Texting (SMS)
Consent first, then the four ways to text — and why one emoji can more than double what a message costs to send.
On this page
1Before anything else: consent
A contact can only be texted when OK to SMS? is switched on in their profile. Only turn it on when they’ve actually agreed — on a form, in writing, or by telling you. In the US that’s TCPA; in Canada, CASL; and the carriers behind your number enforce their own rules on top, which is what texting registration is about.
2The four ways a text goes out
- From an action plan — a text step, on the plan’s schedule.
- From a template — the messages you send constantly, with tokens.
- One-off — the Text panel on the contact’s profile.
- Group text — several contacts selected in the Contacts List.
3The text panel
Pick a template or type the message; add tokens to personalise it. The panel also offers alternate numbers, Exclude Client (send to those numbers instead of the contact), Add Notification, Schedule Send, and an Attachment from the contact’s files or account files.
4Length, segments and characters
Texts are billed in segments, and which characters you use decides how many:
| Characters used | Per segment | Example |
|---|---|---|
| GSM (ordinary letters, digits and punctuation) | about 150 | A 161-character message goes as two segments: 150 + 11. |
| Non-GSM (emoji, curly quotes, accents, symbols) | 65 | One emoji anywhere in the message drops the whole message to 65-character segments. |
Non-GSM characters are supported, but not every handset and network renders them well, and they can arrive as separate messages. Contacts can send emoji to you freely — the system receives them.
Watch the smart quotes
Text written in Word and pasted in often carries curly quotes and long dashes — all non-GSM. The message looks identical and costs more than twice as much to send. Type directly into the panel, or use plain apostrophes.
5Picture messages
Texts can carry jpeg, png and gif only, and everything attached must total under 5 MB. Anything else should be a link to a file in Files.
6Troubleshooting
The text didn’t send
Check OK to SMS? on the contact, then the Text Monitor in the user menu for the carrier’s reason, then that your brand and campaign are approved.
A delayed text went out later than I expected
Account settings can hold delayed plan texts until business hours — see Operation Settings.
My segment count is higher than the character count suggests
There’s a non-GSM character in the message. See the table above.