Messages and Reminders

Tattoo Studio Pro can now send booking confirmations and appointment reminders by email as well as text. Confirmations go out when an appointment is booked. Reminders follow the schedule you set. On web, configure them in Settings > Message Editor.

The Message Editor

Settings > Message Editor is organized into tabs. Each tab controls a different type of automated message.

The Booking Confirmation tab has a tab-level enable/disable toggle. The Reminder Messages tab uses per-message toggles inside the sequence editor (no single tab-level switch). Both tabs share the same template editor with variable buttons, SMS segment counter, and live preview.

Choose Text, Email, or Both

For each message, use Send by to choose Text, Email, or Both. On web, this control is in the Message Editor. On mobile, look for Send by in the message settings. You can choose a different option for the booking confirmation and each reminder.

Email is on by default for every studio’s existing enabled confirmations and reminders. Those messages now send by text and email. Messages you’ve turned off stay off. Choose Text if you want a message to send only by text.

Booking Confirmation

The Booking Confirmation tab sends a message the instant an appointment is booked. It uses your Send by choice: Text, Email, or Both.

What it does:

• Sends automatically every time a new appointment is created, whether from the calendar, “mark as booked” in the inbox, or an appointment request conversion
• On by default, with a toggle in the editor if you want to turn it off
• Automatically includes the client’s check-in link (new in v4.2) so they can check in before arriving, even if you don’t add the {APPOINTMENT_CHECKIN_URL} variable to the template yourself
• Fully customizable message template with variable buttons, SMS segment counter, and live preview
• Uses your studio’s dial code so phone formatting is correct for every country

Per-appointment text opt-out: When you create an appointment, the booking modal has a Send SMS Reminder checkbox. Uncheck it to skip the automated texts for that one booking. A client who declines texts also gets no texts. Neither one stops email: confirmations and reminders still go by email when enabled, as long as the client has an email address on file and hasn’t stopped these emails.

Deposit link: If you have online deposits enabled, the {DEPOSIT_LINK} variable becomes available in this tab. Insert it into your template and every new appointment will include a unique, one-time deposit link in the confirmation message.

Reminder Messages (Sequencer)

The Reminder Messages tab lets you create up to 5 reminder messages per appointment. Each has its own timing, content, and delivery choice. Reminders go out at 10 AM in your studio’s time zone, on the day(s) set in the sequence.

Per message you can set:

• An enable/disable toggle (keep a message configured but turn it off without deleting it)
• Delivery through Send by: Text, Email, or Both
• Timing, chosen from presets (1 day, 1 week, 1 month before) or a custom interval
• A custom message template with variable buttons, SMS segment counter, and live preview

Editor layout: Tabs at the top of the sequencer let you switch between messages in the sequence. Preset quick-add buttons (“1 Day”, “1 Week”, “1 Month”) add a new message at a common interval in one click and pre-fill a starter template you can edit.

Smart scheduling: If a reminder would fire in the past at the time you book, Tattoo Studio Pro automatically skips it. For example, if you have a 1-week reminder set up and a client books only 2 days out, the 1-week reminder is not created for that appointment. The 1-day reminder still works as normal.

Legacy migration: If your studio used the old single-message reminder system, your existing template is automatically migrated into a single-item sequence the first time you open the editor and save. Nothing to do on your end.

Message Variables

Variables are placeholders that get replaced with real data when the message is sent. Click a variable button in the editor to insert the variable at your cursor position (not at the end of the text).

Check-in URL variable: {APPOINTMENT_CHECKIN_URL} generates a unique, secure link for each appointment. Including it in a reminder lets clients complete their intake form before arriving and check in digitally when they get there. Best practice is to add a short instruction before it, for example: “Please complete your check-in here: {APPOINTMENT_CHECKIN_URL}”.

Deposit link variable: {DEPOSIT_LINK} only appears in the Booking Confirmation tab, and only when online deposits are turned on under Settings > Payments. It inserts a hosted payment link where clients can pay their deposit with no login required.

Live Preview and SMS Counter

As you type, the editor shows a live preview of the message with sample values filled in. Below the editor, a segment counter shows the character count and how many SMS segments the message will use, so you can see the cost of each message as you write it.

Common Workflows

Setting Up a Booking Confirmation

1. Go to Settings > Message Editor
2. Click the Booking Confirmation tab
3. Make sure the enable toggle is on
4. Choose Text, Email, or Both under Send by, then edit the message and insert variables
5. If online deposits are enabled, add {DEPOSIT_LINK} where you want the payment link to appear
6. Review the live preview and segment counter
7. Click Save

Building a Reminder Sequence

1. Go to Settings > Message Editor
2. Click the Reminder Messages tab
3. Use the preset quick-add buttons (“1 Day”, “1 Week”, “1 Month”) to add reminders at common intervals
4. Click each message tab to customize its content, timing, toggle state, and Send by choice
5. Add {APPOINTMENT_CHECKIN_URL} to at least one reminder if you want clients to check in digitally
6. Click Save Messages

A reliable default for most studios is a 1-week reminder and a 1-day reminder. Add more if you want, up to 5 per appointment.

Disabling a Single Reminder Without Deleting It

1. Open Settings > Message Editor, Reminder Messages tab
2. Click the tab for the message you want to pause
3. Toggle the enable switch off
4. Click Save Messages. The message stays in the sequence but won’t send

Message Delivery

Texts need a phone number on the client’s profile. Emails need an email address on file. If the deposit link is included, clients tap it to pay on a hosted page with no login required.

Text and email opt-outs are independent. Every confirmation and reminder email includes a “Stop these emails from [your studio name]” link. One click stops these emails for that client. It never stops texts.

Every confirmation and reminder that gets sent appears in the client’s conversation. The client sees the same messages on their chat page.

Where we can send messages

Text messages reach clients in the countries below. If you work with clients abroad, or your studio is outside the United States, check that their country is on this list before you rely on reminders reaching them.

North America Canada, Costa Rica, Guam, Mexico, Puerto Rico, United States, US Virgin Islands

United Kingdom and Ireland United Kingdom, Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Man

Europe Austria, Belgium, Canary Islands, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland

Australia and New Zealand Australia, New Zealand

South America Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay

Africa and Asia South Africa, Japan, Singapore, Thailand

Phone numbers need a country code

Save client phone numbers in international format, starting with the country code. For example +44 7700 900123 for a UK number, or +61 400 000 000 for an Australian one.

A number saved without a country code is treated as a US number. If the client is not in the US, the message will not reach them, and nothing on screen will tell you it failed.

If your country is not listed

Text messaging is enabled country by country, so clients in a country that isn’t listed won’t receive texts today. Get in touch and tell us where your clients are. Adding a country is usually quick, and we would rather know than have you wonder why a reminder never arrived.

Troubleshooting

Variables showing as literal text in messages (for example “{CLIENT_FIRST_NAME}” sent as-is)

• Verify the variable is spelled exactly as shown: curly braces, all caps, underscores
• Make sure the client and appointment data are fully filled in
• Example: {CLIENT_FIRST_NAME} not {client_first_name} or {Client First Name}

Message template not saving

• Check your internet connection
• Refresh the page and try again
• Contact support if it persists

Clients not receiving reminders

• Check Send by for the message you’re expecting
• For texts, verify the client has a valid phone number and hasn’t declined texts or turned off SMS reminders for the appointment
• For email, verify the client has an email address on file and hasn’t used the email opt-out link
• Make sure the reminder message you expected is enabled in the Reminder Messages tab
• Remember: reminders that would fire in the past at booking time are automatically skipped
• Contact support to check delivery logs

Deposit link variable not available

• {DEPOSIT_LINK} only appears in the Booking Confirmation tab
• Online deposits must be enabled in Settings > Payments before the variable becomes available

Check-in URL links not working in messages

• Ensure {APPOINTMENT_CHECKIN_URL} is in the reminder template with correct spelling
• Verify the appointment exists and has a valid Studio ID
• See Check-In Links for setup details

Related Docs

• Check-In Links: walk-in link, QR code, and appointment check-in setup
• Appointments: appointment creation and reminder triggers
• Settings: Message Editor location in settings
• Client Messaging: client conversations, where sent confirmations and reminders also appear