Message Flows allow CallRail customers with a registered 10DLC tracking number to orchestrate the text messaging experience for inbound texters. This feature works similarly to Call Flows, only for text messages instead of phone calls.
Message Flows can help you identify, capture, and meaningfully engage inbound texters and shorten their time to value.
Getting Started
To enable Message Flows, your CallRail account must have the following:
- At least one United States or Canadian tracking number. This number cannot be toll-free or from a country other than the USA or Canada.
- This number must be fully registered for 10DLC
- The number must have text messaging turned on in CallRail
- The number must be active in your account. If your number is deactivated, you can reactivate it using these steps.
- Your account can not have Lead Center enabled.
Creating a Message Flow
Message Flows can be created by navigating to Settings > Workflow >Message Flows.
From this screen, you can:
- Select Create Message Flow for a new message flow
- Or, if you have a message flow already created, select its corresponding pencil icon to edit it.
- Existing flows that are not being used by a tracking number will have a trash can icon that can be used to delete the message flow.
Once you have selected to either create or edit a message flow, you will be taken to the flow builder, where you can map out your flow steps.
Message flow steps
You can choose from four options in a CallRail Message flow. Each can be added one after the other by using the Insert step here icon and then selecting the action that should occur.
Schedule
The Schedule action is used to schedule a subsequent action for texts received within a specific window of time. This allows you to create branches of a Message flow depending on when a message is received. For example, if a message falls outside your business’ working hours, you can schedule a response advising them of your available hours or provide an alternative emergency number. Alternatively, if the message falls within your selected hours of operation, you can move to a different step.
Tag
The Tag step automatically applies a selected CallRail tag to the conversation and includes those tags in your lead’s Timeline. Unlike the Tag step in a Call Flow, Message Flows can include tagging at any point in the Flow Builder.
For example, if a message comes in outside of your hours of operation, you can apply a Follow-up tag. Or, if your car dealership sells new and used cars, you can tag the call based on what the lead is asking for.
For more information on creating CallRail tags, please view this article in our Help Center.
Response
This step will send an automated response to the lead’s phone number. You can edit your message by typing it into the message content box. If you only want to send this automated response to leads texting you for the first time, you can select the option under First time texter.
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Message Flow responses can contain up to 1,550 characters in length, but any message over 160 characters may be delivered as multiple messages (based on the recipient’s carrier limits).
- If it is the first time your business is sending a text message to the lead (either by a Message Flow or user-sent text message from your tracking number), your message must include opt-out language. Approved opt-out keywords include STOP, CANCEL, UNSUBSCRIBE, QUIT, or END. If we do not detect an approved keyword in your message, CallRail will automatically include “Reply STOP to opt out” at the end of your message.
- Each lead will only receive a text response from a message flow up to once per 24-hour period. If they send a text, receive a response from the message flow, and then text again within that same 24-hour window, they will not receive that same text response again. If they waited until the next day to respond, they would receive the text response from the message flow, provided the other conditions of the flow are met.
No Response
This option will end the Message Flow or Schedule branch without sending a text message. No further action will be taken.
Troubleshooting Message Flows
You might encounter the following error messages when creating a Message Flow.
- Missing Initial Step: There is no beginning step in the message flow.
- Too Many Schedule Steps: You have more than one Schedule action occurring in a given schedule branch.
- Too Many Response Steps: You have more than one Response action occurring in a given schedule branch.
- Too Many No Response Steps: You have more than one No Response action occurring in a given schedule branch.