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Automatic Texts and Keyword Replies

Some texts go out on their own: a welcome when someone opts in, a nudge to finish a profile after a first check-in, and replies when someone texts a keyword like EVENTS to your number. The Automatic texts section at the top of the Text page shows every one of them, so you always know what your church is sending.

Before you begin

  • Texting is turned on for your church by Churchday. If your Text page shows campaigns and a New campaign button, you're set.
  • Keyword replies only work once your church has its own text number. Until then, the keyword cards say Works once you have your own number, and you can request one with Get a number at the top of the page.
  • To change any automatic text you need permission to send texts. Everyone else can view them.

What each card is

  • Welcome text. Sent the moment someone opts in to texts, with your contact card attached so their phone offers to save you. On your own number the card carries your church name and picture, and the phone on the right shows both, just as the person would see them. The picture is your logo unless you upload a square photo for the card under the Text page's settings (the gear icon), which is worth doing when your logo is wide, since phones crop the picture into a circle. Its wording is what the phone carriers approved for Churchday, so it is locked and the same for every church. Open the card to see exactly what a new subscriber receives.
  • Profile nudge. Off until you turn it on. When on, it's sent a few hours after someone checks in for the first time and says yes to texts, with a personal link to finish their profile. You can change the message and the wait.
  • CONNECT. Signs a person up for your texts the moment they text it to your number, and sends them the welcome text with your contact card. When you don't have their name yet, the welcome adds a link where they can type it. Someone who texts it again gets a short "you're already on" reply. Open the card to download a QR code: scanning it opens the person's Messages app with CONNECT already typed, so all they do is tap send. You can rename it to your church's own word, like BELOVED.
  • JOIN. Replies with a link to your Join form, with the text checkbox already ticked. The form collects their details and records their permission, so this keyword never signs anyone up on its own. It has a QR code too, and can be renamed.
  • EVENTS. Replies with your upcoming public events and a link to each. The list is built from your published events at the moment someone texts, so it is always current. Texting MORE gets a longer list.
  • GIVE. Replies with your giving link from Settings, or your own wording if you write one.
  • Your keywords. Any word you add, with the reply you wrote.

Each card shows whether it is On or Off and how many replies it has sent, or for CONNECT, how many people have joined.

Step-by-step: add a keyword

  1. Go to the Text page and find Automatic texts at the top.
  2. Click Add keyword on the right of the section title. A small window opens.
  3. Type the keyword. Letters and numbers only, up to 20 characters. Type "PRAYER" and it becomes PRAYER automatically.
  4. Write the reply. This is what people get when they text that word. Your church name is added in front. Replies do not carry the opt-out line, because they answer a text the person just sent; the welcome text and every campaign carry it.
  5. Click Add keyword. You land on the keyword's page, with a phone on the right showing the word going out and your reply landing, exactly as a member would see it.

Step-by-step: change or turn off a keyword

  1. Click the keyword's card. Its page opens with the phone preview beside it.
  2. Use the Turned on switch to stop or start replies without deleting anything.
  3. Edit the reply and watch the phone update as you type. For GIVE and JOIN, leave the reply blank to go back to the automatic reply. CONNECT always sends the welcome text, which the carriers approved, so its wording is locked.
  4. Click Save.
  5. Open the Analytics tab to see how many replies went out, how many people texted, and who they were. People on your list link to their profile; numbers you don't have on file show as Someone.

To remove a keyword you added, open the ... menu on its page and choose Delete keyword. Built-in keywords can be turned off but not deleted.

Good to know

  • Some words are reserved. STOP, START, HELP, YES, NO, and MORE are handled automatically and can't be used as keywords. STOP and HELP are answered by the phone carrier's standard replies.
  • Only CONNECT subscribes anyone. Texting EVENTS, GIVE, JOIN, or a keyword you added gets an answer, but only a real opt-in (texting CONNECT, subscribing, RSVPing, joining, or checking in and saying yes to texts) lets you send campaigns to that person.
  • A new number that texts CONNECT shows up in People right away, listed by its phone number with the source Text to join, until the person adds their name through the link in the welcome.
  • The profile nudge skips people who are already done. If the church already has their email, birthday, and street address, or they've already finished their profile link, no nudge is sent. The nudge's page has a How it works card with the full rules.
  • You can have up to 20 keywords, including the built-in ones.
  • Campaign previews show your keywords too. When you write a campaign, the phone on the right offers your keywords as tappable chips, so you can see what a reply would look like.

What's next?

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