Your Message tab will look different depending on what the Texting Compliance Level is set to on the Outbound SMS Number record you're using.

Texting Compliance set to None	Texting Compliance set to Single or Double Opt-In

1 - Message Type

Select how you want to send your message, either by email or text. The "Sending from" number displays based on the From SMS Number you select on the Advanced tab.

2 - Selected record group

If launched from a selection, the selected records group displays here. You can click the search icon to select additional records. Each individual receives a unique email and can't see who else received the same message.

3 - Recipients

This list displays records related to views for sub-pages associated with the selected page. The selected view applies to the selection so you can further filter the records you send to. For more information, see Message Recipients.

4 - Send to Parents

Select this checkbox to send the message to the parents of the recipients. A "parent" is any active (not deceased) household member with Household Position of Head of Household and a valid email address AND mobile phone number. It also includes any Head of Household associated through Other Households with a Household Type of "Non-Custodial Parent", unless the relationship is end-dated. If the selected recipient is a Head of Household, they will not receive the email, nor will the other Head in their Household.

Note: If the parent opted out of receiving bulk emails, won't receive the message. To include them, select the Include recipients who have opted out of bulk email option on the Advanced tab.

5 - Sender

If you're using a texting opt-in process (that is, your Texting Compliance Level for the SMS number is either Single Opt-In or Double Opt-In), the Sender prepends every text message sent from the SMS number. This helps recipients recognize which church, department, group, or other entity sent the message. The wording comes from the Sender Label on the Outbound SMS Number record.

6 - Insert Menu

Templates:

Select a template as a starting place for your message. This list is organized based on the template's Pertains to page and the page you selected your recipient list from. Any edits you make to a template in the New Message Tool only apply to this specific message and do not update the Template record. Users with at least Read level permissions on the Templates page can use templates. Users can see templates they can access based on the Template User and Template User Group fields on the Template record. For more information on using templates, see Templates.

Fields:

We do not recommend using merge fields in text messages because it causes every text to be a different length. This could affect the appearance and cost to send your texts. But, if needed, you can include different types of merge fields in your message.

• With Contact Fields, you can personalize your message for the recipient. For example, the [Nickname] field automatically adds the recipient's nickname to the message.
• The From User Fields are like Contact Fields but they merge in values related to the sender (the current authenticated user or delegated user) rather than recipient. For example, the [From_User_Nickname] field automatically adds the sender's nickname.
• With Data Fields, you can add page-specific data to a message.

For more information on using these fields, see Contact, From User, & Data Fields.

7 - Estimated Texting Segments

Displays the estimated number of texting segments that your current message will create. This is just an estimate and may not represent the actual number of segments once the text is sent. As soon as you insert a merge field, this text turns red to indicate that the estimate does not include merge field values. This estimated value is not stored in the Platform after the text message is sent.

Every text is limited to a certain number of characters. If you message is longer than the limit, it creates a new segment. Segments are billed separately by phone carriers, so keep your message as concise as possible. Use of special characters, emojis, and merge fields will reduce the character limit per segment. This estimate does not consider any characters that are rendered for merge fields. So, if you add a merge field, note that this estimate may be lower than the actual number of segments.

Note: Looking for more about segments? See these Twilio articles on what a segment is and how much it costs.

8 - Character count

Text messages sent through the New Message Tool have a limit of 500 characters for message body. (Your organization may limit texts to even fewer characters, so check with an administrator if you're not sure. And remember that Twilio bills per segment.) The character count indicates how many characters you've used. Wondering why you only get a certain number of characters per segment?

• It is industry standard and best practice.
• It respects your recipients.
• It reduces the likelihood of your mass texts being flagged as spam.
• It increases the processing rate and speed at which Twilio can deliver your texts.
• It saves you money. Math says that one segment x 5,000 texts is half the cost of two segments x 5,000 texts — that adds up fast! See the "Texting Segments" section on the Twilio integration page to learn more.
• It forces you to be brief and to the point. Think tweet, not blog!

Need more room to fully express your message? Get creative, use abbreviations, drop the formal greetings and salutations, and create a short link to direct recipients to more information. If your message still doesn't fit, the Email option is just a toggle away!

9 - Recipients Opted In

You may see a note at the bottom of your Text Message window that shows how many recipients have opted in to receive text messages. If you're using a texting opt-in process, you can only send to people who have opted in.

10 - Send / Save

Hover over the Send button to see the Save as Draft, Send to Me, and Send options. You can save a message as a draft at any time. Once complete, you can send a message.

Note: If the message doesn't contain any Contact Fields or Data Fields, the system automatically removes duplicate texts. For example, if a husband and wife have the same mobile phone number in each of their Contact records and both of their records are in the selection, one text would sends to that number. (The system calculates the Send count before removing duplicates.)

To receive a copy of the message to review before you send it to all your recipients, select Send to Me. If you included merge fields, they use the first recipient's information, and attached files are also included. This gives you an accurate preview of what you're about to send.

Note: Replies: If you send a text message using the New Message Tool and a recipient replies to it, Twilio logs the reply. By default, it does not record in MinistryPlatform. However, you can set up a webhook on the Twilio side to send any replies to the Platform for easy reference. This only logs the incoming message.

Also, no automatic response message sends to the recipient if they reply to your text message. You may configure Twilio to automatically send responses to incoming text messages. Review their documentation or reach out to Twilio Support for assistance.

Did you know you can add attachments to a text? You can if you use the New Message Tool to send them! On the Attached Files tab of the New Message Tool, you can attach, open, and remove file attachments. MinistryPlatform allows files up to 20MB in size and accepts most standard file formats, such as PNG, JPG, BMP, GID, GIF, PDF, TXT, and CSV. We do not recommend you attach TIFF files. You can attach encrypted PDF files. You can attach fillable PDF files, but values don't display unless the viewer downloads the file.

If you have multiple attachments, you can even mix and match! When you add at least one attachment, a current count of attachments displays in the badge icon on the Attached Files tab. This icon also displays a count the template you selected contains attachments.

1 - From SMS Number

Indicates which Outbound SMS Number the text message sends from and which Sender Label prepends each text. This is the default number set on the Outbound SMS Numbers page. If you configured multiple numbers, the From SMS Number drop-down list includes additional numbers. Users can send from Outbound SMS numbers associated with a user group they are in.

2 - Schedule Send

Schedule the message to send at a future date or time according to the authenticated user's timezone. If the user's value isn't set, the system uses the Domain timezone. You can schedule messages to send within the next six months, based on the Message Archival schedule. For steps, see Schedule a Message.

3 - Override Texting Opt-Out

If necessary, users who have permission (via the Texting Override field on their security role) can select this checkbox to include recipients who have opted out of receiving text messages. By default, this option is cleared and doesn't include these recipients.

CAUTION: This feature should only be used in emergency situations where it's critical to get information to people quickly via text message, including those who have asked not to be texted.