Set Up Business Texting from Scratch

Message customers6 min readUpdated 2026-03-14

Set Up Business Texting from Scratch

You want your team sending and receiving text messages with customers — individual conversations, automated replies, and bulk campaigns. This guide covers the full path from getting a number to sending your first campaign, including the compliance registration that most teams trip over.

Time to complete: 15 minutes for basic setup, plus 3–10 business days for 10DLC registration approval Plan required: All plans include SMS. Bulk SMS requires Pro or higher.

Step 1: Get an SMS-capable number

Not all phone numbers can send texts. When you add a number in JustCall, look for SMS capability in the number details.

Local US numbers support SMS and MMS after 10DLC registration (Step 2).
Toll-free numbers support SMS after toll-free verification. Faster to approve than 10DLC but limited to 3 messages per second.
International numbers vary by country. Some countries only allow one-way SMS. Check SMS number types for specifics.

If you already have a number that supports SMS, skip to Step 2.

Detailed guide: How to add a phone number · SMS number types

Step 2: Register for 10DLC (US messaging — required)

If you're sending texts from US local numbers, you need 10DLC registration. This isn't optional — carriers block unregistered traffic. Two parts:

Part A: Brand registration

Go to Settings → Compliance → 10DLC.
Register your business (legal name, EIN, address, website, vertical).
JustCall submits to The Campaign Registry (TCR). Approval takes 1–5 business days.
You'll get a trust score. Higher trust = higher messaging throughput.

Part B: Campaign registration

After your brand is approved, create a campaign. This tells carriers what you're texting about.
Pick your use case (marketing, customer care, account notifications, etc.).
Provide sample messages. These must match what you'll actually send.
Write your message flow description — how do contacts opt in? How do they opt out?
Submit. Approval takes 1–7 business days.

Once approved, associate your SMS numbers with the campaign. Now you can send.

Common rejection reasons: Vague use case description, missing opt-in details, sample messages that don't match the stated use case. Be specific.

Detailed guide: What is 10DLC? · 10DLC registration steps · Campaign approval best practices

Step 3: Set up opt-in and opt-out

US carriers require that every contact you text has given consent. You also need to honor opt-outs.

Opt-in requirements:

Contacts must explicitly agree to receive your texts. A checkbox on a web form, a keyword reply (text JOIN to 55555), or a verbal agreement documented in your CRM all count.
Keep records of consent. If a carrier audits you, you'll need proof.

Opt-out handling: JustCall automatically processes STOP messages. When a contact replies STOP, they're added to your Do Not Message (DNM) list and won't receive future texts from your account.

You can also manually add contacts to your DNM list from the SMS inbox.

Detailed guide: SMS opt-in and opt-out · Add contact to DNM

Step 4: Create message templates

Templates save time and keep your team's messaging consistent. Create them before your team starts sending.

Go to SMS → Templates → Create Template.
Write your message. Use merge fields for personalization: {{contact.first_name}}, {{contact.company}}, {{agent.name}}.
Watch the character count. Standard SMS is 160 characters. Longer messages split into multiple segments (each segment costs separately).
Save the template with a clear name (e.g., "Appointment Reminder," "Follow-up After Demo").

Tips for templates:

Include your company name. Contacts don't always have your number saved.
Add opt-out language to marketing messages: "Reply STOP to unsubscribe."
Avoid link shorteners (bit.ly, tinyurl). Carriers flag them as spam. Use full URLs or JustCall's built-in link shortener.

Detailed guide: SMS templates · SMS character limits

Step 5: Send your first message

Two ways to start a conversation:

From the SMS inbox:

Go to SMS → Conversations → New Conversation.
Enter the contact's number or search by name (if they're in your contacts).
Select the number you're sending from.
Type your message or pick a template. Hit send.

From your CRM: If you've connected HubSpot, Salesforce, or another CRM, you can send texts from inside the contact record. JustCall adds a "Send SMS" button to the CRM interface. Messages sync back to both JustCall and the CRM.

Replies show up in the JustCall SMS inbox. Agents can assign conversations, add internal notes, and tag messages for tracking.

Detailed guide: Managing SMS conversations · SMS CRM integration

Step 6: Set up a signature

Add a default signature to every outbound message so contacts know who's texting.

Go to SMS → Settings → Signatures.
Create a signature (e.g., "— Sarah, Acme Support | Reply STOP to opt out").
Enable auto-append so it's added to every message. Agents can override per-message if needed.

Keep signatures short. Every character counts toward your SMS segments.

Detailed guide: SMS signatures

Step 7: Run your first bulk campaign (optional)

Bulk SMS lets you send the same message to hundreds or thousands of contacts at once. Good for promotions, event reminders, and product announcements.

Go to SMS → Bulk SMS → Create Campaign.
Upload your contact list (CSV) or pick a segment from your CRM.
Write your message or select a template. Personalize with merge fields.
Schedule the send time. Avoid early mornings and late evenings — 10 AM to 2 PM local time gets the best response rates.
Review and launch.

Throughput depends on your 10DLC trust score: