How to Set Up Two-Way SMS in Engage

This article guides you through setting up two-way SMS in Engage. You will buy an SMS-capable phone number, which lets your clinic send text messages from a real number and receive client replies directly in the Engage inbox.

Before you buy a number, your clinic may only be able to send texts from a name-based sender (for example, "MyClinic"). Clients see your clinic's name but cannot text back — Engage shows this as Send-only. Once you own a number with the SMS capability, the channel switches to Two-way: outgoing texts send from your number, and replies arrive back in the client's existing conversation in your inbox.

NOTE: The Buy a number wizard is shared with the Calls channel — one number can carry Voice, SMS and MMS together. We suggest reading our How to Set Up the Calls Channel in Engage (Buy a Number) article if calling is your main goal.

Click the Channels button in the navigation rail to open the Channel Catalog, then find the SMS card. If SMS is not connected yet, click Set up SMS to open the Buy a number wizard. If you already own a number, the card shows Buy another and Manage instead.

TIP: You can also reach the same wizard from an open conversation — when the composer shows an amber (no reply) tag, click the Buy a number button next to it.

On the "Where should your number live?" step, select the country your number should belong to. Each country tile shows a starting monthly price, and you can use the search box to find a country by name or dial code. Click Continue.

NOTE: United Kingdom numbers require a one-time business verification before purchase, and the wizard adds a Verification step to walk you through it. We suggest reading our Buying a UK Number: Business Verification in Engage article for the full process.

On the "What should the number do?" step, make sure the SMS card is ticked — this is what makes the number two-way. Voice and SMS are ticked by default, and you can add MMS for picture messaging. Then choose a number type — Local, Toll-free or Mobile — and click Continue.

The "Pick a phone number" step shows live availability for your filters. Use the search box to look for specific digits, an area code, or a pattern, and switch between Starts with, Contains and Ends with. For US and Canadian local numbers, you can also narrow the list with the state or province dropdown. Click Select next to the number you want, then click Continue.

NOTE: The Monthly fee column shows each number's rental price, which may display in US dollars and is converted to your billing currency at checkout. Prices vary by country and number type — we suggest reading our What Numbers Cost: Phone and Fax Pricing in Engage article for details.

On the "Review your new number" step, check the number's details and monthly fee, then personalize it:

1. Enter a Friendly name (for example, "Main reception") — this name shows next to the number throughout Pabau.
2. Under Assignment, choose who can make and receive calls on this number — the shared front-desk option or a specific team member.
3. Click the Buy button in the footer (it shows the exact monthly fee, for example Buy $1.44 · /mo ✓).

IMPORTANT: Buying a number is a real purchase. It starts a monthly subscription on your Pabau billing account that continues until you remove the number. We suggest reading our Removing Numbers and Stopping Billing in Engage article if you later need to release it.

The purchase completes in a few seconds — do not close the window while it says "Working on it…". When you see "Your number is live", your number is active immediately. Click Done ✓ to close the wizard.

Back in the Channel Catalog, the SMS card now shows a green Live ribbon with the status Two-way and your new number. From now on, texts you send from the inbox go out from this number, and client replies land back in the same conversation. To see your numbers later, click Manage on the SMS card to open the SMS Numbers panel.

NOTE: Pabau appointment reminders and campaigns do not automatically switch to your new number. If the SMS card shows an amber warning about your sender address, we suggest reading our How to Make Pabau Reminders Reply-Capable (SMS Sender Warning) article for the one-click fix.

We suggest reading our How to Send and Receive SMS in Engage article for everyday texting from the inbox, and our SMS Pricing and Sending Limits in Engage article to understand how text messages are charged.

For more guides, refer to related articles below, select additional guides, or use the search bar at the top of the page. These guides will help you get the most out of your Pabau account.

Additionally, to help you fully utilize and understand your Pabau account, we recommend exploring additional guides and resources offered at the Pabau Academy.