You can send SMS from the portal in two ways: replying to an existing conversation, or starting a new one with any lead in your database.
Replying to an existing conversation
From the Messages page, click on a conversation in the left-hand list
The thread loads on the right. Below the message history is a compose box.
Type your message in the compose box
Click Send (or press Enter — Enter sends, Shift+Enter inserts a new line)
The Send button briefly changes to "Sending..." while the message goes out, then returns to "Send" once delivered. The message bubble appears in the thread immediately, and the conversation gets bumped to the top of your list.
Starting a new conversation
If you want to message a lead who isn't in your inbox yet, you can start a new conversation:
Click the + New conversation button at the top of the conversation list
A search panel opens. Type the lead's name, email, or phone number — results appear as you type (after 2 characters).
The picker only shows leads we know we can send to. Leads are automatically excluded if any of these apply:
No phone number on file
Opted out of SMS (previously texted STOP or are on the opt-out list)
Phone is a known landline (confirmed by Twilio Lookup at intake)
Phone failed format validation at intake (wrong length, all zeros, sequential like 1234567890, etc.)
Auto-blocked (system flagged the number after repeated delivery failures from carrier filtering)
Click a result to open an empty thread for that lead
Type your first message in the compose box and click Send
The lead now appears in your regular conversation list and you can carry on the conversation just like any other thread.
Same person, multiple signups: if one person has signed up for multiple events (e.g., three webinars), they have three lead records in your database — but they appear in the picker only once, deduplicated by phone number. The newest signup row is the one used for the conversation. All future replies thread back to that same conversation regardless of which event signup they originated from.
Landline detection: for new leads, our system runs a Twilio Lookup automatically at intake (within seconds of the lead being created) to determine the phone's line type. Landlines are flagged immediately and filtered from the picker. For older leads that haven't been enriched yet, the check runs lazily on first thread open — if it comes back as landline, you'll see a yellow notice and the compose box will be hidden. You won't be charged for a failed send.
What happens behind the scenes
When you click Send:
The portal validates that you can send to this lead (they haven't opted out, their number is mobile, you haven't exceeded the rate limit, etc.)
The message is sent from your firm's dedicated SMS number
The message is recorded in the conversation thread
The lead receives the SMS on their phone
This all happens in 1-2 seconds typically. If anything goes wrong (e.g., the lead's phone number is invalid or is a landline), you'll see a red error message at the top of the page.
Rate limit
To protect against accidental loops or runaway scripts, sending is capped at 10 messages per minute per user. If you try to send an 11th message within the same minute, you'll see an error: "Rate limit: 10 messages per minute. Try again shortly."
This is unlikely to affect normal use — even a fast typer rarely exceeds 10 sends per minute. If you hit it accidentally, wait a moment and try again.
Double-click protection
If you click Send twice quickly, the second click won't send a duplicate. The portal detects identical messages within a 2-second window and silently dedupes them. So your lead won't receive the same message twice if you mash the button.
Sending to an opted-out lead
If a lead has previously texted STOP (or any opt-out keyword), you can't send messages to them from the portal. When you open their conversation, the compose box is replaced with a notice:
"This lead has opted out of SMS. You can't send messages until they text START to opt back in."
This is required by SMS regulations and isn't something you can override from the portal. If the lead wants to receive SMS again, they need to text START to your number from the same phone — see When a Lead Opts Out (STOP).
Sending to a landline
If a lead's phone number is a landline, you can't send them an SMS — landlines don't receive text messages. The portal automatically detects this on first contact and will:
Show a yellow "This number is a landline and can't receive SMS messages" notice in the conversation thread
Hide the compose box so you can't accidentally try to send
Block any send attempt with a clear error message
Landline detection happens behind the scenes the first time you open a conversation with a lead, and the result is cached so future opens are instant.
Sending to a lead without a phone number
If a lead's profile in your lead database doesn't have a phone number, you can't send them an SMS. They won't appear in the New Conversation search either (since there's nothing to message).
Sending limits — best practices
Keep messages under 160 characters when possible. Longer messages are split into multiple SMS segments by carriers and may not display reliably across all phones.
Avoid emojis unless you've tested how they render — older phones can show them as
?placeholders.Don't send multiple messages back-to-back — leads may interpret rapid-fire sends as spammy.
Personalize when possible. "Hi Sarah, just following up on our conversation Friday" reads better than "Hi, are you available?"