> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.telli.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# SMS
> Send SMS messages from agents and workflows in telli
SMS lets you follow up with contacts from the same phone-number setup you use for calls. Use it when an agent needs to share a link during a conversation, or when a workflow should send an automatic follow-up after a call or contact event.
## Before you start
You need:
* A mobile SMS-capable phone number in telli. Check **Telephony** > **Phone Numbers** and look for the SMS capability badge.
* A contact with a valid phone number.
* Consent to message the recipient and a message that follows local messaging rules.
SMS to US recipients is not supported right now. Sends to US phone numbers are recorded as failed.
If you do not have an SMS-capable mobile number, buy a mobile number from [Phone Numbers](./phone-numbers). Imported numbers, local numbers, and voice-only numbers do not support SMS.
## Send SMS from an agent
Use an agent SMS tool when the agent should send a configured message during a live call, such as a booking link, payment link, or confirmation message.
Open the agent you want to edit, then go to the agent tools section in the builder sidebar.
Under **SMS**, click **Add SMS tool**.
Give the message a label, such as `booking_link` or `confirmation_sms`. Labels must start with a letter or underscore and can contain letters, numbers, and underscores.
Use **Use current phone call** when the SMS should come from the number used for the call. Select a fallback SMS-capable number in case the call number cannot send SMS. Use **Manually select number** when the message should always come from a specific number. Use **Use sender ID** to show an approved brand name instead of a number; see [Alphanumeric sender IDs](#alphanumeric-sender-ids).
Add the SMS body. You can insert available variables in the message so each send can include contact or call details.
Add the SMS tool reference to the prompt, for example `@sendSms:booking_link`, and explain when the agent should send it.
Fixed-template tools send the saved message with its variables. For generated SMS messages, **Message instructions** defines what the agent should write from the conversation, with a maximum of 1,000 characters. The recipient is always the caller. Charlie can configure this mode through the agent settings; you can then edit the instructions in the tool editor.
## Send SMS from a workflow
Use the **Send SMS** workflow action when telli should message a contact automatically.
Go to **Workflows**, then create a workflow or open an existing draft.
Select the event that should start the workflow. SMS works especially well after **Call ended** triggers.
Add a **Send SMS** action block after the trigger or after a condition.
Use the calling number with a fallback for call-based workflows, manually select an SMS-capable number, or use an approved [alphanumeric sender ID](#alphanumeric-sender-ids).
**To** defaults to the contact phone number. You can select another contact property of type **Phone number**, a collected-data field in a call-based workflow, or a fixed number. Recipients must resolve to valid [E.164 phone numbers](../phone-number-format#fields-that-require-strict-e164). The message remains associated with the workflow contact.
Write the body and insert workflow variables when you need contact fields, call outcomes, collected data, or values from earlier blocks.
Publish the workflow, then run it manually against a recent call before enabling automatic sends.
See [Workflows](./workflows) for the full workflow publishing and run-monitoring flow.
Outbound SMS cost 12 ct each.
## Alphanumeric sender IDs
Instead of a phone number, SMS can show your brand name as the sender, for example `telli`. Sender IDs are account-approved: request one under **Telephony** > **Verifications** > **SMS Sender IDs**, and telli reviews it before it can be used. You must be authorized to use the name; requests that impersonate third-party brands are rejected.
Once a sender ID is approved, pick **Use sender ID** as the **From** option in the agent SMS tool or the workflow **Send SMS** action.
Sender IDs behave differently from phone numbers:
* Recipients cannot reply to messages sent from a sender ID.
* Some carriers replace the sender ID with a phone number.
* Delivery is limited to the supported destination countries below. Sends to other destinations are recorded as failed. Countries where the sender ID would require carrier pre-registration are not supported.
| Country | Sender ID delivery |
| ---------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------- |
| Afghanistan | Not supported (registration required) |
| Albania | Supported |
| Algeria | Not supported (registration required) |
| American Samoa | Supported |
| Andorra | Supported |
| Angola | Supported |
| Anguilla | Supported |
| Antigua & Barbuda | Supported |
| Argentina | Supported |
| Armenia | Not supported (registration required) |
| Aruba | Supported |
| Australia | Not supported (registration required) |
| Austria | Not supported (registration required) |
| Azerbaijan | Supported |
| Bahamas | Not supported |
| Bahrain | Supported |
| Bangladesh | Not supported (registration required) |
| Barbados | Supported |
| Belarus | Not supported (registration required) |
| Belgium | Not supported |
| Belize | Supported |
| Benin | Not supported (registration required) |
| Bermuda | Supported |
| Bhutan | Supported |
| Bolivia | Supported |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Supported |
| Botswana | Supported |
| Brazil | Not supported (registration required) |
| Brunei | Supported |
| Bulgaria | Supported |
| Burkina Faso | Supported |
| Burundi | Supported |
| Cambodia | Not supported (registration required) |
| Cameroon | Not supported (registration required) |
| Canada | Not supported |
| Cape Verde | Supported |
| Cayman Islands (UK) | Not supported |
| Central African Republic | Supported |
| Chad | Supported |
| Chile | Not supported |
| China \* | Not supported |
| Colombia | Not supported |
| Comoros | Supported |
| Congo (Republic of the Congo) | Not supported (registration required) |
| Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo) | Supported |
| Cook Islands | Supported |
| Costa Rica | Not supported |
| Croatia | Supported |
| Cuba | Not supported (registration required) |
| Cyprus | Supported |
| Czech Republic | Not supported (registration required) |
| Denmark | Supported |
| Djibouti | Supported |
| Dominica | Supported |
| Dominican Republic | Not supported |
| Ecuador | Not supported |
| Egypt | Not supported (registration required) |
| El Salvador | Not supported (registration required) |
| Equatorial Guinea | Supported |
| Estonia | Supported |
| Ethiopia | Not supported (registration required) |
| Falkland Islands | Supported |
| Faroe Islands | Supported |
| Fiji | Supported |
| Finland | Supported |
| France | Not supported (registration required) |
| French Guiana | Not supported |
| French Polynesia | Supported |
| Gabon | Supported |
| Gambia | Supported |
| Georgia | Supported |
| Germany | Supported |
| Ghana | Not supported (registration required) |
| Gibraltar | Supported |
| Greece | Supported |
| Greenland | Supported |
| Grenada | Supported |
| Guadeloupe & Martinique | Supported |
| Guam | Not supported |
| Guatemala | Not supported (registration required) |
| Guernsey | Supported |
| Guinea | Not supported (registration required) |
| Guinea-Bissau | Not supported (registration required) |
| Guyana | Supported |
| Haiti | Supported |
| Honduras | Not supported (registration required) |
| Hong Kong | Not supported (registration required) |
| Hungary | Not supported |
| Iceland | Supported |
| India | Not supported (registration required) |
| Indonesia | Not supported (registration required) |
| Iran | Not supported |
| Iraq | Supported |
| Ireland | Not supported (registration required) |
| Isle of Man | Supported |
| Israel | Supported |
| Italy | Supported |
| Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) | Not supported (registration required) |
| Jamaica | Supported |
| Japan | Supported |
| Jersey | Supported |
| Jordan | Not supported (registration required) |
| Kazakhstan | Not supported (registration required) |
| Kenya | Not supported (registration required) |
| Kosovo | Supported |
| Kuwait | Not supported (registration required) |
| Kyrgyzstan | Supported |
| Laos (Lao People's Democratic Republic) | Supported |
| Latvia | Supported |
| Lebanon | Supported |
| Lesotho | Supported |
| Liberia | Not supported (registration required) |
| Libya | Supported |
| Liechtenstein | Supported |
| Lithuania | Supported |
| Luxembourg | Supported |
| Macau (PRC) | Supported |
| Macedonia | Supported |
| Madagascar | Supported |
| Malawi | Supported |
| Malaysia | Not supported |
| Maldives | Supported |
| Mali | Supported |
| Malta | Supported |
| Martinique | Supported |
| Mauritania | Supported |
| Mauritius | Supported |
| Mayotte | Supported |
| Mexico | Not supported (registration required) |
| Moldova | Supported |
| Monaco | Supported |
| Mongolia | Supported |
| Montenegro | Supported |
| Montserrat | Supported |
| Morocco | Not supported (registration required) |
| Mozambique | Not supported (registration required) |
| Myanmar | Not supported (registration required) |
| Namibia | Supported |
| Nauru | Not supported |
| Nepal | Not supported (registration required) |
| Netherlands | Supported |
| Netherlands Antilles | Supported |
| New Caledonia | Supported |
| New Zealand | Not supported |
| Nicaragua | Not supported (registration required) |
| Niger | Supported |
| Nigeria | Not supported (registration required) |
| Norway | Supported |
| Oman | Not supported (registration required) |
| Pakistan | Supported |
| Palestine | Supported |
| Panama | Not supported |
| Papua New Guinea | Supported |
| Paraguay | Not supported |
| Peru | Supported |
| Philippines | Not supported (registration required) |
| Poland | Supported |
| Portugal | Supported |
| Puerto Rico | Not supported |
| Qatar | Not supported (registration required) |
| Réunion | Supported |
| Romania | Supported |
| Russia | Not supported (registration required) |
| Rwanda | Not supported (registration required) |
| Samoa | Supported |
| San Marino | Supported |
| Sao Tome and Principe | Supported |
| Saudi Arabia | Not supported (registration required) |
| Senegal | Supported |
| Serbia | Supported |
| Seychelles | Supported |
| Sierra Leone | Supported |
| Singapore | Not supported (registration required) |
| Slovakia | Supported |
| Slovenia | Supported |
| Solomon Islands | Supported |
| Somalia | Supported |
| South Africa | Not supported |
| South Korea | Not supported |
| South Sudan | Not supported (registration required) |
| Spain | Not supported (registration required) |
| Sri Lanka | Not supported (registration required) |
| St. Kitts and Nevis | Supported |
| St. Lucia | Supported |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Supported |
| Sudan | Not supported (registration required) |
| Suriname | Supported |
| Swaziland | Not supported (registration required) |
| Sweden | Supported |
| Switzerland | Supported |
| Syria | Not supported |
| Taiwan | Not supported |
| Tajikistan | Supported |
| Tanzania | Not supported (registration required) |
| Thailand | Not supported (registration required) |
| Timor-Leste (East Timor) | Not supported (registration required) |
| Togo | Supported |
| Tonga | Supported |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Supported |
| Tunisia | Supported |
| Turkey | Not supported (registration required) |
| Turkmenistan | Supported |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | Supported |
| Uganda | Not supported (registration required) |
| Ukraine | Supported |
| United Arab Emirates | Not supported (registration required) |
| United Kingdom | Supported |
| United States | Not supported |
| Uruguay | Not supported |
| Uzbekistan | Supported |
| Vanuatu | Supported |
| Venezuela | Not supported (registration required) |
| Vietnam | Not supported (registration required) |
| Virgin Islands (British Virgin Islands) | Supported |
| Yemen | Supported |
| Zambia | Not supported (registration required) |
| Zimbabwe | Not supported (registration required) |
Source: [Twilio — International support for Alphanumeric Sender ID](https://help.twilio.com/articles/223133767-International-support-for-Alphanumeric-Sender-ID), retrieved August 13, 2026. "Registration required" destinations count as not supported in telli.
## Review SMS activity
SMS conversations appear in **Conversations** alongside calls when SMS is enabled for your account. Open a conversation to see the message history and delivery state.
SMS also appears on the contact activity timeline, so you can review follow-ups next to the contact's calls and scheduled activity.
Common delivery states are:
| Status | Meaning |
| :------------ | :---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `queued` | telli sent the message to the SMS provider and it is waiting to be sent |
| `sent` | The provider accepted and sent the message |
| `delivered` | The carrier reported delivery to the recipient |
| `undelivered` | The carrier could not deliver the message |
| `failed` | The send failed before delivery |
Inbound replies from known phone numbers are added to the matching SMS conversation. Replies from unknown numbers create a new contact from the sender number.
## Limitations
* SMS supports plain text messages. Do not use it for media attachments.
* US-recipient SMS is currently blocked for compliance reasons.
* SMS requires a mobile phone number bought in telli with SMS capability.
* The message body cannot be empty.
## Related topics
- [Workflows](/platform/workflows.md)
- [Changelog](/changelog.md)
- [Phone Numbers](/platform/phone-numbers.md)