Text a customer from the Messages inbox

To text a customer, open Messages in the left sidebar, click the conversation you want (or click New to start a fresh one), type your message, and press Enter or the send button. Every text goes out from one of your own business numbers — the From picker on the composer lets you choose which line the customer sees.

Before you start

• SMS must be live on your account. If it isn't, the Messages page shows "Complete Setup to Unlock Messages" instead of the inbox — finish account setup, 10DLC registration, and activate at least one number. The page switches to your inbox automatically once SMS is live.
• You need at least one phone number (buy a number or port one in).
• Owner, admin, and dispatcher logins can text customers.

Step 1 — Open a conversation

1. Click Messages in the left sidebar. The inbox opens on the All segment — a merged feed of customer and team conversations.
2. Use the search box ("Search conversations...") or scroll the list, then click a conversation to open it. The Clients segment shows customer SMS only.

Step 2 — Write and send your reply

1. Type in the composer at the bottom — the box reads "Type a message...". Press Enter (or the send arrow) to send.
2. To change which of your numbers the text goes out from, click the small From chip on the composer. It opens a searchable list of your numbers, each labeled Primary or by its Job Source name.
3. The plus button (Quick replies) opens your saved message templates so you can drop in a prewritten reply with one click.
4. You can also attach an image with the attach button, or drag an image straight onto the conversation.

Sending is instant — your bubble appears immediately and delivery status updates on it as the carrier confirms.

Step 3 — Start a brand-new text

1. Click New (top right of the inbox). The "New Message" window opens.
2. Pick the sending line under From if you have more than one number.
3. In the To field — "Name or phone — use commas for multiple numbers" — type a customer name to search your contacts (teammates show up too), or type a full phone number directly.
4. To text several people at once, type full numbers separated by commas. A confirmation row inside the To box lists exactly who will receive it.
5. Type your message and click "Send Message" (the button shows the recipient count when you entered several numbers). The hint "Ctrl+Enter to send" works from the message box, and a character counter tracks length as you type.

After a successful send you land in that conversation, and the toast "Message sent" confirms it went out. Comma sends deliver one individual text per number — recipients never see each other.

What your customer sees

A normal text message from your business number — there is no app to install on their side. If they reply, the message lands back in the same conversation in real time. If they text STOP, they are opted out and your sends to them are blocked until they text START.

Troubleshooting

• The composer is disabled and reads "Contact has opted out" — a red banner above it says "Opted out — must text START to resubscribe". The customer texted STOP; only they can re-enable texting by replying START to your number.
• An upgrade window appears instead of sending — you hit your plan's SMS limit. Upgrade the plan to keep sending (plans and pricing).
• A comma-list send partially failed — the numbers that didn't go through stay in the To field so you can retry just those; the ones that sent are removed.
• A number you typed won't send — each entry needs at least 10 digits. Incomplete entries are flagged in the To box and block the send until you finish or remove them.
• The whole page shows a setup screen — SMS isn't live yet. Complete the steps on that screen; see SMS-ready status and 10DLC verification.