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 and badge count.
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
Click the menu icon in the conversation header to access additional actions:
View conversation members — See which staff are assigned to this conversation
Add or remove employees — Control who receives notifications for this conversation
Archive conversation — Move the conversation to the archived section to keep your active list tidy. Archived conversations preserve all message history and can be unarchived at any time.
Go to client profile — Jump directly to the client's full record
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 with a count badge for unread messages
Channel icon — Shows whether the last message was an app message, WhatsApp, or internal note
Messages sent by any member of your team — including yourself — don't trigger the unread indicator for other staff. Only messages sent by the client mark a conversation as unread. 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.
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 chat points of contact in Settings so the right staff receive notifications for incoming messages
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
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 |
Chat points of contact | Select which employees are automatically added to new conversations and receive notifications for incoming messages. | 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, open it, and select Unarchive from the header menu. All messages are preserved — nothing is lost. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a client see internal notes?
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?
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?
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's the difference between client chat and internal team chat?
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?
Do I get notified when a client sends a message?
Yes, if you're listed as a chat point of contact for the location or you've been added as a participant to the conversation. Notifications appear in real time within Lupa.