Who this is for:
If you have created an SMS or transactional email trigger, and you're finding that it's not sending as you expect, the most common culprit is how you've configured your timing or filtering. Let's work through it together.
More than 90% of trigger issues can be resolved with this guide, so we recommend
you 📚 bookmark this page –– it's a great spot to come back to and the fastest way to resolve your issue.
Please ensure you work through this guide prior to contacting the support team.
First of all, what kind of issue are you having?
Peptalkr's trigger settings make them super powerful - but it's important to set your filters carefully. We try to make it simple, but automation is complex! Let's work it out.
1️⃣ My tests aren't working
I'm testing it before turning it on, but I'm not receiving the tests. Go to solution
2️⃣ Not everyone that should receive it does
It's sending to some people it should, but not everyone. Go to solution
3️⃣ No one is receiving it!
It doesn't send at all, even though it's on. Go to solution
4️⃣ The wrong people are receiving it!
People who shouldn't get it, are receiving it. Go to solution
5️⃣ It's sending, but my variables aren't working right
If you're having issues with variables, we have a separate guide for that.
Troubleshooting steps
1️⃣ My tests aren't working
You can test a trigger without actually booking appointments by using the test button. This will send you a copy of the email with dummy data in your [variables] so that you can ensure:
Variables are working ✅
Your email can send ✅ (you'll see a red error if there's a major problem)
This however, does not test the configuration of your trigger, it's timing and filtering settings. You generally do not need to test your configuration once you've got a solid understanding of how your timing and filter settings work.
But in the beginning, you may want to test it for peace of mind. In which case:
You must book an actual appointment / do the actual action in Cliniko that fires this trigger.
This isn't so simple to do for some types of triggers - such as recalls which often have long delays on them. But it's easy enough for confirmations and other immediate trigger types. Check out our guide to testing for more info.
⚡️ Top reasons for test issues
Problem | Solution |
Some or all of my variables don't work | Check out our variable troubleshooting guide. |
I'm not receiving any email/SMS when I complete the trigger action in Cliniko |
|
Still having issues?
If you've checked all of the above and are having issues, or seeing a red error when trying to send a test, let us know and we'll give you a hand. So we can help you efficiently, please have ready:
The exact name of the trigger.
Which of the listed issues at the top of this guide you are experiencing.
The email address and (if using an appointment trigger) appointment details of the patient you tested with.
2️⃣ Not everyone that should receive it does
If your trigger is sending, but not as frequently as you are expecting it to send - then you may be over-filtering. The below table has the top reasons that stop triggers from sending to everyone you intended them to.
Problem | The solution |
You've applied filters that may be over-filtering your patients.
| We have a super helpful cheat sheet of common filter culprits - this solves most issues quickly!
Tip: The most common one is the Sex filter or Appointment count filter. |
You're trying to target specific appointment types, but have not selected them all. | We often see Cliniko accounts with multiple appointment types that have the exact same name - e.g. Initial Appointment - where one of them hasn't been selected in the filter settings.
Make sure you have selected all of your appointment types correctly. |
You've added or edited appointment types in Cliniko, and your trigger hasn't been updated to target your changes. | If you've added new appointment types to Cliniko, but haven't updated your Triggers to target them as well - you could have cases where certain appointment types aren't receiving email.
This is relevant when you are applying appointment type filters. |
You're trying to target specific appointment categories (treatment modalities), but have not selected them all. | If your trigger is targeting certain appointment categories - double check them. If you've added more categories, changed category names etc. - you may need to make an update here.
Do not apply the category filter if you are wanting to select 'all' categories. Just leave it unselected and all categories are included by default. |
You've added or edited appointment categories in Cliniko, and your trigger hasn't been updated to target your changes. | If you've been tidying up your naming conventions in Cliniko, or re-categorising appointment types - this can affect your triggers if you are using appointment category triggers.
Double check your triggers are targeting the correct appointment categories. |
You've not ticked a checkbox your trigger needs. | Some trigger types have a checkbox that alters the targeting of the triggering event. Unlike filters, these checkbox prevent a trigger from firing if additional conditions are met. This cheat sheet of trigger types and when to use their checkboxes (such as the 'Recall' checkbox) will guide you. |
💡 Extra tip: was the appointment booked manually?
Another reason is that the appointment in question was not made by the patient online. If an appointment is manually created by staff in your Cliniko account, if a valid email address is not added to the patient file at the time of scheduling, then confirmation emails will not send to them.
Still having issues?
Let us know and we'll give you a hand. So we can help you efficiently, please have ready:
The exact name of the trigger.
Which of the listed issues at the top of this guide you are experiencing.
The email address and (if using an appointment trigger) appointment details of an example patient who has not received the email but should have.
3️⃣ No one is receiving it!
If you've turned a trigger on and it's not sending anything at all - it's most often due to a filtering issue or a sending domain issue.
The problem | The solution |
Your email sending domain has a problem |
In your transactional email template settings, which email address is the sender? You need to select a verified domain from the dropdown.
Sometimes your verified domain can become unverified if you have changed DNS hosts, moved your website hosting or recently set up a CDN. We'll email you if there is a problem with your domain - so check to see if we've sent you something. Feel free to check with us if you're not sure. |
Your trigger configuration (filtering or timing) has a problem. |
|
Still having issues?
Let us know and we'll give you a hand. So we can help you efficiently, please have ready:
The exact name of the trigger.
Which of the listed issues at the top of this guide you are experiencing.
The email address and (if using an appointment trigger) appointment details of an example patient who has not received the email but should have.
4️⃣ The wrong people are receiving it!
If your trigger is sending to people it shouldn't be, the issue is most likely that you have not applied enough filters.
The problem | The solution |
You have not targeted your patients correctly using filters. | Check your filtering - use this cheat sheet for the most common filtering issues.
We also have a glossary of what every filter does. |
You have not configured your trigger type correctly. | Your trigger type often has it's own extra settings that help you narrow down your audience - such as only sending to patients who have not booked or attended another appointment.
Check our our trigger type common misconfiguration cheat sheet to guide you. |
Still having issues?
Let us know and we'll give you a hand. So we can help you efficiently, please have ready:
The exact name of the trigger.
Which of the listed issues at the top of this guide you are experiencing.
The email address and (if using an appointment trigger) appointment details of an example patient who has incorrectly received the email.