Sending a message from the Messages page is a quick three-step process.
How to send
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 it's been delivered to Twilio. The message bubble appears in the thread immediately, and the conversation gets bumped to the top of your list.
What happens behind the scenes
When you click Send:
The portal validates that you can send to this lead (they haven't opted out, you haven't exceeded the rate limit, etc.)
The message is sent through Twilio 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), 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 lead without a phone number
If a lead's profile doesn't have a phone number, you can't send them an SMS. They simply won't appear in the Messages list (the list only shows leads you've actually exchanged messages with, which requires a phone number).
If you need to start a new SMS conversation with a lead, make sure their phone number is filled in your lead database first.
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?"