Online appointments
Appointment types
Defining the consultations your patients can book, and how long they last.
In this article
An appointment type is a consultation your patients can book: Consultation, First visit, 60-minute massage…
Each type has a name, a duration and an optional description. The patient picks from this list at the start of their booking.
Where to define them
In the left menu: Calendar → Calendar settings.
Scroll down to the « Appointment types » section.
Adding a type
Click « + Add » at the top right of the section.
A numbered box appears (
#1,#2…).Fill in the fields:
- Name — required. What the patient reads in the list.
- Duration — required. Choose from the drop-down: from 15 minutes to 2h30.
- Description — optional. A clarifying sentence.
Click « Save », at the top right of the page.
Removing a type
Click the bin icon at the top right of its box, then save.
Naming a type well
The name must be understandable to your patient, not to a colleague.
| ✅ Good | ❌ Avoid |
|---|---|
First consultation | Initial anamnesis |
Wound care at home | Dressing protocol B |
Back massage — 60 min | BM60 |
Putting the duration in the name is a good idea: the patient knows immediately what they are in for.
Choosing the duration well
Be honest, and allow generously rather than tightly. Add the break between appointments for your travel and notes. See Enabling the calendar.
Writing the description well
The description is short, but it saves you a great deal of time: this is where you answer questions before they are asked.
Useful examples:
Allow 45 minutes. Please bring your prescription and your insurance card.For a first appointment. We go over your needs together.I come to your home. Please give your address in the message.Follow-up session, for patients already seen at the practice.
How many types?
Two to five. That is the right number.
A single type works perfectly if you only do one thing. Above five, the patient hesitates, does not know which to pick, and gives up — or picks the wrong one, which complicates your day.
A simple example that works for many practitioners:
| Name | Duration | Description |
|---|---|---|
First consultation | 1h | First appointment: we go over your situation together. Bring your prescription if you have one. |
Follow-up consultation | 30 min | For patients already seen at the practice. |
Care at home | 45 min | I come to you. Please give your address in the message. |
And prices?
There is no price field for appointment types. Two options:
- Put the price in the description:
60-minute session — CHF 120. - Create a Prices page on your site with the full list. See The text blocks.