Text messaging lets your business talk to customers the way they already prefer, right from your business phone numbers. This guide is the starting point. It explains what is included and links you to the how-to articles for each part.
What you can do
- Two-way texting. Send and receive SMS from your business numbers in the Messages area, and reply from the same screen.
- Picture messages (MMS). Receive images and other media from customers, and send them from numbers that support MMS.
- Auto-responders. Set up automatic replies, such as an after-hours message or a reply to a keyword like INFO.
- Shared team inboxes. Let several teammates work the same texting number together, so no message is missed.
- Bulk SMS campaigns. If enabled on your account, send a message to many opted-in contacts at once and track delivery.
- Compliance tools. Keep an opt-out list, honor STOP replies, and register your business for US texting.
Where to find it
Everything starts from two places in the portal:
- Messages in the sidebar is your live inbox for individual conversations (both texts and internal team chat).
- Messaging brings together the management tools: Auto-Responders, Shared Inboxes, and (when enabled) SMS Campaigns and the Opt-Out Registry.
Some tools sit under Phone System in the sidebar because they are set up by an account admin.
Getting a number ready for texting
Not every phone number can send texts. Most local mobile-style numbers support SMS, and many support MMS as well. Toll-free numbers can text once they are verified.
Tip: Check a number's texting ability on the Phone Numbers page. If a number is not text-enabled, our team can help you enable it or choose one that is.
Read next
- Business Text Messaging: Getting Started covers sending your first message.
- Picture and Multimedia Messages (MMS) covers images and media.
- SMS Templates for Faster Replies helps you reuse common messages.
- Shared Team Inboxes for SMS and SMS Auto-Responders cover team setup.
- SMS Consent, STOP, and Opt-Outs and Business Texting Registration (10DLC), Explained keep you compliant.
Text messaging is a powerful, personal channel. Used well, it is one of the fastest ways to help a customer, confirm an appointment, or answer a quick question, without anyone picking up the phone.