Rules at a glance

The quick reference for “why did (or didn’t) this alert show up?” Each alert type links to its full article.

Every alert

Rule	What happens
Who gets alerts	Admin, Manager and Employee users, all alert types. Outsourced users see the bell but get no alerts.
Times	Shown in your practice’s time zone, plus how long ago (`12m`, `1h 8m`, `3d`). Online booking appointment times are shown exactly as booked.
Grouping	Today and Earlier, by your practice’s calendar day. Newest first or Oldest first.
How many	No limit. Chip counts show everything waiting.
Clearing	By default, clearing a card clears it for everyone. Admins can switch to “only for the person who cleared it” in Settings → General.
Clear all	Clears only what’s listed: the current chip, plus its filter if that’s on.
Undo	About 5 seconds after any clear.
Handled cards	Text alerts, questions on plans and failed payments clear for everyone once handled, whatever the clearing setting.
Kept for	30 days, then removed automatically.
Broken appointments	Not an Action Center alert. Use the Broken Appointments list or a workflow.

Shows up when: a patient’s text is 15–30 minutes old and nobody has opened it (Unread SMS), or has had no reply for 30 minutes or more (Unanswered SMS).
Doesn’t show up when: less than 15 minutes have passed, the text is more than 7 days old, the conversation is closed, or the text is only a confirmation word like yes or c.
The card shows: name, phone, the message, received time, and a Quick reply box.
Clears when: someone replies (clears for everyone), or it’s dismissed. Comes back if the patient texts again.

Shows up when: a patient submits a form, from a link, share link or QR code, or on an office tablet.
Doesn’t show up when: someone edits a submission in Teamio, or the form is part of a packet.
The card shows: name, form name, submitted time, View form.
Clears when: marked read.

Shows up when: a patient submits the first form of a packet. The same card updates with each form and changes to Packet submitted after the last one.
One card per: patient, for a packet link sent to a patient; browser session, for a general packet link.
The card shows: name, packet name, progress (“3 of 7 forms”), each submitted form, View latest form.
Clears when: marked read. Packet submitted shows up again for everyone when the packet is finished, even if the in-progress card was cleared.

Shows up when: a patient signs a plan, at home or chairside. Signing again makes a new card.
The card shows: name, plan name, signed time, View plan. No prices or procedure codes.
Clears when: dismissed.

Shows up when: a patient asks a question on a plan, in any AI Reply Mode.
The card shows: name, plan name, the question, asked time, a note if an AI draft is waiting, and a reply box.
Clears when: someone replies from the card or the builder, or approves the AI draft (clears for everyone, including every other question card on that plan), or it’s dismissed.

Shows up when: a patient books on your online scheduling page. It doesn’t wait for Open Dental.
Doesn’t show up when: your team schedules the appointment in Open Dental.
The card shows: name, appointment type, length, provider, appointment day and time (exactly as booked), new or returning patient, booked time, View online bookings.
Clears when: dismissed.

Shows up when: a payment through a payment link or a treatment plan link goes through.
Doesn’t show up when: the payment was on the office card reader, or it’s still confirming.
The card shows: name, what it paid for, the approved amount, card brand and last 4 digits, received time, and View payment (Admins with Open Dental Posting on) or View patient.
Clears when: dismissed.

Shows up when: a payment through a link fails.
Doesn’t show up when: the payment was on the office card reader, or it’s still confirming.
The card shows: name, what it was for, amount, reason, attempted time, Send new link.
Clears when: someone sends the patient a new payment link, or the patient pays through another link (both clear it for everyone), or it’s dismissed.