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How SMS Works

Your AI phone number can send and receive text messages through Twilio. When a customer texts your AI number, the AI reads the message and replies using the same Knowledge Base it uses for phone calls. This means your AI gives consistent answers whether someone calls or texts.

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Enabling SMS Auto-Reply

1

Go to Conversations

Click Conversations in the sidebar.
2

Toggle SMS Auto-Reply ON

In the page header, you’ll see the “SMS Auto-Reply” toggle. Turn it ON (green).
3

That's it

Your AI number will now automatically reply to incoming text messages. No further configuration needed.
SMS auto-reply uses the same AI knowledge as your phone receptionist. If you’ve set up your Knowledge Base for calls, SMS replies are ready to go.

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What Happens When a Customer Texts

  1. Customer sends a text to your AI phone number
  2. The AI reads the message and generates a reply based on your Knowledge Base
  3. The reply is sent back as an SMS from your AI number
  4. The full conversation appears on your Conversations page
  5. You can take over the conversation at any time by typing a manual reply

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Automatic SMS Confirmations

When the AI books an appointment during a phone call, an SMS confirmation is sent automatically to the customer. This includes:
  • Business name
  • Appointment date and time
  • Service booked
No setup needed — this happens automatically when “Book Appointments” is enabled in Receptionist Settings. The confirmation SMS is sent from your AI phone number (not a generic number), so the customer sees a consistent sender.

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SMS Opt-Out

Customers can opt out of SMS at any time:
  • Customer texts STOP to your AI number
  • They’re immediately removed from all future SMS messages
  • An “Opted Out” badge appears on their conversation
  • The customer can text START to re-subscribe at any time
You cannot manually override an opt-out. This is required by law (TCPA in the US, PECR in the UK). The customer must text START themselves to re-subscribe.

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Checking Opt-Out Status

  1. Go to Conversations in the sidebar
  2. Look for the “Opted Out” badge next to the customer’s conversation
  3. Opted-out customers still appear in your Leads list — you can see their info and call history, but SMS won’t be sent to them

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Troubleshooting SMS

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SMS not sending

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Customer says they didn’t receive the text

  1. Check the Conversations page — does the message show as sent?
  2. Ask the customer to check their spam/junk folder (some phones filter unknown senders)
  3. Verify the customer’s phone number is correct on their lead card
  4. If the message shows as sent but wasn’t received, the carrier may be filtering it — contact support with the customer’s number

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International Numbers

SMS works with UK, US, and AU numbers. Messages are sent in the local format for the customer’s country.

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Character Limits

  • A single SMS segment is 160 characters
  • Longer messages are automatically split into multiple segments and reassembled on the customer’s phone
  • The AI keeps replies concise, but detailed answers may span 2-3 segments
  • There’s no extra charge for multi-segment messages — SMS is included in your plan

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Cost

SMS is included in your plan at no extra charge. There are no per-message fees, no setup costs, and no limits on the number of texts sent or received.
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