Getting started with Text

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<p id="docs-hc-snippet" style="display: none;">Text allows you to support customers using SMS. You can respond to inbound text messages, automate alerts, or send proactive messages. For example, you can send an automated text response when a customer submits a request, or alert an agent by text when a ticket needs attention.</p>
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<p id="docs-ai-summary-toggle">Summary: <span id="up-triangle">◀</span><span id="down-triangle">▼</span></p>
<p id="docs-ai-summary-content">Text lets you support customers by SMS with inbound messages that create tickets, outbound replies, automated alerts, and trigger-based texts. You can choose or port a text number, set up customer identification with phone numbers, and use ticket history and reporting for ongoing support. Limits include 160-character messages, no shortcodes, no outbound MMS, and A2P 10DLC registration for US texting.</p>
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<p class="p">Text allows you to support customers using SMS. You can respond to inbound text messages,
automate alerts, or send proactive messages. For example, you can send an automated text
response when a customer submits a request, or alert an agent by text when a ticket needs
attention. </p>
<p class="p">Incoming text messages automatically create tickets, so you can take advantage of
automated workflows, centralized reporting, and full customer history.</p>
<div class="p">
<div class="note note">
<span class="notetitle">Note:</span> Text messaging isn't available for trial accounts or sandbox environments.</div>
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<p class="p">Text capabilities and limits:</p>
<div class="p">
<ul class="ul" id="zag_talk_text_getting_started__ul_tnh_y3t_lyb">
<li class="li">You can send text messages of up to 160 characters in length at a time. </li>
<li class="li">If you type a longer message, it will be split into multiple messages, each 153
characters in length. For example, if you type a message of 161 characters, it
will be split into two messages; one of 153 characters, and one of 8 characters. </li>
<li class="li">You can send up to 250 simultaneous text messages from the same number. If you
exceed this amount, messages will no longer be sent, and you'll get a warning
that the message was rejected by the provider. </li>
<li class="li">Text doesn't support shortcodes or alphanumeric sender IDs.</li>
<li class="li">You can't switch the reply channel to SMS on tickets that aren't created from an
SMS message. For more information, see <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5924725590682" target="_blank">About channel switching logic in the ticket
composer</a>. To send SMS messages on non-SMS tickets, see <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408835524506" target="_blank">How to send a text to customers on a ticket
that originated in a non-SMS channel</a>.</li>
<li class="li">International texting isn't enabled by default and isn't self-service, contact
<a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408843597850" target="_blank">Zendesk Customer Support</a> to request
international texting.</li>
<li class="li">You can receive inbound MMS messages on US local numbers, but Text doesn't
support outbound MMS messages.</li>
<li class="li">Due to US telecom regulations, businesses that want to text with consumers in
the US must first register for A2P 10DLC, otherwise all texts will be blocked
(see <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408837560730" target="_blank">Registering to use A2P 10DLC for text
messaging</a>).</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p class="p">To learn about the supported countries and prices, see <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408843672346" target="_blank">Zendesk Text number availability and pricing</a>. </p>
<p class="p">This article covers the following topics:</p>
<div class="div">
<div class="div">
<ul class="ul">
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_qyw_1jt_lyb">Choosing a text number</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_bj5_bjt_lyb">Sending an inbound text</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_xrl_qkt_lyb">Automating an outbound text</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_next_steps">Next steps</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title2" class="topic nested1" id="topic_qyw_1jt_lyb">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title2">Choosing a text number </h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p"> You set up a new Text number in Admin Center.</p>
<p class="p"><strong class="ph b">To choose a text number</strong></p>
<div class="p">
<ol class="ol" id="topic_qyw_1jt_lyb__ol_on1_ykt_lyb">
<li class="li">In <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4581766374554#topic_hfg_dyz_1hb" target="_blank">Admin
Center</a>,
click <strong class="ph b">Channels</strong> &gt; <strong class="ph b">Messaging and social </strong>. </li>
<li class="li">Click <strong class="ph b">Text</strong>, then follow the instructions in <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408885904922" target="_blank">Adding and managing Text numbers</a>.
</li>
</ol>
</div>
<p class="p">
<img class="image" id="topic_qyw_1jt_lyb__image_dyv_xwr_nyb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/talk_text_choose_your_number.png" width="500">
</p>
<p class="p">If your team uses another SMS provider and you want to use that number for Text, you
can port over your existing phone number from the other provider. For more
information see, <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408834776858" target="_blank">Porting phone numbers</a>.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title3" class="topic nested1" id="topic_bj5_bjt_lyb">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title3">Sending an inbound text</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">After you've chosen and set up a text number, send a test text from a mobile phone to
your new text number. You’ll notice that your text automatically creates a ticket in
Zendesk. Public replies in the ticket will send a text back to you. </p>
<p class="p"><img class="image" id="topic_bj5_bjt_lyb__image_nzm_zyr_nyb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/talk_text_messages_public_reply.png" width="500"></p>
<p class="p">The following example shows the texts the customer sees on their phone. </p>
<p class="p"><img class="image" id="topic_bj5_bjt_lyb__image_g3b_dzr_nyb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/talk_text_messages_iphone.png" width="300"></p>
<div class="p">
<div class="note note">
<span class="notetitle">Note:</span> To take advantage of user identification for inbound texts, add phone numbers
to end-user profiles. Unique numbers are used to identify users as they are
direct line numbers. For more information, see <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408821302810-Understanding-how-Talk-calls-become-tickets#topic_hz3_5nm_sx" target="_blank">Understanding how calls become
tickets</a>.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title4" class="topic nested1" id="topic_xrl_qkt_lyb">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title4">Automating an outbound text</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">When you’ve received and responded to an inbound text, you can set up an automated
outbound text using a trigger. For more information, see <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408885601178" target="_blank">Automating SMS support with ticket triggers that send texts</a>.</p>
<p class="p">The following example shows a trigger that responds to text messages with a standard
message.</p>
<p class="p"><img class="image" id="topic_xrl_qkt_lyb__image_vzm_jbs_nyb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/talk_text_response_to_text_message.png" width="500"></p>
<p class="p">Here is a corresponding example text message that a customer receives on their
phone:</p>
<p class="p"><img class="image" id="topic_xrl_qkt_lyb__image_b14_5bs_nyb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/talk_text_respone_on_customer_phone.png" width="300"></p>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title5" class="topic nested1" id="topic_next_steps">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title5">Next steps</h2>
<div class="body">
<ul class="ul">
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408885904922" target="_blank">Adding and managing text numbers</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408885601178" target="_blank">Automating SMS support with ticket triggers
that send texts</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408837560730" target="_blank">Registering to use A2P 10DLC for text
messaging</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408843672346" target="_blank">Zendesk Text number availability and
pricing</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408821838106" target="_blank">Phone number FAQs for voice and
text</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
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