A single text message holds 160 characters. Anything longer is split into several texts, which can arrive on a guest's phone one at a time and make a simple message hard to read. To keep your texts short and easy to read, the template editor shows a length meter on every text message, and a text message template can be up to 2 texts (306 characters).
In this article
Guests with phone numbers outside the US and Canada get an even shorter version of your automated texts: one text with a link to their booking details. Their email stays exactly the same.
Check a text's length as you write
Go to Setup Sell online Message Templates, open a template, and select the SMS tab. The meter under the message shows how many characters it has and how many texts it sends as, for example 258 / 306 characters · Sends as 2 texts.
The meter changes color as the message grows:
- Green: fits in one text. Nothing else to do.
- Amber: sends as 2 texts. You can still save, and a tip suggests keeping it under 160 characters so it sends as one.
- Red: longer than 2 texts. Save stays off until you shorten the message.
How the meter counts
Variables like First Name or Company Name are counted at a typical length, since the real value changes for every guest. That's why the meter says Estimated with typical names, dates and links. Links count as about 30 characters, because guests receive a shortened link. To see the exact length for one booking, pick it under Preview as and read the count under the phone preview.
Emoji and special characters
An emoji or a special character, such as a curly quote (’), shrinks every text to 70 characters, and a 2-text message to 134. The meter shows an amber note when your message has one. Text pasted from a word processor often brings curly quotes along, so retype quotes and apostrophes if the note appears and you don't see an emoji.
If a template won't save
When the meter is red, the editor shows this message and Save is off:
This applies to the whole template, so you need to shorten the text even if you only meant to change the email. Pick whichever fits:
- Shorten the text. Keep the essentials (who, what, when) and the link. Move details like arrival instructions, waiver reminders, or what to bring to the email or the page the link opens.
- Turn off SMS for that template. Open Settings in the template and turn SMS off. The message then sends by email only.
Templates that are already longer than 2 texts keep sending as they are until you edit them. The limit only applies when you save.
If your account sends texts through your own connected Twilio account, the meter still shows how many texts a message sends as, but it never blocks saving. Each text is billed to your connected account. See Set up your Twilio integration.
Texts to guests with international phone numbers
When a guest's phone number is outside the US and Canada (any country code other than +1), the automated texts TripWorks sends them are a short version of your template: a single text with a link to their booking details. For example:
- Confirmation: "Outdoor Tours: Your Hiking trip on Oct 23 at 9:00 AM is confirmed. Details: [link]"
- Reminder: "Outdoor Tours: Reminder about your Hiking trip on Oct 23 at 9:00 AM. Details: [link]"
- Waiver reminder: "Outdoor Tours: Please sign your waiver for Hiking before Oct 23 at 9:00 AM: [link]"
- Payment request: "Outdoor Tours: A payment is due for your Hiking trip. Pay here: [link]"
A few things to know:
- Email is unchanged. International guests still get your full email for every message.
- Messages your team sends keep your full template. Only texts TripWorks sends automatically are shortened. A message someone on your team sends from a booking, or a text with a personal note added, goes out in full.
- The short texts are in English. They use your company name, the activity name, and the date and time when they fit.
- You can see what was sent. A booking's messages show the text exactly as the guest received it.
In the template editor, the SMS tab shows a blue note when this applies, with a link to See international text settings.
Send full-length texts to international numbers
The Full-Length Texts to International Numbers setting sends international guests your full template instead. You'll find it under Setup Sell online Email & SMS Automations, in the Text Message Settings section.
- Accounts texting through TripWorks: the setting is off by default. To turn it on, contact your account manager.
- Accounts with their own connected Twilio account: the setting is on by default, so international guests already get your full template. Team members who can manage email and SMS settings can change it.
Examples
- Fix a confirmation that won't save: open the template's SMS tab, cut the arrival instructions down to one line, and point guests to the link for the rest.
- Get a reminder down to one text: remove the greeting and sign-off, keep the activity, date, and link, and watch the meter turn green.
- Find a hidden special character: the meter shows the emoji note but you can't see one. Retype the apostrophes and quotes you pasted in.
- Check what an international guest received: open the booking's messages to see the short text as it was sent.
Frequently asked questions
Why won't my message template save?
Its text message is longer than 2 texts (306 characters, or 134 with an emoji or special character). Shorten the SMS version, or turn SMS off for that template in Settings. This applies even if you only changed the email, because the template saves as a whole.
Will my existing long texts stop sending?
No. Templates that are already longer than 2 texts keep sending as they are. The limit only applies the next time someone saves the template.
Does the limit apply to messages I type and send myself?
No. The length meter and the 2-text limit apply to message templates. A one-off message you type to a guest isn't limited.
Why does the meter count differ from the preview?
The meter estimates with typical names, dates, and links so it works for every guest. The count under the phone preview uses the real details of the booking you picked under Preview as, so it can be a little higher or lower.
Which guests get the short international text?
Guests whose phone number has a country code other than +1, for automated texts like confirmations, reminders, follow-ups, waiver reminders, payment requests, and abandoned cart messages. Guests with US and Canada numbers, including other +1 countries, get your full template.
Can I edit the short international text?
Not yet. The short text is a fixed format that fills in your company name, the activity, the date, and a link. To send international guests your own wording, turn on Full-Length Texts to International Numbers (see above).
Do international guests still get my full email?
Yes. Only the text message is shortened. Every email goes out in full, exactly as you wrote it.
Related
- Create, edit & manage message templates
- Email & SMS message templates
- Automated messages: an overview
Built for attractions, tours & activities
Texts guests actually read
See how attractions, tours, and activities keep guests informed by text and email on TripWorks. Book a demo and make the switch.