FAQ
Clinic website and booking FAQ
43 straight answers about what Velvet Lead does, what it doesn't do yet, and how it works in Pakistan and the USA.
Product
What is Velvet Lead?
Velvet Lead is a studio that builds and launches patient-booking websites for clinics in the USA and Pakistan. You get your own website on your own domain, online booking, an AI assistant, a lead inbox and email and WhatsApp reminders, all run from one admin panel.
What kind of clinic is Velvet Lead a good fit for?
It fits any clinic where a patient books one-to-one time with a practitioner at one location. Aesthetic clinics, med spas, dental, physiotherapy, hijama and many others work well. See who we build for to find your type of clinic.
What is included on the clinic website?
A complete multi-page site: home, treatments, a page for each treatment, pricing, about, FAQ, contact, a consultation request page and online booking. It also has a before-and-after gallery, reviews, promotions with promo codes, and legal page templates you can edit. Read more about the clinic website.
Can patients pay or leave a deposit online?
Not yet. There are no online payments or deposits, so patients pay at the clinic. You can add a payment note to your website so patients know what to expect.
Does it work for clinics with more than one branch?
Not yet. Each website covers one location, so multi-branch chains and hospitals are not a fit for now.
Can we run group classes or book rooms and machines?
No. Velvet Lead handles one-to-one appointments only, so group classes such as yoga, pilates or antenatal classes are not supported. Only practitioner time is scheduled, not rooms or machines.
Is Velvet Lead a medical records or EMR system?
No. It is built for appointment booking and enquiries. It does not include EMR or EHR features, clinical notes, prescriptions, insurance billing or telehealth video.
Setup
How does setup work?
We start with a short discovery call. You send your treatments, prices, team, photos and logo, and we build the site, load your treatments, schedules and chatbot knowledge, connect your domain, email and WhatsApp, and launch. See how it works for each step.
How long does it take to launch?
Our launch timeline is about one week from receiving your clinic details. The biggest factor is how quickly we receive your clinic details, so our onboarding checklist lists everything to gather up front.
What do we need to send you?
Your treatments and prices, team details and schedules, opening hours, logo, photos and any documents the chatbot should learn from. The full list is in the onboarding checklist.
Who owns the domain and the data?
You do. Your clinic owns its domain and its data, and the website runs on your own domain in your own brand.
Can our staff have their own logins?
Yes. You invite staff by email with the role admin, manager or staff, and you can remove access instantly. Each person only sees what their role allows. Read more about team access.
Pricing
How much does Velvet Lead cost?
We share pricing on a short call, once we understand your clinic. You can see what is included and book a call on our pricing page.
Is there anything we pay for separately?
Yes, a few things. Meta charges WhatsApp conversation fees for each message template sent, under its rules for your country. Domain registration is separate if you don't already own a domain, and AI assistant usage above {{AI_LIMIT}} may apply if your plan has a usage limit.
Who pays for hosting after launch?
You do, directly. Your website and database run on hosting accounts in your own name, so the provider bills you and you own the infrastructure. Velvet Lead builds and deploys the site to those accounts. Our terms: you pay once, we build and deploy your site to your own hosting accounts, and you own it from there. Setup, launch and team training are included, along with 30 days of support after launch for anything that isn't working as built. Changes and new features after that are quoted separately.
Do we still need a separate booking app or chatbot subscription?
No. The website, online booking, AI assistant, lead inbox, reminders and reports come together in one system. Compare the approaches in website plus booking app vs Velvet Lead.
Can we sell memberships or treatment packages online?
Not yet. Because there are no online payments, memberships and packages can't be sold through the website. You can still show promotions with promo codes and start and end dates.
Data & privacy
Where is our clinic's data stored?
Each clinic has its own separate database, built on Postgres through Supabase, and the website is hosted on Vercel. Read more on our security page.
Can every staff member see all patient details?
No. Each team member only sees what their role allows, and the database enforces this, not just the screen. Roles are admin, manager and staff.
How is patient consent recorded?
Patients' privacy-notice acceptance and marketing consent are recorded separately, with the time and the source. Before-and-after gallery photos carry a record that the patient consented to their use.
Who is responsible for patient data?
Your clinic owns its data. We process patient data on your behalf and act on your instructions. See our privacy policy for details.
Do you provide our privacy policy and terms?
Your website includes a privacy policy, terms and a medical disclaimer, started from a template and filled in with your details. You can edit them any time. They are a starting point, not legal advice, so have them checked by a lawyer.
What WhatsApp messages do patients get?
Patients who opt in when they book get messages when their booking is received, confirmed, rescheduled or canceled, plus a reminder before the appointment. Read more about WhatsApp reminders.
Which WhatsApp service do you use?
We use the official Meta WhatsApp Business Cloud API with approved message templates. We connect it to your WhatsApp Business number during setup.
Can patients chat with the AI assistant or book inside WhatsApp?
Not yet. WhatsApp is used for confirmations and reminders only. Patients chat with the AI assistant and book on your website.
Do patients get SMS reminders too?
No. Messages go by email and WhatsApp only. There is no SMS.
What if an appointment moves after a reminder is scheduled?
Outdated messages are never sent. If an appointment is canceled, moved or has already started, the old reminder is dropped automatically, and reminders only go to confirmed appointments.
AI assistant
What can the AI assistant answer?
It answers patient questions at any hour from your clinic's own information: treatments, prices, opening hours, practitioners, current offers, FAQs, your cancellation policy and documents you upload, like price lists and aftercare sheets. Read more about the AI assistant.
Can the AI assistant book appointments?
It checks live availability and shows real free times with a link to book them. It never books on its own. The patient confirms on the booking page.
Does the AI assistant give medical advice?
No. It does not give medical advice. It points pregnancy, medication and emergency questions to your clinic or emergency services, and offers a callback request when it doesn't know an answer.
What happens to questions it can't answer?
Unanswered questions are logged in your admin panel. You can add answers so the assistant knows them next time.
Is there a usage limit, and can we switch it off?
Rate limits and a daily limit protect the assistant from abuse, and plans may include usage up to {{AI_LIMIT}}. You can switch the assistant off at any time.
Pakistan
Which cities in Pakistan do you work with?
We work with clinics in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad. See our Pakistan page for more.
Does the website show prices in PKR and Pakistan time?
Yes. You set your country, currency and time zone, so prices show in PKR and booking times follow Pakistan Standard Time (PKT).
Is the website available in Urdu?
Not yet. Websites are in English only for now.
Can patients enter Pakistani mobile numbers?
Yes. Patient phone numbers are validated for your clinic's country, so +92 mobile numbers are checked when patients book.
Can we track enquiries that come from Instagram?
Yes. Every lead in the inbox has a source, and your team can log Instagram DMs as social media enquiries. Visitors who arrive through links with campaign tags (UTM source, medium and campaign) are tracked automatically. Read about tracking Instagram leads.
USA
Which states do you work with?
We work with practices in California, New York, New Jersey, Texas, Florida, Arizona, Illinois, Washington, Massachusetts and Colorado. See our USA page for more.
Is Velvet Lead suitable for HIPAA-covered practices?
Velvet Lead is built for appointment booking and enquiries, not clinical records. If your practice needs a HIPAA Business Associate Agreement, please talk to our team before you sign up.
Does booking handle US time zones and daylight saving time?
Yes. Availability uses your clinic's time zone, such as Eastern, Central or Pacific, and accounts for daylight saving time changes.
Can patients get text message reminders?
No. Reminders go by email and WhatsApp only, and there is no SMS. Patients who prefer to talk can call your practice.
Does it handle insurance billing or telehealth?
No. There is no insurance billing, telehealth video, EMR or clinical notes. It is built for booking in-person appointments and managing enquiries.
Is it a good fit for a med spa?
Yes, if your med spa books one-to-one appointments at one location. Prices show in USD, and treatment pages cover downtime, aftercare and who each treatment isn't suitable for. Read more for med spas.
Didn't find your answer? Ask us directly or book a demo.
Book a 15-minute demo
See the patient side and the admin panel on our demo clinic. We'll tell you honestly whether Velvet Lead fits your clinic.