Trigger topics let your clinic show a message to a client before an online booking is completed. When a client writes a booking note, the online booking portal checks the note against the topics you have set up. If the note matches a topic, the client sees your message before the booking goes through. Use trigger topics for situations you would rather handle by phone, such as emergencies or aggressive animals.
Note: Trigger topics are being rolled out. If you do not see Trigger topics in your online booking settings, the feature is not yet available for your clinic.
Note: Trigger topics work in the new online booking portal only. Clients using the classic booking portal do not see trigger topic messages.
Note: A trigger topic never blocks a booking outright. A preemptive topic requires the client to acknowledge your message before continuing.
Note: To access Settings, select the clinic location name in the top left corner, then select Settings from the menu that opens. Settings is only visible to users with the appropriate permissions. If you don't see Settings, contact your practice administrator to check your access.
Trigger Topic Types
Select the type when you create the topic. The type controls whether the client must acknowledge the message.
Type | What the client must do | When to use it |
Preemptive | Select the dismiss checkbox to acknowledge the message. The booking cannot be completed until the checkbox is selected. | When booking online is not suitable, such as an emergency or a case that needs a phone call first. |
Informative | Nothing. The message is shown with no checkbox, and the client can continue straight away. | For useful information, such as bringing previous test results or arriving 15 minutes earlier. |
Add a Trigger Topic
Go to Settings > General > Clinic location > Online booking.
Scroll to Trigger topics and select Add topic.
In the Trigger type drop-down list, select Preemptive or Informative.
In Situation to detect, describe the situation in plain language. See Describe the Situation below.
In Message to client, enter the message the client sees. See Write the Message below.
For a preemptive topic, enter a Dismiss checkbox label. This is the label of the checkbox the client selects to acknowledge the message and continue. The field is also shown for an informative topic, but anything entered there is ignored.
Select Save.
The trigger topic is active for the currently selected clinic location.
Note: If you leave Dismiss checkbox label empty, the portal shows the default label 'I understand and still want to book this appointment'.
Note: Trigger topics are matched against the booking note the client writes. Whether the client must complete that field is set per clinic location by Set "Notes for vet" as a mandatory field in the same Online booking settings. If the field is not mandatory, a client can leave it empty and no topic will be matched.
Describe the Situation
Describe the situation in plain language rather than listing keywords. The portal reads the client's booking note and matches its meaning, so you do not need to predict the exact words a client will use.
For example, a topic with the situation "Pet ate something" also matches a booking note that reads "He ate some chocolate".
Matching works across languages. A topic written in English also matches a booking note written in another language, so you do not need a separate topic for each language your clients use.
Keep each topic to one situation, and avoid situations that overlap. Only one message is shown to the client at a time. When a booking note matches more than one topic, the topic whose situation most closely matches the note is shown. The trigger type is not taken into account, so an informative topic can be shown instead of a preemptive one. Do not rely on a preemptive topic taking precedence.
Write the Message
The message is shown to the client in the booking portal when the situation is detected. State what the concern is and what to do instead. For example: "If your pet is bleeding or has collapsed, call us straight away instead of booking online."
You can include your clinic's contact details using placeholders. The portal fills these in automatically.
Placeholder | Becomes |
[[clinic_phone_number]] | Your clinic phone number |
[[clinic_email]] | Your clinic email address |
For example: Please call the clinic on [[clinic_phone_number]] before booking.
Edit or Delete a Trigger Topic
Existing topics are listed under Trigger topics, showing the type, the situation, the message and the dismiss checkbox label. Select the pen button on a row to edit that topic, or the bin button to delete it.
What Staff See on the Appointment
When a client acknowledges a preemptive message and continues, this is recorded on the appointment.
Open the appointment and find the Online booking information section in Appointment details. The Dismissed warnings field lists the situation of each trigger topic the client acknowledged.
The field shows the Situation to detect text from the topic, not the message the client saw. The client's booking note appears in the same section, in Notes for vet.