Keywords
Keywords that reply and build your list
Text JOIN to this number. Text MENU for the specials. Text YES to confirm. A keyword is a word people text you, and what happens next is up to you: a reply, a place on a list, or both.
What is an SMS keyword?
An SMS keyword is a word people text to a business number to trigger something automatic. In CaptiFi Connect you choose the word, write the reply and pick a list. When a text starting with the keyword arrives, the reply goes back within seconds and the sender is added to the list as a contact. Keywords are free; the reply costs one credit per part.
How keywords work in CaptiFi Connect
Under Keywords in the dashboard, add a word of up to 20 letters and digits. Give it a reply, a list to add the sender to, or both. When someone texts your number and the first word of their text matches, the reply goes out from the number they texted and the sender is added to the list, created as a contact if they are new. The keyword's row shows how many times it has matched and when.
Matching ignores case and punctuation, so join, JOIN and Join! all work. STOP, START and the other opt-out and opt-in words are reserved, because they already do something and the law says they must keep doing it.
Keywords work on any number you text from. On a dedicated number they work for anyone, which is what makes them useful on a poster. On a shared number they work for people you have texted in the last 30 days, because that is how a reply on a shared number finds your account.
Three ways to use them
The same keyword can do different jobs:
- Opt-in: "Text OFFERS to 07412 000001" on a flyer or menu. The reply thanks them and tells them how to stop; the list is the one your campaigns go to.
- Confirmation: a reminder that ends "Reply YES to confirm" with a YES keyword that replies "Thanks, see you Thursday" and adds them to a Confirmed list for the day.
- Information: MENU, HOURS or PARKING keywords that answer the questions your phone line gets all day.
Consent, cost and limits
Someone who texts a keyword to join a list has opted in, which is exactly the consent a marketing text needs under PECR. Say what they are signing up for on the poster, and keep the opt-out line on your campaigns. A keyword reply is a normal text: one credit per part, from your balance, and it respects the opt-out list like everything else.
A reply is sent once per inbound text, so a keyword that matches ten times costs ten replies. You can switch a keyword off without deleting it, and the match count stays so you can see what worked.
Set up an opt-in keyword
- 1
Make a list
Under Lists, create the list the keyword will add people to, for example Offers.
- 2
Add the keyword
Under Keywords, enter the word, write the reply and choose the list.
- 3
Put it on the poster
Tell people what they get and how to stop: "Text OFFERS to 07412 000001 for weekly deals. Reply STOP any time."
- 4
Watch it fill up
The match count climbs as texts come in, and the list is ready for your next campaign.
Questions people ask
How much does a keyword cost?
Nothing. Add as many as you like. The automatic reply is charged like any text you send, one credit per part, and only when it is actually sent.
Does the keyword have to be the whole text?
No, just the first word. "JOIN please" matches JOIN. Case and punctuation are ignored.
Can I use a keyword on a shared number?
Yes, for people you have texted in the last 30 days, since a reply on a shared number is matched to the account that texted that person. For keywords on posters and adverts, where strangers text in, you need a dedicated number.
What happens when someone texts a keyword twice?
They get the reply again, and the list is left as it is; a contact is only ever added once.
Can I use STOP or START as a keyword?
No. STOP, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, QUIT, OPT OUT, START and UNSTOP are reserved for opting out and back in, and they always do that first.
Do keyword texts reach my API?
Yes. Every inbound text, keyword or not, raises a message.received webhook, and the automatic reply raises message.sent and message.delivered like any other text.
Send your first text this week
Set up your account and contacts now; we check every new account before it can send.