Connect Your AI Receptionist to Nookal: Setup Guide
Updated 6 October 2026
Summary
Connecting Salutant to Nookal takes under five minutes. Once linked with an API key, your receptionist checks your real-time Nookal calendar, matches callers to existing patient records, books appointments into open slots, and can add a note of each call to the client's clinical notes. Connecting Nookal doesn't cost extra on any Salutant plan.
If you use Nookal to manage your practice, connecting it to Salutant gives your phone receptionist direct access to your practice diary. Callers get accurate availability information, existing patients are recognised, and appointments are booked without any manual data entry on your part.
This guide walks through the setup process and explains exactly what the integration does.
What the Nookal Integration Does
When a caller rings your practice, the integration enables four key capabilities:
1. Real-time availability checking
Your receptionist reads your live Nookal availability and offers only times that are genuinely free. Appointments are the length set on the Nookal appointment type, and the caller is told that length.
2. Patient matching
Callers are checked by name, date of birth and phone; caller ID is a hint, never proof. Nookal needs a surname and date of birth to create a client, so without both, the booking comes to you as a request and the caller isn't told they're booked.
3. Appointment booking
Review mode is on by default, so each request waits in To do until you approve it. Switch to Put it straight in the diary and confirmed bookings land in Nookal the moment the call ends.
4. Call notes
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 Nookal — only when the client's full name and date of birth match.
How to Connect Nookal
Step 1: Generate your Nookal API key
- Log in to your Nookal account
- Go to Practice Settings → API
- Copy your API key — you will need it in the next step
Your Nookal API key is a long string of characters. Keep it secure — it provides access to your Nookal data.
Step 2: Add the API key to Salutant
- Log in to Salutant
- During setup, open the Diary step. Once you're live, it's Settings › Integrations, then Connect practice software
- Choose Nookal
- Paste your API key into the field
- Click Connect Nookal
When it's connected, Salutant shows "Connected to Nookal".
Step 3: Check your appointment types and practitioners
Nookal doesn't mark appointment types as bookable online, so setup lists all your active appointment types, and callers can book any of them unless you tell us otherwise.
Practitioners from Nookal 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 Nookal 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 | Nookal → Salutant | Real-time (on each call) |
| Patient records | Nookal → Salutant | On demand (during patient matching) |
| Appointments | Salutant → Nookal | When you approve them, or straight away if you turn approval off |
| Call notes | Salutant → Nookal | About 40 minutes after each call (if switched on) |
Pricing
Connecting Nookal doesn't cost extra on any Salutant plan. See Salutant pricing.
On the Nookal side, check your Nookal plan details to confirm API availability.
Troubleshooting
"Connection failed" error: Double-check that you have copied the full API key with no trailing spaces. If the key is not working, copy it again from Nookal's Practice Settings → API.
A booking came to me as a request: Nookal needs a surname and date of birth to create a client. When a new caller doesn't give both, the booking comes to you in To do instead.
Notes not appearing in Nookal: Call notes are added only when the client's full name and date of birth match the Nookal record. Only the practice owner can switch call notes on.
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The Nookal 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 appointments are booked without any manual data entry.
Get started and connect your Nookal account in the Diary step.