Try to book an eye appointment through Gemini's Zocdoc connection and end up booking on the clinic site

Posted

Sep 5, 2026 by Carrie Liken (Substack)

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Last checked

Oct 18, 2026

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Method:

How we verify

Evidence: Described by posterThe person describes what happened in words, without screenshots or video.

Context: The writer is a healthcare marketing consultant and uses the experience to make a point about provider data.

Outcome

Carrie Liken asked Gemini to book a yearly eye appointment at their usual optician. It didn't work at first because the Zocdoc app needed switching on in settings and calling with '@zocdoc'. Once it was on, Gemini offered times for only one of the practice's doctors, not Liken's. Google's business listing showed the same single doctor, so Liken went to the practice website, found their doctor listed and booked there directly.

Agent

Gemini

The source didn't share its exact prompt, so we wrote this from what it describes.

Run this task now, exactly as written below. Everything you need is here, so start straight away and only stop if something required is missing or a rule below tells you to.

Goal: Book a routine appointment with my usual provider, checking every available booking route before giving up.

Fill in before running:
- The practice and the provider I want: [PRACTICE + PROVIDER]
- Appointment type: [e.g. yearly eye exam]
- Dates and times that work: [AVAILABILITY]

This is admin help, not medical advice. Don't diagnose or suggest treatments. If anything I mention sounds urgent, tell me to contact a doctor or emergency services first.

Rules:
- Tell me if a booking app or connection needs switching on first, and how.
- If my provider doesn't appear, say so clearly rather than offering someone else.
- Point me to the practice's own booking page or phone number as a fallback.
- Ask before booking anything.
- If a site asks me to sign in, pause and let me do it myself (including any CAPTCHA or two-step code); never guess or store passwords.
- Ask for my OK before you pay, book, send, submit or cancel anything.
- Check facts that can change (prices, opening hours, dates, availability, rules) against the official source, and tell me anything you couldn't verify.

Output: Available times with my provider, or a clear note that they're not listed, plus the practice's own booking link.

You'll know it worked when: I'm booked with my usual provider at a time that works.

Run this task now, exactly as written below. Everything you need is here, so start straight away and only stop if something required is missing or a rule below tells you to.

Goal: Book a routine appointment with my usual provider, checking every available booking route before giving up.

Fill in before running:
- The practice and the provider I want: [PRACTICE + PROVIDER]
- Appointment type: [e.g. yearly eye exam]
- Dates and times that work: [AVAILABILITY]

This is admin help, not medical advice. Don't diagnose or suggest treatments. If anything I mention sounds urgent, tell me to contact a doctor or emergency services first.

Rules:
- Tell me if a booking app or connection needs switching on first, and how.
- If my provider doesn't appear, say so clearly rather than offering someone else.
- Point me to the practice's own booking page or phone number as a fallback.
- Ask before booking anything.
- If a site asks me to sign in, pause and let me do it myself (including any CAPTCHA or two-step code); never guess or store passwords.
- Ask for my OK before you pay, book, send, submit or cancel anything.
- Check facts that can change (prices, opening hours, dates, availability, rules) against the official source, and tell me anything you couldn't verify.

Output: Available times with my provider, or a clear note that they're not listed, plus the practice's own booking link.

You'll know it worked when: I'm booked with my usual provider at a time that works.

Run this task now, exactly as written below. Everything you need is here, so start straight away and only stop if something required is missing or a rule below tells you to.

Goal: Book a routine appointment with my usual provider, checking every available booking route before giving up.

Fill in before running:
- The practice and the provider I want: [PRACTICE + PROVIDER]
- Appointment type: [e.g. yearly eye exam]
- Dates and times that work: [AVAILABILITY]

This is admin help, not medical advice. Don't diagnose or suggest treatments. If anything I mention sounds urgent, tell me to contact a doctor or emergency services first.

Rules:
- Tell me if a booking app or connection needs switching on first, and how.
- If my provider doesn't appear, say so clearly rather than offering someone else.
- Point me to the practice's own booking page or phone number as a fallback.
- Ask before booking anything.
- If a site asks me to sign in, pause and let me do it myself (including any CAPTCHA or two-step code); never guess or store passwords.
- Ask for my OK before you pay, book, send, submit or cancel anything.
- Check facts that can change (prices, opening hours, dates, availability, rules) against the official source, and tell me anything you couldn't verify.
- Compare what the connected app shows with the practice's own website and tell me about any mismatch.

Output: Available times with my provider, or a clear note that they're not listed, plus the practice's own booking link.

You'll know it worked when: I'm booked with my usual provider at a time that works.

Before you finish: re-read my goal and constraints, check your answer against each one, and list anything you assumed or couldn't confirm.

Source

https://carrieliken.substack.com/p/geminis-zocdoc-integration-falls