CustomerText

Quick Start Guide

Your first day on the platform — import customers, send your first message, and launch your first campaign.

Your account is set up and your number is verified. This guide walks you through your first actions on the platform so you can start messaging right away. Each step takes 2-5 minutes.

Step 1: Import Your customers

Before you can send messages, you need customers in the platform. The fastest way to get started is importing a CSV file.

  1. Navigate to Contacts > Import.
  2. Upload a CSV file with your customer data. At minimum, include columns for first name, last name, and phone number. Email and any custom fields are optional but recommended.
  3. Map each column to the correct customer field and confirm the import.

Your customers are now in the platform and ready to receive messages.

Tip: Clean up your spreadsheet before importing — remove duplicates, fix formatting on phone numbers, and make sure every customer has opted in to receive texts.

See Import Contacts for file formatting details and troubleshooting.

Step 2: Create Your First Group

Groups let you organize customers for targeted messaging. Instead of sending every message to your entire list, you send to the right people.

  1. Navigate to Contacts > Groups.
  2. Click Create Group and give it a name (e.g., "Board Members" or "Event Attendees").
  3. Add customers to the group manually, or select them from your imported list.

There are two types of groups:

  • Standard Groups — you manually add and remove customers.
  • Dynamic Groups — customers are added automatically based on rules you define (e.g., all customers with a specific tag or field value).

Start with a Standard Group. You can explore Dynamic Groups once you are comfortable with the basics.

See Groups and Dynamic Groups for more.

Step 3: Send a Test Message

Before messaging your customers, send yourself a test to confirm everything is working.

  1. Navigate to Inbox.
  2. Search for your own customer (or add yourself if you have not already).
  3. Compose a short message and send it.

You should receive the text on your phone within seconds. This confirms your number is active and ready to go.

See Inbox for details on one-on-one messaging.

Step 4: Create Your First Campaign

The simplest way to message a group of customers is a Custom Bulk Message. This is a one-time broadcast — write one message, send it to one or more groups.

  1. Navigate to Campaigns and click Create Campaign.
  2. Select Custom Bulk Message.
  3. Choose the group you created in Step 2 as your audience.
  4. Write your message. Keep it concise. Use merge tags to personalize — for example, {first_name} inserts each customer's first name automatically.
  5. Choose to send immediately or schedule for a specific date and time.
  6. Review and confirm.

Example message:

Hi {first_name}, this is CustomerText. You are now receiving updates from us via text. Reply STOP at any time to unsubscribe.

See Custom Bulk Message for follow-up messages, scheduling tips, and more. See Campaigns for all campaign types.

Step 5: Set Up a Keyword

Keywords let customers opt in to your texting program on their own. They text a word to your number and are automatically added to a group and sent a response.

  1. Navigate to Keywords and click Create Keyword.
  2. Enter a short, memorable word (e.g., JOIN, INFO, EVENTS). Keywords are not case-sensitive.
  3. Link the keyword to a text-to-join campaign that defines the auto-reply message and the group the customer is added to.

Example: A customer texts JOIN to your number and receives:

Welcome to CustomerText! You are now subscribed to updates from your businesses. Reply STOP at any time to opt out.

Promote keywords on your website, email signatures, printed materials, and QR codes.

See Keywords for best practices and examples.

Step 6: Know the Compliance Basics

Text messaging is regulated. Here is what you need to know on day one:

  • Consent is required. Only message customers who have opted in to receive texts from you. This is a federal requirement under the TCPA.
  • Opt-out is automatic. Every customer can reply STOP to unsubscribe. The platform handles this for you — opted-out customers will not receive future messages.
  • 10DLC registration is handled. Your number was registered with carriers as part of account setup. This ensures good delivery rates and carrier compliance.
  • Identify yourself. Include your businesses name in messages so customers know who is texting them.
  • Mind the clock. Do not send messages before 8 AM or after 9 PM in the recipient's time zone.

See Compliance & Regulations for the full details.

Getting Help

If you need assistance:

  • Email your account team — they can answer questions, troubleshoot issues, or walk you through a feature.
  • Browse the guide — every feature has a dedicated page with step-by-step instructions, examples, and common questions.
  • Use the Inbox — reply to any conversation to test features or ask customers for feedback.

What to Explore Next

Once you are comfortable with the basics, here are features worth exploring: