# How to set up a drip text campaign that stops when someone replies

> A drip text campaign sends 3 to 5 short texts with waits between them and ends for each person the moment they reply. How to set one up, with two full examples.

Updated 2026-10-17. https://usetextually.com/guides/how-to-set-up-a-drip-text-campaign

To set up a drip text campaign that stops on reply, start with people who agreed to texts, write three to five short texts with waits of one to several days between them, send only in daytime hours on each person's own clock, and make any reply end that person's sequence. STOP ends texts to them from every campaign.

This guide covers consent, writing and spacing the texts, sending hours, what counts as a reply, what STOP does and how to measure replies, with two full sequences: one for a service business and one for a B2B sales team. It is one part of our [guide to SMS for sales and customer follow-up](/guides/sms-sales-and-customer-follow-up). Where it touches rules, it summarizes public rules as checked in October 2026. It is not legal advice; ask a lawyer about your own program.

## What is a drip text campaign?

A drip text campaign, also called an SMS sequence, is a set of texts sent to each person on a schedule, one at a time, with a wait between each. Every person moves through the steps on their own clock, starting when they join. The campaign stops for a person when they reply, opt out or reach the last step.

Three kinds of step cover almost every drip campaign:

| Step | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Text | Sends one message, with fields from your list filled in | "Hi {{First name}}, Sam at Northwind. Any questions on the quote?" |
| Wait | Holds the person for a number of days before the next step | Wait 2 days, counting business days only |
| Condition | Checks something before going on | If the Booked column is empty, go to the next step; otherwise end the sequence |

A drip campaign is built around the answer. The point of every text is a reply, and the reply is the moment a person on your team takes over, so stopping on reply is the rule that makes the rest work. Nobody should get "Just checking in" an hour after they wrote back.

## What do you need before the first text?

Consent from each person, a record of it, and a registered number. Carriers expect an opt-in before any business text: CTIA's guidance says "messages should be sent only after the Consumer has opted-in to receive them", and that before promotional texts "the Consumer should agree in writing to receive promotional texts" ([CTIA Messaging Principles and Best Practices, 2023](https://api.ctia.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/230523-CTIA-Messaging-Principles-and-Best-Practices-FINAL.pdf), section 5.1).

The law sets its own floor. In the US, autodialed marketing texts to mobiles need "prior express written consent" ([47 CFR 64.1200(a)(2)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-64/subpart-L/section-64.1200)). In Canada, a commercial text needs express or implied consent ([CASL s. 6(1)](https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/E-1.6/FullText.html)). For the full picture, read [is cold texting legal](/guides/is-cold-texting-legal).

Before you build anything, check four things:

1. **Where each person agreed.** A form with a checkbox, a booking page, a signed agreement, or the person texting you first.
2. **What they agreed to.** Follow-up about their request is one thing; promotions are another. Your sequence should match what the wording said.
3. **That you can show it.** Keep the source and date for each person, and the wording they saw. Our [opt-in language examples](/guides/sms-consent-opt-in-examples) show wording and what to record.
4. **That your number is registered.** US texts from local numbers need a 10DLC brand and campaign, and Canadian recipients are usually texted from a verified toll-free number. See [how to register for 10DLC](/guides/how-to-register-10dlc).

Bought or shared lists fail the first check. CTIA says senders "should not use opt-in lists that have been rented, sold, or shared".

## How many texts should a drip campaign have?

Three to five is a sensible range for most follow-up, labelled here as practice: we found no independent study that sets a best number of follow-up texts. Each text should give the person a reason to answer, and the last one should close the loop so they know you won't keep going. Our guide to [how many follow-up texts to send](/guides/how-many-follow-up-texts) covers the evidence, and its gaps, in more detail.

A shape that works for most cases:

| Text | Job | Wait before the next |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Say who you are, why you're texting, and ask one easy question | 1 to 2 days |
| 2 | Make answering easier: offer a choice, or a way to reply by text | 2 to 3 days |
| 3 | Add one useful detail or a new reason to answer | 4 to 7 days |
| 4, optional | Close the loop: "Should I check back later instead?" | End |

Spread the waits out as the sequence goes on. Someone who didn't answer in a day may answer in a week, and a fourth text two days after the third reads as pressure.

## How do you write texts people answer?

Short, personal, with one question. Five rules cover most of it:

1. **Name yourself and your business in the first text.** "Sam at Northwind" tells the person who is writing before they wonder. In Canada, every commercial text must identify the sender ([CASL s. 6(2)](https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/E-1.6/FullText.html)).
2. **Give the reason in their words.** "Thanks for the demo request" or "about the furnace quote" connects the text to something they did.
3. **Ask one question that is easy to answer from a phone.** "Is Tuesday or Thursday better?" gets more answers than "Let me know your availability."
4. **Keep each text to one segment.** A text holds 160 plain characters, or 70 with an emoji or curly quote ([3GPP TS 23.038, 2026](https://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Specs/archive/23_series/23.038/)). Until the person replies, the opt-out line takes 89 characters, which leaves 71 for your own words. Check yours with the [SMS segment counter](/tools/sms-segment-counter), and read [what an SMS segment is](/guides/text-message-segments) for the detail.
5. **Use fields, and test them with the longest real value.** {{First name}} and {{Company}} make a text personal, and a 30-character company name can push a text into two segments.

For wording by situation, see our [follow-up text templates](/guides/follow-up-text-templates) and [how to write a business text](/guides/write-a-business-text).

## When should the texts go out?

In daytime hours on the recipient's own clock. US federal rules bar telephone solicitations to residential subscribers "before the hour of 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. (local time at the called party's location)" ([47 CFR 64.1200(c)(1)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-64/subpart-L/section-64.1200)), and the FCC applies that to texts to mobiles (64.1200(e)). Florida, Oklahoma and Maryland set 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for telephone solicitations; our [quiet hours guide](/guides/texting-quiet-hours) covers what each statute says and how far it reaches texts.

A list with leads in Toronto, Chicago and Vancouver spans three time zones, so 8:30 a.m. in a Toronto office is 5:30 a.m. in Vancouver. A drip campaign should work out each person's local time, usually from the area code, and hold a step that falls due outside the window until the next allowed time.

Two more timing choices:

- **Business days only.** Counting waits in business days keeps follow-ups off Saturdays and Sundays, which suits most B2B sequences.
- **Sending days and hours narrower than the law.** You might send only from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, when someone is around to answer the replies. The [texting hours checker](/tools/texting-hours-checker) shows what a send time means across zones.

## What counts as a reply?

Any text the person sends back. "Who is this?", "Not now", "Call me Thursday", a thumbs-up and an automatic "I'm driving" reply all show a person, or their phone, is there. Treat every one as the end of the automated sequence and hand the thread to a person.

Four kinds of reply need different handling:

| Reply | What it means | What should happen |
|---|---|---|
| A normal reply, any words | The conversation has started | The sequence ends for that person; someone answers from the same number |
| An automatic reply ("I'm driving", "Out of office") | Their phone answered for them | The sequence ends; a person reads it and decides when to follow up |
| STOP or other opt-out wording | They revoked consent | No more texts to that number, from any campaign |
| HELP | They want to know who you are | Send your business name and how to reach you |

The opt-out row is set by rule. Under current FCC rules, a reply of "stop," "quit," "end," "revoke," "opt out," "cancel," or "unsubscribe" revokes consent by itself, and other wording counts "if a reasonable person would understand those words to have conveyed a request to revoke consent" ([47 CFR 64.1200(a)(10)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-64/subpart-L/section-64.1200)). "Please stop texting me" is an opt-out even though it isn't one word. Our [STOP and opt-out rules guide](/guides/stop-and-opt-out-rules) covers the deadlines, the confirmation text and French opt-outs.

## Should an opt-out stop every campaign?

Yes. A person who says stop has told your business to stop, whichever campaign or number reached them. CTIA asks senders to "retain and maintain all opt-in and opt-out requests in their records to ensure that future messages are not attempted" (section 5.1.5), and under CASL an unsubscribe can cover "any commercial electronic messages" from the sender (s. 11(1)(a)).

The common ways an opt-out gets lost are all about separate lists: the same person in two campaigns on two numbers, an old list re-imported after someone replied STOP, or a teammate texting from another tool. Keep one opt-out list for the whole business and check it before every send.

A normal reply is different. It ends the sequence in the campaign it answered, and whether to stop the person's other campaigns is your call. If someone answers your renewal reminder, you may still want their appointment reminder to go out.

## How do you measure a drip campaign?

By replies, and by the people who leave. Four numbers tell you most of what you need:

| Measure | What it tells you | What to change if it's poor |
|---|---|---|
| Reply rate: the share of people texted who replied | Whether the texts give people a reason to answer | The first text: the reason, the question, the name |
| Opt-out rate: the share of people texted who opted out | Whether the texts feel wanted | Who you text, how often, and whether the list really opted in |
| Delivered share | Whether carriers accept your texts | Registration, numbers, content; see [why business texts get blocked](/guides/why-business-texts-get-blocked) |
| Replies by step | Which text earns the answers | Cut or rewrite the steps that get none |

We found no independent benchmark for drip campaign reply rates, so compare a campaign with your own earlier ones, changing one thing at a time.

Watch the opt-out rate closely, because carriers listen to the people you text. CTIA notes that consumers can report unwanted texts to their carrier, for example through "7726 (SPAM) reporting systems", and that service providers "may block or filter message traffic" (sections 7.2.1.2 and 7.2.3).

## Example: a drip campaign for a service business

A heating and cooling company follows up on estimates. People request an estimate on the website and tick a box agreeing to texts about their request. The list has columns for First name, Service and Booked, which the office fills in when a job is booked.

1. **Text:** Hi {{First name}}, Dana at Brightside. Any questions on the quote?
2. **Wait:** 2 days, business days only.
3. **Condition:** if Booked is empty, go to the next step; otherwise end the sequence for this person.
4. **Text:** Dana at Brightside. Want me to hold an install slot next week?
5. **Wait:** 3 days, business days only.
6. **Condition:** if Booked is empty, go to the next step; otherwise end the sequence.
7. **Text:** Dana at Brightside. Happy to walk through the {{Service}} options.
8. **Wait:** 7 days.
9. **Text:** Dana at Brightside. Should I check back next season instead?

The Booked check catches people who called the office instead of texting back, so nobody gets a sales text after they booked. Every text names the business, asks one thing and fits in one segment with the opt-out line. Our [estimate follow-up guide](/guides/estimate-follow-up-texts) has more wording for this case.

## Example: a drip campaign for a B2B sales team

A software company follows up on demo requests from its website. The form has an unticked checkbox agreeing to texts about the request, and the list has First name, Company and Meeting booked columns, filled from the CRM.

1. **Text:** Hi {{First name}}, Sam at Northwind. Is a call today or tomorrow good?
2. **Wait:** 1 day, business days only.
3. **Condition:** if Meeting booked is empty, go to the next step; otherwise end the sequence.
4. **Text:** Sam at Northwind. Happy to answer by text if a call is hard to fit.
5. **Wait:** 3 days, business days only.
6. **Condition:** if Meeting booked is empty, go to the next step; otherwise end the sequence.
7. **Text:** Sam at Northwind. Is {{Company}} still looking, or should I wait?
8. **Wait:** 5 days, business days only.
9. **Text:** Sam at Northwind. I'll leave it here. Reply any time if that changes.

Business days keep it off weekends. The Meeting booked check stops the sequence for anyone who booked through a calendar link in an email. The second text makes answering easier, the third gives a polite way to say "not now", and the fourth closes the loop. [Speed to lead](/guides/speed-to-lead-texting) covers how fast the first text should go.

## How do you launch it?

Start small, read every reply, then widen.

1. **Import the list** with consent source and date as columns, and remove landlines and invalid numbers; a [phone type check](/features/phone-type-check) tags them.
2. **Preview each text** with the longest real values in every field.
3. **Launch a first batch** of 50 to 100 people, read every reply for a day or two, and fix what the replies show.
4. **Add new leads as they arrive,** so each one starts the first step soon after agreeing.

## Where does Textually fit?

Textually is built for exactly this. You build a campaign from Text, Wait and Condition steps, with any column on your list as a field and the segment count shown as you type, both before and after a reply. Waits run from 1 to 30 days, with an option to count business days only. Any text back ends that lead's sequence and lands in one shared inbox, where your team answers from the number the lead already knows. STOP, the other opt-out words and clear wording such as "please stop texting me" mark the person opted out across your whole workspace, so no other campaign texts them. Texts go out only in your sending days and hours, never before 8 AM or after 9 PM on each lead's own clock, and only to leads with a consent record or a campaign-wide confirmation. The Analytics tab shows texts sent, delivered share, reply rate and opt-out rate for each campaign. See [SMS sequences](/features/sms-sequences), [pricing](/pricing), the [integrations](/integrations) that bring leads in from your CRM, or [apply for access](/apply).

## Questions

### What is the difference between a drip campaign and a text blast?

A blast sends one message to everyone at once. A drip campaign sends a series of texts to each person on their own schedule, with waits between them, and stops for each person when they reply.

### How long should I wait between drip texts?

One to two days after the first text, then two to three, then four to seven, as a starting point. Lengthen the waits as the sequence goes on, count business days for B2B, and judge by your own replies, since no independent study sets a best gap.

### Does a "who is this?" reply stop the sequence?

It should. Any text back means a person is there, so the automated steps end and someone on your team answers. In Textually, every reply other than an opt-out ends that lead's sequence and lands in the shared inbox.

### What happens if someone replies STOP to a drip campaign?

No more texts go to that number, and you may send one confirmation with no marketing in it. FCC rules allow up to 10 business days to honor it, but the next scheduled step may come sooner, so stop before the next send. Keep the opt-out across every campaign.

### Can a drip campaign text people in different time zones?

Yes, if it works out each person's local time. US federal rules use the recipient's local time for the 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. window, so a campaign should read each lead's time zone, usually from the area code, and hold texts until their morning.

### Do I need consent for a follow-up drip to someone who asked for a quote?

You need consent that covers the texts you send. A form checkbox that agrees to texts about the request covers follow-up on it. Promotional texts need written consent in the US under FCC rules and carrier guidance, and in Canada CASL sets its own consent and identification rules.