An automated SMS sender is the number, and the identity behind it, that your automated texts come from. Get it wrong and messages are filtered by carriers, replies go to a phone nobody holds, and clients do not recognise who is texting them. This article answers how to set up the sending side on the levelpartner.ai platform: choosing and registering numbers, deciding which number sends which text, and making sure every reply comes back to the right person.
Why the sender matters more than the message
Two identical texts can have very different fates depending on where they come from. A registered local business number with a consistent history gets delivered and recognised. An unregistered number, or one shared across unrelated uses, is more likely to be filtered before the recipient sees anything.
Recognition matters too. If a client has saved your office number and your automated reminders come from a different one, the reminder reads as a stranger. Many people do not open texts from numbers they do not know.
The choices you need to make
There are three. Whether to use one number for everything or several. Whether those numbers are local, national or toll-free, which matters mostly in the US. And whether texts come from a central number or from numbers assigned to individual advisers.
For most firms of 10 to 250 people, the sensible default is one main business number for automated service texts, plus an assigned number per adviser for their own conversations. That keeps reminders consistent and keeps adviser relationships personal.
Before you start
- A decision on which teams or advisers need their own numbers.
- Your registered business details, ready for the carrier registration process in the US.
- An understanding of which existing number your clients already recognise.
- A plan for where replies to automated texts should land.
How to add a sending number
Repeat these steps for the main business number and for each adviser who needs one, then assign each adviser's number to that user.
- Click Settings, then select Phone System.
- Open the Phone numbers tab and click + Add Number.
- Select Add Phone Number.
- Select the Country and click Filter.
- Filter by digits, capability and local or toll-free type.
- Select the number and review its capabilities and monthly price.
- Click Proceed to Buy and complete any verification prompts.
- Confirm the purchase.
- Open the number's configuration and set routing and voicemail.
When a text goes out, the platform picks the sender in a fixed order: a From number someone selected manually, then the number assigned to the user, then the number already used in that contact's conversation, then the default outbound number. Knowing that order tells you which number a workflow text will come from.
US registration and UK sender IDs
In the US, carriers require businesses texting from standard local numbers to register their brand and the type of messages they send. Unregistered traffic faces heavy filtering. You submit those details in the Trust Center under the phone system settings. Approval can take days to a few weeks, so start early.
In the UK there is no equivalent registration for ordinary numbers. Some firms use an alphanumeric sender ID, where the text shows the business name instead of a number. That looks tidy but recipients cannot reply to it, which rules it out for anything that invites a response.
Say the firm sends about 6,000 automated texts a month. One main number could carry confirmations, reminders and document requests, while each of 14 advisers gets an assigned number for their own conversations. Workflows that follow up an adviser's clients would then send from that adviser's number, and replies to the main number would route to the service desk. The volumes are assumptions; the split of numbers is the point.
Sending from the contact owner's number
Because the number assigned to the user comes before the default number, a workflow text to an adviser's client goes out from that adviser's number. A follow up after a meeting then appears in the same thread as the adviser's own messages. When the client replies, it lands with the adviser.
This only works if contacts have owners. Add an assignment step early in your enquiry workflows, before any text is sent. The guide to two-way SMS explains reply routing in more depth.
What it replaces and the time involved
A planned sending setup replaces advisers texting from their personal mobiles, which leaves no record and walks out of the door when they leave. Setting up numbers and registration takes an afternoon of work, plus waiting time for US approval. After that, the only ongoing task is adding a number when someone joins and reassigning it when someone leaves.
The mistake most people make
Using a different number for every workflow. It feels organised, but clients receive texts from five numbers and trust none of them. Keep the number of client-facing numbers small and stable.
When you do not need multiple numbers
If you have a small team, one service desk and no adviser-owned relationships, a single number is simpler and clearer. Add numbers only when relationships genuinely belong to individuals. For the content those numbers send, see the automated SMS messages library.
Troubleshooting
Texts to US numbers are not delivered. The brand or campaign registration is incomplete or was rejected. Check the registration status in the Trust Center and correct the details.
Replies go to the wrong person. The number is not assigned to a user, or the contact has no owner, so the default number is used. Check both.
Clients say they did not recognise the sender. Lead each message with the adviser's and firm's name. Encourage clients to save the main number at onboarding.
A departing adviser's number still receives replies. Reassign the number to their replacement rather than releasing it, so existing threads continue. For more on sending SMS at volume from these numbers, see the team guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can we keep our existing office number as the sender?
Often you can port it to the platform or text-enable it, depending on the number type and carrier. Check before you commit, because some landline numbers cannot be texted from.
Do we need a toll-free number?
Rarely, for a firm that serves local clients. A local number is more recognisable. Toll-free numbers suit national US brands with high volumes and have their own verification process.
Can an automated SMS sender use WhatsApp instead?
Yes. WhatsApp uses its own business account and approved message templates. It suits clients who prefer it, but it runs alongside SMS rather than replacing it.
How many texts can one number send?
Carriers set throughput limits based on your registration. For most service firms, those limits are well above everyday needs. Large bulk sends can be spread over time using batch scheduling, covered in the bulk SMS campaign guide.