How long should I make my SMS message?
Try to stick to no more than 160 characters per SMS message. Some characters (like emoji) take more space than others, so the actual limit may be lower.
If you go over the limit, your message will automatically be broken up into segments. For example, an SMS message with 350 characters will count as three sms messages per recipient (ie: an SMS send with 90 recipients that has 350 characters will count as 270 sms messages).
You can track the total number of characters when composing an SMS in Sends. Once you have exceeded the allotted 160 character limit, the segment count will go from 1 to 2 (etc). Emoji characters can sometimes count as an additional 1 or 2 segments so be sure to keep an eye on your segment counter and edit your message, accordingly.
- For example, a message without emojis with 159 characters will only count as 1 segment.
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- However, a message that uses an emoji will count as 2 or 3 segments, which if you are sending to 50 recipients, it will bill you for 100 messages or 150 messages sent instead of just 50 messages.
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Results vary for each message so for best practice always be mindful of the segment counter in the bottom right corner (shown in the images above) to monitor your usage and avoid overages.