# How texting works

What sends a text from your business number, how the texting agent replies to the texts people send it, and where each text shows up.

Updated Oct 28, 2026. Source: https://smallbusinesschatbot.com/docs/user-guides/texting/how-texting-works

## What this does

Texting uses the number you picked in **Voice Agent › Settings**, your business number in Small Business Chatbot. Three things send a text to a customer from it: the texting agent's reply to a text, a workflow's text step, and the booking link the AI receptionist offers during a call.

## Before you start

- A business number, from [Phone number and voice](https://smallbusinesschatbot.com/docs/user-guides/voice-agent/number-and-voice).

## What sends a text

| Text | When it is sent | Where you see it after |
|---|---|---|
| The texting agent's reply | Someone texts your number and **Allow texting agent to reply to inbound texts** is on. | **Conversations**, labelled **Text**, once the conversation ends. Also a summary email and the contact's timeline. |
| A workflow text | A published workflow reaches a **Send Text** step, and outbound texts are switched on. | The contact's timeline as **SMS sent**, and the workflow's run history. |
| The booking link | On a call, the voice agent offers to text the **Consultation Link** and the caller agrees. **Allow voice agent to send consultation link** must be on. | The call's transcript in **Conversations** holds what was said about it. |

**Admin › Get text notifications** texts you a short summary after each website chat, from the app's own number. Calls and texts reach you by summary email.

## Turn on text replies

1. **Open the panel**

   In the app, open **Voice Agent › Settings**.

2. **Switch replies on**

   Turn on **Allow texting agent to reply to inbound texts**, then click **Save**. It is off by default.

   ![The Allow texting agent to reply to inbound texts switch turned on](https://smallbusinesschatbot.com/static/images/docs/user-guides/how-texting-works-reply-switch-2026-10-28.webp)
   *Voice Agent › Settings, October 2026*

3. **Send a test text**

   From your own phone, text a question to your business number. The texting agent replies from that number.

With the switch off, texts to your number still reach you in a summary email once the conversation ends.

## How the texting agent answers

- It answers from the same website pages and Q&A as the chat widget, and follows the chat widget's **Goals**, **Principles** and **Ideal Steps to Take** from [Goals, principles and ideal steps](https://smallbusinesschatbot.com/docs/user-guides/chat-widget/goals-rules-and-steps).
- It sees earlier texts with that phone number, including texts your workflows sent it, so a reply to a follow-up keeps its context.
- With a calendar connected under **Chat Widget › Calendar Booking**, it can text the booking link. For an upcoming appointment booked with that phone number, it can text its reschedule or cancel link.
- A text conversation ends 5 minutes after the customer's last text, or when their whole text is "bye" or "goodbye". The app then saves it to **Conversations**, emails you the summary, adds the texter to **CRM › Contacts** (on by default) and starts workflows that use **Inbound text conversation ended**.

![A text conversation open in Conversations with the label SMS_Agent, a summary and the messages](https://smallbusinesschatbot.com/static/images/docs/user-guides/how-texting-works-conversation-2026-10-28.webp)
*Conversations, October 2026*

## Workflow texts

A **Send Text** step sends from your business number. It runs only after you switch outbound texts on under **CRM › Contacts › Settings › Outbound automation**, and [opt-outs](https://smallbusinesschatbot.com/docs/user-guides/texting/opt-outs-and-stop) and the daily limit apply to it. The texting agent's replies and the booking-link text work without that switch. [Outbound switches and limits](https://smallbusinesschatbot.com/docs/user-guides/workflows/outbound-switches-and-limits) covers the switches.