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Compose and send new messages in MessageDesk

Send a quick 1-on-1, a small group text, or a one-to-many broadcast right from the New message composer. This guide shows you what each field does, the limits to keep in mind, and a few power tips so you can move fast.

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At a glance: what makes up a new message

  • Recipients: who you’re sending to
  • Send from: which connected phone number you’re sending from
  • Message: your text, plus options for template, media, and emoji
  • Post-send actions: assign labels or teammates to conversations
  • Send options: send now or schedule for later

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How to compose and send a new message from MessageDesk

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1. Click the New Message button from the Inbox

New Message Pn

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2. Add recipients

Search and add people by name, phone number, label, or assigned teammate. As you add them, you’ll see each recipient appear as a chip beneath the field to confirm they’re included.

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Recipient types

You can send messages to:
  • Individual contacts: search by name or phone number to add specific people
  • Labels: select a label to send to all conversations with that label attached (up to 100 conversations)
  • Assigned teammates: select a teammate to send to all conversations assigned to them (up to 100 conversations)
Use the filter icon to narrow your search results. You can filter by:
  • Conversations (individual contacts)
  • Labels
  • Assigned teammates
By default, all types appear in search results. You can select any combination of filters to focus your search.

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Recipient selection rules

  • Only one label or assigned teammate can be selected per message.
    • Once you select a label or assigned teammate, the search box is disabled.
    • The message sends to the first 100 conversations with that label or assigned to that teammate.
  • Once you select an individual contact, labels and assigned teammates no longer appear in search results.
  • Mix individual contacts freely. Add up to 100 individual contacts by name or phone number.
Pro tips:
  • Copy/paste a list of numbers: You can copy/paste a list of phone numbers directly into the Recipients field. This works great for quick broadcasts.
  • Per-send limit: You can add up to 100 recipients to a single message send. When using labels or assigned teammates, only the first 100 conversations receive the message.
  • Editing: Remove anyone by clicking the “x” on their chip before you send.
  • More: click + more to view all recipient phone numbers.
Message Recipients Pn

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3. Select the phone number you want to send from

Choose the connected phone number you want to send from. You’ll see a dropdown of the active numbers available in your workspace.
  • Pick the number your contacts expect to hear from.
  • If you don’t see a number, confirm it’s connected and active for your workspace.
Message Number Pn

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4. Compose your message

This is where you compose and configure what you’re sending.

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Select a message type

  • Send individually
    • Sends one message to each recipient.
    • Replies come back as private 1-on-1 threads.
    • Best for announcements, reminders, updates at scale (up to 100 per send).
  • Group SMS
    • Creates one shared thread where everyone sees all messages.
    • Best for small, collaborative conversations.
    • Note: Group SMS only works on 10-digit numbers. Toll-free numbers don’t support group texting due to carrier limitations.
Message Type Pn

Message types

Learn more about the various types of messages MessageDesk supports.

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Write your message

  • Type your text as usual.
  • Apply a template to save time and maintain consistent wording.
  • Add media (MMS) to include images, PDFs, or other supported files.
  • Insert emoji for tone and clarity when it makes sense.
Message Compose Pn After you send your message, you’ll see a notification: Message sends have begun. MessageDesk queues your messages and sends them as fast as possible. For larger broadcast sends, you can navigate to other parts of the app while your message sends to all recipients.

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Preview your message before sending

MessageDesk shows a message preview so you can see exactly what each recipient will get before you send. The preview widget works on mobile and desktop, and it’s on by default.

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Turn the preview on or off

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What the preview shows

  • Resolved personalization tags. MessageDesk fills in contact properties and custom field values for the selected recipient, so you see the real message they’ll receive.
  • Per-recipient iteration. Step through your recipient list to see the values populated for each individual contact. Use this to spot-check a broadcast before it goes out.
  • Scheduled send time. If the message is scheduled, the preview shows the scheduled at time so you can confirm before saving.

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Tag warnings in the preview

MessageDesk flags tags that may not resolve cleanly so you can catch problems before sending.
  • Red tag. A tag with no fallback and no data for that recipient. The tag sends as-is unless you set a fallback or fix the recipient’s data.
  • Info notice on unresolvable tags. When you send to a label, assigned teammate, or group, MessageDesk can’t fetch per-recipient values until send time. The preview shows an info notice so you know those tags will only resolve once the message sends.
  • Dynamic warnings for labels and assigned teammates. The compose UI adapts when you pick a label or teammate as your recipient. It shows warnings about which fields can and can’t be previewed.
When you send to a label, assigned teammate, or group, contact and custom field tags still resolve per recipient at send time. You just can’t preview each one individually in the composer.

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Send a test message

Send a one-off test to any phone number before you commit to the full send.
  1. Open the preview widget.
  2. Enter the phone number for the test. The field defaults to your own user phone number for a quick self-test.
  3. Send the test. The test uses the exact content and resolved tags from the preview.
Use a test send to verify tag resolution, media rendering, and how your message reads on a real phone. It’s especially useful for broadcasts to labels or assigned teammates, where you can’t preview each recipient individually.
Message Sends Begun

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Post-send actions

When sending a message, you can automatically apply actions to all recipient conversations after the message sends. New Message Compose Post Send Actions Pn

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Available post-send actions

  • Assign a teammate: automatically assign all recipient conversations to a specific teammate.
  • Apply a label: automatically apply a label to all recipient conversations.
Note: Post-send actions are only available for broadcast message types. Post-send actions are disabled for Group SMS messages.
How to use post-send actions:
  1. Compose your one-to-many broadcast message with recipients.
  2. Select Send individually as your message type.
  3. In the Post-send actions section, choose one or both actions:
    • Select teammates to assign conversations to.
    • Select labels to apply to conversations.
  4. Send or schedule your message.
Post-send actions keep you organized by automatically routing and categorizing broadcast conversations without manual follow-up.

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Schedule or send now

Choose when your message goes out.
  • Send now to send your message immediately.
  • Schedule to send later.
    • Pick from preset send times or select any date/time from the picker.
    • Scheduled messages show the chosen send time so you can verify before confirming.
    • Note: Scheduling is currently one-time only (not recurring). You can create as many scheduled messages as you like in advance and view them all in the Scheduled view in your inbox.
Tip: Schedule broadcasts during business hours for higher response rates and a better messaging experience.
Message Schedule Pn

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New message examples

1-on-1 confirmation
  • Recipients: Add a single contact
  • Send from: Your main business number
  • Message: “Hi Alex, we have you for 2:00 PM today. Reply YES to confirm or 1 to reschedule.”
  • Send: Now
Broadcast update (up to 100)
  • Recipients: Paste your list of today’s appointments
  • Send individually: On
  • Message: “Heads up: Our office is closing early today at 4 PM. Text us here with any questions.”
  • Schedule: 9:00 AM today
Broadcast to labeled conversations
  • Recipients: Select the “VIP Customers” label
  • Send individually: On
  • Message: “Exclusive offer for our VIP customers: 20% off your next service. Reply to book!”
  • Send: Now
Broadcast to assigned conversations
  • Recipients: Select teammate “Sarah”
  • Send individually: On
  • Message: “Quick reminder: Please follow up on your open conversations by end of day.”
  • Send: Now
Group SMS (small team check-in)
  • Recipients: Add your field techs
  • Send type: Group SMS
  • Message: “Quick update: job 1842 running 20 min behind. Anyone nearby to swap?”
  • Send: Now

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Frequently asked message compose questions

You’re capped at 100 recipients per send. Create another message for the next batch.
No. Each reply creates a private 1-on-1 thread with you, not the whole list.
Use Group SMS when you want a short, collaborative thread where everyone can see replies. Use a broadcast when you want scale and private replies.
Yes. Visit the inbox and view Scheduled messages. Click to open the scheduled message to reschedule or cancel it before its send time.
Only the first 100 conversations with that label or assigned to that teammate receive the message.
No. You can only select one label or one assigned teammate per message. However, you can add multiple individual contacts (up to 100 total).
Post-send actions let you automatically assign conversations to a teammate or apply a label after sending a broadcast. They’re only available when using “Send individually” mode, not for Group SMS messages.
Yes. The message preview widget is on by default on mobile and desktop. It resolves personalization tags per recipient, flags tags that can’t be filled until send time, and lets you send a test message to any phone number. Turn it off from the widget after your first send, or in Inbox Preferences.