Skip to main content

Sending Messages

How your AI assistant sends SMS to customers — what it can send today, how links work, and how to test.

Overview​

Your assistant sends texts from your verified toll-free number in two main ways today:

  • In-call SMS — during a phone call, the assistant texts the caller a link or piece of info they asked for, after getting their consent.
  • Two-way replies — if Two-Way Conversations is enabled, the assistant replies to inbound texts. See Receiving Messages.

Coming soon: automated appointment confirmations, appointment reminders, and missed-call follow-ups. These appear in the assistant's SMS tab marked Coming soon and are not yet active.

Every outbound message automatically includes the compliance footer "Reply STOP to opt out." — you don't add it yourself. See Compliance.

In-Call SMS​

While on a live call, your assistant can text the caller useful, transactional content — a booking link, your website, directions, an intake form, a menu, or an appointment confirmation.

How it works:

  1. The caller asks for something by text (or the assistant offers).
  2. The assistant reads a short verbal consent disclosure and waits for a clear "Yes" (this is required — see Compliance).
  3. The assistant sends the message from your verified toll-free number to the caller's own number.

Good to know:

  • The assistant only sends links from your SMS Link Library — it won't invent or guess URLs.
  • A maximum of 3 texts per call keeps things tidy and compliant.
  • If the caller declines, the assistant offers the info another way (reads it aloud, etc.) instead of texting.

Each assistant has an SMS Link Library (on its SMS tab) — the set of links it's allowed to text. Add your booking link, website, review link, intake form, or any custom URL.

The assistant uses these URLs exactly as written, so customers always get a correct, working link. This is also where the booking link used by Send the booking link comes from.

The Send the booking link setting (assistant SMS tab) controls how your booking link is delivered:

  • Ask first (default) — the assistant offers to text the link during the call, gets consent, and sends it then.
  • Automatic — the assistant texts the booking link automatically when the call ends.

The booking link is sent once per call, never twice. Other link types are sent during the call on request.

Message Format​

Keep messages short and clear — the assistant does this automatically, but if you write display copy:

  • Under ~160 characters fits in one SMS segment; longer messages split into multiple segments and count as more than one.
  • Lead with your business name (set the SMS Display Name on the assistant's SMS tab so it appears inside messages).
  • Be transactional — links and info the customer asked for, not marketing blasts.

Example (in-call link):

Style Studio: here's the link to book your appointment — https://book.example.com/style-studio  Reply STOP to opt out.

Sending a Test​

Verify everything works once your number is Active:

  1. Go to AI Assistants and open the assistant's Test options.
  2. Choose Send a Test Text (shown only when SMS is enabled for that assistant).
  3. Enter the recipient's mobile number and a short message (up to 160 characters; a sample is pre-filled).
  4. Click Send and confirm delivery.

Note: this sends a real SMS from the assistant's toll-free number — standard rates may apply, and test messages count toward your monthly usage.

Delivery Status​

Voka tracks each message's delivery state from carrier receipts:

  • Sent — handed off to the carrier.
  • Delivered — confirmed delivered to the handset.
  • Failed — the carrier could not deliver it.

View recent messages and their status on the SMS dashboard and under Analytics → Messages.

Common Failure Reasons​

  • Recipient opted out — they previously texted STOP; they must text START to receive messages again.
  • Not a mobile number — SMS can't be delivered to landlines.
  • Invalid / wrong-format number — the number doesn't exist or isn't a valid mobile number.
  • Carrier filtering — content that looks like spam may be blocked. See Compliance.

Usage & Limits​

Your SMS plan includes a monthly message allotment; messages your assistant sends (in-call texts, two-way replies, and tests) count toward it. Messages you receive are free.

Beyond your allotment, additional sends are billed as per-message overage. Track usage on the SMS dashboard and under Billing → Usage.

See Pricing Details for current figures.

Best Practices​

1. Send only what was asked for

  • In-call SMS is for transactional content the caller just consented to — links, confirmations, directions.

2. Keep your Link Library current

  • The assistant can only text URLs you've added. Update booking and review links when they change.

3. Set a clear Display Name

  • So customers immediately recognize who's texting.

4. Test before going live

  • Send a test to your own phone and confirm formatting and delivery.