SMS Composer

The SMS Composer element provides a visual SMS composition interface with a realistic phone preview, character and segment counters, variable merge, MMS support, and a threaded conversation view. Unlike most no-code platforms that hide SMS behind invisible backend actions, this element gives users a full visual compose experience.

Modes

Full Compose Mode

The default mode shows a complete SMS compose panel alongside a live phone preview:

• To field with country code selector and phone chip input
• Message body with variable merge pills ({{name}}, {{code}}, etc.)
• Character counter — shows current count vs. 160-char GSM-7 limit
• Segment counter — color-coded badge showing how many SMS segments the message will use (green = 1 segment, orange = multiple)
• Encoding indicator — shows GSM-7 or Unicode based on content
• Insert Variable button for dynamic data
• MMS toggle — attach an image to convert to MMS (optional)
• Template picker (optional)
• Schedule send (optional)
• Phone preview — realistic device mockup showing the message as it would appear on the recipient's phone

Quick Send Mode

A minimal interface for simple SMS use cases:

• Phone number input with country code
• Message text area
• Character/segment counter
• Send button

Conversation Mode

A threaded chat-bubble view for two-way SMS:

• Contact header with avatar, name, and phone number
• Chat bubbles — outgoing (right, accent color) and incoming (left, white)
• Delivery status indicators (sent, delivered)
• Timestamps on each message
• Reply input at bottom

Properties

Property	Type	Default	Description
Accent Color	Color	#4285F4	Color for buttons, bubbles, and highlights
Mode	Select	compose	compose, quick, or conversation
Default Country Code	Text	+1	Pre-selected country code
Button Text	Text	Send	Label on the send button
Success Message	Text	SMS sent successfully!	Shown after successful send
Show Character Counter	Toggle	On	Display character count
Show Segment Counter	Toggle	On	Display SMS segment count
Show MMS	Toggle	Off	Enable image attachment for MMS
Show Template Picker	Toggle	Off	Show template dropdown
Show Schedule Send	Toggle	Off	Enable send-later option
Max Message Length	Number	1600	Maximum characters (10 segments)

SMS Segments Explained

SMS messages are split into segments for delivery:

• GSM-7 encoding (standard Latin characters): 160 chars per segment
• Unicode encoding (emojis, non-Latin scripts): 70 chars per segment
• Multi-segment messages use 153 chars (GSM-7) or 67 chars (Unicode) per segment due to concatenation headers

The segment counter helps users understand the cost impact of their message — each segment is billed separately by SMS providers.

SMS Provider

Configure your SMS provider in Project Settings > Providers > SMS:

• Twilio — Account SID + Auth Token
• ACENji Managed — Use ACENji's built-in SMS service

Use Cases

• Verification codes — Quick mode with {{code}} variable
• Appointment reminders — Template mode with date/time variables
• Order updates — Compose mode with order data merge
• Two-way support — Conversation mode for customer interactions
• Marketing campaigns — Compose mode with bulk recipient list