Why WhatsApp beats every other booking channel in India
87% of Indians with smartphones check WhatsApp daily. Only 22% would install a clinic app. Only 34% would fill a website form. WhatsApp is where booking friction is lowest — and where cancellation friction is also lowest, which matters for reducing no-shows.
The 3 booking flow options
Option 1: WhatsApp link → PWA booking page
Patient WhatsApp's you. Auto-reply sends a booking link. They tap, pick a slot in the PWA, confirm. Simplest, most reliable. Recommended for most clinics.
Option 2: Full WhatsApp chatbot booking
Patient sends "book" — chatbot asks doctor, date, time in sequence. Feels magical but is fragile. Meta template rules are strict, and any deviation breaks the flow.
Option 3: Human reception on WhatsApp
Patient WhatsApp's "book me for tomorrow", receptionist responds and books manually. Works if volume is under 20 bookings/day.
The templates you need Meta to approve
- 1 Booking link greeting — Auto-sent when patient messages you first. Contains your clinic booking link.
- 2 Booking confirmation — Sent after slot picked. Date, time, doctor, address.
- 3 Day-before reminder — Sent 24h before. Reply CANCEL to cancel.
- 4 Token assigned — Sent on arrival at clinic.
- 5 "You're next" — Sent when previous patient completes.
- 6 Prescription delivery — Sent post-consult with PDF.
- 7 Review request — 24h post-visit.
You must use Meta-approved templates for outbound messages. You have a 24-hour window to reply freely after a patient messages you. Cannot use personal WhatsApp for business — use WhatsApp Business API via a BSP.
How DhiDoc handles all of this
- ✓ All 7 templates pre-approved through our BSP (Interakt)
- ✓ Auto-greeting with booking link when patient WhatsApp's first time
- ✓ Booking confirmations, reminders, tokens — all automated
- ✓ Opt-out honored automatically (patient replies STOP → removed from list)
- ✓ Delivery status visible in your dashboard
- ✓ You just approve messages — we handle Meta compliance