How to Send SMS with GoHighLevel (Step-by-Step Guide)

GoHighLevel has a full SMS system built in. You can send one-on-one texts directly to contacts, blast a bulk SMS to a list, or automate entire SMS sequences that run without you lifting a finger. This guide covers all three methods from setup to first send.

SMS Options Inside GoHighLevel

Before sending, understand your two telephony options:

For most people starting out, LC Phone is the right choice. It’s built into GHL, has competitive rates, and requires no external account management.

Step 1: Set Up Your Phone Number

Using LC Phone (Recommended)

1. Inside your sub-account, go to Settings → Phone Numbers
2. Click Add Number
3. Select LC Phone
4. Search for available local numbers by area code, or choose a toll-free number
5. Select the number you want and click Buy
6. The number appears in your list immediately and is ready to use

Using Twilio

1. Go to Settings → Phone Numbers
2. Click Add Number → Twilio
3. Enter your Twilio Account SID and Auth Token
4. Purchase a number inside Twilio’s dashboard first, then it will appear in GHL once connected

Step 2: Register for A2P 10DLC (Required for US SMS)

US carriers require all businesses sending SMS from 10-digit numbers to register their brand and messaging use case. Skipping this causes messages to be filtered or blocked.

1. Go to Settings → Phone Numbers → Trust Center (or LC Phone Compliance)
2. Click Register Brand
3. Fill in your business details: legal name, EIN, business type, website, address
4. Click Register Campaign after brand approval
5. Select your use case (most agencies choose “Mixed” or “Marketing”)
6. Describe your messaging content and opt-in process
7. Submit and wait for carrier approval — typically 1–5 business days

Do not skip A2P registration. Unregistered numbers have very low delivery rates in the US.

Step 3: Send a Manual SMS to One Contact

Once your number is active, sending a manual text is straightforward.

1. Go to Contacts and open the contact you want to message
2. Click the SMS icon in the conversation panel (speech bubble)
3. Type your message in the text box at the bottom
4. Click Send

The message appears in the conversation thread. Replies come back to the same thread and you can respond in real time — just like a two-way text conversation.

Tips for manual SMS:

• Keep messages conversational and short
• Personalization tokens (first name, appointment time) insert automatically — click the { icon in the message box
• You can attach images (MMS) using the image icon

Step 4: Send a Bulk SMS Campaign

To text a large list of contacts at once:

1. Go to Marketing → Campaigns (or Bulk Actions depending on your GHL version)
2. Click New Campaign → SMS
3. Name your campaign
4. Select your sender number
5. Write your SMS message — keep it under 160 characters for a single segment
6. Add a contact list or apply filters (by tag, pipeline stage, custom field, etc.) to define your audience
7. Schedule it for a specific time or send immediately
8. Click Send or Schedule

Bulk SMS best practices:

• Always include an opt-out line: “Reply STOP to unsubscribe” — this is legally required in the US
• Send during business hours (9am–6pm in the recipient’s time zone)
• Segment your list — targeted messages outperform blasts every time
• Keep it under 160 characters to avoid multi-segment charges

Step 5: Automate SMS with Workflows

This is where GoHighLevel SMS becomes a real business tool. Automated texts go out 24/7 based on triggers — no manual sending required.

Example: SMS when a new lead fills out a form

1. Go to Automation → Workflows
2. Click + New Workflow → Start from Scratch
3. Set the trigger: Form Submitted → select your form
4. Click the + button to add an action
5. Select Send SMS
6. Choose your sender number
7. Write your message — use personalization tokens like {{contact.first_name}}
8. Set a Wait step before follow-up messages if needed
9. Add more SMS steps for follow-up (e.g., send again after 1 hour if no reply)
10. Click Save and turn the workflow On

Common automated SMS use cases

Step 6: Two-Way SMS Conversations

Every incoming text reply lands in Conversations in the left sidebar. This is GHL’s unified inbox.

1. Click Conversations in the left sidebar
2. Filter by channel (SMS) or view all
3. Click any conversation to read and reply
4. All back-and-forth history is stored per contact

You can also assign conversations to team members, add internal notes, and see the full contact record alongside the conversation.

Managing Opt-Outs

GoHighLevel automatically processes STOP replies and removes contacts from SMS sends. You don’t need to manage this manually.

• If a contact replies STOP, GHL marks them as SMS-unsubscribed
• They will be excluded from all future bulk SMS sends
• Their opt-out status is visible in the contact record under Do Not Disturb

Checking SMS Delivery Reports

1. Go to Marketing → Campaigns (for bulk sends) or Reporting → Communication depending on your GHL version
2. View delivery status: Delivered, Failed, Pending
3. For workflow SMS, check Automation → Workflows → your workflow → History to see per-contact send status

Failed messages usually indicate the number is invalid, the contact opted out, or an A2P compliance issue.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Not registering for A2P 10DLC. This is the single biggest SMS mistake. Carrier filtering means your messages never arrive. Register before sending at volume.

Sending outside business hours. Texts at 7am or 10pm frustrate contacts and can violate TCPA regulations. Use GHL’s scheduling to stay within reasonable hours.

No opt-out language. Every marketing text must include a way to opt out. “Reply STOP to unsubscribe” at the end of your first message in a campaign is the minimum.

Messages that are too long. SMS over 160 characters is split into segments and billed per segment. Write tight, clear messages.

Missing personalization. A text that starts with “Hi there” when GHL has the first name is a missed opportunity. Always use {{contact.first_name}}.

SMS is one of the highest-engagement channels in GoHighLevel. Open rates for SMS regularly exceed 90%, compared to 20–30% for email. Once your number is registered and your automation is set up, you have a direct line to every lead that operates around the clock.

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Also read:

• How to automate SMS campaigns in GoHighLevel →
• How to create automations in GoHighLevel →
• GoHighLevel CRM explained →