Website · SimplePractice
Replace your SimplePractice website, keep your client portal
Outgrown the website, but happy with SimplePractice? Keep your portal and records while building clearer service pages and a better path for new clients.
Your practice has grown. Has your website kept up?
The website that worked when you opened may struggle to explain a group practice, several specialties, or multiple locations. You want room to show what makes the practice a good fit.
But your clients already use SimplePractice for appointments and paperwork. Your team knows the system. You should not have to start a records migration just to get better service pages.
Yes, you can have a separate website and keep SimplePractice.
Build the public website separately and give clients a clear route into your existing portal. The practice account and records can stay in SimplePractice while the new site handles service information, therapist profiles, and contact navigation.
SimplePractice documents an appointment-request widget for external websites, currently on its Plus plan. Confirm eligibility before choosing an embed. A clear portal link may be enough for the journey you need.
New clients and returning clients need different buttons.
A new client wants to know whether you can help and how to get started. A returning client may simply want to sign in. Sending both through the same vague “Get started” button creates avoidable confusion.
Label the routes clearly: request an appointment, or open the client portal. For a group practice, test the clinician and service options. A request should also be described as a request, rather than a confirmed appointment.
Check the domain before disconnecting the old website.
A custom domain you control can be pointed at the replacement. SimplePractice’s default website address cannot become an external website’s address. Establish which one you use before promising the same URL after the move.
Build the preview first. Record the settings supporting website and email, plan changed page addresses, and test the portal routes. Disconnect the custom domain as part of the agreed launch, once the replacement is ready.
A better design still needs to earn the next click.
Use the extra flexibility to answer practical questions: who you help, which therapist offers the service, where sessions happen, and what someone should do next. More pages are useful when they answer distinct questions.
Review the site on a phone as a prospective client, then as a returning client. Both should reach the intended destination without needing the front desk to explain the website.
Your next steps
- 1
List the two client journeys
Record where a new client should request an appointment and where a returning client should sign in. Include clinician-specific destinations for a group practice.
- 2
Build and connect the preview
Rebuild the approved pages. For the external appointment widget, confirm Plus-plan eligibility and obtain current code from Settings → Scheduling and inquiries → Widgets.
- 3
Plan the website address change
Prepare the replacement before disconnecting a custom domain. Record existing website and email settings, then coordinate the approved domain changes with the launch.
- 4
Test each route after launch
Use invented details for an agreed test request. Ask staff to verify receipt, check the returning-client link, and monitor changed page addresses and search traffic.
Two buttons with two different jobs
| Visitor | Button on the new site | Check before launch |
|---|---|---|
| New client | Request an appointment | Correct clinician, service, and request destination |
| Existing client | Client portal | Correct practice sign-in destination |
| Someone reading about care | Explore services | Public information without requesting clinical details |
An illustrative navigation plan. A request is not a confirmed appointment; the practice reviews it in SimplePractice.
Before you decide
Can I use SimplePractice with a separate website?
SimplePractice documents an appointment-request widget for external websites. Its current instructions limit that widget to the Plus plan. Confirm your account supports the route you want before choosing an embed.
We can build a clear portal-link route and review the options in your account with you. The website proposal should specify which connection is included.
Can I keep my domain and email?
A custom domain registered with a separate provider can be disconnected from the Professional Website and used for the replacement. The default SimplePractice-provided address cannot become the address of an external site.
The handover needs to distinguish website settings from email settings. We document both before making the agreed website change, then test email and portal access afterward.
What if the booking widget stops working?
If you changed the Client Portal default domain, SimplePractice says to replace the old widget code with a fresh copy from your settings. Also check eligibility and the intended appointment options with your team.
We test the button through to a request received by the practice. Seeing a button on the page alone does not establish that the connection works.
Sources & further reading
- SimplePractice: external appointment widget and plan requirement
- SimplePractice: custom domains, disconnection, and email settings
- SimplePractice: clinician-specific scheduling links
Vendor features and terms can change. Confirm the requirements for your account before making a change.