# Reminders

Automatic and additional reminders across SMS, email, voice and letter

Reminders are the main reason most services use Diarybook. They go out automatically, by SMS,
email, voice call or letter, following rules you set once. Staff don't have to remember to send
them.

The rules live in a **Reminder Setting** (Settings area → **Reminder Settings**). Each appointment
is linked to one reminder setting, and an account can hold as many as it needs, for example one
per clinic. A reminder setting turns on the channels it needs, gives each channel a schedule, and
can add **Additional Messaging** for messages sent after the appointment or aimed at particular
confirmation or attendance statuses.

## The pages

Start with [How Reminders Work](/docs/reminders/how-reminders-work/). It explains the model the
other pages rely on: reminder settings, channels, schedule triggers, and which appointments a
message actually reaches.

- [SMS Reminders](/docs/reminders/sms-reminders/): writing the message, deciding whether clients
  can reply, and which numbers are used.
- [Voice Reminders](/docs/reminders/voice-reminders/): automated calls to a client's landline, and
  letting them confirm or cancel with the keypad.
- [Email Reminders](/docs/reminders/email-reminders/): what the client receives, and why the
  content is fixed.
- [Letter Reminders](/docs/reminders/letter-reminders/): appointment letters generated from a Word
  template, and the Letter By SMS variant.
- [Additional Messaging](/docs/reminders/additional-messaging/): messaging after the appointment,
  and filtering by confirmation or attendance status.
- [Merge Fields](/docs/reminders/merge-fields/): personalising messages with appointment, client,
  user and location details.
- [Email to SMS](/docs/reminders/email-to-sms/): sending a one-off text by email, outside the
  reminder schedule.
- [DiaryPage](/docs/reminders/diarypage/): a single link that shows the client their appointment
  details and letter, or asks whether they still need their place on a waiting list.

For the full list of merge fields and the rules on SMS length and cost, see
[Reference](/docs/reference/).

## Pages in this section

- [Additional Messaging](https://diarybook.com/docs/reminders/additional-messaging/): The advanced section of a Reminder Setting — messaging after the appointment, and filtering by confirmation or attendance status.
- [DiaryPage](https://diarybook.com/docs/reminders/diarypage/): A single link that shows a client their appointment or waiting list details online, with no account or password
- [Email Reminders](https://diarybook.com/docs/reminders/email-reminders/): What the client receives in an email reminder, what fills it, and why the content is fixed.
- [Email to SMS](https://diarybook.com/docs/reminders/email-to-sms/): how to send SMS using your email client
- [How Reminders Work](https://diarybook.com/docs/reminders/how-reminders-work/): The model behind Diarybook reminders — Reminder Settings, channels, schedule triggers, and which appointments a message actually reaches.
- [Letter Reminders](https://diarybook.com/docs/reminders/letter-reminders/): Generating appointment letters from a Word template — what Diarybook produces, who it goes to, and the Letter By SMS variant.
- [Merge Fields](https://diarybook.com/docs/reminders/merge-fields/): merge fields personalise your reminder messages in diarybook
- [SMS Reminders](https://diarybook.com/docs/reminders/sms-reminders/): Text message reminders — writing the message, deciding whether clients can reply, which numbers are used, and how delivery is reported.
- [Voice Reminders](https://diarybook.com/docs/reminders/voice-reminders/): Automated calls to a client landline — writing the script, allowing confirm and cancel, and what the client hears.

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Source: https://diarybook.com/docs/reminders/