Sending Email & SMS Actions

⏱️ 5-7 min

Add an email and a text to a workflow, personalize both with custom values, and save them.

Step by step

Add your first message

Open a workflow that already has a trigger. Then follow these steps.

1

Click the plus

Click the plus button under your trigger and open the Communication category.

2

Choose a message

Pick Send Email or Send SMS. A panel opens on the right.

3

Write it

Fill in the sender and subject for email, or just the message box for text. A saved template can load a layout for you.

4

Personalize it

Open the custom values picker and add the contact's first name so each person sees their own.

5

Rename and save

Rename the action, like Thank You Email, then click Save Action. It shows as a box on the canvas.

Compare

Email or text?

Both are Communication actions. Click each tab to see what is different.

Room to explain

Set a From Name, From Email, and Subject. You can use a template, add custom values, and look for an attachment option.

  • Short, honest subject lines
  • Plain and personal often beats fancy

Short and quick

Type a short message, add custom values, and pull in a snippet with the Templates selector. Add an image and it goes out as an MMS.

  • One idea per text
  • Needs a phone number set up in your account
Key terms

Definitions

Tap any term to expand it.

A step in a workflow that does something, like send a message.
Placeholders that fill in real information, like a first name.
A text message that includes a picture.
The button that keeps your action and shows it on the canvas.
Help me do it

Things To Do

Finish these before moving to the next lesson. They only take a few minutes.

0 of 3 done

⚡ Tips

  • Keep the workflow in Draft while you practice so nothing sends.
  • Texting needs a configured phone number in your account, so check yours first.
  • Read every message out loud before you save. Typos in a text feel louder.
  • Field names and the email builder layout can differ, so read them off your screen.
Check yourself

Quick Knowledge Check

Answer a few quick questions to lock in what you just learned. Miss one and we'll show you the right answer.

0 of 4 answered

Where do the Send Email and Send SMS actions live?

What happens when you add an image to a text?

True or false: Custom values let one message show each contact's own name.

Click ____ to keep your email or text step on the canvas.

Help me apply it

Try This With Your Favorite AI

Copy a prompt below and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or whatever AI tool you use. Fill in the bracketed details and it'll help you write your own version for your business.

✉️ Draft my first email

You are a friendly writer helping me write a follow-up email for a workflow. My context: - [my business] - [who gets this email and why] - [what I want them to do next] Give me: - Three subject line options, short and honest - A short email body with a spot for the first name - A plain-text version and a version for a template Sound like a real person and keep the body under 120 words. Finish by asking me: "Does this sound like something I would actually say?"

💬 Draft my first text

You are a clear communicator helping me write a short text message for a workflow. My context: - [my business] - [what the contact just did] - [the one thing I want them to do] Give me: - Three text options, each with one idea - A spot for the first name in each - A note on what to check before I publish Keep each text under 300 characters and avoid pushy words. Finish by asking me: "Do these people expect to hear from me by text?"

An email and a text with a real name in them is a real follow-up. Build both in Draft, and next we add timing and decisions.