DocsSMS Setup
Connect a UK phone number to Sift so leads can text your agency and be qualified automatically
SMS Setup
Sift can receive and respond to SMS enquiries. When a lead texts your Sift number, the AI qualification agent responds automatically, qualifies the lead, and the conversation appears in your Leads dashboard just like a web widget enquiry.
What SMS Does
- Leads text your number from any UK mobile
- Sift's AI responds immediately and qualifies them (budget, chain status, mortgage, timeline)
- Qualified leads appear in your dashboard with a Hot / Warm / Cold score
- If you're available, you can take over the conversation at any point
SMS is ideal for leads who find your number on:
- Rightmove, Zoopla, or OnTheMarket listings ("Text 07xxx for details/a viewing")
- Your "For Sale / To Let" window card or board
- Your email signature
- Your Google Business Profile
- Instagram or LinkedIn bio
Before You Start
SMS is available on all paid plans (Starter, Growth, and Scale). SMS draws from your shared monthly credit wallet at 20 credits per message — there's no separate SMS quota. Each plan's allowance:
| Plan | Credits/month | Approx. SMS replies if used only for SMS |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | 5,000 | ~250 |
| Growth | 15,000 | ~750 |
| Scale | 45,000 | ~2,250 |
Each AI reply spends 20 credits, so a 5-reply conversation uses 100 credits. In practice credits are shared with web chat (1 credit) and email (2 credits), so SMS volume depends on your channel mix. Top up at £15 / 1,000 credits or £75 / 5,000 credits.
How to Set Up SMS
In the Sift dashboard, click Deploy in the sidebar, then select the SMS tab.
Click Enable SMS. Sift will generate a Twilio sub-account for your agency and load a list of available UK phone numbers.
A list of available UK numbers appears, each showing the locality and region (e.g. "Manchester, England"). Pick a number that matches your agency's area — leads are more likely to text a local-looking number.
Tip
Click Provision this number. Within a few seconds your SMS number is active and the channel is live. You'll see the number displayed in Deploy → SMS.
Text your new number from your personal phone with a test property enquiry:
"Hi, I'm looking for a 3-bed semi in [your area], around £350k, we're chain-free"
Sift should reply within 10–15 seconds. If there's no reply after 30 seconds, check Billing → Usage to confirm you have credits remaining.
Where to Put Your Number
Your Sift SMS number works 24/7, so it's most valuable anywhere leads might contact you outside business hours.
Rightmove and Zoopla listings
Add a line to the bottom of each property description:
Or, for higher-intent leads:
Do not add a text-to-register or "text to be added to a mailing list" prompt. Sift's SMS channel is for inbound enquiries — unsolicited outbound SMS to collected numbers is a PECR violation.
"For Sale / To Let" boards
Ask your board supplier to add the SMS number below or alongside your main contact number. Many buyers and tenants save numbers while driving past — SMS is easier than typing an email address.
Email signature
Add a line after your phone number:
Google Business Profile
Add the SMS number to your "Additional phone" field. Google Business shows it next to your main number and buyers may text rather than call.
How Opt-Out Works
UK regulations (PECR and Ofcom guidelines) require you to make opt-out easy for leads. Sift handles this automatically:
- First reply: Every new lead automatically receives "Reply STOP to opt out." prepended to Sift's first response. You don't need to add this manually.
- STOP: When a lead replies STOP, Twilio confirms the opt-out immediately and Sift marks the lead as opted out. They will never receive another SMS from your Sift number, even if they text again.
- UNSTOP: If a lead changes their mind, they can text UNSTOP. Twilio re-enables their number and Sift will respond to their next message normally.
- HELP: Twilio automatically replies with a help message. Sift does not process HELP messages as lead enquiries.
Reviewing Your SMS Leads
SMS leads appear in the Leads dashboard alongside web widget and email leads. You can filter by source:
- Go to Leads
- Click Source → SMS to see only SMS-originated leads
- Click any lead to see the full conversation transcript
Conversations are threaded by phone number — all messages from the same number appear in one conversation, even if they text at different times.
SMS and GDPR
When a lead texts your Sift number, their act of initiating contact constitutes a lawful basis for processing their data. Consent is recorded automatically:
gdpr_consent_given: trueis stored on the conversation- The timestamp is preserved for audit purposes
You do not need to add a separate consent mechanism for SMS. See GDPR & Lead Data for how to respond to subject access requests from SMS leads.