Phone, SMS & website

SMS replies and opt-outs

Read and answer texts in the Conversations inbox, use AI-drafted replies, see when the AI replies on its own, learn which booking texts go out automatically, and handle STOP and START.

Aiva Chat gives you two-way texting on your own Twilio number. Every text thread lands in one inbox next to your calls. The AI can draft replies for you, can handle appointment texts on its own once you turn on Booking by text, and Aiva Chat handles opt-outs for you. You need a connected Twilio number that can text. For US numbers, you also need an approved A2P 10DLC registration (see Register for A2P 10DLC).

Find your texts

In the sidebar, open Communication → Conversations. This inbox holds voice calls and texts with your customers. To see only texts, select Text in the type filter. You can also show only Unread threads, search, or filter by assistant and date.

Open a thread to see the full message history. If the sender isn't saved yet, the thread shows Not in contacts.

Reply to a text

  1. Type in the Write a text message… box.
  2. Press Enter or click Send message. Shift+Enter starts a new line.

To send a photo or file, click Attach a file (the paperclip). A text can carry at most 10 attachments.

If a send fails, your draft stays in the box so you can try again.

Let the AI draft a reply

Click Suggest a reply. Aiva Chat reads the thread and puts a draft in the box, labelled AI draft — read it before sending. Edit it as much as you like, then send it. Nothing goes out until you click send.

The draft follows the customer's language. It uses your assistant's knowledge and your OpenAI key.

When the AI replies on its own

By default, a person sends every reply: the AI only drafts one when you click Suggest a reply.

Turn on Booking by text for an assistant and the AI answers appointment texts sent to that assistant's numbers by itself. It books, moves and cancels appointments in the thread. You can also let it answer every text. Its replies are marked as sent by AI, and a banner on the thread lets you Take over or click Let AI reply to hand it back. When you reply from the inbox, the AI pauses on that conversation. Texts it doesn't handle wait for you as usual, and threads it hands to your team show Needs you. See Booking by text.

Automatic booking texts

A few texts do go out on their own, from your Twilio number:

  • Booking confirmations, when a customer books on a call, in website chat, on a booking page or on your website, or when your team books and ticks Text and email the customer the booking.
  • Appointment reminders, up to two per appointment, sent only between 8 AM and 9 PM in the customer's time. Reminders are on by default; set them up in Reminders and the customer's manage link.
  • An optional "Sorry we missed you" text after you mark a no-show.

These texts include a link where the customer can confirm, move or cancel their appointment. A customer can reply C to a reminder to confirm they're coming.

Replying C only confirms an existing appointment. Without Booking by text, customers change an appointment with their link, by calling, or by booking online. With Booking by text on, they can also reply to the reminder to move or cancel it, and the reminder says so.

When an appointment is booked or moved by text, the AI's reply in the thread is the confirmation, so no separate confirmation text is sent.

Photos and voice notes (MMS)

When a customer sends a picture or a voice note, Aiva Chat reads the image and transcribes the audio. The AI uses that when it drafts a suggested reply, so it can respond to what was actually sent. Booking by text reads text only, not photos or voice notes. This processing runs on your OpenAI key.

Sending late at night

When you text someone by hand outside normal hours for them, Aiva Chat checks first. It shows It's [their local time] for this person. Send anyway? Click Send anyway to send now, or Not now to hold off.

Opt-outs: STOP and START

Aiva Chat follows the standard carrier keywords. They work when the whole text is just the keyword, in any letter case.

  • To opt out, a customer texts STOP, STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END or QUIT. Aiva Chat replies once to confirm and adds the number to your do-not-contact list.
  • To opt back in, they text START, YES or UNSTOP. Aiva Chat confirms and removes the STOP block.

A thread from an opted-out number has no reply box. It shows Texting is paused. and explains that you can't text them until they reply START. If you try to text them from elsewhere, you'll see This number opted out of texts (replied STOP). Remove it from the do-not-contact list to text it again.

"STOP texting me" does not count as an opt-out, because only the exact keyword does. Use your judgment and add the number by hand if needed.

Manage the do-not-contact list

Open Communication → My Numbers and select the Do-not-contact tab. The tab shows how many numbers are on the list.

Add a number by hand:

  1. Enter it in Phone number.
  2. Choose Block from: Calls and texts, Calls only or Texts only.
  3. Optional: add a Reason (optional).
  4. Click Add.

Add many at once: click Import, paste numbers into Paste numbers, one per line, choose what to Block, and click Import.

Find and review: search the list, or filter by reason (Texted STOP or Added manually). Click Export CSV to download it. Use the remove button on a row to take a number off the list.

Aiva Chat checks this list before every text it sends, and before outbound calls. If the check can't run, the text isn't sent, and you're asked to try again shortly.

Next steps

Something here doesn’t match what you see in the dashboard? Email support@aivachat.io and we’ll fix the guide.