With text notifications and reminders in Clio Grow, you have a convenient way of intaking clients faster. You can request clients to complete intake forms and electronically sign documents by text, and schedule automated text reminders, along with email reminders, for sent forms and documents and upcoming appointments, using the same toll-free number that is assigned to your firm for text messaging in Clio Manage. This ensures a consistent experience for your clients without having to give out your personal phone number.
Note: Text messaging is only available for US and Canadian numbers (+1 country code) on the US server.
Set up text notifications and reminders
Important: Before setting up text notifications and reminders in Clio Grow, you need to connect your Clio Grow and Clio Manage accounts and set up text messaging in Clio Manage by filling out the verification form and having your toll-free number assigned to you. Learn more about connecting Grow and Manage here and setting up text messaging in Clio Manage here.
Once text messaging is fully enabled in Clio Manage, an administrator on your firm account can enable text notifications and reminders in Clio Grow. Then, you can begin sending text message notifications and reminders to clients using the same toll-free number assigned to your firm for text messaging in Clio Manage. Follow these steps to enable text messaging in Clio Grow:
Step 1: Enable text message notifications and reminders:
- In Clio Grow, go to Settings > Text messaging.
- Click Enable text message notifications.
Step 2: Set up default appointment reminders:
Default appointment reminders are reminders that you can choose to automatically apply to all new appointments. Learn more about setting up default appointment reminders here.
View text notification templates
When you send a client a text notification for an upcoming appointment, the client can view the appointment's name, date and time, and the location. When you send a client a text notification for a form or document, the client can click a link to complete the form or sign the document. You can view these text templates in your Clio Grow settings.
Note: You cannot edit the text notification and reminder templates or create new ones. Additionally, your client cannot respond to the text messages, but you and your client can start two-way text messaging once the client is converted to Clio Manage.
- In Clio Grow, go to Settings > Communication Templates.
- Scroll down to the Appointments, Documents, or Forms sections.
- Click the text message template's name to view it.
Send texts
You can send text notifications and reminders from Clio Grow for intake forms, documents and appointments. Your prospective client will receive both an email and a no-reply text, as long as they have a valid email address and a valid North American phone number. Using two methods ensures that reminders are more likely to be seen and read. You also have the option of not sending a text notification when sending a form or document.
- Intake forms: You can send a text notification to invite a prospective client to complete an intake form with a link to the form in the text. You can also send a text reminder to remind the prospective client of their incomplete intake form with a link to the incomplete form in the text.
- Documents: You can send a text notification to invite a prospective client to electronically sign a document with a link to the document in the text. You can also send a text reminder to remind the prospective client of their unsigned document with a link to the document in the text.
- Appointments: Once you set your default preferences and cadences for appointment reminders, sending text reminders to remind clients of their upcoming appointments is simple. When prospective clients book appointments using Clio Scheduler, reminders will automatically be sent based on the cadence specified when you set up default automated reminders. Similarly, when you book a manual appointment, the defaults that you previously set will appear when you create the appointment, but you can still change the reminder schedule.
While preparing an intake form, you have the option to send it to the prospective client by text. Once you have enabled text notifications for a form, your prospective client will receive a templated message containing a shortened link to the form. You will also have the option to send text notifications for any reminders that you have set up. Learn more about intake form reminders here.
- Prepare a form for your client. You can do this from the matter's Intake process section as a single intake item or as part of a checklist, from the Forms tab, or from the Quick Form option in the Clio Grow header. Learn more about preparing forms here.
- In the Send form modal, under Email template, select a previously created email template or compose a new email. Learn more about email and communications templates here.
- In the same modal, under Text message, the option to send the form by text message is enabled by default. Turn the text notifications toggle off if you only want to send the form by email.
- Click View text message templates to view all your text message templates for your intake forms.
- Click Send form.
You can send your prospective client a text notification for an unsigned document when preparing to send the document to them. Once sent, you can also send a text reminder, along with an email reminder, to remind the client that they have a document that requires their electronic signature. Learn more about document reminders here.
- Prepare a document for your client to sign electronically. You can do this from the matter's Intake process section or from the Documents tab. Learn more about preparing documents for electronic signature here.
- In the Send document modal, under Email template, select a previously created email template or compose a new email. Learn more about email and communications templates here.
- In the same modal, under Text message, the option to send the document by text message is enabled by default. Turn the text notifications toggle off if you only want to send the document by email.
- Click View text message templates to view all your text message templates for your documents.
- Click Send document. If there are multiple signers, click Prepare next message and follow steps 2-3 to send the document by email and text.
Note: If your contact only has an email address on file, they will only receive an email reminder. If your contact only has a phone number on file, they will only receive a text reminder.
- Set your default preferences and cadences for text reminders for appointments. Learn more here.
- Wait for a prospective client to book an appointment using Clio Scheduler or book a manual appointment yourself.
- When prospective clients book appointments using Clio Scheduler, reminders will automatically be sent based on the cadence specified in your default automated reminders. Learn more about Clio Scheduler here.
- When you book a manual appointment, the defaults that you previously set will appear in the new appointment modal, but you can still change the reminder schedule. Learn more about booking manual appointments and changing the reminders here.
View sent texts
Once a text notification or reminder is sent for a form or document, you can view the message in the matter or contact's Timeline and Communications subtabs.
- Go to the contact or matter.
- If you are viewing the contact, select the Task subtab. If you are viewing the matter, click the Intake process subtab.
- Scroll down to Timeline and find the text message for the sent form or document.
- Click View message to view the text.
- Go to the contact or matter.
- Select the Communications subtab.
- Scroll down to Communication History and find the text message for the sent form or document.
- Click View message to view the text.
Failed text messages
If a text message fails to send, the reason for failure can be any one of the following:
- Unreachable number: There is an error with the contact's phone number. Verify that the phone number selected as the contact's texting number is a correctly formatted US or Canadian number.
- Rejected by carrier: The contact's carrier rejected the text message. A possible reason for this is that the phone number is unable to receive text messages. Verify the phone number entered for the contact and ensure that it is a correctly formatted US or Canadian number.
- Temporary error: The text message was not delivered because of an unusual error. Please try again.
- Unknown error: An unexpected and unknown error occurred when we tried to deliver the text message. Please try again.
- Carrier error: The text message was not delivered because an error occurred on the contact's carrier side. Please try again.
- Blocked messages: The text message was blocked by the service provider because your toll-free number has not been verified yet. Learn more here.
Turn off text message notifications
You can turn off Clio Grow text message notifications in your settings. Turning off this feature does not affect text messaging in Clio Manage, which means that you can continue to text clients in Clio Manage even if text message notifications are turned off in Clio Grow.
- Go to Settings > Text messaging.
- Click Disable text message notifications.
- When prompted, click Disable text message notifications.