Bokko automatically sends notifications at key points in the booking lifecycle. This reference lists every automatic notification, who receives it, and which channel it uses.
Instant notifications (event-based)
| Event | Who receives it | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| New booking request received | You (the business) | |
| New appointment accepted automatically (by your automatic acceptance rule) | You (the business) | Email + dashboard notification |
| Booking confirmed | Guest | |
| Booking declined | Guest | |
| You cancelled the booking | Guest | |
| Guest cancelled the booking | Guest + you | |
| You proposed a new time slot | Guest | |
| Guest accepted your proposal | You | |
| Guest declined your proposal | You | |
| Guest requested a different time | You | |
| Deposit deadline expired, booking auto-cancelled | Guest + you |
Reminders (scheduled)
| Reminder | When it sends | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| 24-hour reminder | 23–25 hours before the appointment | Email or SMS |
| 2-hour reminder | 1–3 hours before the appointment | Email or SMS |
Other automatic emails
| Who receives it | When | |
|---|---|---|
| Reschedule proposal | Guest | When you propose a different time. The response link is valid for 14 days. |
| Reschedule proposal | Guest | When you propose a different time. The response link is valid for 14 days. |
| Review request | Guest | 1–7 days after the completed appointment (2 by default), if you enabled it. At most one per guest every 90 days. |
| Waitlist confirmation | Guest | When they join the waitlist. Includes a cancellation link. |
| Waitlist slot proposal | Guest | When you offer a specific time. Unique link valid for 24 hours. |
| Waitlist availability notice | Guest | When a matching slot frees up. Automatic — there is no button for it. |
| Staff invitation | Invited colleague | When you send an invite. The link is valid for 7 days. |
SMS vs. email: which covers what
SMS is used exclusively for reminders (24h and 2h). All other notifications — confirmations, cancellations, declines, reschedule proposals — are sent by email only. SMS delivery is handled by BulkGate.
What you can turn off
- All emails — can be toggled off entirely.
- All SMS reminders — can be toggled off entirely.
- 24h reminder — can be disabled independently.
- 2h reminder — can be disabled independently.
- Notification email address — set which address receives business-facing notifications.
Deposit-related notifications
If you require a deposit, the confirmation email automatically includes the deposit payment link. The deposit has a deadline: 7 days from confirmation or the appointment start, whichever comes first. If the deadline passes unpaid, Bokko cancels the booking automatically and the guest is notified.
Retry behaviour
Lifecycle emails (confirmation, cancellation, etc.) are automatically retried if delivery fails. SMS reminders have no automatic retry — if the send window has passed (for example the appointment time has already occurred), the reminder is skipped.