How to write a business text message: rules and examples

A good business text names you and your business in the first line, gives the reason you're texting, asks one easy question, and fits in one segment with the opt-out line attached, which leaves about 71 characters for your own words. Add one real detail about the person, send it in daytime hours, and answer replies yourself.

This guide sets out seven plain rules, each with the reason behind it and an example, then rewrites four common texts and covers replies. Every example fits in one segment. For full sequences built on these rules, see our follow-up text templates. Rules on consent and timing are summarized from public sources; this is not legal advice.

What are the rules for a good business text?

Seven rules cover almost every text a sales or customer team sends:

Rule	Why it matters	Example
1. Name yourself and your business first	People are wary of unknown numbers, and Canada's CASL requires sender identification in commercial texts	"Sam at Northwind"
2. Give the reason	It tells them why they're hearing from you	"Thanks for asking about Product"
3. Ask one easy question	One question gets one answer	"Is Thursday or Friday better?"
4. Fit one segment, opt-out line included	Every segment is charged, and long texts read like ads	About 71 characters of your own words
5. Use one real detail	It shows the text is about them	Their first name and what they asked for
6. Send in daytime hours	US rules restrict early and late solicitations	9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, their time zone
7. Reply as a person	A reply is the conversation you wanted	Stop the automated texts and answer yourself

The sections below take each rule in turn.

Why should you name yourself first?

Because people have good reason to distrust a text from a number they don't know. People in the US reported $470 million lost to scams that started with a text in 2024, more than five times the 2020 figure (FTC, 2025). A first line such as "Hi Jordan, Sam at Northwind" answers "who is this?" before they ask it.

In Canada it's also the law for commercial texts. Each one must "set out prescribed information that identifies the person who sent the message" and contact details, plus an unsubscribe mechanism (CASL s. 6(2)). Our guide to texting Canadian customers shows how to fit that into a short text with a link.

Use the business name people know, such as the name on their invoice or booking.

How do you give the reason in one line?

Name what the person did that led to the text: asked for a quote, booked a call, signed up last week, missed an appointment. That one phrase does two jobs. It reminds them they agreed to hear from you, and it gives them context to answer.

Hi First name, Sam at Northwind. Thanks for the quote request.

Keep a record of where and when each person agreed to texts. When someone replies "how did you get my number?", the answer is ready: "You asked for a quote on our site on Nov 14." Our opt-in language examples show what to record.

Why ask only one question?

A text with one clear question can be answered in a few seconds. A text with three asks invites a partial answer, and "let me know your thoughts" asks the person to do the work of deciding what to say.

Good single questions offer a choice or a yes or no:

• "Is Thursday or Friday better?"
• "Did the quote reach you OK?"
• "Want me to hold the 2:30 PM slot?"
• "Should I check back next month instead?"

If you need two answers, ask the first, wait for the reply, then ask the second. The conversation moves faster in short turns.

How long should a business text be?

Short enough to send as one segment with the opt-out line attached. A segment holds up to 160 characters in the basic GSM-7 alphabet, or 70 if the text includes an emoji, a curly quote or another character outside it (3GPP TS 23.038). Longer texts split into parts of 153 or 67 characters, and every part is charged.

The opt-out line counts toward the length. A common carrier-registered line is:

Msg frequency varies. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help.

That's 87 characters, plus 2 for the line break, which leaves 71 for your own words in a one-segment text.

Text	Your own words	Segments
Before a reply, with the opt-out line	Up to 71 characters	1
Before a reply, with the opt-out line	72 to 160 characters	2
After a reply, without the line	Up to 160 characters	1
Any text with one emoji or curly quote	Over 70 characters, line included	2 or more

Seventy-one characters is enough for a name, a reason and a question. Our guide to SMS segments explains the counts and which characters cause surprises.

How should you personalise a business text?

With one or two real details, filled in from your list: the first name, plus what they asked about, the time they booked or the service you quoted. Fields in double braces, like First name, are replaced with each person's value when the text is sent.

Three checks keep personalisation from going wrong:

1. Test with the longest value. A text that fits with "Jordan" can spill into a second segment with a 14-letter name and a long company name. Sort your list by the longest value and check that row.
2. Look for blanks. An empty field turns "Hi First name," into "Hi ,". Fill or remove those rows before you send.
3. Use what they gave you. Stick to details from their form, their booking or your conversation, so the text reads as a follow-up to something they know about.

When should you send a business text?

During the day in the recipient's time zone, on weekdays for business contacts. US federal rules bar telephone solicitations before 8 a.m. and after 9 p.m. local time (47 CFR 64.1200(c)). Florida (Fla. Stat. 501.616), Oklahoma (HB 3168, 2022) and Maryland (Md. Code, Com. Law 14-4502) use 8 p.m. CASL sets no hours in Canada.

Weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the recipient's time zone fit all of these. Our texting quiet hours guide covers the statutes in detail.

What tone works in a business text?

Write the way you'd text a client you respect: plain words, full sentences, sentence case.

• Skip all capitals and strings of emoji. They read like ads, and one emoji drops the segment limit from 160 to 70.
• Type straight quotes. Curly quotes and long dashes pasted from a word processor switch the text to the 70-character format.
• Use links on your own domain. CTIA asks senders to use a link shortener "dedicated to the exclusive use of the Message Sender", and says links should "unambiguously identify the website owner" (CTIA, 2023, section 5.3.2). Shared public shorteners get filtered.
• Leave out requests for passwords, card numbers or one-time codes. Scam texts ask for these, so a real business never should.

What do good business texts look like?

Four common texts, rewritten with the rules above. Each "after" fits in 71 characters with the fields filled in.

Before	What's wrong
"Just checking in to see if you had any thoughts on everything we discussed last week and whether you'd like to move forward."	No name, no business, a vague ask, two segments with the opt-out line
"IMPORTANT: Your account requires attention. Click here:" followed by a shared short link	All capitals, no business name, a link people can't trust; it reads like a scam
"Hi, this is Sam. Let me know your thoughts on the proposal and also when works for a call and whether your team has questions."	Three asks in one text
"Dear Valued Customer, we would like to inform you that your appointment has been scheduled."	No name, no details, no next step

After:

Hi First name, Sam at Northwind. Still keen on a trial this month?

Northwind: invoice Invoice number is due Due date. Questions? Reply here.

Hi First name, Sam at Northwind. Is Thursday or Friday better for a call?

Hi First name, Northwind: see you Date at Time. Reply R to move it.

More texts written this way, for new leads, quotes, missed meetings, candidates and existing customers, are in our follow-up text templates.

How should you write a reply?

Once the person answers, write like a person. If your texting system adds the opt-out line only until the person replies, as Textually does, the line comes off and you have the full 160 characters:

Thanks, Jordan. Thursday at 2:30 PM works. I'll send a calendar invite to the email on your form, and you can text me here if anything changes.

Answer the same day, from the same number, and stop any automated texts to that person. If the reply is STOP, or ARRET in Canada, send only the single confirmation and nothing more; US rules and CASL both set 10 business days as the outer limit to honor it (47 CFR 64.1200(a)(10), CASL s. 11), and stopping at once is the safe practice. Our guide to STOP and opt-out rules covers the details.

Where does Textually fit?

Textually is built around these rules. You write Text, Wait and Condition steps with any column as a field, and the composer shows the character and segment count as you type, so you can see when a text spills into a second segment. Every text carries the registered opt-out line until the person replies, STOP and ARRET stop texts at once, and a reply ends that person's sequence and lands in one shared inbox for a person to answer. Texts go out only inside the sending days and hours you set for each campaign. There is a monthly platform fee ($99, or $49 at the founding price for the first 1,000 teams), texts cost 5 cents down to 2.5 cents a segment, and replies are free (pricing). Apply for access.

Questions

How do you write a professional text to a customer?

Start with your name and business, give the reason for the text, and ask one easy question: "Hi Jordan, Sam at Northwind. Did the quote reach you OK?" Use sentence case and plain words, skip emoji, and keep it to one segment.

How long should a business text message be?

Under 160 characters, so it sends as one segment. If the text carries an opt-out line of about 89 characters, keep your own words to about 71. An emoji or a curly quote drops the limit to 70 characters for the whole text.

Should a business text include the company name?

Yes, in the first line. It answers "who is this?" and makes the text easier to trust. In Canada, CASL requires commercial texts to identify the sender and give contact details (s. 6(2)).

Is it OK to use emoji in business texts?

Sparingly, and after the person has replied. One emoji switches the whole text to the 70-character format, so a first text with an emoji and the opt-out line usually costs two or three segments.

What time is it OK to text a customer?

Weekdays between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. in their time zone fits every rule we've checked. US federal rules bar telephone solicitations before 8 a.m. and after 9 p.m., and Florida, Oklahoma and Maryland use 8 p.m.

Do I need "Reply STOP to opt out" in every business text?

Carriers expect clear opt-out wording in your first text, and CASL requires an unsubscribe mechanism in every commercial text to a Canadian. Keeping the line on every text until the person replies covers both.