ℹ️ Who this tutorial is for
Want to send a series of transactional emails or SMS messages after an appointment or other Cliniko activity? This tutorial shows you how to build a multi-step transactional email or SMS sequence using individual triggers in Peptalkr. Perfect for post-appointment care, multi-stage follow-up, or ongoing recovery instructions.
Transactional emails and SMS are triggered by real activity in Cliniko (e.g. an appointment ending, an invoice being created, a cancellation, etc.).
This guide teaches you how to send multiple messages in a series, spaced over time, using separate transactional emails/SMS and triggers for each step.
✅ These are often used for:
Sending a series of reactivation attempts, spaced out over a period of time.
Sending a patient a series of follow ups, touching base with them post-treatment or informing them of what to expect at various points after a particular appointment type (e.g. surgery recovery)
A series of cancellation recall attempts, spaces out over a week.
🔗 Click the hyperlinks above to specific tutorials relating to these common automated sequences.
❌ These are not used for:
Marketing journeys (i.e. a series of marketing emails for new patients)
⚠️ Important: Transactional emails are not the same as automated journeys. Transactional emails are more powerful and are triggered by real activity in Cliniko — perfect for sending time-sensitive, patient-specific content relative to an actual appointment.
What you'll need
Each message in your series needs its own:
⚡️ Email trigger connected to it
Every trigger can have it's own timing - allowing you to make a series of emails after a particular Cliniko event has taken place.
You can alternate between email and SMS in a series - simply create an SMS trigger or an email trigger with the same configuration, except for the timing.
💌 Example use case: New patient care sequence
Day | Email/SMS | Trigger |
Day 0 | Post-treatment tips | After appointment (immediately) |
Day 3 | Next steps | After appointment (3 days later) |
Day 10 | Friendly check-in & rebooking reminder | After appointment (10 days later) |
Top tips for creating a solid sequence
❌ Exclude overlapping automations: Make sure any other transactional emails or SMS (like reminders or general follow-ups) are excluded from triggering under the same conditions as any new series you are creating. You don't want multiple messages going out at once.
⏰ Time it with intention: Think about the natural rhythm of patient recovery or interest. Don’t cram emails too close together. Give patients time to digest and respond.
🎨 Vary the content type: Mix practical advice with encouragement, appointment tips, or educational info. This keeps your sequence useful and human.
📅 Use appointment count filtering: When sending post-first-visit content, filter by "Total appointments (exactly matches) 1" to avoid triggering for return clients.
✉️ Match the message to the moment: Early messages should focus on reassurance and onboarding. Later messages can encourage rebooking, check in, or offer resources.
🌎 Personalise for practitioners or service types: You can create multiple sequences by practitioner or appointment type for highly tailored experiences.
🛠️ Test using real appointments: Run tests using staff or admin profiles to verify timing, filters and message clarity.
🌟 All done! You’ve created a powerful series of transactional emails and/or SMS that send automatically, helping you stay connected with patients at every step of their journey.
🎯 Final Checks:
✔️ Test your email before enabling automation
✔️ Ensure your trigger is correctly targeting the right patients
✔️ Check delivery reports to monitor email success