# Sending a one-off text or email to a client

> Text or email one client from Messages or their profile, with their name filled in, and see straight away whether it went.

Source: https://docs.fullcolumn.com/messages/send-a-message

Running late, a product's come in, a question about their colour: you can text or email any client from FullColumn. It goes from your salon's number or email address, never your own, and it's kept in **Messages** and on the client's profile so the whole team can see what was said.

## Sending a text or email from the Messages page

1. Open **Messages** and press **New message** (or <kbd>N</kbd>).
2. Under **To**, search for the client by name, mobile or email, and pick them.
3. In **Send as**, choose **SMS** or **Email**. The hint shows the number or address it's going to.
4. For an email, type a **Subject** (left empty, it's "A message from" and your salon's name).
5. Write your **Message**.
6. Press **Send text** or **Send email** (or <kbd>⌘</kbd> <kbd>↵</kbd>).

A client with no mobile can only be emailed, and one with no email can only be texted. With neither, you're asked to add one on their profile first.

## Sending a message from a client's profile

On a client's profile, press **Message** (it's greyed out when they have no mobile or email). Choose **Text** to their number or **Email**, write your message and press **Send**. Their **Messages** tab lists everything sent to them and their replies, with **Send a message** when there's nothing yet.

To answer a client's reply, open it in **Messages** and press **Reply** ([client replies](https://docs.fullcolumn.com/messages/replies)).

## Personalising a one-off message

**Insert** adds a placeholder where your cursor is:

| Button           | Placeholder    | Becomes                                                 |
| ---------------- | -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| **First name**   | `{first_name}` | The client's first name ("there" if you don't have one) |
| **Booking link** | `{book_link}`  | Your online booking page                                |
| **Salon name**   | `{business}`   | Your salon's name                                       |

When your message has a placeholder, **Preview** shows it filled in for that client. These work in messages from a client's profile too.

> [!TIP]
> If your texts come from the shared number, say who it's from: clients won't know the number. Starting with `{business}` does it.

## How long a one-off text can be

The count under the message shows the characters and how many texts it will use: up to 160 characters is one text, and longer messages are split into parts of 153, each using SMS credits. An emoji brings the limit down to 70 a text. A message can be up to 2,000 characters. More on counting: [SMS credits](https://docs.fullcolumn.com/messages/texts-and-email).

## Who gets one-off messages

A one-off message is about the client's own business with you, so it goes like an appointment message:

- It reaches clients who've opted out of marketing, or replied STOP to your texts.
- It still goes once you've reached your monthly limit on extra texts (on the free trial, only while the trial's texts last).

Promotions and news to clients belong in a [campaign](https://docs.fullcolumn.com/messages/campaigns), which only goes to clients who agreed to marketing and lets them opt out.

## After you press Send

The message goes straight away and you're told how it went: "Text sent to Sarah", "on its way", or why it couldn't be sent. It shows in **Messages** marked **Custom**, and on the client's profile. If it failed, **Retry** sends it again once the problem is fixed ([why a message wasn't sent](https://docs.fullcolumn.com/messages/texts-and-email)).

Anyone on the team can send a client a message. People without **See clients' phone numbers and email addresses** don't see the number or address, but can still send.

## Common questions

### Will the client see my own mobile number?

No. Texts come from your salon's number (its own, or the shared one), and emails from your salon's name, with replies going to your salon's email address.

### Can I message several clients at once?

Yes, with a campaign: choose a group, like everyone who's seen one stylist in the last 12 months, and send them all the same message. Campaigns only go to clients who agreed to marketing, and need the marketing permission ([campaigns](https://docs.fullcolumn.com/messages/campaigns)).

### Can I schedule a message to go later?

One-off messages go straight away. Messages that go at a set time are the automatic ones: reminders, service notes and automatic marketing.

### Does a one-off text use SMS credits?

Yes, like any text. Emails don't.