Yes, if Stop on Response is turned on. In GoHighLevel the setting ends a workflow for a contact who replies, so the next reminder does not go out after a patient asks a question, and staff see the reply. The bottom line: a reply needs a person, a STOP needs an immediate opt out, and a reminder program should treat them differently.
What GoHighLevel documents
GoHighLevel's help pages say Stop on Response stops a workflow for the contact who responds and does not catch phone calls. If a patient calls instead of replying, the reminders keep running unless the booking or a tag ends the workflow.
The opt out rules
The FCC's 2015 healthcare exemption lets HIPAA covered entities and their business associates send certain treatment messages, such as appointment and exam reminders, without prior express consent, but only under conditions. Law firm summaries list them: the message goes only to the number the patient provided, states the provider's name and contact information, has no marketing, billing, or debt collection content, complies with HIPAA, is concise (160 characters or less for a text), is limited to one message a day and three a week per provider, offers an easy opt out, and every opt out is honored immediately. The FCC also said the calls must be free to the end user, not charged against the patient's plan, which many practices cannot guarantee. Because of that, many practices also collect consent and treat reminders as informational messages.
Outside that exemption, the FCC's 2024 order lets people revoke consent by any reasonable means, with words such as stop, quit, end, revoke, opt out, cancel, and unsubscribe counting automatically, and requires honoring a request within a reasonable time not to exceed 10 business days. The FCC released a revised order on September 9, 2026, so check which version applies when you launch. The healthcare exemption's standard is stricter: opt outs must be honored immediately.
| Reply | What happens |
|---|---|
| A question about the visit or a clinical question | Reminders stop, a task goes to staff, and an automatic reply says a team member will answer |
| Stop, cancel, unsubscribe, or similar | All texts stop at once, and the contact is tagged Opted out |
| C or Confirm | The appointment status changes to Confirmed |
| A reply with health details | Staff handle it in the secure inbox, and the auto reply tells the patient to call for medical questions |
Build it in GoHighLevel
HighLevel help center pages describe the Appointment Status trigger as firing when an appointment is created or its status changes, with statuses New, Confirmed, Cancelled, Showed Up, No Show, and Invalid, and with filters for calendar, calendar group, tag, user, and who made the change (customer, user, or API). The Update Appointment Status action can set the same statuses from inside a workflow. A third party agency guide adds that Appointment Status is now the main appointment trigger and the older Customer Booked Appointment trigger is being phased out, so use Appointment Status for new builds.
- Turn on Stop on Response in the reminder workflow settings.
- Build a reply handling workflow with the Customer Replied trigger (confirm the name in your builder) that creates a task for the front desk and sends a short automatic reply.
- Build an opt out workflow that adds the tag Opted out for the stop words and removes the contact from every messaging workflow.
- Add a reminder line: reply STOP to stop messages, and keep the text to 160 characters or less.
- Limit reminders to one a day and three a week per patient, as in the exemption conditions, unless the practice collected broader consent.
- Test with a STOP reply, a question, and a phone call every month.
Worked example
For example, a practice that sends 3 reminders for each of 1,000 visits a month sends 3,000 texts (1,000 times 3). If 5 percent of patients reply, that is 50 replies (1,000 times 0.05), and each one stops the remaining reminders and lands with a person.
Mistakes to avoid
- Assuming a phone call stops the reminders. It does not.
- Ignoring informal opt outs. Any reasonable means counts.
- Sending clinical content. That leaves the exemption.
- Letting replies sit. Assign a task the same day.
How this was handled before
Practices used automated reminder calls that played a message and asked the patient to press a key. Text reminders replaced them, and the FCC's 2015 exemption set the conditions. Two way texting is newer, and handling replies is where practices have to make a choice.
What to measure after launch
Track reminders sent, replies, opt outs, time to answer a reply, and opt outs honored immediately. Test a STOP reply every month.
Check before you switch it on
US text messages sent from a standard 10 digit number need A2P 10DLC registration. The HighLevel support portal says registration is required for texts to US recipients from 10 digit long code numbers and that toll free numbers do not require it. HighLevel's opt in guidelines also say a person cannot be forced to agree to text messages in order to submit a form, so keep the consent box optional. One compliance guide separates informational texts, which need documented consent, from marketing texts, which need prior express written consent. Ask your attorney which category your reminders fall into. Keep a record of each opt out and the time it was honored, and have counsel confirm the consent approach for your state. This is general information, not legal advice.
Questions people ask
Does Stop on Response catch phone calls?
No. GoHighLevel's help pages say it does not.
How fast must a healthcare opt out be honored?
The FCC healthcare exemption says immediately. The general 2024 rule allows up to 10 business days.
How many reminders can a practice send?
Under the exemption, one per day and three per week per provider. Collect broader consent if you need more.
Ready to try it yourself? Start a GoHighLevel account here.
You can also see this in action in our GoHighLevel capabilities demo.