How to Set Up Text Messages and Use Your Credits

Text messages do two things.

• First, they alert you the moment someone fills out a form, so you can reach a new lead fast.
• Second, they send follow-up texts to your leads for you.

Each text costs credits. One credit pays for a text up to 160 characters long, and a longer text uses more than one credit. You don't need your own Twilio account or a phone number, because SiteStakes sends every text for you. All you do is keep some credits on hand.

Every plan comes with free credits each month. You can buy more any time. For the full picture, see what text messaging can do.

From your back office, go to Squeeze Forms & SMS → SMS. Everything is on one page. It has four cards: Credits, Notifications, Message Template, and Recent Activity. They cover setup, sending, and tracking.

Open the Notifications card and turn the master switch on. Now SiteStakes will text the people you choose whenever a lead fills out a form. To stop all texts, turn the switch back off.

In the Notifications card, add each person as a phone number plus a short name, like "Primary" or a teammate's name. Add as many people as you want. To make sure it works, click Test SMS. The first test to each person is free. After that, each test costs one credit, just like a normal text.

Open the Message Template card and edit the text that goes out. Click the token buttons to add details that fill in for each lead automatically:

• {{lead.name}} and {{lead.first_name}}
• {{lead.phone}} and {{lead.email}}
• {{property_address}}
• {{form_name}}
• {{site.name}} and {{site.phone}}

As you type, a counter shows how long your text is and how many credits it will use. Keep it under 160 characters to use just one credit.

Open the Credits card. It shows your current balance, how many texts you've sent in the last 30 days, and your monthly free credits. To top up, click Buy Credits. Credits never expire, and you pay with the card already on your account.

To avoid running out mid-month, turn on auto-recharge. Pick a low-balance number and an amount to add. When your balance drops below that number, SiteStakes buys more credits for you, so your texts keep going out and you never have to watch the meter.

Back in the Notifications card, set a start time, an end time, and your time zone. SiteStakes holds your texts during those hours, so a late-night lead won't wake you. When you start texting leads yourself, quiet hours also help you follow the rules. Learn more in sending text messages to leads.

Open the Recent Activity card to see every text you've sent.

Each one shows the number it went to, and status - Delivered, Sent, Queued, or Failed, a short preview of the message, time it went out and credits used.

If a message failed, you can also see why.