The SMS Reminder Message feature makes it easy to send timely text messages to your registrants before or after your event. You can fully customize when the message is delivered, whether it’s a few days in advance to share important details or a follow-up message after your event to keep attendees engaged. This tool helps you stay connected with your audience and ensure they have the information they need.

Text Message Reminder Pricing

To use the SMS Text Reminder message feature, you must have an SMS plan set up for your RegFox account. The text messaging feature comes at an additional cost on some plans. Click here to learn how to sign up for a text messaging plan.

Sample Use Case

You can use the SMS reminder feature in a variety of ways to keep your registrants informed and engaged. For example, you might:

Send parking details to registrants one day before your event
Send a discount code three days before the event to encourage registrants to invite a friend for 10% off
Invite registrants to complete a post-event survey two days after the event
Send a link to register for next year's event one day after your event

Create a SMS Reminder Message

Hover over the Text Messaging tab in the top menu bar
Select the Reminder Messages tab from the dropdown menu
Click Create Campaign

Add a Campaign Name for your reminder message. This is for internal and reporting purposes only
Select the RegFox Page(s) you want to send the reminder message to
If you use the Past Registrants option and send the text to a single page, add a Filter(s) to only send your text to specific people
- Registration Option - Only send your email to people who selected a specific registration option
- Order Date - Only send your email to people who registered for your event between specific dates

Pro Tip: The filtering option goes away when you send a text message to multiple pages. Filters are only available when you select one page per text message.

Select the send timing. Choose whether the text message should be sent before or after the event
Choose how many days before or after the event to send it, and set the exact delivery time
Enter the Message you'd like to send. As you type, a sample text message on the right will update in real time to show you a preview

Click Add Variable to add the recipient's first name, last name, or full name to the text message. Click here to learn more about adding variables to your text message
Click Send a Test Message if you would like to a test message to a phone number of your choice
Click Schedule Campaign

Pro Tip: The text message editor has a 320-character limit. This total includes the account name, opt-out language, and any content you enter. Messages longer than 160 characters are billed as two messages (if a charge applies on your plan).

Note: If you have not set an event start date and time zone on your RegFox page, you will see the message, "Set your event start date and time zone before sending a reminder message." If you see this message, we recommend setting your event start date and time zone.

How to set your event start date

From the Pages screen, select the pencil icon on the page you'd like to edit
Hover your mouse over the Settings tab in the top menu bar
Select Dates from the dropdown

Scroll to the Event section
Under the Event Start Date tab, enter or update your event start or end date
Add the time of your event (by default, the time is 12AM)
Click Save Now in the upper-right corner of your page to save your changes. Click Publish to publish these changes to your live page

How to set your page time zone

From the Pages screen, select the pencil icon on the page you'd like to edit
Hover your mouse over the Settings tab in the top menu bar
Select Basic Setup from the dropdown
In the Time Zone box, add or edit the time zone

Add a Recipient's First Name, Last Name, or Full Name to the Text Message

You can personalize your text messages by dynamically inserting a recipient’s first name, last name, or full name using text message variables. This allows each message to feel more direct and engaging. RegFox also gives you the option to add custom fallback text in case a contact does not have a name associated with their phone number so your message reads naturally for all recipients.

When creating your text message, click Add Variable above the message field
Select the variable you want to add to your text message. You can add the first name, last name, or full name to the text
Add fallback (default) text that will appear if the recipient does not have a name associated with their phone number. To do this, enter the text you want to appear inside the quotation marks in the default: "" field. If left blank (the default setting), nothing will be inserted when a contact does not have a name on file

Pro Tip: You can use the Variable Preview options above the sample message to see how your message will appear. This feature can be used to preview how your text will look when a name variable is added.

Click Sample to preview how the text message appears when a contact has a name. If your message includes a variable, this option inserts a sample name into the text
Click Fallback to preview how the text message appears when no name is available. This uses the default text you added for the variable

Note: The text message editor has a 320-character limit. This limit includes the account name, opt-out language, and any content you manually enter including variables placeholders (such as {{ first_name | default: "" }}). This character count is based on the variable text itself, not the recipient's actual name.

When the message is sent, variables are replaced with real data. Because actual values may be longer or shorter than the placeholder text, the final delivered character count of each message may vary.

Manage Your SMS Reminder Message

Note: While a reminder text has a status of Scheduled, you can view, copy, edit, send a test and delete the message.

But once a text message is sent, you are no longer able to send a test, make edits or stop it from sending. You can only copy and view the text message. When a text has sent, you can then see how many recipients were sent the message, and what time the text was sent.

Warning: Deleting a text message cannot be undone. So proceed with caution.

Hover over the Text Messaging tab in the top menu bar
Select the Reminder Messages tab from the dropdown menu
Find the text message you want to manage, and click any of the following icons:
- The duplicate icon allows you to copy a previous message to send again
- The pencil icon allows you to edit the text
- The eye icon allows you to view the text
- The phone icon allows you to send a test message to a number of your choice
- The trash can icon allows you to delete the text

Pro Tip: You can search for your text in the Search bar or filter your texts by the Page, Status, or Date!

FAQs

What is the pricing to send SMS Reminder Messages?

Reminder text messages are included in your Text Messaging plan, and come at an additional cost on some plans. Click here to learn more about the pricing for text messaging on RegFox.

Is there a limit to how many recipients I can send an SMS Reminder Message to?

Yes, SMS Text Message Campaigns can send up to 30,000 recipients per campaign.

How far out can I send SMS Reminder Messages for an event?

SMS Reminder Messages can be scheduled 0-59 days before or after the event date.

Will people receive a SMS Reminder Message if they register after I create the message, but before the text sends?

Yes, if you create an SMS Reminder message that is scheduled for the future, this text will send to people who register between the time you create the reminder text message and the time the text is scheduled to send.

The system checks every five minutes to check for any new orders that fit the criteria.

Why can't I select which registration option I'd like to send the SMS Reminder Message to?

SMS Reminder Messages can only be targeted to specific registration options if you select a single page. If you’ve chosen multiple pages in one setup, filtering by registration option won’t be available. To send messages to certain registration options, we recommend creating a reminder message to one RegFox page.

How does my text message's character count affect billing?

Text message charges (if applicable) are based on character count. A single message includes up to 160 characters. Messages between 161 and 320 characters are billed as two messages. The total character count includes your message content, organization (account) name, and required opt-out language.

Note: The organization name and opt-out language are only included in the first text message sent to each recipient. Because this text is not included in follow-up messages, they do not count toward the character total for subsequent texts to that same recipient.

How do my registrants know the messages are from me?

On the first text message you send, our system includes the name of your account at the top of the message as it’s listed in your Organization Details. Here is how to view and update this account name if desired:

From the top menu bar, hover over the Gear icon in the top right corner
Select Organization Details from the dropdown
Click Edit Settings
View or adjust the Company Name as desired
Click Save

Can I send emoji's in my text message?

No, emojis are not supported right now in the text messaging feature.

What user permissions do I need to send Text Messages?

A user must be an Admin to send out text messages. Any account owner and Admin can send Text Messages.

Send an SMS Text Reminder Message