Every client who walks through your doors has questions between visits — prescription refill requests, post-op check-in queries, or booking confirmations. Client chat gives your team a single, threaded conversation per client where you can reply via the Lupa mobile app, WhatsApp, or leave private internal notes — all without leaving the practice management screen.

💡 In short: Open a conversation with any client, pick a channel (app message, WhatsApp, or internal note), type your message, attach files if needed, and hit send. The client sees it instantly on their phone; your whole team sees the history in one place.

Why Client Chat Matters

⚠️ Chat from Lupa, don't use personal phones. Replying to clients from personal WhatsApp or text messages means the rest of the team can't see the conversation, there's no audit trail, and messages are lost when staff leave. Client chat keeps every exchange in one shared thread tied to the client record.

Benefit	How it helps your practice
Shared visibility	Every team member with chat access sees the full conversation history — no more "what did we tell Mrs. Davies about Bella's medication?"
Multi-channel reach	Reply via the Lupa app or WhatsApp depending on how the client prefers to communicate, all from the same thread
Private staff notes	Add internal notes to a conversation that only your team can see — useful for flagging follow-ups or context before replying
Attachments	Send images, PDFs, and videos directly in the chat — lab results, discharge instructions, or wound photos
Read receipts	See when a client has read your WhatsApp message so you know whether to follow up

When to Use Client Chat

Scenario	Example	Who typically does it
Answering a client question	Client asks via the app whether their pet's blood results are back	Receptionist or nurse
Post-op follow-up	Vet sends a check-in message the day after surgery with wound care reminders	Vet or nurse
Sharing documents	Attaching a referral letter PDF or lab report for the client to review	Receptionist or vet
Internal coordination	Nurse leaves an internal note flagging that the client sounded anxious and may need a vet callback	Any staff member
Proactive outreach via WhatsApp	Sending a WhatsApp template to remind a client about an overdue vaccination	Receptionist

How to Use Client Chat — Step by Step

Step 1: Open the Chat page

Click Chat in the top navigation bar.
The chat page opens with a sidebar on the left showing your active client conversations, sorted by the most recent message.

🔒 You need the Client Chat permission to access this page. If you don't see the Chat option, ask your practice manager to enable it for your role.

Step 2: Start or find a conversation

To open an existing conversation: Click any conversation in the sidebar. Conversations show the client's name, a preview of the last message, and how long ago it was sent. Unread conversations display a red dot.

To start a new conversation: Use the search bar at the top of the sidebar to find a client by name. Select the client, and Lupa will either open the existing conversation or create a new one.

You can also open a conversation directly from a client record. Click the communication actions on the client record and choose Send message to open a Lupa app thread, or Send WhatsApp to open a WhatsApp thread. If a conversation with that client already exists, Lupa opens it rather than creating a duplicate. If something goes wrong opening the chat, you'll see a message on screen — just try again.

💡 Each client has one conversation per location — you won't accidentally create duplicates. If a conversation already exists with that client, Lupa opens it instead.

Step 3: Choose your messaging channel

At the bottom of the conversation, you'll see a channel selector next to the message input. Choose from:

Channel	When to use it
App (purple)	The client has the Lupa mobile app installed. Messages arrive as push notifications and appear in the app's chat screen. Available only if the client has a mobile app profile.
WhatsApp (green)	The client prefers WhatsApp or doesn't have the app. Requires a phone number on the client record and WhatsApp Business integration enabled for your location. Subject to a 24-hour messaging window (see below).
Internal note (amber)	A private note visible only to staff. Use this to add context, flag follow-ups, or leave handover notes — the client never sees these.

💡 Lupa remembers the last channel you used in each conversation and pre-selects it next time you open that thread.

Step 4: Compose and send your message

Type your message in the input field. The input grows as you type, so you can see your full message without scrolling.
To attach files, click the attachment button (paperclip icon) and choose from image, PDF, video, or general file. You can attach up to 5 files per message.
Press Enter or click the Send button to send. To start a new line without sending, press Shift+Enter. The message appears in the conversation immediately. For WhatsApp messages, you'll see delivery status indicators:

Clock icon — Message is being sent
Single tick — Delivered to WhatsApp servers
Double tick — Delivered to the client's phone
Blue double tick — Client has read the message
Red alert — Message failed to send (hover for details)

⚠️ WhatsApp 24-hour window. After a client sends you a WhatsApp message, you have 24 hours to reply freely. After that window closes, you can only send pre-approved WhatsApp templates (e.g. appointment reminders). The composer will show you how much time remains in the window.

Step 5: Manage the conversation

The conversation header shows controls for the three most common management tasks directly:

Status — Click the status badge to change the conversation between Open, In progress, and Closed.
Open — Needs a reply.
In progress — Waiting for the client; no reply needed.
Closed — Done. A new client message reopens it automatically.
Assignees — Click the assignee area to choose who is responsible for the conversation. Assignees stay on closed and reopened conversations. You can assign multiple staff members; the header shows their avatars.
Archive / Unarchive — Click the archive button to hide the conversation from your active list without changing its status. Lupa asks you to confirm before archiving or unarchiving. All message history is preserved.

For additional options, click More options in the header.

Managing conversations from the list

You can also manage conversations without opening them. Hover over any conversation row in the sidebar and click the More options menu that appears to access:

Mark as read / Mark as unread — Manually control the shared unread indicator for your team
Assign — Set or change the assignee directly from the list
Change status — Switch between Open, In progress, and Closed
Archive — Hide the conversation from the active list (a confirmation pop-up appears)

Reading Your Conversation List

The sidebar organises conversations into two views, toggled from the top of the sidebar:

Active — Conversations with recent activity. This is your default view.
Archived — Conversations you've archived. Useful for clients who haven't visited in a while. Each conversation entry shows:
Client name and avatar
Last message preview — Truncated text so you can scan quickly
Time since last message — e.g. "2m", "1h", "3d"
Unread indicator — Red dot showing the conversation has an unread client message
Status badge — Shows whether the conversation is Open, In progress, or Closed
Assignee avatars — Shows who is currently assigned to the conversation
Channel icon — Shows whether the last message was an app message, WhatsApp, or internal note

The unread indicator is shared across your whole clinic — if a client sends a message, every team member with chat access sees the red dot. The dot clears only when an assignee opens the conversation and reads through the latest client message. If you are not an assignee, opening the conversation records your visit but does not clear the shared unread indicator for the rest of the team. Internal notes don't update the "last message" preview shown in the sidebar either, so other staff won't see your private notes unless they open the conversation.

Logging an Offline Interaction as a Note

Not every client conversation happens through Lupa — sometimes a client rings the practice, stops in at the front desk, or you speak to them at the end of a consult. You can record those interactions directly on the client's record so the whole team has a complete picture of every contact, even ones that happened outside the system.

How to add a note

Open the client's record and scroll to the Client Communications section.
Click the Add button at the top right of that section.
The Add note pop-up opens. Fill in:
Title — a short summary (e.g. "Phone call re: booster reminder")
Notes — the detail of what was discussed
Click Create. You'll see a confirmation message and the note appears immediately in the communications list.

💡 The pop-up shows a notice: "This is a record only — no communication is sent to the client." Nothing goes to the client's app or WhatsApp when you save a note this way.

How notes appear in the communications list

The note appears as a row in the Client Communications table. Its status column shows N/A — this distinguishes it from messages that were sent or are pending, so your team can tell at a glance that it's a record of an offline conversation rather than a Lupa-sent communication.

Tips for Effective Client Communication

✅ Best practices from practices that run Lupa:

Use internal notes before replying to a tricky message — leave context for colleagues so anyone on the team can pick up the conversation
Attach discharge instructions as PDFs rather than typing them out — clients can refer back to them later
Set up default chat assignees in Settings so new conversations are automatically assigned to the right staff
Configure an auto-reply message for out-of-hours enquiries so clients know when to expect a response
Check the WhatsApp window timer before composing a long reply — if the window is about to expire, send a quick acknowledgement first
Archive conversations regularly to keep your active list focused on current cases
When a client can receive both app and WhatsApp messages, prefer the app channel — it's free and has no messaging window restrictions
Log phone calls and in-person conversations using the Add note button on the client record — it keeps the full contact history in one place for the whole team

Configuring Client Chat Settings

To configure client chat for your location, go to Settings → Communications → Client Chat.

📍 Permissions required: You need admin or settings access to change these options.

Setting	What it does	Default
Enable client chat	Turns client chat on or off for this location. When off, staff cannot send or receive client messages.	Off
Default chat assignees	Select which employees are automatically assigned to new conversations. Reopened conversations keep their existing assignees.	None
Auto-reply message	An optional message sent automatically when a client messages outside of your configured hours. Leave blank to disable.	Blank (disabled)

Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
I can't see the Chat page	Your role may not have the Client Chat permission enabled. Ask your practice manager to check your role permissions in Settings → Roles & Permissions.
I can't send a WhatsApp message	Check three things: (1) the client has a phone number on their record, (2) your location has WhatsApp Business integration enabled, and (3) the 24-hour messaging window hasn't expired. If the window has closed, you'll need to use an approved WhatsApp template instead. If the Send WhatsApp option is greyed out on a client record, it usually means no phone number is saved for that client — add one to their record and try again.
The Send message option is greyed out	The client doesn't have the Lupa mobile app installed. You can still reach them via Send WhatsApp if your location has WhatsApp enabled, or ask the client to download the app.
My WhatsApp message shows a red alert	The message failed to deliver. Hover over the alert icon for details. Common causes include an invalid phone number, the client blocking your business number, or a network issue on WhatsApp's side. Try resending or contact the client by phone.
A WhatsApp conversation disappeared from my sidebar	If a WhatsApp conversation started from Lupa stopped appearing in your sidebar — even though messages were still being received — this was a known issue that has now been fixed. The conversation is still intact and will reappear in your active list automatically. If you still can't find it, use the search bar at the top of the sidebar to locate the client by name.
I archived a conversation by mistake	Toggle to Archived in the sidebar, find the conversation, and click the unarchive button in the header (or use More options on the row). A confirmation pop-up will appear — confirm to return it to your active list. All messages are preserved — nothing is lost.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a client see internal notes?

No. Internal notes are visible only to staff members who have access to the conversation. Clients see only messages sent via the App or WhatsApp channels.

What happens when multiple staff reply to the same client?

All replies appear in the same threaded conversation. Each message shows which staff member sent it, so the client sees a coherent conversation and your team has full visibility of who said what.

Is there a limit on file attachments?

You can attach up to 5 files per message. Supported types include images, PDFs, videos, and general files. Each file is stored securely and accessible to both staff and the client (except on internal notes).

What do the conversation statuses mean?

Each conversation has one of three statuses:

Open — The conversation needs a reply from your team.
In progress — Your team is waiting for the client; no immediate reply is needed.
Closed — The conversation is done. If the client sends a new message, Lupa automatically reopens it. You can change the status from the conversation header or from the More options menu on any row in the sidebar.

Why didn't the unread dot disappear when I opened a conversation?

The unread indicator is shared across your whole clinic and clears only when an assignee opens the conversation and reads through the latest client message. If you are not assigned to the conversation, opening it records your visit but does not clear the shared indicator. To clear it, either assign yourself and open the conversation, or use Mark as read from the row's More options menu.

What's the difference between client chat and internal team chat?

Client chat is for communicating with pet owners — messages go to the client via the Lupa app or WhatsApp. Internal team chat (accessed via the Internal tab on the Chat page) is for staff-to-staff communication using channels and direct messages. They're separate systems with separate permissions.

Do I get notified when a client sends a message?

Yes, if you're listed as a default chat assignee for the location or you've been assigned to the conversation. Notifications appear in real time within Lupa.

What does "N/A" mean in the status column of the communications table?

A status of N/A means the row is a manually logged note — a record of an offline interaction such as a phone call or in-person conversation. Nothing was sent to the client through Lupa, so a sent/not-sent status doesn't apply.

Client chat