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Send customers text messages

3 min readUpdated 31 Oct 2026Situation

Send a text when an order reaches a chosen status. Text messages use fixed templates and are set up separately from customer email.

Use this for customers who want an order update on their phone. Your store needs texting set up before the controls are available.

Before you start

Arrange texting setup

Contact support@meetorderpilot.com if texting isn't available for your store.

Understand status triggers

Read which emails go out before choosing a status for texts.

Check permissions

The main switch needs Manage shop settings. Status changes need Manage order and quote settings.

Turn on text messages

  1. Step 1: Open the texting controls

    Go to SettingsMessages & notificationsSending settingsEmail & SMS rules. Find Text messages and Send customer text messages.

    If setup is missing, the page directs you to OrderPilot support. The whole section can be absent when texting isn't available.

  2. Step 2: Enable customer texts

    Turn on Send customer text messages. The section explains that each order status needs its own text template. Texting starts off until enabled.

Choose a text for each status and test it

  1. Step 1: Open the status

    Go to SettingsQuotes & ordersStatuses and open the relevant status. Find SMS notification.

  2. Step 2: Select the text template

    Turn on Send SMS Notification, then choose SMS template. Available templates are Quote SMS, Invoice SMS, and Quote follow-up SMS.

    The quote text identifies the customer, document, order number, and store, with a viewing link. The invoice text includes the total. The follow-up text identifies the document being followed up.

  3. Step 3: Test to your own phone

    Click Send test SMS and enter your own phone number. The test sends immediately using sample order data. Check the received text, then save the status.

    The test doesn't text the order's customer. Use an actual phone you control for the test; the example cast's contact details are illustrative.

    Draft cannot send automatic SMS notifications. Choose an eligible status that reflects the event you want the customer to hear about.

What happens next

A text sends when an order reaches the configured status. Turning off emails for staff status changes doesn't stop these texts.

Turning off Send customer text messages cancels queued texts. Review that effect before using the switch to pause sending.

Customers can stop texts by replying STOP, STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, or QUIT. The reply confirms they are unsubscribed and explains how to restart.

START, YES, or UNSTOP opts them back into texts. Text and email opt-outs are separate: stopping one doesn't stop the other.

Example: Priya receives a quote text

Example · Harlow & Finch Interiors

Text when Priya's quote is ready

Nora Ellis sets up quote texts for Harlow & Finch Interiors.

  1. She enables customer texts after support completes setup.
  2. She chooses Quote SMS for the Quote status.
  3. She sends a test to her own phone and checks it.
  4. Priya Shah's Arden Dining Table quote reaches that status.
  5. Priya receives the quote text and follows its viewing link.

If Priya later replies STOP, further texts stop. Her email preferences remain separate.

Important notes and tips

The 3 text templates are fixed. Staff cannot edit their wording or send a one-off text from an order. Choose the template whose message fits the status.

If something goes wrong

Text messages is missing

Texting isn't available or set up for the store. Contact OrderPilot support.

The status says Configure Twilio

The texting service needs setup before notifications can be enabled. Ask support to complete it.

The template picker is greyed out

Turn on Send SMS Notification for that status.

The customer stopped receiving texts

They may have opted out. They can reply START to resume.

Draft sends no text

Draft cannot send automatic SMS notifications. Use a valid status trigger.

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