With MoeGo’s upcoming Message Compliance update, your email and SMS communications will follow industry-standard regulations. This helps protect your business while ensuring pet parents receive messages in the way they prefer.
This guide explains:
What’s changing with Message Compliance
How existing client settings are handled
How to opt in existing clients
How to opt in new clients after launch
What’s Changing with Message Compliance
The Message Compliance feature will be released on January 5, 2026.
When the feature goes live:
All existing client message settings will be preserved initially
Messages will be categorized as either:
Service-related, or
Marketing-related
To meet compliance requirements, MoeGo will provide a 1-month transition period for collecting opt-in authorization from pet parents.
What happens during and after the 1-month transition period
🟢 During the 1-month period (starting Jan 5)
Your current marketing message settings will remain active
You can continue communicating while collecting opt-in consent from pet parents
🔴 After the 1-month period
Marketing-related messages will be automatically turned off
This applies to pet parents who have not provided opt-in authorization
Affected marketing-related message include:
Mass text messages
Pet birthday reminders (SMS / Email)
Rebook reminders (SMS / Email)
Auto review booster messages
Abandoned booking recovery messages
Marketing email subscriptions
Workflow Campaigns (Beta) (SMS / Email)
Service-related messages are not impacted.
Note: The 1-month re-opt-in window is not a hard cutoff.
We will actively monitor overall consent collection rates.
The re-opt-in window will only close once a sufficient level of consent adoption is reached.
What is Message Compliance?
Message Compliance refers to the legal requirements businesses must follow when sending SMS and email messages.
In the U.S., this includes regulations such as:
At a high level, compliance means:
Clients must give consent before receiving marketing messages
Every message must include a clear opt-out option
Unsubscribe requests must be honored immediately
Notification settings cannot be changed without client authorization
👉 For more details about the Compliance feature, click here.
How to opt in Existing Clients
You can collect opt-in authorization from existing clients using any of the methods below.
Option 1: During a call-in or walk-in visit
When a client calls in or walks into your business to schedule an appointment, you can ask them directly whether they’d like to receive notifications from your business.
Step 1: Open the client profile
Go to the client profile
If the client’s notification authorization is incomplete, you’ll see a banner indicating that authorization has not been completed
Click Complete Authorization to proceed
Step 2: Send an opt-in invitation via SMS
In the authorization pop-up:
Select Send opt-in invitation via SMS
Click Send SMS
Alternatively, you can access the same option by going to Client Profile > Settings > Notification Authorization, then selecting Complete.
Step 3: Client receives and completes the opt-in
The client will receive a one-time SMS with an opt-in link, for example:
“Hi, please review and manage your notification preferences here: {Opt-in URL}. Msg & data rates may apply.”
Note: This authorization message template cannot be customized at this time.
When the client clicks the link, they can choose their notification preferences:
Service-related messages
Under “Stay updated about your pet’s visit”, select “Yes, text me appointment updates”Marketing messages and emails
Under “Get offers, treats, and news”, select:“Yes, email me offers & perks”
“Yes, text me offers & perks”
After selecting their preferences, the client clicks Confirm to complete authorization.
Step 4: Authorization is completed and recorded
Once the client submits their preferences:
The Setting> notification section under client profile will show Authorization Completed
The action will also be recorded in the History Log, for example:
“Notification authorization completed by client”
What to expect next
Service and marketing notifications will be adjusted follow the preferences selected by the client
Clients who do not complete authorization during the transition period will be opted out of marketing notifications after the 1 month grace period ends
Option 2: Upload existing authorization records
If you already have signed consent forms or documented authorization from a client, you can record this authorization directly in MoeGo.
Step 1: Manually Adjust the preference
Ask pet client their preference for service and marketing related message/email in person.
Adjust the service and marketing preference setting according to the authorization client have provided.
Step 2: Select “Obtain written consent”
Go to the client profile, in the Complete authorization pop up
Select Obtain written consent
Step 3: (Optional) Upload authorization records (coming soon in future release after 1/5)
You may upload existing authorization records for reference.
Supported file formats: .csv, .xls, .xlsx
Uploading a file is optional
You can proceed without uploading any document if needed
Do I need to upload consent records to stay compliant?
Uploading consent records to MoeGo is optional.
You may keep previously collected consent records or authorization history on file outside of MoeGo for your own reference.
However, if you do not have prior authorization and still mark a client as “Obtained written consent”, this would not be compliant.
We recommend retaining consent records whenever possible in case verification is needed later.
Step 4: Complete authorization
Click Complete to finish the authorization process
Once completed:
The client’s notification authorization status will update to Completed
The action will be recorded in the History Log for auditing purposes
Option 3: During a scheduled appointment (Coming soon after 1/5)
You can collect opt-in authorization when a client arrives for their scheduled appointment.
Where you’ll see the authorization reminder
If the client’s notification authorization is incomplete, you’ll see an authorization reminder displayed directly on the appointment.
This reminder may appear:
On the appointment details page
During Check-in
During Check-out, in the Review & Confirm pop-up
How to complete authorization during the appointment
Option A: Send an opt-in invitation via SMS
Click Complete Authorization from the appointment or alert
Select Send opt-in invitation via SMS
Ask the client to open the link and complete their notification preferences on their phone
This follows the same SMS opt-in flow used for call-in or walk-in clients.
Option B: Upload written consent and update preferences manually
If the client provides written consent:
Select Obtain written consent
(Optional) Upload the consent record
Click Complete to finish authorization
Manually adjust the client’s notification preferences in their profile
When authorization can be completed
You can complete authorization with the client at either:
Check-in, or
Check-out
This allows you to confirm notification preferences at a natural point in the visit, without interrupting the service.
Option 4: Via Online Booking
Clients can opt in to notifications directly while booking an appointment online.
How the opt-in works
When a client logs in to the Online Booking portal, a notification pop-up will appear asking them to enable:
Service-related messages, and/or
Marketing-related messages/email
The client can review their options and choose whether to opt in before continuing with the booking.
If the client does not opt in
If the client chooses not to opt in during this step, the notification pop-up will continue to appear the next time they log in.
This ensures clients have multiple opportunities to review and update their notification preferences.
What happens after opt-in
Once the client completes their selection, their notification preferences will be saved.
The client’s authorization status will update to Completed, and future messages will follow the selected preferences.
Please refer to more detail here in Pet parent Opt-in Via Online Booking.
How to opt in New Clients
When a new client logs into Online Booking for the first time, a notification preference pop-up will appear before they submit their booking request.
The pop-up asks the client to opt in to:
Service-related notifications
Marketing-related notifications
This flow is the same as the opt-in experience for existing clients.
Clients may choose to opt in or skip this step and continue booking.
📌 Once submitted, MoeGo automatically saves the client’s notification preferences.
👉 For more details, see Pet Parent Opt-In via Online Booking.
Option 2: Intake Forms
You can collect opt-in authorization through intake forms.
Step 1: Enable marketing policy fields
Go to Intake Forms → Settings
Toggle ON Marketing Policy fields for all intake forms
Step 2: Client submits consent
When the client checks the marketing policy box and submits the intake form:
Once the business accepts the intake form or merges it into an existing client profile
MoeGo will automatically update the client’s marketing-related notification preferences
👉 For more details, see Marketing Policy in Intake Forms.
Option 3: Call-in or Walk-in Leads
For clients who call in or walk in without using Online Booking:
Step 1: Set default preferences for new clients
Go to Settings → Auto Messages → Preferences
Configure your default notification preferences for new clients
These defaults will be pre-selected when creating a new client or lead profile.
Step 2: Obtain consent and complete authorization when creating profile (coming soon after 1/5)
Ask for consent verbally, following the same process used for existing clients
On the Create Client or Create Lead page:
Select the appropriate notification preferences
Complete the authorization directly, or
Send a one-time SMS opt-in invitation if needed
👉 For more details, see Notification in Client Profiles
Your Action Items
To stay compliant and ensure uninterrupted communication with pet parents, we recommend taking the following actions:
Start collecting opt-in authorization from existing clients as early as possible
This helps avoid last-minute disruption when the transition period ends.Use Online Booking and intake forms whenever possible
These tools allow clients to opt in themselves and significantly reduce manual work.Clearly explain communication preferences to pet parents
Let them know what types of messages they’ll receive and how they can opt out at any time.
Steps to Streamline Your Future Workflow
To make compliance easier moving forward, we recommend setting up the following configurations:
1. Enable opt-out reply for SMS
Go to: Settings > Auto Messages > Opt-out Reply
Toggle Opt-out Reply ON
Customize your opt-out reply message as needed
This ensures clients can easily unsubscribe by replying to your messages.
2. Set default notification preferences
Go to: Settings > Auto Messages > Preferences
Configure your default notification preferences for new clients
Configure whether opt-out language (“Reply STOP to opt out”) appears in your
Set these based on your local compliance requirements
Note: Your preference settings control the default selection shown in the initial notification preference pop-up during Online Booking.
For example, if Service-related SMS is selected in your preference settings, it will be pre-selected by default when a pet parent logs in to Online Booking and sees the notification preference pop-up.
3. Confirm SMS usage with opt-out prompt in auto messages
All auto messages sent from MoeGo will automatically include opt-out instructions:
Service-related messages:
“Reply STOP to opt out”Marketing-related messages:
“Reply STOPM to opt out”
⚠️ Important note:
Adding opt-out language may increase your SMS message length by approximately 20 characters. This may change how many SMS credits a message uses. Please plan your SMS usage accordingly.
4. Enable marketing policy in intake forms
Go to: Intake Forms > Settings, Toggle ON Marketing Policy
This allows new clients to review and consent to marketing communications during the intake process.
Best Practice Tip
Setting these configurations early helps ensure:
New clients are compliant from day one
Existing clients are transitioned smoothly
Your team spends less time handling manual follow-ups
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the opt-in invitation SMS count as one-way or two-way message?
The opt-in invitation SMS is one-way (auto message) and is considered a service-related message.
Is there a client filter to identify clients with incomplete or complete authorization status?
Not yet. A client filter for authorization status (Complete / Incomplete) will be available in a future release after the January 5 launch.
Can I customize the opt-in message template?
At this time, the opt-in message template cannot be customized.
Customization may be supported in future updates.
When obtaining written consent, do I need to upload a document?
No. Uploading a document is optional.
You can mark the authorization as completed without attaching a file.
Can I opt in multiple pet parents at once?
Currently, pet parents must be opted in one at a time.
A bulk opt-in option is planned for a future release.
Is there a way to identify clients with incomplete authorization?
Yes. A filter to identify clients with incomplete authorization is planned for a future release.
When a pet parent opts in to service messages, what channels are enabled?
When a pet parent opts in, they are subscribed to service-related SMS messages only.
If the pet parent prefers to receive email or automated calls, business can manually adjust these preferences in the client profile.
What happens if a pet parent ignores the opt-in message?
During the 1-month transition period, the client’s current message settings will remain unchanged.
After the transition period ends, any pet parent marked as “authorization incomplete” will be automatically opted out of marketing-related messages. Service-related messages are not affected.
Can I send a mass text message to re-opt in all my clients?
No. We do not recommend sending a mass text message to request opt-in from all clients.
Sending a bulk SMS for opt-in purposes would be considered a marketing-related message, which may violate communication compliance regulations if consent has not already been obtained.
In addition: The one-time opt-in invitation link is not designed to be shared in bulk at this time.
What is the recommended alternative?
If you’d like to reach a large group of clients, we recommend using an email campaign instead.
Send an email to your clients explaining the update
Include a link to your Online Booking portal
Clients can log in to Online Booking and adjust their notification preferences directly
This approach allows clients to opt in on their own, while keeping your business compliant.
