Business SMS: Conversations

The Conversations page is the primary workspace within Business SMS. This is where you will send and receive text messages, view conversation history, manage contacts, and communicate with customers, patients, and staff.

Most day-to-day activity within Business SMS takes place on the Conversations screen.

Understanding the Conversation View

Active conversations are displayed in a list on the left side of the screen. Selecting a conversation will open the message history and communication tools for that contact.

There are three types of conversation entries you may encounter:

Inbound Messages

Inbound messages are messages received from a contact. These messages appear on the left side of the conversation window and are displayed with a gray background.

Outbound Messages

Outbound messages are messages sent by your organization. These messages appear on the right side of the conversation window and are displayed with a blue background.

Notes

Some accounts may support notes that are automatically added through integrations or APIs. Notes are intended to provide additional context and may include information such as appointment reminders, CRM updates, voicemail transcriptions, or other system-generated details.

Starting a New Conversation

1. Click New Conversation in the upper-right corner of the screen.
2. Choose one of the following options:

• Send to Phone Number – Enter a phone number manually and click Start Conversation.
• Choose Contact – Select an existing contact from your address book.

The conversation will immediately open and be ready for messaging.

Contact Opt-In Status

Each contact has an opt-in status that determines whether automated messaging features can be used.

By default, contacts are marked as opted-in.

Opt-Out Keywords

If a contact sends any of the following keywords, they will automatically be marked as opted-out:

• STOP
• END
• QUIT
• CANCEL
• UNSUBSCRIBE

Opt-In Keywords

If a contact later sends one of the following keywords, they will be opted back in:

• START
• UNSTOP

Opted-out contacts may not receive automated communications such as reminders, blasts, or drip campaigns.

Consent Message Status

Some organizations require contacts to receive a consent message before text messaging begins.

When enabled, Business SMS automatically sends a consent notice before the first message is delivered to a new contact.

The consent message typically:

• Identifies your organization
• Explains why you are texting the recipient
• Provides instructions for opting out

After a consent message has been delivered, a status indicator will appear within the conversation and contact records.

Archiving Conversations

Archiving helps keep your conversation list organized while preserving message history.

Archived conversations are removed from the active conversation list but remain searchable.

Archive a Single Conversation

1. Open the conversation.
2. Click the Action dropdown menu.
3. Select Archive.

Archive Multiple Conversations

1. Select the checkbox beside each conversation you wish to archive.
2. Click the Archive button above the conversation list.

Deleting Conversations

Conversations can be permanently deleted if permitted by your account administrator.

1. Open the conversation.
2. Select the Action dropdown menu.
3. Click Delete.
4. Confirm the deletion.

Warning: Deleted conversations and message history cannot be recovered.

Exporting Message History

Business SMS allows you to export conversation history for record keeping or reporting purposes.

1. Open the conversation.
2. Click Export.
3. Select a start and end date.
4. Choose either CSV or HTML format.
5. Click Export.

Note: Export date ranges must be seven days or less.

Sending Photos and Attachments (MMS)

Business SMS supports sending and receiving MMS messages including photos and certain video files.

1. Open a conversation.
2. Click the camera icon within the message composer.
3. Select the file you wish to send.
4. Send your message.

For best deliverability, keep MMS attachments under 1.5 MB whenever possible.

Best Practices

• Archive inactive conversations regularly.
• Respect opt-out requests immediately.
• Review consent requirements before texting new contacts.
• Avoid sending sensitive information through SMS.
• Export important conversations when record retention is required.
• Keep attachments reasonably sized to improve delivery success.

Need Help?

If you need assistance using Conversations within Business SMS, please contact Nextgen Solutions support.