Before you start
Text messaging turns on automatically for your funeral home once your SMS registration is approved; there's nothing to switch on yourself. If you haven't completed that setup yet, see Setting up text messaging: completing your SMS registration first.
Once you're approved, every case gets a new Messaging tab, and you're ready to start texting families.
1. Getting a family's consent
Before you can text someone, two things need to be true:
Consent is on file for their phone number.
They haven't texted STOP to your funeral home's number.
There are several ways to get consent, so you can use whatever fits the conversation you're having with the family:
Way to get consent | Where to find it | What it looks like afterward |
Email consent form | Case → Forms tab → Messaging consent | Shows as "Email form" |
Printed consent form | Case → Forms tab → Messaging consent (upload the signed copy) | Shows as "Printed form" |
Read a script out loud | Case → Forms tab → Record verbal consent | Shows as "Verbal consent," with your name and the time |
One click, in the moment | Case → Messaging tab → "Family agreed, enable texting" | Shows as "Verbal consent" |
At online checkout | An optional checkbox the family can tick themselves | Shows as "Store checkout" |
They text you first | A family member texts your number before you've asked | Shows as "Family texted first" |
2. The welcome text
As soon as consent is recorded, the family member automatically receives one welcome text letting them know they're subscribed to messages from your funeral home and that they can reply STOP to opt out or HELP for help. You'll see it in the conversation on the Messaging tab.
🚦 Consent statuses
Each person on the Messaging tab shows one of these statuses:
Status | What it means | What you can do |
Consent given | The family member agreed to receive texts | Text them! |
No consent | No consent on file yet | Record verbal consent or send a consent form |
Consent requested | A consent form is out and waiting for an answer | Wait for their answer, or record verbal consent |
Consent declined | The family member said no | Send the form again, or record new verbal consent (you'll be asked to confirm first) |
Opted out | The family member texted STOP | Nothing on your side. Only the family can turn texting back on by texting START |
3. Chat with families on the Messaging tab
Open a case and click the Messaging tab. You'll see everyone on the case you can text, each with their consent status, any unread replies, and their own conversation.
From there you can:
Send a quick message you type yourself (up to 1,600 characters)
Pick a saved template from the template picker (it lists your custom text templates)
Retry a message marked Not delivered
The Messaging tab works on your phone too, so you can keep the conversation going when you're away from your desk.
➕ Starting a new conversation
Need to text someone who isn't listed yet? Click New message, then enter their first name and phone number and record their verbal consent.
A few things to know:
Field or situation | What happens |
Phone number | Must be a valid 10-digit US number |
First name | Required |
Number already has a conversation on this case | You'll see a warning with an Open conversation link instead. Nothing new is created |
Where the person is saved | As a texting contact on this case only. They're not added to Case details |
📞 Old numbers and past contacts
If a family member's number has changed, or someone is no longer on the case, you can still reply to their existing conversation. You'll see a warning so you know you may be texting an old number.
4. Send a text along with an email
When the person you're emailing has given consent, you can tick Also send as SMS to send them a short text at the same time. It's a great way to make sure they actually see the email.
This option is available when you send:
Custom emails (Emails tab)
Proposals
Digital forms
Death certificate working copies
ID verification
Contracts
After you send, the send history shows Email and SMS for that send.
🤖 Automated emails
When an automated email goes to a family member who has given consent (an invoice payment confirmation, for example), they'll also get a short text letting them know your funeral home has sent them an email. The text never repeats what's in the email.
5. Knowing the moment a family replies
You don't have to keep checking cases to see if someone wrote back. When a family member replies:
An unread label lights up on your notification bell, even if you don't have the sidebar open.
The reply shows up in the Messages tab of your notifications, with who it's from and which case it's on.
Click it, and you're taken straight to that exact conversation.
⚙️ Choose who gets notified
Go to Settings → Notifications → Messages. Each person on your team sets this for themselves.
Your role on the case | Notified about replies? | Can you change it? |
You sent the message the family replied to | Always | No, you're always notified about replies to messages you sent |
Case manager | If you tick the box | Yes |
Funeral director | If you tick the box | Yes |
6. Set up your text templates
Save time with text templates for the messages you send most.
Go to Settings → Communications, open any category, then click the Messages tab (next to Emails). Text templates are paired with their matching email templates.
Action | Details |
Create a custom template | Add your own text templates for any message you send often |
Edit a template | Update the wording any time. A template can't be saved with an empty message |
Delete a custom template | The paired email stays and simply shows as not paired. Standard templates can't be deleted |
Length | There's no length limit on templates, but placeholders (like the family member's name) change the final length. The chat won't send a message over 1,600 characters |
7. STOP, START and HELP
Families are always in control of whether they receive texts from you. Here's what happens when a family member texts one of these words to your funeral home's number:
They text | What happens |
STOP (or UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, QUIT) | They're opted out on every case at your funeral home. You can't text them, and you can't override it |
START (or YES, UNSTOP) | Texting is back on. If they had given consent before, you can text them again right away |
HELP | They get an automatic reply with your funeral home's name, phone number and website |
A STOP never erases the consent record. It just pauses texting until the family says START.
8. Good to know
Read status is shared by your whole team. When anyone opens a conversation, the family's messages are marked read for everyone. There's no "mark as unread" option.
The Messaging (N) count refreshes when the page reloads. Replies still appear live in the conversation and in your notifications.
Consent belongs to a phone number. If a family member's number changes in Case details, the new number starts at No consent, so you'll need to get consent again.
Conversations and consent records can't be deleted. Earlier declines stay in the person's consent history.
FAQ
Why can't I text this family member?
Check their status on the Messaging tab. If it says No consent, Consent requested or Consent declined, you'll need their consent first (section 2). If it says Opted out, they texted STOP, and only they can turn texting back on by texting START.
I don't see the Messaging tab on my cases. What's going on?
The Messaging tab appears once your funeral home's texting registration is approved. If your registration has been approved and you still don't see it, reach out to our support team and we'll take a look!
Can I text a family about their invoice?
Not yet! Texts with invoices aren't available right now, and we're working on it. In the meantime, you can still text the family from the Messaging tab to let them know their invoice is on the way.
How much does it cost?
Text messaging to families is $10 per month. Billing doesn't start until texting is live for your funeral home.