Overview

SMS notifications complement email notifications by delivering time-sensitive booking updates directly to your customers’ phones. Powered by Twilio, this feature supports:

Instant booking confirmation SMS to customers
Cancellation and rescheduling alerts
Automated appointment reminders (1 hour, 24 hours, or custom)
Status change notifications (confirmed, completed, no-show)
Staff notification SMS for new bookings
Customizable message templates with dynamic placeholders

Step 1: Get Twilio Credentials

You need a Twilio account to send SMS. If you don’t have one, sign up at twilio.com (they offer a free trial with test credits).

Find your Account SID

Copy your Auth Token

Click the eye icon next to Auth Token on the same dashboard page to reveal and copy it.

Get a Twilio phone number

Go to Phone Numbers → Manage → Buy a Number. Choose a number with SMS capability. This will be your “From” number.

Step 2: Enter Credentials in Settings

Navigate to WordPress Admin → Bookings → Settings → SMS and fill in the three fields:

Account SID

Your Twilio Account SID (starts with "AC").

Auth Token

Your Twilio Auth Token. Stored encrypted in the database.

From Number

Your Twilio phone number in E.164 format (e.g., +15551234567).

Step 3: Configure SMS Events

Below the credentials, you will see a list of events that can trigger an SMS. Toggle each one on or off:

Booking Confirmation

Sent immediately when a booking is confirmed (after payment if applicable).

Booking Cancellation

Sent when a booking is cancelled by the customer or admin.

Status Change

Sent when the booking status changes (e.g., pending to confirmed, or completed).

Appointment Reminders

Scheduled reminders sent before the appointment. Configure the timing: 1 hour before, 24 hours before, or set a custom interval.

Step 4: Customize SMS Templates

Each event has its own message template. Use the following placeholders to personalize your messages:

{customer_name} {booking_date} {booking_time} {service_name} {staff_name}

Example template:

Hi {customer_name}, your {service_name} appointment is confirmed for {booking_date} at {booking_time} with {staff_name}. Reply HELP for assistance.

SMS messages are limited to 160 characters per segment. Messages longer than 160 characters will be split into multiple segments, which may increase your Twilio costs. Keep templates concise.

Step 5: Test SMS Sending

After saving your settings, use the “Send Test SMS” button at the bottom of the SMS settings page:

Enter a test phone number

Type your phone number in E.164 format (e.g., +15551234567).

Click “Send Test SMS”

A test message will be sent. You should receive it within a few seconds.

Check the result

A success or error message will appear. Common errors include invalid credentials, unverified “From” number, or insufficient Twilio balance.

Phone Number Format

For SMS to work correctly, customer phone numbers must be stored in E.164 format (international format with country code). The booking form automatically formats phone numbers when the customer selects their country from the dropdown.

Tip: If you have existing bookings with local phone numbers (e.g., “0551234567”), they will need a country code prefix to receive SMS. Future bookings will automatically use the correct format.

SMS Notifications