How to send automated text messages for your business

Let’s dive into how you can send automated texts and save time on repeat text messages.

What can you automate?

Automated messages let you stay in touch with customers without typing each text by hand. They work behind the scenes while you focus on other parts of your business. Here are some types of automated text messages you can set up:

• Auto-replies send instant responses when someone texts you. These are perfect for responding to after-hours messages, missed calls, and appointment confirmation texts.
• Scheduled messages send texts automatically at the date and time you choose. This is perfect for appointment reminders 24 hours in advance, birthday greetings, or sending follow-ups in your customer’s time zone.
• Text workflows create a sequence of messages triggered by specific actions. They can help with tasks like onboarding contractors or guiding customers through a drip campaign.
• AI-powered responses from AI agents like Sona can answer frequently asked questions, text booking links, and collect caller information so you can follow-up with context. 

Your personal phone probably won’t support these texting features. To access them, you’ll need a dedicated business phone system.

What is an SMS workflow?

An SMS workflow is a rules-based automation that sends a text when certain conditions are met. Instead of one-off messages, it’s a trigger → action structure: something happens, and a text goes out automatically.

A simple example: a customer books an appointment → they receive a confirmation text within seconds. No manual follow-up, no dropped ball.

Workflows can be a single message or a sequence. The trigger could be a form submission, a payment status change, a date on a calendar, or a contact moving to a new stage in your CRM. The action is always the same: the right text reaches the right person at the right time.

A few SMS workflow ideas worth setting up early

Most of the automations in this article — auto-replies, Zapier triggers, Calendly confirmations — are already SMS workflows in practice. Here are two that often get overlooked:

Payment reminders

Instead of manually chasing overdue invoices, you can trigger a reminder text when a payment status changes in your accounting software. Connect your invoicing tool to Quo via Make, then set the automation to fire when an invoice goes overdue. The customer gets a clear, timely nudge — without you having to initiate an awkward follow-up.

Win-back texts

Customers go quiet. A win-back workflow reaches out automatically when someone hasn’t booked or responded in a set period of time. Connect your CRM or booking tool to Quo via Zapier, set an inactivity threshold, and let the automation handle the re-engagement.

How to send automated texts with Quo

When you get a business number with Quo, it’s easy to automate texting through auto-replies, scheduled messages, or third-party app integrations.

Send auto-replies during and after business hours

On the web or desktop app, follow these three steps to add text auto-replies:

1. Log into Quo and select Settings.
   
2. Select Workspace, then click Phone Numbers. Choose the number you want auto-replies on.
3. Navigate to the Auto-replies section to set up custom auto-replies based on any of these triggers during or after business hours: incoming message, missed call without a voicemail, and missed call with a voicemail. 

That’s it! You can edit or turn off auto-replies whenever you need. 

Schedule text messages 

Here’s how to schedule texts in Quo in five steps:

1. Go to Quo’s desktop or web app.
   
2. Find the conversation you want to schedule a text for and type your message.
   
3. Tap the Clock icon.
   
4. Choose whether to send the message if the recipient contacts you first or automatically unschedule it if they do.
   
5. Select the time you want to send your message.

Send automated texts with Zapier

Want to send texts automatically without writing a single line of code? You can do it by creating automated Quo workflows in Zapier. 

Here’s how to set it up with Calendly:

1. Open Zapier and click Create Zap.
   
2. Select Calendly as the Trigger app and Invitee Created as the Trigger event.
   
3. Add an Action and select Quo. Choose Create or Update Contact to save invitee details in Quo.
   
4. Add another Action and tap Quo. Choose Send a Message as the Action event.

Now, whenever someone books a meeting in Calendly, a new contact will be automatically created in Quo, and they’ll receive a confirmation text — no manual work required!

Send automated texts with Make

Want to automatically text people when they fill out a Typeform? With Quo’s Make integration, you can set up an automated workflow that captures responses, formats phone numbers, adds them to your contact list, and sends a text — all without lifting a finger.

Here’s how to set it up in just a few steps:

1. Log in to Make and create a new scenario.
   
2. Select Typeform as the first module. Choose Watch Responses as the trigger.
   
3. Add a Phone Number module and select Parse a phone number to format the submitted number correctly.
   
4. Add a Quo module and tap Create a Contact to save the respondent’s details.
   
5. Add another Quo module and choose Send a Text Message (SMS).

Send automated texts with more control using the Quo API

If you need more flexibility, the Quo API lets you automate texts your way. You can trigger texts from your own backend, build custom workflows, and integrate automated messaging directly into your existing tech stack — no third-party automation tools required. For example, you can:

• Send welcome texts: Automatically greet people when they fill out a form so they hear from you right away.
• Schedule appointment reminders: Reduce no-shows by sending automatic text reminders before meetings, calls, or appointments.
• Confirm bookings: Send a confirmation text the moment someone books a service.

How to send a message with the Quo API

The endpoint to send an SMS is POST https://api.quo.com/v1/messages. Here’s a basic example:

{   “content”: “Hi [name], your appointment is confirmed for [date] at [time]. Reply STOP to opt out.”,   “from”: “+15551234567”,   “to”: [“+15559876543”] }

You’ll need your Quo API key and the phone number you want to send from. You can find both in Settings → Integrations → API.

For webhooks, like triggering a text when a form is submitted or a payment goes overdue, the Quo webhook API lets you receive real-time events and fire outbound messages in response. The new webhook system supports standards-based signature verification and self-serve delivery inspection, so you can confirm exactly what was sent and retry anything that failed.

Read the full API documentation →

How to send automated texts from your personal phone

Automating texts on a personal phone isn’t as simple as it should be. iPhones require a Shortcuts workaround, while Android’s scheduling features are basic and lack integrations with business tools.

iPhone

To send a text message automatically on your iPhone, you need to create a personal automation in the Shortcuts app:

1. Open the Shortcuts app, tap Automation, and tap + to create a new automation.
   
2. Select a Personal Automation, such as Time of Day, and tap Next.
   
3. Tap Send Message, type your message, and add the recipient.
4. Tap Next, then review your automation settings. If you want to confirm before sending, enable Run After Confirmation (or select Run Immediately for fully automatic sending).
5. Tap Done to save.

Note: If you only want the message to be sent once, you’ll need to manually turn off or delete the automation afterward. Otherwise, it’ll repeat based on the trigger you set.

Android devices

You can schedule text messages through the Google Messages app:

Google Messages

1. Open the app and type your message.
2. Press and hold the Send button. 
3. Select a date and time, then select Next and Send.

The limitation with this option: native Android scheduling only sends the message. There’s no integration with your calendar, CRM, or booking tools — so if a customer reschedules, you’d need to manually cancel and resend. For one-off personal texts, this works fine. For anything business-related, it gets unmanageable fast.

Third-party SMS apps like Pulse SMS add more scheduling flexibility on Android, but they still can’t connect to your business tools or track replies across a team.

Note: Samsung is officially phasing out the Samsung Messages app in the US in July 2026. You’ll need to switch to Google Messages if you use the Samsung Messages app. 

Automated text examples and templates for small businesses

Here are a few use cases and templates that will keep conversations flowing while freeing up your time:

• Missed call auto-reply: “Hey [name], sorry I missed your call! I’ll get back to you within [timeframe]. In the meantime, feel free to text me here.”
• Appointment confirmation: “Hi [first name], just a quick reminder about your appointment on [date] at [time]. Reply ‘C’ to confirm, or let us know if you need to reschedule. See you soon!”
• 24-hour appointment reminder — common for medical, legal, and real estate: “[Business name]: Reminder — you have an appointment tomorrow at [time]. Reply YES to confirm or call [number] to reschedule.”
• After-hours message: “Thanks for reaching out to [business name]! We’re currently closed. Our hours are [hours]. We’ll reply first thing in the morning.”
• Follow-up after visit — helpful for real estate and professional services: “Hi [name], thanks for visiting [business name] today! We’d love your feedback — reply to this text or leave us a review at [link].”
• Recurring service reminder — common for home services businesses like HVAC, pest control, and cleaning: “Hey [first name], it’s time for your next [service] appointment! Let’s get you scheduled — reply with a time that works best for you, or book here: [booking link].”
• Recruiting and hiring updates — useful for any business with hourly staff, field services, franchises: “Hi [first name], thanks for applying for the [position] role! We’ve received your application and will be in touch soon with next steps. Let us know if you have any questions in the meantime!”

Make automatic messages a breeze with Quo

Automatic text messages are easy to use and even easier to set up with VoIP texting. Growing teams can use shortcuts to streamline their workflows, save time, and reach customers effortlessly.

Setting up your business phone with Quo is the first part of the process. Just port your number, or get a local number or toll-free number, connect to WiFi, and start sending auto-texts to your customers. 

See for yourself why scaling teams use Quo. Sign up for a free trial today.

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