Send a text message

Start a text to a customer or a group from the Text page, pick the line it sends from, attach a photo or PDF, schedule it, and send it.

In the sidebar, open Communications, then Text. The page address is /communications/text. A new text starts at /communications/text/new. The page title reads Text Conversations.

Before you start

• Your organization needs a phone line that can text. With no line at all, the page reads No text numbers connected. If no line is ready to text yet, Nova says No verified text-ready phone lines are configured.
• Your role needs permission to send messages. Without it, Start chat is missing and a conversation reads You do not have permission to send messages. Files and videos need their own permissions.

Steps

1. Press Start chat at the top of the conversation list. The New conversation panel opens.
2. Leave Direct selected to text one person, or press Group to text several people at once.
3. Check the line next to With, under the To box: the text goes out from that number. Press it to choose another. Do this first; picking a person starts the conversation.
4. In To, type a name or a phone number. Before you type, Top contacts lists people from your recent conversations.
5. For one person, press them in the results, press Enter after a phone number, or press Start conversation.
6. For a group, add each person the same way (or type a number and press Add), type a Group name if you like, then press Start group. A group holds up to ten people.
7. The conversation opens with the cursor in the message box, which reads SMS/MMS message. Type your message. Shift+Enter starts a new line.
8. To attach something, press the plus button (Add attachment), then Upload image, PDF, or MP4 video, or From Nova for a file already saved in Nova. You can also drag a file onto the message box.
9. Press Enter or the send button (Send).

What you see

• Open a supported attachment to preview it. Previous file and Next file move through the available files, including images, PDFs, Word documents, audio and videos. The counter shows your position. Left and right keyboard arrows also move between files when you are not using a media control. On a phone, use the same buttons; images can also be swiped when fitted to the screen. Word documents may take a moment to prepare.

• Beside the message box, Insert canned response adds a saved reply, Schedule send picks a time (a suggestion, or Pick date and time and Done), and Choose send from line changes the sending number. On a phone they sit under the plus button (More actions).

• A scheduled time shows above the box and the send button then schedules the text. The cross beside it (Clear scheduled send) cancels the schedule.

• Each line keeps its own conversation with a customer, so choosing another line opens (or starts) the conversation on that line.

• To check whether a text was delivered, see Star, save or check the delivery of a text message.

• When this conversation sends by RCS only, the box reads RCS message.

If something looks different

• Texting is off: texting is turned off for this number on the contact. If your role can edit contact details, press Enable & send (Enable & retry in the new-conversation panel).
• Number not verified: press Send code, type the code the customer receives, and press Verify & send. A role allowed to skip verification can pick a reason and press Manual verify & send.
• Choose the primary contact: several contacts share this number. Pick one and press Set primary & send.
• A note under the message box says the customer has stopped text messages from your business: they replied STOP. Ask them to reply START to your number. Nobody can override this.
• A note starts with "Compliance block": the contact has opted out, has not given the consent this line requires, or it is quiet hours. If your role can manage conversations, the shield button (Message policy overrides) offers Consent override and Quiet-hours override; turn one on and send again. Some lines hold quiet-hours texts and send them afterwards.
• Start group is greyed out: add at least two people.

Start a new text