Text-Back Message Guidelines

Last updated: March 2026

When someone calls you and you can't answer, TextTheCaller sends them a short text on your behalf. These guidelines explain what your message can and can't say. They exist to keep your messages legal, deliverable, and trustworthy — and to protect both you and your callers.

By using TextTheCaller you agree to follow these guidelines alongside our Terms of Service.

The golden rule

Your text-back is a service message, not an advert. It should do three things:

1. Say who you are — include your business name so the caller knows who's texting them.
2. Acknowledge the missed call — let them know you saw it.
3. Set an expectation — tell them when you'll call back, or give them a route they can actually use: a booking link, an email address, or a number to call or WhatsApp.

That's it. If your message does those three things and nothing else, you're good.

Callers cannot reply to your text-back. It is sent from your business name rather than a phone number, so there is no inbound route for a reply to arrive on. A message that says "reply YES" or "text me back" asks the caller to do something impossible — and they will believe they have done it, so you wait for a lead that was never sent. Point them somewhere they can genuinely reach you instead.

Good examples

Hi, thanks for calling Oakwood Plumbing. I missed your call but I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

Hi, it's Dan at Swift Electrical. I'm on a job right now — I'll ring you back shortly.

Thanks for calling Blossom Beauty. We're closed right now (Mon–Fri 9–5) but we'll get back to you on the next working day.

Hi, thanks for calling Smith Roofing. I'm on a job — you can book online at smithroofing.co.uk/book

What you can't include

No marketing or promotional content

Your message is sent without the caller's prior consent, so UK regulations (PECR) only allow it as a service message. The moment it starts selling, it becomes marketing — and that's not permitted.

This means no:

• Discounts, offers, deals, or sale announcements
• Coupon or voucher codes
• "Limited time", "act now", or other urgency language
• Upsells or product recommendations
• Calls to action unrelated to the missed call (e.g. "Follow us on Instagram", "Join our mailing list")

No requests for personal information

Your text-back must never ask the caller to share sensitive information. This includes:

• Bank details, card numbers, sort codes, or payment information
• Passwords, PINs, verification codes, or one-time passcodes
• ID documents, National Insurance numbers, or dates of birth

If someone asked for these over text, you'd be suspicious — and so would your callers.

No impersonation or misleading content

Your message must be honest and come from your actual business. You must not:

• Pretend to be a government body, bank, the NHS, HMRC, the police, or any other organisation
• Use fake urgency, threats, or scare tactics (e.g. "Your account has been locked")
• Make claims that aren't true about your business or services

Messages that impersonate official bodies or attempt to deceive callers are treated as serious violations and may result in immediate account suspension.

No regulated or high-risk content

Certain industries and topics carry extra legal risk over SMS. Your text-back must not include anything related to:

• Financial services — loans, credit, investments, trading, debt advice
• Cryptocurrency — Bitcoin, Ethereum, wallets, trading signals, NFTs
• Gambling — betting, casinos, lotteries, odds, jackpots
• Health and pharmaceuticals — medication, prescriptions, weight loss, supplements
• Adult content — anything sexual, explicit, or age-restricted
• Legal claims — "no win no fee", compensation claims, injury solicitation
• Political campaigning — party-political messaging or advocacy

No suspicious links

We allow a link to your own business website or booking page, but the following are blocked:

• Shortened URLs — bit.ly, tinyurl, t.co, and similar shorteners (these hide the real destination and are commonly used in scams)
• Social media links — Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, YouTube, TikTok
• Messaging apps — WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Signal
• File sharing — Google Drive, Dropbox, WeTransfer
• Payment links — PayPal.me, Cash App, Revolut, Wise

If you want to link to your website, use your full domain (e.g. yourbusiness.co.uk).

No delivery or parcel references

Messages about missed deliveries, parcels, tracking links, or redelivery fees are a hallmark of SMS scams. Even if your business involves deliveries, your text-back cannot reference them — it should simply identify your business and acknowledge the missed call.

Technical limits

• 160 characters max — your message is sent as a single SMS segment. Anything longer gets cut off.
• Standard characters only — emojis, special symbols, and non-Latin characters are automatically stripped. We use the GSM character set to ensure your message delivers reliably on every phone and network.
• No replies — because the message sends from your business name rather than a number, callers cannot reply to it. Anything you ask them to send has to go somewhere else: a number written in the message, WhatsApp, an email address, or a booking link.

How we enforce these rules

Every message goes through two layers of checking before it's sent:

1. Automated filters scan for banned keywords, suspicious URLs, known spam patterns, and content that doesn't match a genuine missed-call reply.
2. AI review checks the overall tone and intent of your message to catch anything the keyword filters might miss.

If your message doesn't pass, it won't be sent and you'll be asked to revise it. If you believe your message was blocked in error, email us at [email protected] and we'll take a look.

Repeated or serious violations (especially impersonation, phishing, or scam content) may result in your account being suspended or terminated.

Why this matters

These rules aren't just our policy — they reflect UK law and carrier requirements:

• PECR (Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations) allows missed-call replies as service messages under legitimate interest, but only if they stay informational. Marketing content requires prior consent.
• UK carriers monitor SMS traffic and can block senders who send spammy or non-compliant messages. If our sender reputation drops, nobody's messages get delivered.
• Your callers trust you — a clean, professional text-back reflects well on your business. A spammy one doesn't.

Questions?

Not sure if your message is okay? Email us at [email protected] before saving it and we'll help you get it right.