--- title: Send an Automated SMS description: how to build an automates sms --- [Skip to content](https://support.encorepro.com/send-an-automated-sms#main-content) [Get Help](https://support.encorepro.com/kb-tickets/new?hsLang=en) [Customer portal](https://support.encorepro.com/portal?hsLang=en) [![EP Support](https://support.encorepro.com/hs-fs/hubfs/EP%20Support.png?width=175&height=43&name=EP%20Support.png)](https://support.activitystream.com/?hsLang=en) - [Encore Pro](https://support.encorepro.com/) - Yesplan Show submenu for Yesplan - [Manual](https://manual.yesplan.be) - [Learning](https://learning.yesplan.be) - [Portal](https://support.encorepro.com/portal) - Legacy Tools Show submenu for Legacy Tools - [Activity Stream](https://support.encorepro.com/activity-stream) - [crowdEngage](https://support.encorepro.com/crowdengage) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [Encore Pro](https://support.encorepro.com/) - Yesplan Show submenu for Yesplan - [Manual](https://manual.yesplan.be) - [Learning](https://learning.yesplan.be) - [Portal](https://support.encorepro.com/portal) - Legacy Tools Show submenu for Legacy Tools - [Activity Stream](https://support.encorepro.com/activity-stream) - [crowdEngage](https://support.encorepro.com/crowdengage) - [Get Help](https://support.encorepro.com/kb-tickets/new) - [Customer portal](https://support.encorepro.com/portal) How can we help you? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [Knowledge Base](https://support.encorepro.com/?hsLang=en) 2. [crowdEngage](https://support.encorepro.com/crowdengage?hsLang=en) 3. [Messaging](https://support.encorepro.com/crowdengage?hsLang=en#messaging-1) # Send an Automated SMS ## Schedule a text to everyone booked for a performance whether it's a pre-show reminder, a "doors in two hours" or a where-to-collect message.                    This article covers building the SMS.                                                        Attaching it to your performances is one more step, linked at the bottom. Before you start If flows, steps and the Default Flow are new to you, read [How flows work in crowdEngage](https://support.encorepro.com/h?hsLang=en) first — two minutes and the rest of this makes sense. Build the flow and add an SMS step 1. Go to **Messaging → Flows** in the dashboard. 2. Click **Add Flow** and give it a name you'll recognise later (e.g "Pre-show message" . One flow holds every message a performance sends, so name it for the performance, not the single text. ![Screenshot 2026-08-12 110342](https://support.encorepro.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-08-12%20110342.png?width=644&height=444&name=Screenshot%202026-08-12%20110342.png) 3. Click **Add step** to start the SMS. ![crowdEngage - Flows 2](https://support.encorepro.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-08-05%20at%2014-01-50%20crowdEngage.png?width=670&height=359&name=Screenshot%202026-08-05%20at%2014-01-50%20crowdEngage.png) who gets it and when 1. **Recipients.** A step defaults to everyone booked for the performance. To narrow it down to a sating area, a ticket type, an access group — use the Criteria Builder at the top of the step. See [Target recipients with the Criteria Builder](https://support.encorepro.com/target-recipients-with-the-criteria-builder?hsLang=en). 2. **Send time.** Set when the text goes out *relative to the performance start time.* It could be the day before to catch pre-orders, or a couple of hours before doors as a last reminder. You're setting an offset from curtain, not a clock time, so it works across every performance you attach the flow to. `` Write the text 1. Click **New text message template** and write your message. 2. Add `` where you want the mobile ticket link — this is what opens the customer's ticket, pre-orders and FAQs. Don't skip it; it's the whole point of the text. 3. To pull in details automatically — performance name, date, time — use merge tags. They read straight from your ticketing system, so one template fits every performance. See [Representing dates and times in your templates](https://support.encorepro.com/show-dates-and-times?hsLang=en) and the [Merge Tag Reference](https://support.encorepro.com/m?hsLang=en) for what's available. `` 4. Click **Apply**, then save the step. Add more steps to the same flow if this performance needs more than one message — a reminder, a post-show survey. Each step gets its own time and recipients. Attach it, or nothing sends Building the flow doesn't send anything. You have to attach it to the performances you want it to run on. → [Attach a flow to an event](https://support.encorepro.com/attach-a-flow-to-an-event?hsLang=en) If it's not working - **Nothing sent.** The flow was built but never attached to the performance, or it's attached but the send time has already passed relative to curtain. Check the Events page — [Attach a flow to an event](https://support.encorepro.com/attach-a-flow-to-an-event?hsLang=en) - **The wrong people got it (or didn't).** The step's criteria don't match your ticketing data. Attribute names must match your ticketing system exactly — see [Target recipients with the Criteria Builder](https://support.encorepro.com/target-recipients-with-the-criteria-builder?hsLang=en). - **The link didn't work.** `` is missing or mistyped in the template.   *Help: support@encorepro.com* - [Get Started](https://support.encorepro.com/get-started?hsLang=en) - [Shows](https://support.encorepro.com/shows?hsLang=en) - [Audience](https://support.encorepro.com/audience?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Segments](https://support.encorepro.com/audience?hsLang=en#segments) - [Lists](https://support.encorepro.com/audience?hsLang=en#lists) - [Campaigns](https://support.encorepro.com/campaigns?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Email](https://support.encorepro.com/campaigns?hsLang=en#email) - [SMS](https://support.encorepro.com/campaigns?hsLang=en#sms) - [Lead Capture](https://support.encorepro.com/campaigns?hsLang=en#lead-capture) - [Automations](https://support.encorepro.com/automations?hsLang=en) - [Dashboards](https://support.encorepro.com/dashboards?hsLang=en) - [Yesplan](https://support.encorepro.com/yesplan?hsLang=en) - [Activity Stream](https://support.encorepro.com/activity-stream?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Access & Navigation](https://support.encorepro.com/activity-stream?hsLang=en#access-navigation) - [Dashboards & Overviews](https://support.encorepro.com/activity-stream?hsLang=en#dashboards-overviews) - [Customers & Segmentation](https://support.encorepro.com/activity-stream?hsLang=en#customers-segmentation) - [Campaigns & Email](https://support.encorepro.com/activity-stream?hsLang=en#campaigns-email) - [Working with Activity Stream](https://support.encorepro.com/activity-stream?hsLang=en#working-with-activity-stream) - [Integrations](https://support.encorepro.com/activity-stream?hsLang=en#integrations) - [crowdEngage](https://support.encorepro.com/crowdengage?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Messaging](https://support.encorepro.com/crowdengage?hsLang=en#messaging-1) - [Preorders](https://support.encorepro.com/crowdengage?hsLang=en#preorders) - [Mobile Ticket](https://support.encorepro.com/crowdengage?hsLang=en#mobile-ticket) - [Templating](https://support.encorepro.com/crowdengage?hsLang=en#templating) - [Resources](https://support.encorepro.com/crowdengage?hsLang=en#resources) [![encore-logo-black-1](https://support.encorepro.com/hs-fs/hubfs/encore-logo-black-1.png?width=200&height=30&name=encore-logo-black-1.png "encore-logo-black-1")](https://www.activitystream.com) [mailto:support@activitystream.com](mailto:support@activitystream.com) Copyright © 2026, Encore Pro