Submitting Appointment Requests By a New User (Using the Quick Share Link)

Submitting Appointment Requests By a New User (Using the Quick Share Link)

Overview  

Use this article to enable and manage appointment requests from new clients who do not use the client portal. After configuration, you can share a booking link that allows new clients to request appointments online. If the returning clients use this link, they can sign in to client portal to send appointment request.

Prerequisites

Complete the following setup:

  • Enable Quick Share booking

  • Configure appointment types

  • Set availability

  • Configure booking rules

Step 1: Enable Booking for New Clients

Enable appointment booking in the client portal so returning clients can submit requests.

  1. Go to Settings > Calendar Settings > Allow Client Booking.

  2. Turn on Quick Share โ€“ Availability, Register, and Book Appointment.

The system generates a shareable booking link.


Step 2: Configure Appointment Types

Configure the appointment types for new clients.

  1. Go to Settings > Calendar Settings > Appointment Types.

  2. Add a new appointment type or click an existing one.

  3. In the Appointment Type Settings section:

    • Select the Self Scheduling checkbox.

    • Select New Client (or Both).

    • Select the available contact types:

      • Phone Call

      • In Person

      • Telehealth

  4. Click Save.

Only appointment types configured as New Client or Both are visible to new clients.


Step 3: Set Availability

Define provider availability so new clients can view open time slots.

To add availability, 

  1. Go to Settings > Calendar Settings > Availability Management.

  2. Configure one-time or recurring availability for the provider who should receive appointment requests.

For more information about managing availability, see the related article.


Step 4: Configure Booking Rules

Configure booking rules to control how and when clients request appointments.

  1. Go to Settings > Calendar Settings > Allow Client Booking.

  2. Configure the following as needed:
    1. Require Clients to Confirm Your Appointments: Turn on this option to require clients to confirm appointments that you schedule for them. When enabled, appointments remain unconfirmed until the client confirms them. 

    2. Automatically Confirm Appointments: Turn on this option to automatically mark appointments booked by clients as Confirmed. When enabled, client-booked appointments wonโ€™t require manual confirmation.

    3. Prevent Same Day Appointments: Activate this option to prevent users from requesting appointments on the same day. Once enabled, clients can only submit appointment requests starting from the following day. 

    4. Appointment Buffer: Choose the time interval you want to maintain between two appointments. For example, if you select 60 minutes from this dropdown, clients will be unable to request another appointment within 60 minutes before or after an already requested time slot. You can choose a buffer time of 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 105, or 120 minutes, based on your preference. 

    5. Intervals: The option you select in this dropdown determines the time intervals clients will see between appointment slots. For example, if you choose 20 minutes, the available slots will appear as 12:00 pm, 12:20 pm, 12:40 pm, and so on. You can select an interval of 20, 30, or 60 minutes, depending on your preference. 

    6. Minimum Time in Advance: Select how far in advance clients must book their appointments. For example, if you choose "2 days before" in the dropdown, clients will only see time slots starting two days from today. Alternatively, if you select "3 hours before," clients will only see time slots starting three hours from the current time. 

    7. Maximum Days in Advance: Choose how far in advance clients can book their appointments. For instance, if you select "30" in the dropdown, clients will only see time slots up to thirty days from today. They wonโ€™t be able to request an appointment for any date beyond those 30 days. 

     



Step 5: Share the Booking Link with New Clients

Share the booking link with the new clients who want to send an appointment request.
  1. Go to the Calendar.

  2. From the top left corner, click the  icon.

  3. Click Copy Link, and share the link with the new client.

  4. To preview how the link appears to clients, click Open link in new tab. 


Step 6: New Client Booking Workflow

After configuration, new clients can submit appointment requests through the shared link.

  1. The client opens the shared link.

  2. Clicks New Client.

  3. Selects:

    • Appointment type

    • Contact type

    • Location

    • Date and time

  4. Enters personal information and the reason for the visit.

  5. Submits the request.

A confirmation message appears.

The client also receives an email aknowledgement about the appointment request sent to the practice.









Step 7: Confirm or Cancel a Request

Review and respond to appointment requests in ICANotes+.

  1. When a client submits an appointment request, the assigned practice user receives:
    • An email notification containing the appointment details and a Confirm button.
    • An in-app notification within ICANotes+.
  2. Open the appointment request using either of the following methods:
    • Click Confirm in the email notification.
    • Sign in to ICANotes+, click the bell icon, and then click the appointment request notification.
  3. You are redirected to the Calendar where you can review the requested appointment details.
  4. To confirm the request, click the requested time slot and complete the confirmation process.
    On confirming the request, you can send any forms (for example, adult intake package) to the client, if configured in your practice.
  5. If the appointment cannot be accommodated, cancel the request as needed.
  6. After you confirm the request, the client receives an email for the next steps.

















Step 8: Acknowledgement to Client Through Email

After the practice user confirms or cancels an appointment request, the client receives an email notification informing them of the appointment status.

  • If the appointment is confirmed, the email includes information about the next steps.
  • If the appointment is cancelled, the email notifies the client that the request was declined and provides an option to submit a new appointment request based on the provider's current availability.






FAQs 

Can returning clients use the same booking link?
Yes. Returning clients can use the same booking link to request appointments. They will be prompted to sign in to the Client Portal before submitting their request.

Why is my appointment type not visible to new clients?
Only appointment types configured with Self Scheduling enabled and set to New Client or Both are displayed to new clients.

Can I limit the contact methods available to new clients?
Yes. When configuring an appointment type, you can choose which contact methods are available, such as Phone Call, In Person, and Telehealth.

Why can't clients see any available appointment times?
This can occur if provider availability has not been configured, no availability exists within the booking window, or the booking rules restrict the available dates and times.

What is the difference between Automatically Confirm Appointments and manually confirming requests?
When Automatically Confirm Appointments is enabled, appointments requested by clients are automatically marked as confirmed. When it is disabled, practice users must review and manually confirm each request.

Can I prevent clients from scheduling appointments on the same day?
Yes. Enable the Prevent Same Day Appointments option to require clients to request appointments at least one day in advance.

How does the Appointment Buffer setting work?
The Appointment Buffer creates a gap before and after scheduled appointments. For example, if a 60-minute buffer is configured, clients cannot request appointments within 60 minutes before or after another appointment.

Can I control how far in advance clients can request appointments?
Yes. Use the Minimum Time in Advance and Maximum Days in Advance settings to define the earliest and latest dates clients can request appointments.

How are practice users notified of new appointment requests?
When a client submits an appointment request, the assigned practice user receives both an email notification and an in-app notification within ICANotes+.

Can I confirm an appointment request directly from the email notification?
Yes. Clicking Confirm in the email notification opens the same appointment confirmation workflow that is available through the in-app notification.

What happens after I confirm an appointment request?
After the request is confirmed, you can send any configured intake forms or other client forms. The client also receives an email with information about the next steps.

What happens if I cancel an appointment request?
When an appointment request is cancelled, the client receives an email notification informing them that the request was declined. The client can then submit a new appointment request by selecting another available time slot based on the provider's current availability.

Will new clients receive a confirmation after submitting a request?
Yes. After submitting an appointment request, the client sees a confirmation message and receives an email acknowledging that the request was sent to the practice.

Will clients be notified when their appointment request is confirmed or cancelled?
Yes. Clients receive an email notification when a practice user confirms or cancels their appointment request.

Can multiple providers use appointment requests?
Yes. Each provider can have their own availability and appointment types configured, allowing appointment requests to be routed appropriately.

Need Help?

For further assistance, contact:
๐Ÿ“ž Phone: 443-203-5857
๐Ÿ“ฑ Text: 866-301-0085
๐Ÿ“ง Email: ticket@icanotes.com
๐Ÿ’ฌ Chat: https://app.icanotes.com


Proprietary Notice Information: This article is provided for informational purposes only, and the information herein is subject to change without notice. While every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained within this article is accurate, ICANotes cannot and does not accept any type of liability for errors in, or omissions arising from the use of this information.

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