How to Send Compliant SMS Messages in Hubspot

Sending SMS messages through Hubspot lets you reach contacts quickly while staying compliant with local regulations and subscription rules. This guide walks you step by step through creating, sending, and managing SMS messages so your campaigns stay effective and safe.

Before You Send SMS in Hubspot

To send SMS, you must first make sure the SMS tool is available and correctly set up in your account. Certain tools and steps are required before you can access the composer.

• Confirm that the SMS feature is included in your Hubspot subscription.
• Have the right user permissions to access the marketing tools.
• Ensure your account has at least one approved SMS phone number where required.

Make sure your legal team reviews any opt-in, consent, and messaging policy to ensure your use of SMS in Hubspot complies with regional laws.

Understand SMS Subscriptions in Hubspot

The SMS tool in Hubspot uses subscription types to control who you are allowed to message. Only contacts who have a valid, active SMS subscription can receive outgoing SMS from your account.

How SMS Subscriptions Work in Hubspot

Each contact has communication preferences. For SMS, a contact must:

• Have a valid phone number stored in a phone property that supports SMS.
• Be opted in to the correct SMS subscription type.
• Not have globally opted out of SMS communication.

If a contact is not subscribed to receive SMS, Hubspot will block the send and your message will not be delivered to that person.

Opt-in and Opt-out Management

You must track consent to send SMS in Hubspot. Common practices include:

• Using forms that clearly state contacts will receive SMS marketing messages.
• Using double opt-in flows where contacts confirm by email or SMS.
• Respecting opt-out keywords such as STOP, which automatically unsubscribe the contact from SMS in the system.

Opt-out events are recorded on the contact record so that future sends in Hubspot do not include those contacts.

Where You Can Send SMS in Hubspot

You can send SMS messages from several tools inside Hubspot, depending on your subscription and configuration.

• Marketing SMS tool: create and schedule bulk messages.
• Workflows: add SMS as an automated step in nurture sequences.
• Contact record: send one-to-one SMS (if supported in your account).

The core composer and sending rules are consistent, but some options may differ slightly depending on where you start in Hubspot.

Step-by-Step: Create and Send a Marketing SMS in Hubspot

Follow these steps to build and send a standard marketing SMS campaign using the SMS tool.

1. Open the SMS Tool in Hubspot

1. Sign in to your Hubspot account.
2. In the main navigation, go to your marketing tools (the exact label may vary by subscription).
3. Locate and open the SMS or marketing messages section.
4. Click the option to create a new SMS message.

This opens the dedicated SMS editor in Hubspot, where you configure content, recipients, and sending options.

2. Choose the SMS Subscription Type

Before adding content, you must choose which SMS subscription type the message will use. This selection controls which subscribers can receive the message.

1. In the editor, find the Subscription type or similar dropdown.
2. Select the SMS subscription category that matches the purpose of your campaign (for example, marketing, updates, reminders, or transactional, depending on how your account is configured).

Hubspot will only send the SMS to contacts who are subscribed to that exact SMS subscription type.

3. Select the Sending Phone Number

Your account may have one or more SMS-enabled phone numbers. Choose the appropriate one for the campaign.

1. In the SMS editor, open the From number selector.
2. Pick the phone number that should appear as the sender.
3. Confirm that the phone number is approved and active for sending in your region.

If your account supports it, some regions may use short codes or alphanumeric sender IDs instead of a standard phone number.

4. Draft Your SMS Content

The core of your message is the SMS body. Keep it short, clear, and compliant with any required legal text.

1. Locate the message body field in the Hubspot SMS editor.
2. Write a concise message that clearly explains your offer, update, or reminder.
3. Consider adding a recognizable brand mention near the start of the message.
4. Include any necessary disclosure or instruction on how to opt out, if not already appended automatically by your account.

Hubspot typically shows character counters and estimated segment counts. Longer messages may be split into multiple SMS segments when delivered.

5. Personalize Your SMS with Tokens

You can personalize your SMS content with contact and company tokens, similar to email personalization in Hubspot.

1. Place your cursor in the message body where you want the personalization to appear.
2. Click the personalization or token button.
3. Select the property you want to insert (for example, first name, company name, or a custom field).
4. Confirm a fallback value so the message still reads naturally when the property is empty.

Use personalization sparingly; SMS is meant to be short and direct. However, one or two key tokens can significantly increase engagement and make your Hubspot campaigns more relevant.

6. Add Links and Track Clicks

You can include URLs in your SMS, and they can be tracked to measure performance.

1. Paste your desired URL into the message body.
2. Use any supported link-shortening options offered in the editor, if available.
3. Confirm that click tracking is enabled so you can review engagement in Hubspot reports.

For best results, send contacts to mobile-friendly landing pages, such as optimized pages built in your Hubspot CMS or external landing tools.

7. Choose Recipients for Your SMS

Next, define who should receive the SMS. Recipient targeting works similarly to marketing email lists in Hubspot, but only subscribed contacts are included.

1. Move to the Recipients or Send to section.
2. Select one or more lists, or build a filter based on contact properties and activities.
3. Review the estimated number of eligible contacts who have valid phone numbers and the appropriate SMS subscription.

Hubspot automatically excludes contacts that are unsubscribed, bounced, or otherwise ineligible based on compliance rules.

8. Send a Test SMS

Always test before sending a large campaign.

1. Click the Send test button in the SMS editor.
2. Enter one or more test phone numbers (often your own or teammates).
3. Verify that personalization tokens render correctly and that links open as expected.

Testing helps you ensure the experience matches what your contacts will see when the Hubspot message is live.

9. Schedule or Send Your SMS

Once you are confident in the content and targeting, you can send immediately or schedule for later.

1. Navigate to the Review and send section.
2. Choose Send now to deliver the SMS right away, or select Schedule to pick a future date and time.
3. Confirm the time zone, especially if you have global audiences.
4. Click Send or Schedule to finalize.

Hubspot then queues the SMS for delivery, applying all the necessary compliance filters in the background.

Monitor SMS Performance in Hubspot

After sending, you can track performance directly in the SMS tool and in broader analytics reports.

Key SMS Metrics

Common metrics available in Hubspot include:

• Number of messages sent and delivered.
• Delivery rate and failure reasons, if available.
• Click-through rates on tracked links.
• Reply volume and common responses, if your setup supports inbound SMS.

Use these insights to refine your future SMS strategy and improve overall engagement.

View SMS Activity on Contact Records

Individual contact timelines in Hubspot show SMS interactions so you can see exactly which messages each person received.

• Open a contact record.
• Check the activity feed for SMS entries.
• Review message content, date, time, and any responses.

This helps sales, service, and marketing teams keep context when engaging contacts across channels.

Automate SMS with Hubspot Workflows

Beyond one-time campaigns, you can automate SMS sends through workflows to create timely, behavior-based messages.

Adding SMS Actions in Hubspot Workflows

1. Open the workflows tool in your Hubspot account.
2. Create a new workflow or edit an existing one.
3. Add an action and choose the SMS send action (availability depends on your subscription).
4. Select an existing SMS message or build one dedicated to the workflow.
5. Set enrollment triggers and delays to control when contacts receive the SMS.

Workflow-based SMS lets you send reminders, confirmations, and nurture messages aligned with each contact’s lifecycle stage.

Best Practices for SMS Campaigns in Hubspot

Effective SMS programs in Hubspot combine compliance, relevance, and timing.

• Obtain explicit consent and document it through forms or clear terms.
• Keep messages short and focused on a single action.
• Avoid sending too frequently to reduce fatigue and unsubscribes.
• Segment your audience so offers are aligned with behavior and preferences.
• Use A/B tests where supported to compare different copy or send times.

Consistent optimization improves performance and protects your sender reputation inside Hubspot.

Additional Hubspot SMS Resources

For the full technical reference on creating and sending SMS messages, see the official documentation at this Hubspot SMS help article. You can also explore expert CRM and marketing automation consulting services at Consultevo to design advanced SMS and multi-channel workflows.

By following these steps and best practices, you can confidently use Hubspot to send SMS messages that are compliant, targeted, and aligned with your broader marketing strategy.

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