SMS Marketing Message Generator
Get ready-to-send marketing texts for flash sales, VIP early access, restocks, launches and last-chance reminders, each sized for one SMS segment.
How each text is built
Every version follows the same pattern, so it fits one 160-character GSM-7 segment: store name, a message of 14 words at most, the link, then the opt-out line. Each one appears in a box with a character count.
A flash sale text
- Store name
- Harbour & Co: (13 characters)
- Message
- 30% off all shirts with code FLASH30. Ends tonight at 11:59 p.m.
- Link
- A 25-character short link
- Opt-out
- Reply STOP to opt out (21 characters)
126 characters in total: one segment, with 34 to spare.
Message types
| Type | Leads with | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Flash sale | The offer and the deadline | No “today only” unless you give the deadline |
| VIP early access | Subscribers get it first | No invented discount |
| Back in stock | What's back | No scarcity unless you give real stock facts |
| New product launch | What's new and one detail | |
| Holiday sale | The holiday and the offer | End time, or a placeholder |
| Last chance | When the offer ends | Uses your deadline, or [end time] |
Each version takes a different angle (the offer, the product, the deadline, the subscriber perk or a question), so you can test them.
Staying compliant
- Consent first. Only text people who opted in to marketing texts from you. CTIA's guidelines say consent applies only to the program it was given for.
- Name the store and say how to opt out. Every text starts with your store name and ends with STOP wording, as CTIA asks.
- Mind the clock. US federal rules bar telephone solicitations before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. at the recipient's location. Check your state's rules too.
- Watch the characters. Emoji and accented letters switch a text to Unicode, where a segment holds 70 characters.
This is general information, not legal advice. Check what applies to you with your SMS platform.
Sending them
- 01
Shopify
Go to Apps > Messaging, click Create campaign and select SMS. US and Canadian stores need toll-free number registration first, which Shopify says takes 2 to 5 business days. Send yourself a test before you schedule it.
- 02
Other SMS apps
Klaviyo, Postscript, Attentive and similar apps work the same way: paste the text and use the app's link shortener.
- 03
Check the length
Paste the final text, with your real link, into the SMS character counter before you schedule it.
Questions people ask
How long should a marketing text be?
Under 160 characters, so it sends as one segment. With your store name, a short link and opt-out wording, that leaves room for about 14 words.
Do I need “Reply STOP to opt out” in every text?
CTIA's guidelines ask senders to say in the message how to opt out, so including it in marketing texts is the safe choice. It costs 21 characters.
What time should I send marketing texts?
Between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in the customer's time zone, which is the US federal limit for telephone solicitations. Mid-morning or early evening, when people check their phones, is a common choice.
Can I use emoji?
Yes, pick Allow emoji. Each emoji switches the text to Unicode, where a segment holds 70 characters, so the text costs more to send.
What about abandoned cart texts?
Those are automated and follow a different pattern. Use the abandoned cart SMS generator.
Related tools
Want this builtinto your store?
I'm Emmanuel, a Shopify and WooCommerce developer. If this tool pointed at something you'd rather have fixed for you (a faster store, cleaner product data, a migration, a custom feature), send me a note.
Emmanuel Asika
Shopify & WooCommerce developer, Dublin
I build and fix online stores: new builds, migrations, speed, SEO and the custom bits apps can't do.