RIKO's Zanda integration creates the client record and hands the patient to Zanda's own client portal to pick their exact appointment time. It doesn't create the appointment directly, because Zanda's public API doesn't support that yet - it's still in beta and currently read-only. Zanda has confirmed write access is actively in development, and we'll extend the integration the moment it ships.
What the Zanda integration does today
When a patient books through RIKO at a Zanda-run practice, RIKO creates their client record in Zanda in the background, then gives them the practice's own Zanda client portal link to choose their exact time slot and complete any consent forms or payment. That's not a workaround on our end - it matches how Zanda's own client portal is designed to work.
What it doesn't do yet is create the appointment itself. That's a real limitation of Zanda's current public API, not something specific to RIKO's implementation.
Why: Zanda's API is still in beta
Zanda's public API is a relatively new offering, and by Zanda's own description it's presently read-only. Here's how Zanda documents it, in their own words:
“At this stage, the API supports GET requests only, meaning you can retrieve available data from Zanda, test endpoints and responses, and validate the data structure for your integration needs.”
“We are currently working on adding POST functionality, which will allow you to create and update records via the API.”Source: Zanda Health Knowledge Base, "Zanda API"
In other words, this isn't a gap Zanda has overlooked - it's a staged rollout, and appointment creation specifically is covered by the same GET-only limitation as every other resource in their beta API today.
How this compares to Cliniko
Cliniko's public API has supported full read/write access to appointments for a long time, which is why RIKO's Cliniko integration works differently: it creates the confirmed booking directly in the practice's calendar, with no portal handoff required.
| Capability | Zanda (today) | Cliniko |
|---|---|---|
| Client record creation via API | Yes | Yes |
| Appointment creation via API | Not yet (API is read-only) | Yes - full read/write |
| How the patient picks a time | Zanda's own client portal, after RIKO creates the client record | RIKO books it directly - no extra step |
| API maturity | Public API in beta, GET-only | Established, full CRUD |
What this means if your practice runs on Zanda
Nothing changes about your day-to-day today - the client-record-plus-portal flow keeps working exactly as it does now, and patients still get a fast, correct path to booking. What changes is our roadmap: as soon as Zanda's API supports creating appointments, we'll build direct booking for Zanda the same way it already works for Cliniko. We're tracking Zanda's API documentation for that change and will post here again when it lands.