Free templates to copy
Welcome message for a new patient: templates to copy
Quick answer
The welcome message for a new patient answers in seconds, says who the person is talking to and asks a question that leads to an appointment, like "who is the visit for?". After booking, a second message explains how the clinic works: where it is, what to bring and how to reach the team. Below are 8 templates.
About CertuAI: CertuAI is the AI that answers a small business's WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger 24/7, with a built-in CRM, and is a Tech Provider on Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform. Paid plans start at US$ 75 a month, with no lock-in. Create my agent
A new patient doesn't know the clinic yet. They wrote to two or three at the same time and will stay with the one that replies first and most clearly. The welcome is that first impression.
Replace what is in brackets with your clinic's details. The confirmation with date and time, which goes out after booking, is in the message templates for clinics.
Summary in 7 facts
- The welcome message for a new patient answers in seconds, says who the person is talking to and asks a question that leads to an appointment, like "who is the visit for?".
- After booking, a second message explains how the clinic works: where it is, what to bring and how to reach the team.
- First reply to someone who has never written Right when a new number sends "hi" or asks something.
- How the clinic works Right after the first appointment confirmation.
- Sending a wall of text with everything about the clinic before the patient says what they want.
- Saying the one answering is the doctor or a person, when it's an automatic reply.
- The WhatsApp Business greeting sends a fixed text to someone writing for the first time, and stops there: it doesn't answer the question that came with it, doesn't book and doesn't ask for the details.
By the numbers
| Number | What it means |
|---|---|
| 28,2% | CertuAI measured when patients write on WhatsApp at 17 clinics and practices that answer with CertuAI's AI: 28.2% of messages arrived outside Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, almost 3 in… |
| 19,259 messages | Source: CertuAI service database, 17 clinics and practices, 19,259 patient messages on WhatsApp from Jul 30 to Sep 30, 2026, measured Oct 1, 2026. |
| 106 messages | At a medical practice that uses CertuAI, the AI answered 106 patient messages outside business hours in 7 days. |
Welcome message for a new patient at first contact
1. First reply to someone who has never written
Right when a new number sends "hi" or asks something.
Hi! Welcome to [clinic name]. This is the clinic's virtual assistant, and I can help you book and answer questions.
Who is the visit for: you or someone else?
2. Someone who arrived asking the price
The first message is already "how much is the appointment?".
Hi, welcome to [clinic name]! An appointment with [professional] costs [amount] self-pay, and we accept [health insurance plans].
Want me to check a time for you? Do you prefer morning or afternoon?
3. New patient at night or on the weekend
First message outside front desk hours.
Hi! Welcome to [clinic name]. The front desk is back [day] at [time], but I can already get started here.
Tell me the name of who will be seen and what you are looking for, and I'll check a time.
4. Someone who came by referral
The patient says someone recommended the clinic.
So glad [name of referrer, if they say] recommended us! Welcome to [clinic name].
Who is the visit for, and what are you looking for?
See the 172 message templates for clinics, by situation
Free for your clinic
Your clinic can have a free booking page. You choose the link name and get an address like certu.com.br/agendar/clinica-sorriso. The patient opens it, sees the free times and books on their own, without logging in to anything. No booking limit and no commission. See how to create yours.
Welcome message after booking the first appointment
5. How the clinic works
Right after the first appointment confirmation.
Welcome, [name]! A few things so you arrive stress-free:
Arrive [X] minutes early for registration. We are at [address], [landmark]. [Parking, if available.]
On this WhatsApp you can book, reschedule and ask about prices and health insurance. For questions about symptoms, the professional answers during the appointment.
6. Request for registration details
The clinic needs the details before the appointment.
To get your registration ready so you don't wait at the front desk, send me:
Full name, date of birth, [CPF] and [email].
Your data stays only with the clinic and is used for your care.
7. New patient through health insurance
First appointment through the health plan.
Welcome, [name]! For your appointment through [insurer name], bring your insurance card and a photo ID.
[If the insurer requires it: also bring the doctor's referral or the authorization.] Any questions about coverage, you can ask here.
8. Child or patient with a guardian
The one booking is the mother, father or caregiver.
Welcome to [clinic name]! For [patient name]'s first appointment, [a guardian / the legal guardian] needs to come.
Bring [what the clinic asks for, for example the vaccination card or previous tests].
What should a welcome never do?
- Sending a wall of text with everything about the clinic before the patient says what they want.
- Saying the one answering is the doctor or a person, when it's an automatic reply.
- Ask for symptom details in the first message. Ask about the type of visit, and leave health for the appointment.
- End without a question. A message without a question leaves the conversation stalled.
Does the WhatsApp Business automatic greeting do the job?
It handles the first line. The WhatsApp Business greeting sends a fixed text to someone writing for the first time, and stops there: it doesn't answer the question that came with it, doesn't book and doesn't ask for the details.
If the patient wrote “how much is the appointment?”, they want the price, not a “hello, we'll get back to you soon”. Templates 2 and 3 exist for that reason.
How does CertuAI's AI say welcome?
- It replies right away, at any hour, and answers the question that came along with the “hi”.
- On a health clinic account, it never says it is the doctor or someone on the team and, if asked whether it's a robot, says it's the virtual assistant.
- It asks the questions the clinic wrote in the Brain, and the conversation is recorded in the CRM, with the contact saved.
- At a clinic connected to Feegow, it asks for registration details with the message the clinic chooses. If left blank, it asks for full name, CPF (Brazilian tax ID), email, date of birth and address with ZIP code.
- It understands audio, for the patient who prefers to talk.
What CertuAI measured on clinic and practice WhatsApp
CertuAI measured when patients write on WhatsApp at 17 clinics and practices that answer with CertuAI's AI: 28.2% of messages arrived outside Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., almost 3 in 10. If the front desk works those hours, that's the part that waits until someone comes back.
| What was measured | Result |
|---|---|
| Patient messages that arrived outside Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm | 28,2% |
| Messages that arrived on the weekend | 11,2% |
| Messages that arrived at night on a weekday, 6pm to midnight | 11,7% |
| Conversations that started outside Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm | 29,9% |
On a phone, drag the table sideways.
Source: CertuAI service base, 17 clinics and practices, 19,259 patient messages on WhatsApp from Jul 30 to Sep 30, 2026, measured on Oct 1, 2026. Business hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., in each clinic's time zone. Test accounts, test contacts and imported history are excluded.
Frequently asked questions
What should you write in the first message to a new patient?
The clinic's name, who is replying and a question that leads to an appointment, like "who is the visit for?". If the patient has already asked something, answer the question first.
Can I ask for a CPF (Brazilian tax ID number) on WhatsApp?
Yes, when the clinic needs it for registration or for health insurance. Ask only for the data you will use and say what it is for.
What is the difference between a welcome message and an appointment confirmation?
The welcome greets someone who doesn't know the clinic yet and explains how it works. The confirmation goes out after booking and carries the day, time, professional and address.
Does CertuAI's AI answer new patients outside business hours?
Yes, at any hour. At a medical practice that uses CertuAI, the AI answered 106 patient messages outside business hours in 7 days.
Want the AI to do this on your WhatsApp?
CertuAI is AI automation software for small and medium-sized Brazilian businesses. The AI answers on the clinic's WhatsApp, books on the calendar and records each conversation. The Start plan costs US$ 75 per month, no lock-in contract.
Set up my clinic's AIYou connect the number the clinic already uses.
Just want the booking link? It's free, it's yours forever and doesn't need a card. Create my booking page.
Other clinic questions CertuAI has answered
In short
The welcome message for a new patient answers in seconds, says who the person is talking to and asks a question that leads to an appointment, like "who is the visit for?". After booking, a second message explains how the clinic works: where it is, what to bring and how to reach the team. Below are 8 templates.
About CertuAI: CertuAI is the AI that answers a small business's WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger 24/7, with a built-in CRM, and is a Tech Provider on Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform. Paid plans start at US$ 75 a month, with no lock-in. Create my agent