> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.calgest.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Notifications

> How CalGest's notification system works for customers and staff.

CalGest sends automated notifications to keep your customers and team informed about appointment activity.

## Notification channels

| Channel    | Who receives it | How it works                              |
| ---------- | --------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| **SMS**    | Customers       | Text message to their phone number        |
| **In-app** | Team members    | Notification inside the CalGest dashboard |

## Customer notifications

These are sent to your customers via SMS and/or in-app:

| Event                     | When it's sent                                                    |
| ------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Booking received**      | When a customer submits a booking through the online booking page |
| **Booking confirmed**     | When staff confirms a pending booking                             |
| **Booking rejected**      | When staff rejects a pending booking                              |
| **Appointment confirmed** | When an appointment is marked as confirmed                        |
| **Appointment updated**   | When the appointment time or details change                       |
| **Appointment cancelled** | When an appointment is cancelled                                  |
| **Appointment reminder**  | Before the appointment (configurable timing)                      |

## Internal (staff) notifications

These are sent to your team via in-app notifications:

| Event                     | When it's sent                      |
| ------------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| **New appointment**       | When any new appointment is created |
| **Appointment modified**  | When an appointment is updated      |
| **Appointment cancelled** | When an appointment is cancelled    |
| **New customer**          | When a new customer is added        |

## Configuring notifications

Go to **Settings > Notifications** to customize:

* **Enable/disable** each notification type independently
* **SMS sender name** — the name that appears as the sender (up to 11 characters, defaults to "CalGest")
* **Message templates** — customize the text of each notification with placeholders

## Message templates

Templates support placeholders that are replaced with actual values when the message is sent:

| Placeholder           | Replaced with                |
| --------------------- | ---------------------------- |
| `{{customerName}}`    | The customer's name          |
| `{{appointmentDate}}` | The appointment date         |
| `{{appointmentTime}}` | The appointment time         |
| `{{orgName}}`         | Your organization's name     |
| `{{employeeName}}`    | The assigned employee's name |

## SMS costs

SMS messages consume credits from your SMS balance. You can view your current balance and purchase additional credits in **Settings > Usage**.

<Note>
  Each SMS has a cost that depends on the recipient's country and carrier. Check **Settings > Usage** to monitor your SMS spending.
</Note>