Give the whole process in one sentence
Start with a description that fits in one breath:
Enter the email address we have on your record, then use the six-digit code that arrives in your inbox.
That tells the client what to enter, where the next step will arrive, and what they should look for. It also avoids introducing unnecessary technical language such as authentication, one-time password, or account provisioning.
If the email also includes a sign-in link, describe it as a fallback rather than a separate process:
You can type the code on the page you already opened, or use the sign-in link in the same email.
The client does not need to decide which method is more secure or more correct. Both lead to the same place. The code is often convenient because it keeps them in the browser tab where they started. The link is useful if they closed that page or would rather tap than type.
Start with the email address on the client record
The most common sign-in problem may happen before the code is ever sent. A client enters a different address from the one your practice has on file.
This can happen when someone has several addresses, changed jobs, uses a shared family inbox, or booked through an address they rarely check. It can also happen because of a small typo in the record.
When you invite a client to use the portal, name the address without reading it aloud in a public waiting room. You might say:
Use the same email address that receives your appointment messages. If you want to change it, tell us before you sign in.
Do not tell a caller which address is on a record until you have followed your practice's identity-checking process. A sign-in question should not become a way to disclose client information.
If the address needs to change, update the client record through the normal verified process. Do not create a second client just to make portal access work. Duplicate records can split appointments, forms, invoices, messages, and clinical history across two places.
Tell clients what to do when the email is slow
Most sign-in emails arrive quickly, but a client who expects an instant result may request several codes within a minute. Then they have several nearly identical messages and may enter an older code.
Give them a simple order of operations:
- Wait a minute and refresh the inbox.
- Check the spam or junk folder.
- Confirm that the email address on the sign-in page is the one the practice uses.
- Request a new code once, then use the newest email.
Avoid sending your own separate message with a copied code or forwarded sign-in link. The client should receive the sign-in email directly from the service. Your team can help them find it without handling the credential itself.
If the message still does not arrive, check whether other practice emails to that address have recently bounced. Confirm the spelling with the client through your usual identity-checking process, then correct the record if needed.
Keep the code and link private
A six-digit code can look harmless because it is short and temporary. It is still a sign-in credential.
Your team should never ask a client to read a code aloud, paste it into chat, send a screenshot of it, or forward the sign-in email. Support does not need the code to investigate a delivery problem. A practitioner does not need it to show a client where the portal is.
Use a firm, reassuring line:
Enter the code only on the Stillpoint sign-in page. We will never ask you to send it back to us.
The same rule applies to the sign-in link. Do not paste it into a support ticket or save it in the client record. If a client accidentally shares a code, ask them to request a new email and use the newest code. If they share a link, do not assume a replacement email disables it. Ask them to stop, wait until the 15-minute sign-in window has passed, then request a fresh email.
Practise the handoff before you need it
You do not need to sign in as a real client to understand the experience.
Open the portal sign-in page on a phone and look at the first screen. Notice the exact words on the button, what the email field asks for, and what the next screen tells the client to check. Use a test record approved by your practice if you need to complete the flow.
Then make sure every staff member can answer four questions:
- Which email address should the client enter?
- What should they look for in their inbox?
- What should they do if the message does not arrive?
- What information must they never send back to the practice?
Keep the answer in your onboarding checklist or front-desk guide. Do not depend on one person remembering the steps while a client waits.
Put the explanation where the question starts
The best support message is often the one a client sees before they need help.
Add one sentence to the places where you first introduce the portal. That may be a welcome email, an intake instruction, a booking confirmation, or a short handout at reception. Use the same wording everywhere so the client does not have to reconcile several versions.
You can also mention the portal at the end of a visit when there is a clear reason to use it:
Your invoice and next appointment are in the portal. Enter your email, then use the six-digit code we send you. There is no password to remember.
That is enough. You do not need to list every portal feature or turn checkout into a software lesson. Connect the sign-in step to the next useful action, then let the client continue when it suits them.
Review the questions your team receives
After a few weeks, look at the actual points of confusion.
Are clients entering a different email from the one on file? Are they looking for a password reset? Are they requesting several codes and choosing an older message? Are staff asking clients to send screenshots that reveal the code?
Fix the repeated question at its source. Change one sentence in the welcome message, add a privacy reminder to the staff guide, or clarify how email changes are verified. A small wording improvement is more useful than giving a longer explanation to every client after the same problem happens.
Stillpoint's client portal uses an emailed six-digit code, with a sign-in link in the same message as a fallback. Clients can reach appointments, forms, invoices, messages, and reminder preferences without keeping another password. Give them the one-sentence explanation before their first visit, then keep the credential itself in their hands.
