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Understanding placeholders

Learn how to use placeholders in appointment reminders, confirmation emails, and letters.

Emily avatar
Written by Emily
Updated over 8 months ago

When Cliniko sends automated appointment reminders and confirmation emails, you'll want them to have unique information about each appointment! The same holds true for letters and invoices —although these are based from unique templates, they'll need to be customised for each patient! Doing these customisations one at a time, though, and editing each communication before it goes out would be insanely time consuming—and not really worth the effort!

That's where placeholders come in!


Where are placeholders used?

You'll find placeholders in multiple places in Cliniko:


What are placeholders?

Placeholders "pull" information into specific fields. They show up in various templates in Cliniko as highlighted text. For example, a confirmation email template might look something like this:

You'll see that things like Patient.FirstName and Appointment.Date are highlighted. This looks a bit funny, but don't worry—your patients won't see these! We'll explain below.


How do placeholders work?

As mentioned, placeholders "pull" information into an email, SMS reminder, or letter. Cliniko is pretty smart, and it knows that what's in the highlighted text (such as Patient.FirstName) should be replaced with actual information! So, while your template will display the placeholders, the actual message that the patient sees will include all the details that make sense to them (and you!):


Available Placeholders

Here's a breakdown of each placeholder available in Cliniko and where it "pulls" information from:

Cliniko Placeholder

Cliniko Field/Setting

Appointment.CancellationLink

Unique Online booking link/URL to cancel appointment

Appointment.Date

Appointment date including day of the week, date, month, and year

Appointment.DateShort

Appointment date in MM/DD/YYYY or DD/MM/YYYY format

Appointment.End Time24h

Appointment end time in 24-hour clock format

Appointment.EndTime

Appointment end time

Appointment.EndTime24hWithZone

Appointment end time in 24-hour clock format with time zone

Appointment.EndTimeWithZone

Appointment end time with business or patient's time zone

Appointment.StartTime

Appointment start time

Appointment.StartTime24h

Appointment start time in 24-hour clock format

Appointment.StartTime24hWithZone

Appointment start time in 24-hour clock format and time zone

Appointment.StartTimeWithZone

Appointment start time with business or patient's time zone

Appointment.TelehealthLink

Unique Link/URL for patient to join telehealth appointment

Appointment.Type

Appointment type booked

Business.AdditionalInformation

Settings → Business information → Additional communication information

Business.Address1

Settings → Business information → Address 1

Business.Address2

Settings → Business information → Address 2

Business.City

Settings → Business information → City

Business.ContactInformation

Settings → Business information → Business contact information

Business.Country

Settings → Business information → Country

Business.FullAddress

Settings → Business information → Address 1, Address 2, City, State (Post code not included)

Business.Name

Settings → Business information → Business name

Business.PostCode

Settings → Business information → Post code or Zip code

Business.RegistrationName

Settings → Business information → Business reg. name

Business.RegistrationValue

Settings → Business information → Business reg. number

Business.State

Settings → Business information → State

Business.WebsiteAddress

Settings → Business information → Business website address

Contact.Address1

Contacts → Address → Address 1

Contact.Address2

Contacts → Address → Address 2

Contact.Address3

Contacts → Address → Address 3

Contact.City

Contacts → Address → City

Contact.CompanyName

Contacts → Personal information → Company name

Contact.Country

Contacts → Address → Country

Contact.Email

Contacts → Contact information → Email

Contact.FaxNumber

Contacts → Contact information → Fax number

Contact.FirstName

Contacts → Personal information → First name

Contact.FullName

Contacts → Personal information → First and Last name

Contact.HomeNumber

Contacts → Contact information → Home number

Contact.LastName

Contacts → Personal information → Last name

Contact.MobileNumber

Contacts → Contact information → Mobile number

Contact.Notes

Contacts → Other → Notes

Contact.Occupation

Contacts → Personal information → Occupation

Contact.OtherNumber

Contacts → Contact information → Other number

Contact.PostCode

Contacts → Address → Post code (or Zip code)

Contact.PreferredName

Contacts → Personal information → Preffered name

Contact.ProviderNumber

Contacts → Doctor information → Provider number

Contact.State

Contacts → Address → State

Contact.Title

Contacts → Personal information → Title

Contact.WorkNumber

Contacts → Contact information → Work number

CreditNote.IssueDate

Invoices → Credit Note → Issued date

CreditNote.IssuedTo

Invoices → Credit Note → Issued to/Billed to

CreditNote.NetAmount

Invoices → Credit Note → Net amount

CreditNote.Notes

Invoices → Credit Note → Notes

CreditNote.OutstandingBalance

Total from all outstanding/open invoices

CreditNote.ReferenceNumber

Invoices → Credit Note → Reference number

CreditNote.Status

Invoices → Credit Note → Status (Open/Paid)

CreditNote.TaxAmount

Invoices → Credit Note → Tax amount

CreditNote.TotalAmount

Invoices → Credit Note → Total amount

General.CurrentDate

Current date (month abbreviated)

General.CurrentDateLong

Current date

Invoice.IssueDate

Invoices → Patient Invoice → Issue date

Invoice.IssuedTo

Invoices → Patient Invoice → Issued to/Billed to

Invoice.NetAmount

Invoices → Patient Invoice → Net amount

Invoice.Notes

Invoices → Patient Invoice → Notes

Invoice.OutstandingBalance

Total from all outstanding/open invoices

Invoice.ReferenceNumber

Invoices → Patient Invoice → Reference Number

Invoice.Status

Invoices → Patient Invoice → Status (Open/Paid)

Invoice.TaxAmount

Invoices → Patient Invoice → Tax amount

Invoice.Total

Invoices → Patient Invoice → Total amount

Patient.Address1

Patient details → Address → Address 1 line

Patient.Address2

Patient details → Address → Address 2 line

Patient.Address3

Patient details → Address → Address 3 line

Patient.City

Patient details → City

Patient.Country

Patient details → Country

Patient.CurrentAge

Calculated from Patient details → Date of birth

Patient.CustomPatientFields

Settings → Custom patient fields

Patient.DateOfBirth

Patient details → Date of birth

Patient.DVACardNumber

Patient details → Other information → DVA card number

Patient.Email

Patient details → Email

Patient.EmergencyContact

Patient details → Other informatino → Emergency contact

Patient.FaxNumber

Patient details → Contact information → Fax number

Patient.FirstAppointmentDate

Patient details → Appointments → First appointment date

Patient.FirstAppointmentTime

Patient details → Appointments → First appointment time

Patient.FirstAppointmentTime24h

Patient details → Appointments → First appointment time in 24-hour clock format

Patient.FirstAppointmentTime24hWithZone

Patient details → Appointments → First appointment time in 24-hour clock format with time zone

Patient.FirstAppointmentTimeWithZone

Patient details → Appointments → First appointment time with time zone

Patient.FirstName

Patient details → First name

Patient.FullName

Patient details → Full name (title, first, and last name)

Patient.Genderldentity

Patient details → Gender identity

Patient.HomeNumber

Patient details → Contact information → Home number

Patient.IdentificationNumber

Assigned Cliniko Patient ID (found in the patient details URL)

Patient.InvoiceExtralnfo

Patient details → Billing information → Invoice extra information

Patient.InvoiceTo

Patient details → Billing information → Invoice to

Patient.LastName

Patient details → Last name

Patient.MedicareNumber

Patient details → Other information → Medicare number

Patient.MedicareReferenceNumber

Patient details → Other information → Medicare reference number

Patient.MobileNumber

Patient details → Contact information → Mobile number

Patient.MostRecentAppointmentDate

Patient details → Appointments → Most recent appointment date

Patient.MostRecentAppointmentTime

Patient details → Appointments → Most recent appointment time

Patient.MostRecentAppointmentTime24h

Patient details → Appointments → Most recent appointment time in 24-hour clock format

Patient.MostRecentAppointmentTime24hWithZone

Patient details → Appointments → Most recent appointment time in 24-hour clock format with time zone

Patient.MostRecentAppointmentTimeWithZone

Patient details → Appointments → Most recent appointment time with time zone

Patient.NextAppointmentDate

Patient details → Appointments → Next appointment date

Patient.NextAppointmentTime

Patient details → Appointments → Next appointment time

Patient.NextAppointmentTime24h

Patient details → Appointments → Next appointment time in 24-hour clock format

Patient.NextAppointmentTime24hWithZone

Patient details → Appointments → Next appointment time in 24-hour clock format with time zone

Patient.NextAppointmentTimeWithZone

Patient details → Appointments → Next appointment time with time zone

Patient.Notes

Patient details → Extra information

Patient.Occupation

Patient details → Other information → Occupation

Patient.OldReferenceld

Patient details → Other information → Reference number

Patient.OtherNumber

Patient details → Contact information → Other number

Patient.PostCode

Patient details → Post code or Zip code

Patient.PreferredFirstName

Patient details → Preferred first name

Patient.PreferredFullName

Patient details → Preferred name (title, preferred first name, and last name)

Patient.Pronoun.their

Patient details → Pronouns → Possessive (pronominal)

Patient.Pronoun.theirs

Patient details → Pronouns → Poessesive (predicative)

Patient.Pronoun.them

Patient details → Pronouns → Accusative (object)

Patient.Pronoun.themselves

Patient details → Pronouns → Reflexive

Patient.Pronoun.they

Patient details → Pronouns → Nominative (subject)

Patient.ReferralExtrainfo

Patient details → Referral source → Extra information

Patient.ReferralType

Patient details → Referral source → Referral Type

Patient.ReferredBy

Patient details → Referral source → Referrer

Patient.Sex

Patient details → Sex

Patient.State

Patient details → State

Patient.Title

Patient details → Title

Patient.WorkNumber

Patient details → Contact information → Work number

PatientForm.PatientFormName

Settings → Patient form templates

Practitioner.Description

Settings → Users & Practitioners → Practitioner → Practitioner settings → Description

Practitioner.Designation

Settings → Users & Practitioners → Practitioner → Practitioner settings → Designation

Practitioner.Email

Settings → Users & Practitioners → Practitioner → Email

Practitioner.FaxNumber

Settings → Users & Practitioners → Practitioner → Fax number

Practitioner.FirstName

Settings → Users & Practitioners → Practitioner → First name

Practitioner.FullName

Settings → Users & Practitioners → Practitioner → First and last name

Practitioner.FullNameWithTitle

Settings → Users & Practitioners → Practitioner → First and last name with title

Practitioner.HomeNumber

Settings → Users & Practitioners → Practitioner → Home number

Practitioner.LastName

Settings → Users & Practitioners → Practitioner → Last name

Practitioner.MobileNumber

Settings → Users & Practitioners → Practitioner → Mobile number

Practitioner.OtherNumber

Settings → Users & Practitioners → Practitioner → Other number

Practitioner.Signature

Settings → Users & Practitioners → Practitioner → Signature

Practitioner.Title

Settings → Users & Practitioners → Practitioner → Title

Practitioner.WorkNumber

Settings → Users & Practitioners → Practitioner → Work number

ReferringDoctor.Address1

Contacts → Address → Address 1

ReferringDoctor.Address2

Contacts → Address → Address 2

ReferringDoctor.Address3

Contacts → Address → Address 3

ReferringDoctor.City

Contacts → Address → City

ReferringDoctor.CompanyName

Contacts → Personal information → Company name

ReferringDoctor.Country

Contacts → Address → Country

ReferringDoctor.Email

Contacts → Contact information → Email

ReferringDoctor.FaxNumber

Contacts → Contact information → Fax number

ReferringDoctor.FirstName

Contacts → Personal information → First name

ReferringDoctor.FullName

Contacts → Personal information → First and Last name

ReferringDoctor.HomeNumber

Contacts → Contact information → Home number

ReferringDoctor.LastName

Contacts → Personal information → Last name

ReferringDoctor.MobileNumber

Contacts → Contact information → Mobile number

ReferringDoctor.Notes

Contacts → Other → Notes

ReferringDoctor.Occupation

Contacts → Personal information → Occupation

ReferringDoctor.OtherNumber

Contacts → Contact information → Other number

ReferringDoctor.PostCode

Contacts → Address → Post code (or Zip code)

ReferringDoctor.PreferredName

Contacts → Personal information → Preffered name

ReferringDoctor.ProviderNumber

Contacts → Doctor information → Provider number

ReferringDoctor.State

Contacts → Address → State

ReferringDoctor.Title

Contacts → Personal information → Title

ReferringDoctor.WorkNumber

Contacts → Contact information → Work number


Overall, placeholders are a really powerful little feature of Cliniko that should help to reduce your workload of manually entering certain types of information over and over again, when it comes to communicating with your patients!

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