A trigger link in GoHighLevel records every click on a patient's contact record, so the practice can see who tapped a whitening or aligner offer and follow up with only those people. The bottom line: tracking is the easy part. An offer is marketing, so it leaves the healthcare exemption for appointment messages, needs a separate written consent, and should be checked against the ADA's advertising rules.
An offer is marketing, not a treatment message
The FCC's healthcare exemption covers treatment messages from HIPAA covered entities, such as appointment and wellness check reminders, and conditions it on content with no marketing, advertising, or billing. A whitening or aligner promotion is advertising. Marketing texts to a wireless number need prior express written consent, and a message that includes an offer is treated as marketing, according to compliance guides. The FCC's 2024 order adds that people can revoke consent by any reasonable means, and an opt out from reminders should also end offers.
On the privacy side, HHS says communications describing a covered entity's own health related services are not marketing under HIPAA, unless a third party pays the practice to send them. That condition matters in dentistry. If a product manufacturer funds a promotion for its own brand, ask counsel whether that financial remuneration turns the message into marketing that needs a patient authorization.
The ADA's advertising rule
Section 5 of the ADA's Principles of Ethics says no dentist shall advertise or solicit patients in any form of communication in a manner that is false or misleading in any material respect. The ADA's 2025 code added an advisory opinion saying that standard also covers statements made by influencers, who must disclose paid partnerships. State dental boards add their own rules, and one Dental Tribune article notes some states restrict testimonials on dental websites. Keep claims factual: no promise of results, and no before and after images of patients without written authorization.
Click, open, and booking compared
| Signal | What it shows | How reliable |
|---|---|---|
| Email open | A pixel loaded | Unreliable, because Apple Mail Privacy Protection preloads images |
| Trigger link click | The patient tapped the offer link | Reliable, though a scanner can also click |
| Consultation booked | The patient took the next step | Best evidence of interest |
Build it in GoHighLevel
GoHighLevel's help pages say a click on a trigger link is recorded on the contact's activity timeline, the link must be in the message body, and a Trigger Link Clicked trigger can start a workflow.
- Create a trigger link that points to a page describing the whitening or aligner consultation, with a booking link.
- Create a Smart List of patients who gave written consent to marketing messages, with the tag Marketing consent and without the tag Opted out.
- Send the offer by email, and by text only to patients with documented written consent. Put the trigger link in the message body.
- Build a workflow with the Trigger Link Clicked trigger that adds the tag Clicked whitening offer, and creates a call task for the coordinator.
- Add a Wait of 3 days and an If/Else: if the patient has not booked, send one reminder, then stop.
- Remove the patient from the sequence on booking or reply, and report clicks, bookings, and opt outs each month.
Worked example
For example, if an offer goes to 500 consented patients and 40 click, that is an 8 percent click rate (40 divided by 500). If 10 of those book a consultation, the practice has a 25 percent booking rate among clickers (10 divided by 40) and 2 percent of the list overall (10 divided by 500). The figures are illustrative.
Mistakes to avoid
- Texting offers under reminder consent. Marketing needs written consent.
- Counting opens. Apple Mail inflates them.
- Using patient photos without authorization. Written authorization is advised.
- Promising results. The ADA code bars misleading claims.
How this was handled before
Practices ran a promotion on a postcard or in the lobby and counted how many people mentioned it. Email added opens as a measure, and Apple's 2021 privacy change made opens unreliable. A tracked link shows who actually acted.
What to measure after launch
Track offers sent, clicks, consultations booked, and opt outs. Compare booking rates by offer, and stop any offer with a high opt out rate.
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. Have counsel review the offer, the consent wording, and any manufacturer funding before sending. This is general information, not legal advice.
Questions people ask
Can a dental office text an offer under appointment reminder consent?
No. The FCC's healthcare exemption covers treatment messages with no marketing content. Offers need prior express written consent.
Does a trigger link show who clicked?
Yes. GoHighLevel's help pages say each click is recorded on the contact's activity timeline.
Is a whitening offer marketing under HIPAA?
HHS says communications about a practice's own services are not marketing unless a third party pays for them. Ask counsel if a manufacturer funds the promotion.
Ready to try it yourself? Start a GoHighLevel account here.
You can also see this in action in our GoHighLevel capabilities demo.