Feature level: Everyday · Best for: Front desk staff, client service reps, and anyone who helps clients book
Why it matters
Online Booking is built to get pet owners from "I should book a visit" to a confirmed appointment with as little friction as possible. Clients book from a link on your website at any hour, with no app to download and no password to remember. The page works as a natural funnel, guiding them step by step to the right appointment at the right time. That means more appointments on your calendar, fewer calls for your front desk, and pets getting the care they need sooner. Knowing exactly what your clients see makes it easier to send them the link with confidence and to answer their questions when they call.
How it works
1. Client opens the booking page
The booking page is branded with your clinic's logo, contact info, and business hours. Clients are greeted with one simple question: "Have you visited [Clinic Name] before?"
New client: for first-time visitors
Returning client: for anyone already in your system
The two paths are nearly identical. The main difference is timing:
New clients pick their appointment first and enter their contact info at the end.
Returning clients log in at the beginning, so their info is already filled in.
Either way, there's no app and no password. Clients verify with a code texted to their phone.
The page also includes:
English / Español toggle: clients can switch languages at any time.
text with us: clients can start a text conversation with your clinic from any page. Anyone can use it, but it's especially helpful for people who have never texted you before.
2. Choose the appointment
These steps are the same for new and returning clients.
Step 1: Work through the dropdowns. Under Appointment Information, the client chooses:
Species: for example Dog or Cat
Appointment type: for example Wellness Exam, Sick Exam, Nail Trim, or Surgery. Your clinic chooses which appointment types appear here. Each type can show a short description to help clients pick the right one.
Clinician: a specific provider by name, or Any Clinician. Any Clinician is the best choice for clients who want the soonest appointment.
Date
Step 2: Pick a date and time. Available times appear as buttons under Next Available Appointments. To look at another day, the client opens the Date dropdown. It lists each day along with how many openings it has. They choose a day and then click a time.
Openings come straight from your schedule in your practice management system (PIMS). How far ahead clients can book depends on your PIMS: some allow a few weeks, others several months.
3. Enter details and confirm
New clients
A Summary box at the top confirms the date, time, species, appointment type, and clinician. Below it, the client enters:
Full name
Mobile phone or email address
Pet's name (one pet per booking)
Reason for visit (optional)
They click Continue Booking. Then they enter the 6-digit code texted to them on the "Check your phone!" screen. If it doesn't arrive, they can click Resend Code?
Returning clients
Returning clients verify before choosing an appointment. They click Returning client, enter their mobile phone or email, click Send verification code, and enter the code. On most phones the code fills in automatically. If they had already started picking an appointment, their selections are kept.
When they reach this step, their name, phone, and email are already filled in. They pick the pet from the Select pet name dropdown, or click New pet + to add one. They can leave a note for the clinic (for example, "Annual checkup") and then click Continue Booking.
The time slot is held while they finish
While the client fills out the form, a countdown shows that their appointment slot is being held, so no one else can book the same time. The consent checkbox for text and email messages is checked by default, and clients can reply STOP at any time to opt out.
💡 For your team: you may see a temporary hold in your PIMS. When a client reaches this step, Oliver places a temporary hold in your PIMS to block off that time. Leave it in place. It either becomes the booked appointment or is removed automatically if the client doesn't finish booking.
4. Appointment confirmed
The client sees "Thank you, [Name]! Your appointment is scheduled" along with a summary of the booking. From here they can:
Add me to the waitlist! This is helpful when the soonest opening is weeks away. If an earlier time opens up because of a cancellation, Oliver handles the outreach automatically and offers the opening to clients on the waitlist who can come in on short notice.
My Appointments: go to their client portal
Schedule Another Appointment: book again, for example for a second pet
5. The client portal
Because the client is logged in, the portal already knows who they are and which pets they have. From the side menu, or the profile icon in the top-right corner, they can open:
My Appointments: Upcoming and Past tabs with each visit's date, time, appointment type, pet, length, and status (for example Accepted or Canceled)
My Pets: each of their pets, with Vaccinations and Medications tabs, plus their Loyalty Points balance if your clinic uses the Loyalty Program
My Account: their contact details
Book New Appointment (called Schedule Now in the top-right menu)
Sign Out: in the top-right menu
text with us is available here too, so clients can start a conversation with your clinic at any time.
What your clinic can customize
Online Booking can be adjusted to fit how your clinic works. For example, you can:
Choose which appointment types clients can book online
How much lead time is required prior to booking
Set how much information clients must provide
Ask for a deposit when an appointment is booked
Automatically send forms when an appointment is scheduled
Pro tips
Put the link where clients already look. Add it to your website's main menu, your Google Business Profile, and your text and email signatures.
Book a test appointment yourself. Open your link in a private or incognito browser window to see exactly what clients see.
Write clear appointment type descriptions. Clients use them to choose the right visit, and good descriptions mean fewer wrong bookings and reschedules.
Recommend "Any Clinician." It shows the soonest openings. Clients who want a specific provider can still choose one by name.
Don't delete temporary holds in your PIMS. They clear on their own if a client doesn't finish booking.
Promote the waitlist. Clients who book far out can check the waitlist box and may get in sooner when there's a cancellation.
FAQ
How do clients get to the booking page?
How do clients get to the booking page?
Usually from a link on your clinic's website. You can also share the direct link from Settings → Practice Details.
Do clients need to download an app or create a password?
Do clients need to download an app or create a password?
No. Clients verify with a 6-digit code sent to their phone. There's no app and no password.
What's the difference between the new and returning client paths?
What's the difference between the new and returning client paths?
They're nearly identical. New clients enter their contact info at the end. Returning clients log in at the beginning, so their info and pets are already filled in.
I see a hold in our PIMS that I didn't create. What is it?
I see a hold in our PIMS that I didn't create. What is it?
It's a temporary hold from a client who is in the middle of booking online. Leave it alone. It becomes the appointment when the client finishes, or it's removed automatically if they don't.
How long is a time slot held while the client fills out the form?
How long is a time slot held while the client fills out the form?
About 10 minutes. A countdown on the form shows the time remaining.
How far ahead can clients book?
How far ahead can clients book?
It depends on your PIMS and your schedule. Some allow a few weeks, others several months.
Can a client book more than one pet at once?
Can a client book more than one pet at once?
Not in a single booking. Each booking covers one pet. After confirming, the client can click Schedule Another Appointment to book the next pet.
The client didn't get their verification code. What should they do?
The client didn't get their verification code. What should they do?
They can click Resend Code? Ask them to check that their phone number was entered correctly. Returning clients can also verify by email.
What if a returning client's pet isn't in the dropdown?
What if a returning client's pet isn't in the dropdown?
They can click New pet + to add it during booking.
Can clients see their pet's vaccinations and medications?
Can clients see their pet's vaccinations and medications?
Yes. Once they're logged in, the My Pets page shows Vaccinations and Medications for each pet.
Is the booking page available in Spanish?
Is the booking page available in Spanish?
Yes. Clients can switch between English and Español on any screen.