SMS integration

Customer support by text message

Customers text your number; an agent trained on your documents texts back — short, plain, and accurate. Your team takes over whenever a human is needed.

Setup with your Twilio number

  1. 1
    Choose the sender
    A Twilio phone number, short code, or Messaging Service SID — whichever your business already texts from.
  2. 2
    Paste three values
    Dashboard → Integrations → SMS: Account SID, auth token, sender. Pick the agent that answers this number.
  3. 3
    Point the SMS webhook at Chat Cactus
    The dashboard shows the webhook URL to paste into the number’s messaging configuration in Twilio. Requests are signature-verified.

Built for how SMS actually works

  • Two-way flow: inbound texts are answered in the same thread; the full conversation lives in your dashboard.
  • SMS-shaped replies: the agent is tuned per channel — on SMS that means plain text, no emoji, no salutations, and answers aimed at under ~300 characters.
  • Opt-out aware: STOP-class keywords never reach the AI, so nobody gets a chatty reply to an unsubscribe. Carrier-level blocking is enforced by Twilio.
  • Human handoff: escalated threads pause the AI; your team answers from the dashboard and the customer gets a normal text back.

Every text is a contact you already have

A text thread is a high-intent conversation — and unlike web chat, the customer's number arrives with it. Every SMS conversation lands in your dashboard with the full transcript and the sender's number attached, so when a texter asks about pricing or availability, your team can read the exchange and follow up directly.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kinds of numbers are supported?

Any Twilio sender: a standard phone number, a short code, or a Messaging Service SID. Paste the Twilio Account SID, auth token, and the sender into the dashboard and point Twilio’s SMS webhook at the URL shown.

Is it really two-way?

Yes. Customers text your number, the agent answers from your knowledge base, and the thread continues as a normal SMS conversation — all of it visible in your dashboard.

How do you handle STOP and unsubscribe texts?

Messages consisting of STOP, STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, or QUIT are recognised and never reach the AI, so an opt-out is never “answered”. Carrier-level opt-out enforcement (blocking future sends) is handled by Twilio, per industry rules.

Do replies fit in a text message?

The agent is explicitly tuned for SMS: plain text, no emoji or formatting, and answers targeted at under ~300 characters. Long-form answers belong on your website widget or email — the agent knows the difference.

Can a text conversation reach a human?

Yes. Escalated SMS threads mute the AI and notify your team; a teammate replies from the dashboard and the customer receives an ordinary text from your number.

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