Booking turns on with the AI receptionist. We connect Vetspire now; until that is switched on for your line, the receptionist takes a message instead.
Setup steps
- Choose Connect on this page or in the app. If it shows Guided setup, Connect opens a short form and our team connects it with you.
- In Vetspire, go to More, Admin, Staff and create a user role that can read clients, patients and the schedule, create appointments and create tasks.
- Go to More, Admin, Integrations, API Keys and choose Create New API Key. Title it TimberSwitch, pick the role you just made, choose Create and copy the key.
- Paste the key into the secure key form on the Connectors page in the app (owners and admins only). Never email it. We store it encrypted and only ever show its last 4 characters. Then we tell you which location, appointment types and providers the AI may book, and you confirm.
- Optionally rename the API User that Vetspire creates under Staff, Users to TimberSwitch so its changes are easy to spot.
- Turn on booking, messages and new client requests when you're ready. Recognising clients and checking open times are on from the start.
- In the AI receptionist settings, check your emergency keywords and the number emergencies transfer to.
Sending us your API key. Never email it or paste it in a ticket. A workspace owner or admin pastes it into the secure key form on the Connectors page in the app (choose Paste your API key next to Vetspire). It is stored encrypted and we only ever show its last 4 characters.
Permissions we ask for, and why
- A Vetspire API key with its own role: Vetspire keys can reach your whole practice database, so we ask you to give the key a role that only allows reading clients, patients and the schedule, creating appointments and creating tasks. The AI never asks Vetspire for records, results or balances.
- Read clients and patients: To match the caller's number to a client and greet them and their pet by name.
- Read the schedule and create appointments: To offer open times for the appointment types you choose and book the one the caller agrees to.
- Create tasks: To leave phone messages and new client requests on your team's task list.
What the AI receptionist will do
- Matches the caller's number to a client in Vetspire and greets them and their pet by first name. It shares nothing else from the record.
- Offers open times only for the appointment types and providers you chose, at your location.
- Reads the time back and books only after the caller says yes, for a client and pet already in Vetspire.
- Creates a task in Vetspire for messages and new client requests, and saves the message in TimberSwitch too.
- Never gives medical advice and never books an emergency: emergency calls follow your escalation settings and go to a person.
What it can't do, and limits
- Books existing clients with a pet on file only. Vetspire's API can't add a new pet, so new clients become a task for your front desk.
- Emergencies always go to a person. Set your escalation keywords and transfer number in the AI receptionist; the AI won't book a visit that sounds urgent.
- Only the appointment types you list can be booked. Surgery, dental and sick visits that need triage are best left off the list.
- Cancelling and moving appointments aren't supported yet; the AI takes a message instead.
- If two client records share one phone number, the AI greets the caller generically and takes a message rather than guess.
- The AI shares only first names, pet names and the next visit time, never records, results or balances. Some states restrict sharing veterinary records; the AI doesn't read them at all.
- Each booking takes a few Vetspire requests, so the caller may hear a short pause while it checks.
The AI says something is booked or ordered only when Vetspire confirms it. If Vetspire doesn't answer in time, the AI takes a message instead and tells the caller someone will follow up.
Troubleshooting
It didn't recognise a client.
Lookup matches the number they called from against the phone numbers on the client record. Check the number is on the record, and that no other active client shares it.
The AI said it couldn't book a new client.
That's expected: new clients need a pet record first. The AI leaves a task with their details so your team can register them and book.
The AI didn't offer a time I can see in Vetspire.
It only offers the appointment types and providers you chose, at your chosen location, within the next two weeks. Ask us to add a type or provider.
The connection says it needs attention.
Vetspire refused the key: it was deleted, expired (keys last four years) or its role lost a permission. Create a new key and paste it into the secure key form on the Connectors page. It replaces the old one.
How do I disconnect?
Choose Disconnect on the Connectors page and delete the key in Vetspire under Integrations, API Keys. The AI stops using Vetspire straight away.
Disconnecting, and the data we keep
An owner or admin can disconnect at any time from Phone, then Connectors, in the app. Disconnecting stops TimberSwitch using Vetspire straight away.
- Your encrypted Vetspire API key and your chosen location, appointment types and providers.
- A log of each booking and task: time, the Vetspire reference and a masked caller number.
- We don't copy client or pet records: what a lookup returns is used during the call only.
- Disconnecting deletes the key straight away.
Still stuck?
Get help: it opens an Integration support ticket. Include the time of the call and what you expected to happen.
Vetspire is a trademark of its owner; TimberSwitch is not affiliated.