How to Connect Your AI Receptionist to Cliniko
Updated 6 October 2026
Summary
Connecting Salutant to Cliniko takes under five minutes. Once linked with an API key, your receptionist checks your real-time Cliniko calendar, matches callers to existing patient records, and books genuinely open slots. By default every booking comes to you to approve before it's written to Cliniko — human-in-the-loop, so AI never touches your calendar without your sign-off. You can also have a note of each call added to the client's clinical notes. Connecting Cliniko doesn't cost extra on any Salutant plan.
This guide walks through connecting Cliniko and explains exactly what the integration does. One prerequisite for availability: your receptionist can only offer times once you've switched on online bookings in Cliniko — see Set up Cliniko availability for your AI receptionist.
What the Cliniko Integration Does
When a caller rings your practice, the integration enables four key capabilities:
1. Real-time availability checking
Your receptionist reads your live Cliniko availability and offers only the appointment types you show in Cliniko's online bookings. Callers are only offered slots that are actually open — no invented times.
2. Patient matching
Before booking, your receptionist asks every caller who the appointment is for, their date of birth (read back to them) and whether they've been in before, and matches that and their phone number against your Cliniko patient records. Caller ID is a hint, never proof. When you're taking new clients, a new caller gets a Cliniko patient record with their booking.
3. Approve-then-book (human-in-the-loop)
Review mode is on by default. When a caller asks for a time, the caller hears you'll confirm, and the request waits in To do until you say yes. Only when you approve is the appointment written into Cliniko. If you'd rather, switch to Put it straight in the diary: the caller hears they're booked, and it goes straight into Cliniko. You can still cancel it.
4. Call notes in Cliniko
Switch on Call notes in your practice software (Settings › Integrations) and, about 40 minutes after each call, the call summary is added to the client's clinical notes in Cliniko, as a draft for you to check. This only happens when the client's full name and date of birth match, and the call wasn't about someone else.
How to Connect Cliniko
Step 1: Generate your Cliniko API key
- Log in to your Cliniko account
- Go to Settings
- Select Integrations
- Under API keys, click Add an API key
- Give the key a descriptive name (e.g. "Salutant")
- Copy the API key — you'll need it in the next step
Your Cliniko API key looks like a long string of letters and numbers. Keep it secure — it provides access to your Cliniko data.
Step 2: Add the API key to Salutant
- Log in to Salutant
- During setup, open the Diary step ("Where do you keep your diary?"). Once you're live, it's Settings › Integrations, then Connect practice software
- Choose Cliniko
- Paste your API key into the field
- Click Connect Cliniko
When it's connected, Salutant shows "Connected to Cliniko" and lists what callers can book: the appointment types you've made available for online booking in Cliniko.
Step 3: Check your practitioners
Practitioners from Cliniko appear on your Team list (Settings › Team). Your receptionist won't mention them until you say OK. For each one, choose Book appointments (uses a seat) or Questions and messages only (free).
Step 4: Test the integration
The easiest way to test is a free test call in your browser:
- Open Test call (in setup, or Settings › Receptionist › Test call)
- Start the call — it uses your microphone
- Ask your receptionist about your availability for a specific date
- Verify that the slots it offers match your actual Cliniko calendar
A test call uses the same receptionist and diary as a live call, but nothing is booked in your real diary. Test calls are free while you set up, up to 30 minutes a day. You can also check that existing patients are recognised by calling in as a known patient.
What Syncs and When
| Data | Direction | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Cliniko → Salutant | Real-time (on each call) |
| Patient records | Cliniko → Salutant | On demand (during patient matching) |
| Approved appointments | Salutant → Cliniko | When you approve them in To do |
| New patients | Salutant → Cliniko | With their booking, when you're taking new clients |
| Call notes | Salutant → Cliniko | About 40 minutes after each call (if switched on) |
Pricing
Connecting Cliniko doesn't cost extra on any Salutant plan. See Salutant pricing.
On the Cliniko side, check with Cliniko whether your plan includes API access.
Troubleshooting
"Connection failed" error: Double-check that you've copied the full API key with no trailing spaces. If it still won't connect, add a new API key in Cliniko and try again.
Availability doesn't match: Make sure online bookings are fully switched on in Cliniko for your business, practitioner and appointment types — see Set up Cliniko availability.
Notes not appearing in Cliniko: Call notes are added only when the client's full name and date of birth match the Cliniko record. Check that Call notes in your practice software is switched on; only the practice owner can change it.
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The Cliniko integration is one of the fastest ways to get your AI Receptionist fully operational. With real-time availability and patient matching, callers get accurate information and approved appointments are written into Cliniko the moment you sign off — no manual data entry, and, in review mode, a clinician in the loop.
Get started and connect your Cliniko account in the Diary step.