Using PRIMER CARING
Set up once on each computer. Then use the same app link for your daily reminders.
First-time setup
You need Google Chrome on a desktop or laptop, an internet connection and the phone used for your clinic’s WhatsApp account. The companion does not run in a mobile browser.
Open the PRIMER CARING link shared by your clinic. A Set up this computer window appears on a new PC. If you closed it, use Settings → Computer connection → Set up this computer.
1. Download and extract the setup pack
If this opens Google Drive, click Download there. If access is requested, ask the person who shared the app to give you access.
- Open your computer’s Downloads folder.
- Right-click primer-caring-setup.zip → Extract All… → Extract. The filename may differ if your clinic renamed the pack.
- Move the extracted PRIMER_CARING_Setup folder to Documents. Inside it you should see companion and START_HERE.html.
Chrome reads the companion from this folder. Do not delete or move it after installation. Opening the ZIP alone does not install it.
On a Mac, double-click the ZIP to extract it, then keep the extracted folder in Documents.
2. Add the companion to Chrome
- Open a new Chrome tab. Type chrome://extensions into the address bar and press Enter.
- Switch on Developer mode at the top right.
- Click Load unpacked.
- Browse to Documents → PRIMER_CARING_Setup → companion, then click Select Folder. Choose the companion folder itself, not the ZIP or its parent folder.
- Confirm that PRIMER CARING Companion appears and its switch is on.
For easy access, click Chrome’s Extensions puzzle icon and pin PRIMER CARING Companion.
If Chrome says the manifest is missing, you selected the wrong folder. The companion folder contains a file named manifest.json. If installation is blocked on a managed clinic PC, ask your IT support.
3. Save the app link and copy its setup code
Keep the app and companion in the same Chrome profile.
- Click the pinned companion icon, or Extensions → PRIMER CARING Companion.
- Paste the app address above into App link.
- Click Save app link, then Copy code.
- Return to the app’s setup window. Click Next if needed to reach Step 2. Paste the copied code into Setup code, then click Connect.
- Wait for Connected, then click Next.
Already closed the setup window? Open it from Settings. Each computer may have a different Setup code. Copy the code from that computer’s installed companion.
4. Sign in to WhatsApp and run one test
- In Step 3 of the setup window, click Open WhatsApp.
- If a QR code appears, open WhatsApp on the clinic phone. Go to Settings / menu → Linked devices → Link a device and scan the code.
- Once the chat list is visible, return to the app and click Finish setup.
- Enter your clinic name and a test appointment date. Add your own name and WhatsApp number as the only patient.
- Click Review & send. Check the number and message, then click Send 1 reminder.
- Check that the complete reminder arrived in your own WhatsApp. Then click New batch before adding patients.
The app remembers the connection in this Chrome profile. You do not need to reinstall or repeat setup every day.
Update an existing companion
This website needs companion v0.2.4 for bold reminders. First finish or pause sending, check uncertain results in WhatsApp and download the log if needed.
- Download the updated companion ZIP and extract it.
- Open the extracted companion folder. Copy all its files into your existing installed companion folder, choosing Replace when asked. Keep that installed folder in the same place.
- In Chrome, type chrome://extensions. On PRIMER CARING Companion, click the Reload circular arrow. Check that its version is 0.2.4.
- Refresh the WhatsApp Web tab, then reload the app with Ctrl+Shift+R. Reconnect in Settings if needed.
- Start a new batch and send one reminder to your own number. Check the name, bold appointment phrase and full message before using a patient list.
I cannot find the old installed folder
Remove the old PRIMER CARING Companion entry from chrome://extensions. Extract the new setup pack into a permanent folder in Documents and follow First-time setup. Save the app link again, then copy the new setup code into the app. The setup code may change when installing from a different folder.
The app blocks older companions and stale WhatsApp tabs before sending formatted reminders.
The companion popup’s main button is Open PRIMER CARING. Computer setup is tucked away after the app link is saved; troubleshooting is separate.
Daily use
- Appointment: enter the clinic name and choose the appointment date. Time is optional.
- Patients: in Excel, select the name and phone-number columns together, copy them and paste into the patient box. Alternatively, use Import file for CSV, TSV or TXT.
- Review & send: check every recipient number, clinic, date and a sample message. Choose a patient in the preview list to check another reminder.
- Send reminders: click the final Send button once. The app works through the list automatically.
Send only expected reminders to recipients who have agreed to receive them. Keep the app and WhatsApp tabs open, the internet connected and the PC awake. Leave the sending WhatsApp tab free while it runs.
Pause interrupts the queue; a send already in progress may finish. Continue resumes an unchanged, reviewed batch.
New batch clears the KK name, appointment date, time, patient list and sending log. It keeps the reminder template and connection. Download the log first if you need a copy. Reloading also clears the KK name; any restored log is preserved, and you must re-enter the correct clinic before continuing.
When the queue finishes, the main button becomes New batch. You can also find it under More in the sending log. Nothing is cleared automatically just because sending finishes.
Names, numbers and message layout
Use one patient per line, with the name first and phone number second. A Malaysian mobile number beginning 01… is converted to 601…. For overseas numbers, include the country code. Duplicate numbers are rejected; check shared family numbers.
A batch supports up to 100 patients. Import files must be smaller than 1 MB. The default reminder is already filled in. Names are capitalised automatically when the list is prepared: AZREE BIN ALI → Azree bin Ali. Common connectors such as bin, binti, a/l and a/p stay lowercase. Check each person’s preferred spelling in the review list. The app keeps deliberately mixed spellings such as McDonald.
The default appointment phrase is bold. In Edit reminder, *temujanji anda di {CLINIC} pada {DATE}* uses WhatsApp’s single asterisks to mark bold text. The preview displays it in bold. See WhatsApp’s formatting guide. Sending still uses one paragraph. Your custom saved template is preserved; choose Use default message if you want the new default wording.
What the sending log means
| Status | What to do |
|---|---|
| Sent | The reminder appeared as an outgoing WhatsApp message. This does not confirm delivery or reading. |
| Not sent | The companion could not complete sending. Open Review for the reason. |
| Check result | The outcome is uncertain. Check the WhatsApp chat before doing anything else. |
Click Review beside a problem entry. Choose Mark as sent only after confirming it is there, or Queue again only after confirming it was not sent. Then use Review & send to send the requeued reminder. The app does not automatically retry uncertain sends.
More → Download log saves a CSV file. A downloaded log contains patient information; keep it in an approved location.
If something goes wrong
Not connected, or nothing happens when I start
Check that you are using desktop Chrome and the same Chrome profile as the installed companion. Open chrome://extensions and check that PRIMER CARING Companion is switched on. Open Settings → Computer connection, check the copied code and click Connect.
Use the exact shared app address in Save app link. Close duplicate PRIMER CARING app tabs. If reconnecting still fails, pause sending and open Troubleshooting → Reset app connection in the companion, then reconnect in the app.
The chat opens, but the reminder is not sent
Check the row’s Review message. If an old draft is already in the WhatsApp typing box, the companion leaves it untouched. Review and clear that draft yourself, confirm no reminder was sent, then choose Queue again.
A wrong, invalid or unverified contact number is also left unsent. Check the number before starting a corrected batch, and include only recipients who have not already been sent their reminder. If WhatsApp has changed its layout, contact support instead of repeatedly retrying.
My PC slept, the internet stopped, or I refreshed the page
Keep the computer awake while sending. After an interruption, the saved batch may reappear paused. Check any Check result entry in WhatsApp before continuing. Do not paste the whole list into a new batch just to retry; that could send reminders twice.
Closing the tab can lose its sending log. Download the log before closing if it is required.
Chrome says it cannot find the extension folder
Keep the extracted companion folder in its original location. If it was deleted or moved, extract the setup pack into Documents again. Remove the broken companion entry from chrome://extensions, then use Load unpacked to install the new companion folder. Copy its setup code and reconnect.
Download companion only if you just need replacement companion files.
The download asks for permission or has the wrong files
If Google Drive requests access, contact the person who shared the app. Do not use unrelated public extension packages. The setup pack should contain PRIMER_CARING_Setup → companion → manifest.json. Ask support if those files are missing.
For help, email drazree.ali@moh.gov.my. Include the app version and the error wording. Leave patient names, phone numbers and chat content out of support screenshots.
Privacy and data
Patient lists and sending logs are kept in this browser tab’s storage. The app does not upload them to a Cloudflare patient database. Cloudflare hosts the website files; reminders are passed to WhatsApp on this PC and sent through your clinic’s WhatsApp account.
The template, sending interval and Setup code are remembered in this browser profile. The clinic name input clears on reload; a prepared batch’s recorded clinic remains with its sending log. The companion remembers the paired app address and holds connection and send-attempt information in Chrome’s session memory. It can inspect WhatsApp chat content and contact information to check the recipient and sending result.
New batch clears the app’s KK name, date, time, patient list, previews and log. It does not delete messages from WhatsApp, downloaded logs or browser history. On a shared PC, clear the batch when finished and use an appropriately protected Chrome profile. Avoid diagnoses and identity numbers in reminders.
About this WhatsApp connection
This is an independent, unofficial WhatsApp Web integration. WhatsApp interface changes may interrupt it, and account restrictions remain possible. The interval organises the queue; it does not guarantee protection from restrictions. The app never starts sending simply because it was opened or connected.
Chrome’s folder installation instructions · WhatsApp Help Centre