Waitlist
Track patients who want an earlier slot and notify them when one opens.
Overview
The waitlist holds appointment requests that don't yet have a confirmed slot — typically from public booking ("any time next week works") or staff overflow ("call me if anything earlier opens up"). When a cancellation creates a gap, the system surfaces the waitlist so you can fill it.
Prerequisites
- Any clinical or front-desk role
- The waitlist contains at least one pending request (from public booking or manual entry)
Steps
Open the Pending Requests view. Top nav Appointments → Pending tab. The list shows every booking that's waiting for confirmation, with patient, requested type, requested date range, and source (public booking, staff entry).
Pick a request to fill. Click a row to expand. The expanded card shows the patient's contact info, requested time window, and any notes.
Approve the request. Click Approve. The same booking form opens, pre-filled. Pick a specific slot, dentist, and room — typically you've spotted a gap (e.g., a recent cancellation) before opening this.
Or reject the request. Click Reject. Provide a reason (no slots available in window, dentist on leave, etc.). The patient is notified that the booking couldn't be confirmed.
Manually add a patient to the waitlist. From any patient profile → More actions → Add to waitlist. Fill in preferred dentist, type, and a date range. Optional notes ("call after 4 PM").
Get auto-suggestions when slots open. When an appointment cancels, the system checks the waitlist for matches — patients whose requested window includes the freed slot. A toast appears: "Cancellation freed a slot — 2 waitlist patients match". Click to review.
Notify a waitlist patient manually. From the Pending tab, click any row → Notify patient. A pre-written SMS/email goes out asking them to confirm a specific slot. They reply by clicking the link, taking them to a booking confirmation page.
Auto-clear stale entries. The waitlist auto-deletes entries older than 30 days unless extended. You can extend by clicking the row → Keep on waitlist 30 more days.
Expected outcome
- Pending requests are visible to all front-desk staff
- Approving creates a confirmed appointment with the same identity link to the original request
- Rejecting notifies the patient and removes the request
- New cancellations surface waitlist matches automatically
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Pending tab is empty | No public booking or staff-entered waitlist requests | Try public booking from your clinic's website or add manually |
| Match-suggestion toast didn't appear | Match check disabled or no matching window | Check Settings → Booking Rules → Auto-match waitlist |
| Approve fails with conflict | Slot was taken between viewing and clicking | Refresh, pick a different slot |
| Patient never confirmed via the notify link | Link expired (24 hours) or they didn't click | Call them or send a fresh notify |
| Want to bulk approve | No batch UI | Approve one at a time; the conflict-checks are per-row anyway |