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V3: How to send a Group or Individual message / text / SMS
V3: How to send a Group or Individual message / text / SMS

Send a text message (SMS) to a person, people, or group(s). Recommended: Use your local A2P (10-digit) number not the short code.

Anne Heath avatar
Written by Anne Heath
Updated over a week ago

Previously, we offered our PastorsLine shared short code (77411) and toll-free numbers to improve the sending rate of your texts and to help you avoid carriers filtering your text messages to spam.

Since then, all PastorsLine numbers have become ‘recognized’ numbers in the new A2P 10DLC system. As a result, they have been given trust scores. These trust scores mean that mobile carriers should not filter your texts as spam, and the sending rates should be higher.

The recommendation now is to use your local, 10-digit PastorsLine number.

How to get to this page

Step 0

Log in to PastorsLine.

Step 1

Click on Create New (top item in left-hand most column). The Create New box will open.

Step 2

By default, you will be in the All tab. Click on Send Text, Pic or Video.

Step 3: Find the person, people, group (s) or number(s) to whom you would like to send a message.

Organizing your message recipients

Step 1: To search for a person or group, type a search key in the search line. We have typed "wa" (turquoise box in image to the left).

PastorsLine returns all options containing your search key.

Note that we are choosing AWANA.

If your search key is a number, a dropdown menu will appear to the left.

Option 1: The number is part of a name such as "Group 717". In this case, do nothing with the dropdown menu. This tells PastorsLine to search and return people and group names containing your search key.

Option 2: The number is part of a number such as "1-717-111-1111". In this case, select your country code from the dropdown menu. This tells PastorsLine to search and return numbers containing your search key.

We have chosen AWANA. As a result, it has been moved from the list to the send area (turquoise arrow in image to the left).

Step 2: Click Next (gold arrow in image to the left).


The videos below show another way to get to a new message. However, once you are there, the create process is the same.

Creating a new text message

2024.02.20 To help prevent your people from sending messages by mistake...

If you hit the keyboard shortcut key for Send, a message will pop up asking you to confirm your send action.

Step 1

Type your text message in the Text Message Box (brown box in image to the left).

Step 2

At the bottom of the screen just above the Text Message Box is the Sending From Feature (blue circle in image to the left). This is the number from which you are sending the message. If it does not show the PastorsLine short code (77411), click Son it to reveal your other options.

Step 3

Once you click on the Sending From Feature, the Sending From popup appears.

Select the number you wish to use. We recommend your local, A2P number.

However, in some cases, you may prefer to use the short code.
We will continue our example with that, so choose the PastorsLine short code by clicking on it.

Step 4

The screen will refresh. Check that the short code now appears as the sending from number. (turquoise circle in image below).

Step 5

Take a moment to check the default signature at the bottom of the text (yellow circle in image above). If it is not correct, edit it by clicking on Signatures (pencil icon, dark blue circle in image below.

The Choose Outgoing Signature for Number popup will appear (light blue oval in image below). Select Manage Signatures (black rectangle in image below) to add or edit your signatures.

Choose Signature

As we move through this process, keep in mind that your signature options depend on a combination of factors. We will try to be as clear as we can about how those factors work.

Turquoise 1 in image above

This is the first factor which determines signature options because each person on your team can set up their own signatures.

Click on the downward arrow to open the dropdown menu. Then click to choose the name of the person sending the message. If your role is "user", you will not be able to change the FROM. You need to have admin, admin+, or owner permissions to do this.

Turquoise 2 in image above

Click on the downward arrow to open the dropdown menu. The options presented depend on the SENDING FROM number you chose earlier. (5.1 above, reminder in image below).

In this example, the FROM number is a regular 10-digit number. Thus, there are two relevant signature categories: Regular 10 Digit Number and Custom Unassigned.

This is because the signatures in these categories are equivalent (i.e, both follow the same rules needed for such signatures).

Turquoise 3 in image above: This list shows all the numbers in the category you chose in Turquoise 2 just before. Each of these numbers has associated signatures. This will further narrow down your options.

Click on the downward arrow to open the dropdown menu. Then click to choose the number whose signatures you wish to choose from.

Turquoise 4 in image above

Here are all the signature options available for you to choose from at this point.

Click on the downward arrow to open the dropdown menu. Then click to choose the signature you wish to use.

Turquoise 5 in image above

If you wish to make changes to your existing signatures or add a new one, click on this link. You will be redirected to the My Signatures page.

Turquoise 6 in image above

Check out the preview to see how your message + signature will look.

Turquoise 7 in image above

Click Insert to save your signature choice.

To find out more about working with default signatures, read this article.

Step 6

Take a moment to check the characters and approximate cost (turquoise oval in image below). The required default signature (automatically added to your message) is counted in your message's total character count. In our example below, the total number of characters is 98.

It will cost 1 credit to send this message to 1 person.



Step 7

Once you start typing, you will notice that a Clock icon [brown box in image below] will appear.

If you click on this icon, a the Schedule Message screen will pop up. Schedule your text message for a later send by completing and saving the date/time details on the popup screen.

For group messages, you will also be able to tell PastorsLine to repeat your message (see purple highlight in image above). Choose the repeat schedule from the dropdown menu.

Step 8

Click the purple arrow (gold box in image below) to send your message from the short code (or the other number you chose).

You may also wish to check out the links below for more information:

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