Submitting Appointment Requests from the Client Portal

Submitting Appointment Requests from the Client Portal

Overview  

Use this article to enable and manage appointment requests from client portal users (returning clients). After configuration, clients can request appointments from the portal, and you can confirm or cancel those requests from the calendar.

Prerequisites

Complete the following setup:

  • Enable client portal booking

  • Configure appointment types for self-scheduling

  • Set availability

  • Configure booking rules

Step 1: Enable Client Portal Booking

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 Clients Can Book Appointments From Client Portal.

Client portal users can now submit appointment requests.


Step 2: Configure Appointment Types

Configure the appointment types for returning 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 Returning Client (or Both).

    • Select the available contact types:

      • Phone Call

      • In Person

      • Telehealth

  4. Click Save.

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


Step 3: Set Availability

Define provider availability so 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 won’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 won’t be able to request an appointment for any date beyond those 30 days. 

     



Step 5: Client Portal Workflow

After configuration, clients can submit appointment requests through the portal.

  1. The client signs in to the Client Portal.

  2. Clicks Appointments > Book Appointment.

  3. Selects:

    • Appointment type

    • Contact type

    • Location

    • Date and time

  4. Submits the request.

A confirmation message appears.



Step 6: 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 7: 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

Who can submit appointment requests through the Client Portal?
Only returning clients with access to the Client Portal can submit appointment requests. The appointment type must be configured for Returning Client or Both in the appointment type settings.

Why can't a client see an appointment type when booking an appointment?
The appointment type may not be configured for self-scheduling, or it may not be set to Returning Client or Both. Verify the appointment type settings under Settings > Calendar Settings > Appointment Types.

Why are no appointment times available to the client?
Available appointment times depend on the provider's configured availability and booking rules. If no availability is configured or all available slots fall outside the allowed booking window, clients may not see any appointment times.

Can clients request same-day appointments?
Yes, unless the Prevent Same Day Appointments setting is enabled. When enabled, clients can only request appointments starting from the following day.

What happens when a client submits an appointment request?
The assigned practice user receives an email notification and an in-app notification in ICANotes+. The request can then be reviewed and either confirmed or cancelled.

Are appointment requests automatically confirmed?
It depends on the Automatically Confirm Appointments setting. When enabled, appointments requested by clients are automatically marked as confirmed. Otherwise, a practice user must manually confirm the request.

How are clients notified when their appointment request is reviewed?
After the request is confirmed or cancelled, the client receives an email notification informing them of the appointment status.

What happens if an appointment request is cancelled?
The client receives an email informing them that the request was declined and is provided with an option to submit a new appointment request based on the provider's current availability.

Can forms be sent to the client after an appointment is confirmed?
Yes. When an appointment request is confirmed, configured forms, such as intake packages, can be sent to the client as part of the confirmation process.

What does the Appointment Buffer setting do?
The Appointment Buffer setting creates a minimum amount of time between appointments. Clients cannot request appointment slots that fall within the configured buffer period before or after another appointment.

What does the Minimum Time in Advance setting control?
This setting determines how far in advance a client must schedule an appointment. For example, if set to 2 days before, clients can only request appointments that are at least two days in the future.

What does the Maximum Days in Advance setting control?
This setting limits how far into the future clients can request appointments. For example, if set to 30 days, clients can only request appointments within the next 30 days.

What are Intervals used for?
Intervals determine the spacing between available appointment start times shown to clients. For example, a 20-minute interval displays slots such as 12:00 PM, 12:20 PM, and 12:40 PM.

Can clients choose how they want to attend an appointment?
Yes. Clients can select from the contact types configured for the appointment type, such as Phone Call, In Person, or Telehealth.


Need Help?

For further assistance, contact:
📞 Phone: 443-203-5857
📱 Text: 866-301-0085
📧 Email: ticket@icanotes.com
💬 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.

    • Related Articles

    • 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 ...

    • Requesting an Appointment from the Client Portal

      Overview The Client Portal allows you to request appointments, view upcoming appointments, accept appointment invitations, and cancel appointments when needed. Appointment requests submitted through the portal must be reviewed by your practice before ...

    • Client Portal Overview

      Overview The Client Portal allows clients to securely manage their care online. Clients can register for portal access, view and complete shared documents, manage appointments, exchange secure messages with their practice, access billing information, ...

    • Scheduling an Individual Appointment for a Client

      Overview ICANotes+ enables you to schedule and manage client appointments efficiently. You can create one-time or recurring appointments, update appointment details, change appointment statuses, and delete appointments as needed. This article ...

    • Sending Assessments / Intake Package to Client Portal

      Overview ICANotes+ enables clinicians to send assessments to portal-enabled clients through the Client Portal. Assessments can be sent individually or as part of an assessment package, allowing clients to complete required forms remotely before or ...