Sending

Sending, in the left-hand column just above Tools, is where you write to people and set up texts that go out on their own. It has two pages, Messages and Automations, and both cover every list on your number.

Which one to use

The difference is what sets the time.

• Messages: you set the time. The same text goes to everyone you choose, right now, at a date you pick, or on a repeating schedule. Open Messages
• Automations: each person's join date sets the time. The text goes to one person at a time, counted from when that person joined a list. Open Automations

If a text should reach everyone on the same day, use Messages. If it should reach each new person a certain time after they sign up, use Automations.

Examples

• "Service is canceled this Sunday": Messages, with Send now.
• "The picnic is on Saturday, we'll remind you on Friday morning": Messages, with Schedule for later.
• "Small groups meet tonight," every Wednesday at 9:00 AM: Messages, with Repeat on a schedule.
• A thank-you to everyone who gave to the building fund: Messages, choosing Donors.
• A follow-up 3 days after someone joins your Visitors list: Automations.
• A "see you tomorrow" text on the first Saturday after someone joins: Automations.

Some jobs belong to other tools:

• To answer one person, use Conversations.
• To reply the moment someone texts a keyword, use Auto-Responders.
• For a reading that goes out every day, use Daily Programs.

What they share

• The same message box. Name tags, attachments, links, Saved messages, Help me write and test sends work the same way in both. They are explained on the Messages page.
• The same people are left out. Anyone who has texted STOP, and any number you have blocked, is always skipped.
• The same credits. A credit is the unit your plan counts texts in. Both use credits for each copy sent. See Credits and message length.
• The same delivery reports. Each sent message and each automation has its own Delivery log.

A list's Messages and Automations tabs open these same two pages, filtered to that list.