Dynamic SMS Text Messages allow you to send personalized and timely messages to registrants based on important moments in their event journey. You can automatically send a text message after someone purchases a registration, or trigger a message when their registration is checked in. Messages can be scheduled to go out minutes or hours after either action, helping you stay connected before and during your event.

This article will guide you through how to set up and use Dynamic SMS Text Messages for your event.

Text Message Dynamic Pricing

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

Sample Use Cases

Confirm your registrant's order after purchase with a text message
Welcome your registrants to your event
Invite registrants to visit the sponsor booth to redeem their free gift
Send a message only to registrants who had a VIP registration and let them know about their exclusive offers
Remind people about attractions or happenings taking place and their times and locations
Ask registrants to rate their experience hours after they arrived and then based on their rating invite them to leave a review or to give you feedback
Send a link to register for next year's event 12 hours after they were checked in

Create a Dynamic Text Message

From the Pages screen, click Text Messaging from the top menu bar
Select the Dynamic Messages tab on the left-hand side
Click Create Campaign

Add a Campaign Name for your dynamic message. This is for internal and reporting purposes only
Select the RegFox Page(s) you want to send the dynamic 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 trigger event. Choose whether the text should send after the registration is purchased or after the registration is checked in at the event
Set the timing: Decide how long after the trigger the text should be sent (for example, a specific number of minutes or hours)
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

Note: Dynamic Texts can either be sent after the registration is purchased, or the registration is checked in at the event.

When using the Purchase trigger, the text is sent after the order is submitted and once the delay time you set has passed. This text will be sent to the billing phone number and to each individual registrant, if you are collecting a phone number for each registrant.

When using the Check-In trigger, the behavior varies depending on whether a phone number is collected for each registrant
- If you collect a phone number for each registrant, the text is sent to the individual registrant's phone number after their registration is checked in and after the delay you set. The text is only sent to the registrant, and is not sent to the billing phone number
- If you do not collect a phone number for each registrant, the text is sent to the billing phone number when the registration is first scanned. If multiple registrations share the same billing phone number, the message is only sent after the first registration is scanned and is not resent when additional registrations are scanned

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).

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 Dynamic Text Message

Note: After saving a Dynamic Text Message, you can copy, edit, view, or delete your text, but you cannot edit the message settings of the text.

If you set a Dynamic Message to Inactive and there are messages in the queue, those texts will be sent. After the texts in the queue are sent, RegFox will stop sending texts for the inactive campaign. If you want to halt all future messages from sending, including those in the queue, we recommend deleting the dynamic message.

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

From the Pages screen, click Text Messaging in the top menu bar
Select the Dynamic Messages tab on the left-hand side
Find the text message you want to manage, and click any of the following icons:
- The Status toggle allows you to turn on or turn off the Dynamic Text Message on your page
- 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 trash can icon allows you to delete the text

FAQs

What is the pricing to send Dynamic SMS Messages?

Dynamic 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.

How far out can I send a Dynamic SMS Message to my registrants?

You can send the message 0-59 minutes or 0-59 hours after check-in.

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

Dynamic SMS 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 dynamic message to one RegFox page.

What counts as a single text message?

A single text message includes up to 160 characters. RegFox allows you to send text messages that are longer than 160 characters. If your message exceeds 160 characters, it will be billed as two (or more) messages, depending on the total character count.

Text message character count includes message text, account name and opt-out language. The organization name will only send in the first text message and will not be included in the following messages.

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 a SMS Text Message After a Registration is Purchased or Checked In