A quick text message is often the fastest way to reach a client — whether it's a same-day appointment reminder, a nudge about an overdue vaccination, or a consent form link before they arrive. Lupa's SMS features let you send individual messages to clients, configure automated appointment reminders, and manage reusable templates — all from within the practice management system.
💡 In short: Enable SMS for your location, create templates with client and pet placeholders, send one-off messages or configure automated appointment reminders — and track delivery for every message sent.
Before You Begin
📍 Permissions required: Only Company Admins can see or change SMS settings. If you don't have Company Admin access, the SMS tab won't appear under Settings → Communications. All staff can send individual SMS messages once the feature is enabled.
SMS is charged per message. Check with your account manager for current pricing.
The client must have a valid phone number on their record.
Configuring SMS Settings
Step 1: Open SMS settings
Go to Settings → Communications → SMS.
Step 2: Enable SMS features
Toggle the features you want to use:
Setting | What it does | Default |
Manual SMS | Allows staff to send individual SMS messages to clients from the client record or appointment view | Off |
Automated reminders | Enables SMS as a channel for automated appointment reminders and pet schedule reminders | Off |
Creating SMS Templates
Step 1: Open template settings
Go to Settings → Templates.
Select the SMS tab.
Step 2: Create a new template
Click Add Template.
Enter a template name (e.g. "Appointment Reminder", "Vaccination Due").
Write your message using placeholders to personalise it for each recipient.
Available Placeholders
Placeholder | Replaced with |
| The client's first name |
| The pet's name |
| The name of the reminder (e.g. "Annual Vaccination") |
| The reminder due date |
| Your practice or location name |
| Your practice phone number |
| Your practice email address |
| Your online booking page URL |
⚠️ Character limits apply. SMS templates are limited to 160 characters (one GSM-7 segment). Direct (manual) messages can be up to 240 characters with a minimum of 20 characters. If a template's placeholders fill out to more than 160 characters, Lupa will still send the message — it will be delivered as a multi-part SMS, which increases cost. Keep messages concise where possible.
Sending an Individual SMS
From a client record or appointment view, click the SMS action (or select Send SMS from the communication options).
The Send SMS dialog opens with the client's phone number pre-filled.
Type your message (20–240 characters) or select a template.
Click Send.
Lupa validates the phone number, sends the message, and records the delivery status.
💡 The sender ID shown to the client is "Lupa" — clients will see the message coming from this name rather than a phone number.
Automated Appointment Reminders
SMS can be used as a channel for automated appointment reminders alongside email and WhatsApp. Configure these in Settings → Communications → Default Reminders.
Available Reminder Types
Reminder | When it sends | Default SMS |
Booking Confirmation | Immediately when a booking is confirmed | Disabled |
Reminder 1 | Configurable days before appointment (e.g. 3 days) | Disabled |
Reminder 2 | Configurable days before appointment (e.g. 1 day) | Disabled |
Follow-up | Configurable days after appointment | Disabled |
Each reminder type has its own SMS template that you can customise. Default templates are provided as a starting point — for example:
Reminder: "Hi {clientName}, reminder: {petName} has an appointment at {storeName} on {appointmentTime}. Call us on {storePhone}."
Follow-up: "Hi {clientName}, we hope {petName}'s visit to {storeName} went well. Call us on {storePhone} if you need support."
💡 To use SMS as a channel, SMS reminders must be enabled in Settings → Communications → SMS. If SMS reminders are not enabled, the SMS channel button will be greyed out on all reminder types. Ask a Company Admin to enable it if needed.
WhatsApp reminder templates with a header image
Some WhatsApp templates include a Header image — a fixed image, video, or document that Meta sends at the top of every message using that template. When you select one of these templates for a reminder, a Header image section appears below the template picker.
Click the file input under Header image and choose your file. Lupa uploads it once and attaches it to every automated reminder sent using that template.
The same file goes to every recipient — you cannot vary it per client.
If you pick a different WhatsApp template for that reminder, the previously uploaded file is cleared and you must choose a new one.
Lupa checks the file before uploading. If the file type is not accepted by WhatsApp for that header, or the file is too large, you'll see a specific error message telling you what's allowed. Choose a different file and try again.
You cannot save your reminder settings until every WhatsApp-enabled reminder that uses a media-header template has a header image uploaded.
Pet Schedule Reminders
SMS can also be used for automated pet health schedule reminders (e.g. vaccination due dates, flea treatment renewals). These use communication templates configured per reminder type and are sent automatically when a reminder becomes due.
Delivery Tracking
Every SMS sent through Lupa is recorded in the client's communication history with one of these statuses:
Status | What it means |
Sent | The message was successfully delivered to the SMS provider |
Failed | The message could not be sent — typically an invalid or unreachable phone number |
Not Sent | The message was skipped — usually because SMS is disabled or the phone number is missing |
Tips for Effective SMS Communication
✅ Best practices from practices that run Lupa:
Keep messages short and actionable — SMS is for quick prompts, not detailed instructions
Include your practice phone number in reminder templates so clients can call back easily
Add the booking link placeholder to reminder messages so clients can rebook directly
Use SMS reminders alongside email for important appointments — some clients check texts more often than email
Review your automated reminder timing — sending 3 days and 1 day before an appointment covers both planners and last-minute checkers
Monitor failed deliveries regularly to catch invalid phone numbers early
Troubleshooting
Problem | Solution |
I can't send SMS messages | SMS may not be enabled for your location. Ask a Company Admin to go to Settings → Communications → SMS and enable Manual SMS. |
SMS shows as failed | The client's phone number may be invalid or unreachable. Check the number on the client record — it must be a valid international format. Remove any spaces or special characters. |
Automated reminders aren't sending | Check that Automated Reminders is enabled in SMS settings, and that SMS is toggled on for the specific reminder type in Settings → Default Reminders. |
I can't save my WhatsApp reminder settings — it says a header image is needed | One or more of your WhatsApp reminder templates includes a media header. Scroll to the reminder shown, find the Header image section, and upload a suitable file. Lupa blocks saving until every WhatsApp-enabled reminder with a media-header template has an image uploaded. |
My file is rejected when I try to upload a header image | WhatsApp only accepts certain file types and sizes for header media (for example, JPEG or PNG images up to 5 MB). Lupa checks the file before uploading and shows a message explaining what's allowed. Choose a file that matches the requirements and try again. |
I can't select a WhatsApp template — it says the button link changes per recipient | That template has a button whose link is filled in differently for each client. WhatsApp reminders are sent automatically with no one present to supply that link, so the template can't be used here. Choose a different template that has a fixed button link, or no button. |
My message is too long | Templates are limited to 160 characters per segment; direct messages to 240. If your template's placeholders push the filled message over 160 characters, Lupa will still send it as a multi-part SMS — but this increases cost. Shorten your message or remove unnecessary words to keep it within a single segment. |
I can't see or change SMS settings | The SMS tab under Settings → Communications is only visible to Company Admins. If you don't see it, ask your practice manager — they can make the changes on your behalf. |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does each SMS cost?
How much does each SMS cost?
SMS pricing varies by country. Contact your Lupa account manager for current rates.
What phone number do clients see?
What phone number do clients see?
Clients see "Lupa" as the sender name rather than a phone number. This is configured as a sender ID with the SMS provider.
Can clients reply to SMS messages?
Can clients reply to SMS messages?
No. SMS messages sent from Lupa use a sender ID, not a phone number, so they are one-way. For two-way messaging, use client chat with the App or WhatsApp channels.
Can I send SMS to international numbers?
Can I send SMS to international numbers?
Yes, provided the phone number is in valid international format.
What's the difference between SMS templates and email templates?
What's the difference between SMS templates and email templates?
SMS templates are plain text with a character limit (160 characters for templates, 240 for direct messages). Email templates support rich text formatting, images, and much longer content. Both use the same placeholder system for personalisation.