Appointments can be scheduled from three places:
The patient profile
The client profile
The appointment schedule
What You Need to Know
Provider availability and clinic hours are configured separately — updating one does not update the other.
If grey blocks remain on the schedule after updating clinic hours, provider availability also needs to be updated for that time.
Recurring appointments inherit the status of the originating appointment at the time the series is created.
If the originating appointment is in a Checked Out status, every appointment in the series will also be created as Checked Out — and reminders will not send. Create recurring appointments at the time of initial scheduling, or confirm the originating appointment is in Upcoming status before creating the series.
Changing an appointment type on a scheduled appointment does not update the notification cadence.
The notification schedule from the original appointment type stays locked in. If the correct reminders need to go out, the appointment notifications will need to be updated manually.
Adding an email address to an existing client record does not automatically enable email notifications.
When a client record is created without an email address, email notification checkboxes are not checked by default. Adding an email later does not check them automatically — those preferences must be enabled manually on the client record.
Video Walkthrough
Creating an Appointment
Scheduling from the Patient Profile
Navigate to the Patient profile. From here, you'll have access to helpful context such as upcoming reminders and patient alerts, which can be useful when scheduling directly from the profile.
Click the + button in the Upcoming Appointments box. This will bring you to the Appointments Schedule.
Select a time slot on the schedule.
Enter the Reason for Visit and select the Appointment Type. Confirm details including Date & Time, Provider, and Duration are correct.
Adjust Email and SMS reminders, if needed.
Click Save to schedule the appointment.
Scheduling from the Client Profile
Navigate to the Client Profile.
Click the + button in the Upcoming Appointments box (under the Patients section). This will bring you to the Appointments Schedule.
Select a time slot on the schedule
Select the Patient from the dropdown or + New Patient. Enter the Reason for Visit and select the Appointment Type. Confirm details including Date & Time, Provider, and Duration are correct.
Adjust Email and SMS reminders, if needed
Click Save to schedule the appointment
Adding an Appointment Directly to the Schedule
Navigate to the Schedule, then click + Add Appt or select a time slot.
Search for and select a Client using the client panel on the right side of the dialog. Search results include additional identifying information — such as associated patients — to help you select the correct record when multiple clients share a similar name.
When a client is selected, the panel displays their contact information, Canceled and No Show counts, and upcoming patient reminders. This context is available without leaving the scheduling workflow.
To create a new client, click + New Client. This opens as an independent dialog — your appointment in progress is preserved.
Select a Patient from the Patients section of the client panel.
To create a new patient, click + New Patient. This also opens as an independent dialog.
You can save an appointment without a client or patient as a placeholder for a new arrival.
Enter the Reason for Visit and select the Appointment Type.
Confirm Date & Time, Provider, and Duration are correct.
Adjust Email and SMS reminders, if needed.
Click Save to schedule the appointment.
Rescheduling Appointments
Appointments can be rescheduled from the Patient Profile, Client Profile, or directly from the Appointment Schedule. If in use, appointments can also be rescheduled from the Appointment Request dashboard.
Locate the scheduled appointment — either under Upcoming Appointments (on the patient or client profile) or directly on the schedule. Once selected, you'll see the option to Reschedule.
After clicking Reschedule, you can drag and drop the appointment to a different time slot and/or manually assign it to a different provider.
If the appointment type is not changed during rescheduling, the original duration will carry over to the new appointment.
If the appointment type is updated — either because the new provider does not support the original type or it has been manually changed — the default duration set for the new appointment type will apply instead.
Press Next and then Confirm to complete rescheduling the appointment.
Managing Appointment Blocks
Appointment blocks allow you to designate specific times for different activities, such as client consultations or internal meetings. These can be recurring or one-time entries, and they play a crucial role in ensuring efficient scheduling for providers.
To create an appointment block:
Navigate to the Schedule, then click + Add Appt or select a time slot.
Enable the Block Off Time for Provider toggle at the top of the dialog. The dialog will reconfigure to show block-specific fields.
Select a Color for the block using the color picker next to the toggle.
Enter a Reason for Block, if needed.
Set the Date & Time, Provider, and Duration.
To make the block recurring, use the Recurring dropdown and configure the schedule.
Click Save.
Recurring Appointments
When scheduling or editing an appointment, you can choose to make it recurring. Recurring appointments can be set to repeat daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or annually.
From the appointment window, click the Recurring dropdown menu and select how often you'd like the appointment to occur
Choose the day(s) of the week the appointment should recur
Set when the recurring appointment should end by entering the number of occurrences (up to a maximum of 100)
Click Save
Editing a Recurring Appointment
When editing a recurring appointment, you’ll be prompted to confirm whether your changes should apply to:
This appointment only
This and future appointments
Appointment Notifications
Scheduled appointments automatically trigger email and SMS (text) notifications based on your Admin settings. Notification rules can be customized by appointment type, allowing certain types to be enabled or disabled for automatic notifications.
Additionally, individual clients can have default preferences set for receiving notifications — these settings will apply regardless of the appointment type configuration.
If needed, you can always override the defaults by adjusting the Email and SMS toggles as you schedule an appointment.
Automatic Forms
Appointment types can be linked to form templates when editing/creating Forms. When a new appointment is created, Shepherd will automatically email the client any corresponding forms that need to be completed before the appointment.
The Send forms via email toggle can be turned off on an individual appointment if needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are there grey blocks on my schedule even after I updated my clinic hours?
Provider availability and clinic hours are configured separately. Updating clinic hours alone will not open grey blocks on the schedule — provider availability must also be updated to reflect the new times.
What is the difference between a schedule template block and a manual block?
Schedule template blocks appear in lighter grey on the schedule. Manual blocks — added directly to the schedule outside of a template — appear in a darker grey. If a block is behaving unexpectedly, check whether it is part of a template or was added manually, as each is edited differently. [NEEDS CS VERIFICATION: confirm lighter vs darker grey distinction is consistent across all clinic configurations]
How do I view cancelled appointments on the schedule?
Cancelled appointments are not deleted — they remain accessible on the schedule. To show them, click the gear icon near the date at the top of the schedule and toggle on Cancelled Appointments.
Why didn't my client receive their appointment forms?
For forms to send automatically, the form must be assigned to the appointment type and the client must have email notifications enabled on their record. Check both before troubleshooting further.