The short answer
Online booking for a medical practice comes down to three choices: a call button, a request form, or real-time booking in your scheduling tool. Mix them by visit type, and keep visits that need a person, such as surgery, on the phone. Put the link at the top of every page and on your Google Business Profile. This guide is about that choice, not which software to buy.
Call, request or real-time booking: which fits your practice?
It depends on the visit and on your scheduling system. Real-time booking means the patient picks an open time and the visit is booked right away. Here are the three choices.
A request form should ask only for what the front desk needs to call back. Do not use it to collect health details.
Your own system decides what is possible. Ask your scheduling vendor what it can do before you pick.
Which visits should stay on the phone?
The ones that need a person. In my years on the billing side, I saw visits that always needed a person to book them by phone. They were surgery and emergency visits.
So do not offer those visit types in online booking. Show a call button instead. Make the phone number easy to see on every page.
Should new and returning patients book the same way?
You can choose. I would let new patients book in real time.
If you do, set up the booking tool to show the right visit types and a short reminder about insurance. Without that, a patient may pick a visit that does not fit. Check with your vendor first.
A call or a request form still works for any visit you keep off the booking page.
What can go wrong with online booking?
You can plan for both. Ask your scheduling vendor these questions:
- Can the booking page show only the visit types that fit online booking?
- Can the booking page tell patients to bring their insurance card?
- Can the booking page tell patients to call their plan about coverage?
The guide on routine patient questions shows which calls should stay on the phone.
How many patients book online today?
Not many, in one poll. The Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) asked practices about this. This is a poll, not a rule. It does not tell you what your practice will see.
In an MGMA Stat poll on July 29, 2025, there were 244 applicable responses. Practices said how many of their patients used digital tools to schedule themselves (MGMA Stat, July 30, 2025):
The same MGMA page says a similar poll in November 2024 found 73% had fewer than one in four patients using digital self-scheduling (MGMA Stat, July 30, 2025).
In the 2025 poll, practices with the highest share of self-scheduling were more likely to say it helped cut no-shows. That is what they reported themselves (MGMA Stat, July 30, 2025).
Where should the booking link live on the website?
At the top of every page. Put one clear “Book” or “Call” button there. Add the same button to your contact page, and to each service or clinician page.
Link to the booking tool your practice already uses. The page-by-page list for a practice website shows where the other parts go.
How do you add a booking link to your Google Business Profile?
Add it in your profile’s booking links. A Google Business Profile is the listing that shows your practice on Google Search and Maps. As of October 26, 2026, its help page gives these steps (Google Business Profile Help: links):
- Go to your Business Profile.
- On Google Search, select Booking. On Google Maps, select Edit profile, then the type of link you want to add.
- Select Add link. If you already have links, select Add another link.
- Enter the web address of your booking page.
- Select Save.
You can add up to 10 booking links. If you have more than one, you can set one as “Business preferred.” It then shows at the top of your links (Google Business Profile Help: links).
Some links can show up on their own. Google works with some outside booking companies, and their links can appear on your profile automatically. To remove one, go to Booking and select Remove Provider. The provider must remove its link within 5 days. If it does not, you can report a violation (Google Business Profile Help: links).
Some booking companies can also connect to your profile. On your profile, select Bookings, then Get started, pick your provider and select Done. Google says the provider shows up on your profile within a week. It also says a provider might charge you for bookings made through Google (Google Business Profile Help: booking providers).
What should the public website never collect?
Patient details, such as health details, insurance numbers or birth dates. The website should send patients to your booking tool or your phone instead. To learn what to keep off the site, read the guide on keeping patient information out of your contact form. This is general information, not legal advice.
Checklist: a booking path that works for the front desk
Sources
Next step
To have your booking path checked, ask for a free presence review. A new website from ClinicBuilds comes with click-to-call. It also links to the online scheduling you already use, if you have it.