sends reminders for everything due tomorrow. Every patient with an appointment the next day hears from you in one batch.
Fixed mode is the better fit when you want messages to arrive at a sociable time of day regardless of when the appointment is. An early-morning appointment does not trigger a text in the middle of the night, because the reminder goes out at your chosen clock time the day before.
Fixed mode is also self-healing. If a scheduled run is missed for any reason, the system catches up so the appointments due tomorrow are still covered rather than dropped.
Rolling versus fixed at a glance
- Trigger: rolling is tied to each appointment's start time; fixed is tied to a daily clock time.
- Coverage: rolling covers each appointment individually; fixed covers everything due tomorrow in one run.
- Delivery time of day: rolling follows the appointment time; fixed is predictable and under your control.
- Staff workload: rolling spreads replies across the day; fixed concentrates them after the send time.
Multiple Reminder Slots
One reminder is not always enough. DataFlows lets you add a second reminder to your Cliniko setup, and then as many more as you need: a third, a fourth, a fifth and beyond. Each slot is independently timed and independently worded.
A common pattern is a 48-hour reminder plus a same-day reminder. The earlier message gives the patient time to confirm, cancel or reschedule. The later one is a short nudge on the day itself. Because the slots are separate, the 48-hour text can ask for a reply while the same-day text simply confirms the time and place.
You can also set message overrides per appointment type. A telehealth consult can carry different wording from an in-person visit, such as a video-call link instead of directions to the clinic. If you want reminders only for certain appointment types, you can filter by type.
Templates are editable and support merge tags such as {patient_name}, {date}, {time}, {practitioner} and {business}, so each slot reads naturally.
Duplicate-timing detection
When you add several slots, it is easy to set two of them close together by accident. DataFlows includes built-in duplicate-timing detection so two reminders do not fire on top of each other. Patients get distinct, spaced messages instead of two near-identical texts.
Step-by-Step: Setting Up Your Reminder Timing
1. Connect Cliniko. Create an API key in Cliniko under My Info, then Manage API keys, and add it in DataFlows. DataFlows reads the Cliniko region from the key.
2. Choose a sending number. For reminders that ask patients to reply, use a dedicated virtual number, which supports two-way messaging. A registered alpha Sender ID shows your clinic name but is one-way only.
3. Pick a timing mode. Choose rolling or fixed for the clinic, based on the examples below.
4. Set the first reminder. Enter the hours before the appointment for rolling mode, or the daily clock time for fixed mode.
5. Add more slots if needed. Add a second reminder, and more after that, each with its own timing and wording.
6. Edit the templates. Use the merge tags and keep each message short and clear.
7. Check for duplicate timing. If the system flags two reminders landing together, move one of them.
8. Test with a real booking. Book a test appointment and confirm the message arrives as expected.
Choosing by Clinic Type
There is no single right answer. These examples show how the reasoning works. The times are illustrations of the approach, not recommended defaults.
- Busy allied health clinic with back-to-back bookings. Rolling reminders keep a consistent lead time for every patient across a full day. Add a second slot so a patient who ignored the first message gets a nudge.
- Dental or medical practice with a front desk that opens at a set time. Fixed reminders sent once a day at a time when staff are at their desks mean replies arrive when someone can respond. Pair it with a same-day slot for the patients who need it.
- Clinic with a mix of telehealth and in-person appointments. Use per-appointment-type overrides so telehealth patients get the call link and in-person patients get location details. Either timing mode works. Choose it based on your front-desk hours.
- Clinic with early-morning appointments. Fixed mode avoids sending a rolling reminder at an unsociable hour, because the text goes out at your chosen clock time the day before.
- Multi-branch group. Each business location has independent settings, sender number, reminder timing and templates. One branch can use rolling while another uses fixed, and you can roll out branch by branch.
- Clinics that want to cut no-shows. Combine an early slot that invites confirmation or rescheduling with a same-day nudge. For more on this, read how to reduce no-shows with Cliniko SMS.
How DataFlows Helps
DataFlows connects to Cliniko natively. It polls Cliniko's API directly, so there is no webhook or third-party bridge to set up or maintain. You connect with a Cliniko API key and configure everything from the DataFlows dashboard.
Beyond timing, the same integration covers two-way reply handling. Patients can reply to a reminder, and DataFlows recognises confirm, cancel and reschedule replies using keyword matching plus AI classification for free-text replies. Clean confirmations are recorded in Cliniko automatically. Cancellations, reschedule requests, low-confidence replies and questions are escalated to staff, and each alert carries the patient's name. The AI classifies replies; it does not write replies or act as a chatbot.
If a patient reschedules using Cliniko's own tool, DataFlows can send an instant SMS with the new time, and the next reminder recalculates for the new slot. Booking confirmations and cancellation notices are available as separate message types, and each message type can be switched on or off independently.
Pricing is pay-as-you-go. You buy SMS credits and top up when you need to, with no monthly or annual fees. Reminders are SMS messages like any other, so your costs follow the number you send.
Best Practices
- Start simple, then layer. Begin with one reminder, watch how patients respond, then add a second slot if you need it.
- Match timing to staff availability. Choose a fixed send time when your team is able to deal with replies soon after.
- Give each slot a job. Use the early message to invite a confirmation or change, and the later one as a short reminder of the time and place.
- Use a two-way number when you need replies. Confirm, cancel and reschedule replies need a dedicated virtual number, not a one-way Sender ID.
- Review duplicate-timing warnings. If two reminders collide, adjust one rather than ignoring the flag.
- Keep wording short. Use the merge tags for name, date, time and practitioner and avoid long paragraphs. See our appointment reminder SMS templates for ideas.
- Respect consent. DataFlows checks each patient's recorded reminder SMS consent before sending. Keep those records accurate in Cliniko. See our Cliniko SMS consent workflows guide.
- Tune per branch. If you run several locations, adjust timing for each one instead of copying one setup everywhere.
Conclusion
Reminder timing is a practical decision, not a technical one. Rolling mode gives every appointment the same lead time. Fixed mode gives you a predictable daily send and self-heals if a run is missed. Multiple slots let you combine an early notice with a same-day nudge, and duplicate-timing detection keeps the schedule tidy.
Pick the mode that fits how your clinic actually runs, start with one slot, and refine from there. Ready to set it up? Sign up at dataflows.com.au, connect your Cliniko account and start sending reminders on your own schedule.