Recipe
SMS Message Design
Craft high-converting text messages that respect character limits, carrier rules, and recipient psychology.
Character Budget
Single SMS: 160 chars (GSM-7) or 70 chars (UCS-2). Concatenated segments drop to 153/67 per segment. Always count before sending.
153 chars remaining · 1 segment
Structure
- Sender ID — alphanumeric, 11 chars max, brand-recognizable
- Hook — first 40 chars visible in push notification preview
- Body — one clear action, no jargon
- CTA — short link (branded domain), urgency if genuine
- Opt-out — "Reply STOP to unsubscribe" (required in US/CA)
Example
Nimbus
Your trial ends in 24h. Save 20% on Pro today: nimb.us/x7k
Reply STOP to opt out
Compliance
TCPA (US), GDPR (EU), CTIA guidelines. Express written consent before sending. Honor STOP/HELP keywords within 1 message. Quiet hours: 9am–9pm recipient local.