Quick answer: Go to Org Settings → Communications → Text Automation, edit the Appointment Reminder row, and add up to 4 reminders — each with its own timing (1–30 days before) and template. You can also set different reminders for specific appointment types.

Org admins setting up automated appointment reminder texts for the whole practice. With the new Text Automation, reminders are configured once at the org level instead of per appointment.

Important: In the new Text Automation, staff can no longer override reminders on an individual appointment. Reminders are controlled by these org-level settings (and optional per-appointment-type rules). Staff can still add ad-hoc scheduled texts to an appointment through More Options — these are one-off messages you write and time yourself, not reminders, and they are separate from the rules on this page.

Each reminder you configure needs a message template. To create one:

The default appointment reminder template already contains the appointment date and time. For more on managing templates, see How do I use the Barti Messaging Center?.

If your practice previously used per-appointment reminders, three things change the day you switch:

To confirm reminders are going out after the switch, check your rules on this settings page rather than opening an appointment. An empty Scheduled list does not mean reminders are off. For more detail on when each message type becomes visible, see When will I see a scheduled message in Barti?.

1. Open the Appointment Reminder configuration. Go to Org Settings → Communications → Text Automation and click the edit icon on the Appointment Reminder row. The Configure Appointment Reminder Texts modal opens.

2. Set your reminders. Each reminder has its own timing and template. Choose how many days before the appointment to send from the options: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 14, or 30 days before.

3. Add another reminder (optional). Click Add reminder to add another. You can have up to 4 reminders total. Remove a reminder with the × next to it.

4. Choose a template for each reminder. Select the template Barti sends for that reminder. The default appointment reminder template contains the appointment date and time.

5. (Optional) Configure reminders for specific appointment types. Turn on Configure by Appointment Type, click Add appointment type, choose an appointment type, and set its own reminders. Appointment types you don't list use your default reminders. If a type has its own reminders, those take precedence over the defaults for that type.

6. Save your settings.

If a patient cancels, you can cancel a pending reminder during the roughly one-hour window when the message exists. There are two ways:

From the Communication Center

From the patient profile

Outside that window there is no message to remove. To stop reminders going forward, change the rules on this settings page instead. Scheduled messages can be deleted but not edited — remove the reminder and, if needed, send a replacement manually from the patient's Messages tab.

Can I add more than 4 reminders?

No. Up to 4 reminders can be active. Add reminder is unavailable once you reach 4.

Can I turn off appointment reminders entirely?

You can remove all reminders for a given appointment type so that type sends no reminders.

The reminder sent, but the patient says the appointment details were wrong.

Check the location name in Organization Settings → Locations. The location name used there appears in reminder messages — if it includes a time, an old suite number, or another outdated detail, update it and the next reminder will pick up the change. See How do I set up my profile and organization settings in Barti?.

Reminder times use the time zone of the appointment's location, so a location with the wrong time zone set will send reminders at the wrong hour.

What happens to reminders if an appointment is rescheduled?

Reminders are always evaluated against the appointment's current date and time. When you reschedule, Barti looks at the new time and sends any reminder that is now due.

Because of this, a patient can receive the same reminder more than once. Reminders already sent for the original date aren't tracked against the new one — so if the new appointment time puts a reminder due again, it sends again. For example, a patient who already received a 3-day reminder can get another one after the appointment is moved to a new date three days out.

If you're rescheduling an appointment that reminders have already gone out for, it's worth confirming the current appointment time with the patient directly.

If I move an appointment closer, will its reminders still go out?

Only the reminders that still fit. Reminders are evaluated against the appointment's current date and time, so a reminder whose send time has already passed won't be sent late.

For example, an appointment 10 days out with a 7-day reminder moved to 2 days from now: the 7-day mark is in the past, so that reminder won't go out. A 1-day reminder configured for the same appointment still sends normally.

Why can't staff change reminders on a single appointment anymore?

In the new Text Automation, reminders are managed at the org level (with optional per-appointment-type rules). Per-appointment overrides are no longer available; staff can still add extra scheduled texts via More Options.

Why don't reminders show on the appointment card?

Scheduled reminders are no longer shown on the appointment. This is expected — with Text Automation, reminders are applied to every appointment from your org settings rather than tracked individually.

They also won't appear in Communication → Scheduled when the appointment is booked. Barti creates the reminder message only about an hour before it sends, so for most of the time between booking and sending it isn't on any screen. To confirm a reminder will go out, check your reminder rules on this page rather than looking for the message. See When will I see a scheduled message in Barti?.

I don't see any templates to select when adding a reminder.

You'll need to create a message template first. See Create a reminder template above, then return to this settings page.

We just switched to Text Automation — will patients get duplicate reminders?

No. When your practice switches over, Barti removes the reminders that were already queued under the previous setup so the same reminder isn't sent twice. Intake links, recalls, and anything already sent are unaffected. If you do see duplicate reminders around your switch-over date, contact Support.

Can I set a specific time of day for reminders to go out?

No. Reminder timing is set in whole days counting back from the appointment's start time, so each reminder goes out at the same time of day as the appointment.

Can different locations have different reminder schedules?

No. Text Automation settings apply to your whole organization. You can set different reminders by appointment type, but not by location.

Why don't I see Text Automation under Communications?

Text Automation is rolling out in phases. If you don't see it, your practice is still on per-appointment reminders — see How do I add an appointment reminder in Barti?.

Fin alternate phrasings: - How do I set up appointment reminder texts? - How many appointment reminders can I send? - How do I change when appointment reminders go out? - Can I set different reminders for different appointment types? - How do I turn off appointment reminders for a certain appointment type? - Why can't I edit a reminder on one appointment? - How do I add a second appointment reminder? - Why don't I see reminders in Scheduled? - Will patients get duplicate reminders after we switch to Text Automation? - What changes when we switch to Text Automation? - How do I create a reminder template? - How do I cancel an appointment reminder for a canceled patient? - How do I remove a scheduled reminder? - Why was the address or details in the reminder wrong?