Custom Docs vs. HappySOAP: Which works best for your team?

For most clinics, documentation is the quiet tax on every workday — the extra half-hour after closing, the backlog on the weekend, the mental drag of remembering small details long after an exam. Everyone wants it to be easier. But “easier” can mean different things depending on who’s writing.

That’s the problem Happydoc set out to solve: how to make documentation faster and more flexible, so that the technology actually fits the way veterinarians work.

Ease, in this sense, isn’t just fewer clicks. It’s software that keeps up with a clinical day while quietly shaping the work into something structured, usable, and accurate.

The importance of documentation style

Veterinary documentation sits in an unusual space. It’s part medical record, part communication tool, part legal record. Every sentence carries weight, and every extra minute spent writing is a minute spent away from patient care.

Some veterinarians work best within a clear structure: a predefined format that prompts them through each section and keeps details consistent. Others are more free-form. They want flexibility to capture cases in their own voice or adapt templates for specific types of visits.

When software forces everyone into the same mold, friction builds. Notes take longer, revisions pile up, and frustration grows. The best systems adapt to how people work, not the other way around.

That’s the philosophy behind both HappySOAP and Custom Docs: giving veterinarians control over how their records come together, while making documentation faster without sacrificing accuracy and attention to detail..

HappySOAP: the ready-to-use standard

HappySOAP is the default template within Happydoc, designed for teams that want a fast, standardized way to get records done right away.

Built with extensive feedback from veterinarians, HappySOAP follows the traditional SOAP structure — Subjective, Objective, Assessment, and Plan — but it’s been tuned to how vets naturally speak during an appointment. The AI recognizes conversational phrasing, filters out small talk, and structures notes so that what matters most is front and center.

For many clinics, that’s exactly what they need.

• Quick setup: Start using HappySOAP immediately — no configuration required.
• Consistency across teams: Every doctor’s records follow the same logic, making reviews and follow-ups simple.
• Reliability: Because it’s been tested and refined with real clinical input, HappySOAP produces professional, readable notes from day one.
• Easy onboarding: New doctors and relief vets can jump in without extensive training — they can use HappyDoc as-is.

Think of HappySOAP as the clinic default, a proven, efficient way to handle documentation at scale. It keeps teams aligned and records consistent, so doctors can focus on care instead of formatting.

Custom Docs: flexibility for every doctor

Custom Docs were built for teams that want more control. Also developed with veterinarian input, this feature gives each doctor the ability to create or tailor their own documentation templates, without sacrificing clinic-wide visibility or structure.

Through Happydoc’s Document Builder, doctors can easily customize sections, reorder fields, or add entirely new ones. They can adjust phrasing, decide how values display, and even give the AI special instructions (for example, “always include weight in both lbs and kg” or “refer to pet owners as clients”).

Every Custom Doc can be unique to the doctor who uses it. Dr. Patel might prefer longer narrative assessments, while Dr. Smith likes compact bullet points. Both can document their way, within one shared system.

Why clinics love Custom Docs:

• Personalization without chaos: Each doctor gets their own version while the clinic retains a consistent framework.
• Specialty support: Perfect for doctors with unique workflows—like dermatology, surgery, or rehabilitation.
• Smarter AI output: Custom instructions make the AI feel like it’s part of the team, not just a transcription tool.
• Better adoption: People embrace systems that fit their habits rather than disrupt them.

It’s the best of both worlds: structure where you need it, freedom where you want it.

HappySOAP vs. Custom Docs

Both tools were built from veterinarian feedback, but they solve slightly different problems. HappySOAP gives clinics a fast, standardized way to document from day one. Custom Docs builds on that foundation, giving each doctor the ability to personalize how their notes come together — without breaking clinic-wide consistency.

HappySOAP is ideal when you want:

• Instant setup. It’s ready to use right away, no configuration required.
• Consistency across teams. Every doctor follows the same SOAP-based flow, making records easy to review and hand off.
• Reliable accuracy. The AI is tuned for real veterinary conversations, filtering out filler and organizing what matters most.
• Smooth onboarding. Using HappySOAP is easy and straightforward, allowing relief vets and new hires to maximize their efficiency on day one, regardless of their familiarity with your PIMS.

It’s the best option for clinics that value simplicity, speed, and alignment. HappySOAP acts as a shared language across the team — fast, reliable, and structured around how veterinarians actually speak.

Custom Docs adds another layer of flexibility.

• Full customization. Using the Custom Document Builder, Doctors can add or reorder sections, rename fields, and include specialty-specific details.
• Personal AI preferences. By adding Custom Instructions to a field, Each doctor can tailor the AI output to fit their style, such as how findings should be phrased or specific terminology they would like used.
• Support for unique workflows. Great for surgeons, specialists, or anyone whose cases don’t fit a standard template.
• Shared visibility. Managers can still oversee all templates in one place, ensuring notes remain compliant and complete.

Custom Docs gives experienced doctors more control while keeping everyone connected through one system. It’s personalization without fragmentation.

In short, HappySOAP delivers speed and consistency right away. Custom Docs extends that same efficiency with personalization and depth. Most clinics use both, starting with HappySOAP to get everyone moving quickly, then layering in Custom Docs as doctors fine-tune their workflow.

How real clinics blend both

Most clinics don’t choose one or the other, they use both.

Many start with HappySOAP to establish consistency and get staff comfortable. Once adoption is strong, individual doctors experiment with Custom Docs to fine-tune their experience. The combination gives teams a shared baseline with room for personal workflow preferences.

For example:

• Doctors use HappySOAP for quick, standardized documentation, like for wellness visits.
• They switch to Custom Docs for fields that require more detail or different phrasing, like speciality cases or chronic illnesses.
• Practice managers keep oversight of all templates in one place, ensuring records stay complete and compliant.

The result is a unified system that evolves with the team, with no need to overhaul workflows or choose one forever.

Making it work for your team

You don’t have to commit to a single path. Happydoc lets every doctor document in the way that feels most natural to them, whether that’s a clinic-wide HappySOAP template or a personalized Custom Doc.

For practice managers, the priority is alignment and adoption. The best systems aren’t just flexible; they’re cohesive.

Here’s how to make that balance work:

1. Start with comfort. Let each doctor begin with what feels familiar. For many, that’s HappySOAP—simple, structured, and immediately useful.
2. Encourage experimentation. Once the team is comfortable, invite doctors to try Custom Docs and share what they’ve built. It often sparks collaboration and creativity.
3. Stay aligned where it counts. Keep some structure consistent, especially around compliance, communication style, or client-facing summaries.
4. Share feedback loops. Regularly ask what’s working and what’s not. As doctors build confidence, they’ll naturally refine their templates for clarity and speed.

Over time, most teams find their rhythm: some doctors stick with HappySOAP, others build their own, and everyone benefits from a workflow that feels designed, not imposed.

You don’t have to trade individuality for structure. Happydoc was built to support both.

The right notes for every doctor

Veterinary medicine is demanding enough without clunky documentation systems. HappySOAP and Custom Docs were both designed with veterinarians, for veterinarians to bring simplicity and flexibility back into daily practice.

HappySOAP gives clinics an instant head start: consistent, reliable notes that work right out of the box. Custom Docs give doctors creative control: personalized templates that reflect how they actually work.

Together, they make documentation something teams don’t have to think about—a background process that just works.

When records flow smoothly, doctors leave on time, staff stay aligned, and clients get clearer communication. It’s not just about faster notes; it’s about happier clinics.

If you’re exploring how to make documentation easier for your team, see both in action.

Schedule a demo to experience how Happydoc adapts to every doctor, every style, and every clinic.

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