Booking software is one of the first things a new clinic buys, and one of the hardest to change later. Once your patients, forms and reminders live in a system, moving them takes real effort. So it is worth an afternoon of questions before you sign.
This guide is vendor-neutral. It lists questions to put to any provider, and why each one matters to a new clinic. Jane and Cliniko come up as examples because many independent clinics look at them. They are not recommendations, and we have no partnership with either. For a side-by-side of just their booking features, see Jane vs Cliniko for online booking.
Prices, plans and features change often. Ask each vendor for current details in writing, and check their own help pages, not a review site.
Start with how your clinic works
Before you open a demo, write down five things:
- How many practitioners, and how many locations, on opening day and in a year?
- What visit types will patients book, and which should be hidden from new patients?
- Do you direct bill, take cash pay or both? How you handle direct billing can shape the booking flow.
- Who answers the phone, and when?
- What is your regulator’s view on records, consent and where data is stored?
A vendor that fits a three-practitioner clinic with a front desk may be more than a solo practitioner needs, and the reverse.
Questions about the booking page
- Can I book a first visit on a phone in under a minute? Try it. Count the taps. A new patient in pain will not push through a long form.
- Does a patient need an account? Some systems let a patient book without one. Check how a returning patient is matched to their record, and what happens when details do not match exactly.
- Can I control what a new patient sees? You may want one obvious “first visit” choice, not twelve internal appointment names.
- Can I link to one practitioner, one location or one visit type? Separate links help in ads, social posts and on your Google profile.
- What times are shown? Some pages list every open slot. Others show a few per day. Pick the one that matches how you want your schedule to fill.
- Can I add a notice? Holiday closures, parking, what to wear. A short message on the booking page saves calls.
Questions about your website and Google
- How do I add booking to my website? Ask for the embed or button instructions for your platform, whether that is WordPress, Wix or Squarespace. Some builders do not accept pasted code, so you may need a plain link instead. Cliniko publishes guides for common website builders, and Jane explains how to use a plain link on builders that do not accept code.
- Can patients book straight from my Google profile? Some vendors support a booking button on Google Search and Maps, and availability can depend on the country and plan. Jane’s help pages describe one for Canada and the United States. Do not assume every vendor has this. Ask, and get the answer in writing. See how to add a booking button to your Google profile.
- Can I track where bookings come from? Ask whether you can tell which bookings came from Google, your website or social media. Without that, you cannot tell which marketing is working.
Questions about forms and reminders
- When does a new patient get intake forms, and where do they fill them in? Before the visit is better than in the waiting room, but check what the patient has to do.
- Which reminders are included, and which cost extra? Email and text reminders are often priced differently. Ask for the cost per text in your country, and whether a patient can confirm or cancel from the message. Reminders affect your no-show rate. Our guide on reducing no-shows goes through the rest.
- Can I write the wording? Your reminders are often the first message a patient gets from you. They should sound like your clinic.
- What happens if a patient has no email? Some systems create a list for staff to phone.
Questions about data, privacy and leaving
Health information is sensitive, and the rules depend on where you practise. In Ontario that includes PHIPA. In the United States it may include HIPAA, which can require a business associate agreement with the vendor. We cannot give legal advice. Put these questions to the vendor and to your regulator or adviser.
- Where is data stored? Which country, and does that matter for your province, state or regulator?
- Who can see patient records at the vendor? Ask what staff access exists, and what is logged.
- What agreements do you provide? Ask for the privacy terms and, in the US, the business associate agreement process.
- Can I export my data, and in what format? Do this now, before you sign. If you leave later, that is how you take your records with you.
- What is the notice period, and is there a contract? Month to month is easier to leave than annual.
- What happens to my booking links if I leave? Links you have printed or put on your Google profile will stop working.
Questions about cost and support
- What is the full cost for my clinic? Ask what each additional practitioner, location, text reminder or payment feature costs, and whether there is a trial period. Prices and plan tiers change, so ask for the current terms in writing.
- How do I reach support, and when? Ask for hours in your time zone.
- Is there a trial or a way to test with real use? Set up one practitioner and one visit type, and book yourself.
A short test before you commit
Set up a trial account with your actual clinic name, one practitioner and your first-visit appointment. Then:
- Book it on your own phone, from your website and from a Google search.
- Check the confirmation and the reminder. Read them as the patient.
- Cancel it, and check that cancellation works the way you want.
- Ask a friend who is not in healthcare to try it without help.
If a step feels slow or confusing to you, it will feel worse to someone in pain.
Do not forget the rest of the path
Booking software only helps if patients can find your clinic and reach the booking page. In our scan of 4,348 physio and chiro homepages (3,886 physio and 462 chiro, November 2026), 33% of physio and 26% of chiro sites had no online booking we could find, and 66% of physio and 70% of chiro sites showed no review feed or star rating. How we counted. A new clinic that sets up booking, a Google profile and a first-visit page together is covering the basics.
If you are opening soon, our guide to starting a physiotherapy clinic and chiropractic practice cover the rest. We also offer an audit that looks at your profile, site and booking path before and after opening. It uses only your public pages and does not involve patient data.