Reduce no-shows without lifting a finger. The Appointment Reminders Easy Automation automatically sends email reminders to clients before their scheduled appointments — one reminder 24 hours before and one reminder 1 hour before. Each reminder email includes a calendar file (.ics) your client can tap to add the appointment directly to their personal calendar. When a reminder goes out to your client, a reminder is also sent to you so everyone stays on the same page.

This article covers how the Appointment Reminders Easy Automation works, how .ics calendar files work, and answers to common questions about reminder timing and compatibility. This article does not cover how to set up Appointments. For information on setting up your booking page, see how to connect your calendar to your booking page. For a full overview of Easy Automations, see how Easy Automations work.

How Appointment Reminders Work

The Appointment Reminders Easy Automation triggers automatically each time an appointment is created in your booking page. No manual steps are required after the automation is turned on. The automation sends two email reminders to the client at the following times:

• 24 hours before the appointment start time — the first reminder email is sent to the client the day before their scheduled appointment.
• 1 hour before the appointment start time — the second reminder email is sent to the client one hour before their scheduled appointment.

Each reminder email includes a .ics calendar file attachment. The client can tap or click the .ics file to add the appointment to their personal calendar — such as Google Calendar, Outlook, or Apple Calendar — so the appointment appears alongside their other commitments. When each reminder is sent to the client, the same reminder is also sent to you.

If an appointment is created with fewer than 24 hours until the scheduled start time, the 24-hour reminder is skipped automatically. The client will receive only the 1-hour reminder. See the Appointment Reminder FAQs section below for more details on reminder timing.

How .ics Calendar Files Work

An .ics file is a standard calendar file format recognized by all major calendar applications, including Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, Outlook 365, and Apple Calendar. When an appointment is booked, a booking confirmation email is automatically sent to the client with an .ics file attached. The client can tap or click the .ics file attachment to install the appointment directly into their personal calendar in three steps:

1. The client receives the booking confirmation email with the .ics file attached. The confirmation email is sent automatically at the time the appointment is created.
2. The client taps or clicks the .ics file attachment in the confirmation email. Their device will prompt them to open the file with their default calendar application.
3. The client confirms the calendar addition. The appointment is added to their personal calendar with the date, time, and appointment details pre-filled.

Appointment Reminder FAQs

How many reminder emails will a client receive?

A client will receive up to two reminder emails — one 24 hours before the appointment and one 1 hour before the appointment. If the appointment is created with fewer than 24 hours until the scheduled start time, the 24-hour reminder is skipped and the client receives only the 1-hour reminder.

What happens if an appointment is booked with less than 24 hours until the appointment time?

If an appointment is created with fewer than 24 hours until the scheduled start time, the Appointment Reminders automation skips the 24-hour reminder automatically. The client will receive only the 1-hour reminder email. No action is required on your part — the automation handles the timing adjustment automatically.

Do I receive a reminder when my client does?

Yes. Each time a reminder email is sent to a client, the same reminder is also sent to you. You will receive both the 24-hour reminder and the 1-hour reminder at the same time your client does.

Are .ics files compatible with Outlook?

Yes. The .ics file format is a widely recognized standard calendar format supported by all major calendar applications, including Microsoft Outlook, Outlook 365, Google Calendar, and Apple Calendar. Clients using any of these calendar applications will be able to add the appointment to their calendar by tapping the .ics file attachment in the confirmation email.