Text Messages and Reviews Rules and Templates

This guide covers the texts and emails your business sends through Switched On AI: missed-call text-backs, booking confirmations and reminders, review requests and promotions. It explains the rules in plain words and gives you messages you can use as they are. It goes with "Schedule D: Text messages, review requests and booking" in our Client Terms of Service. We follow the same rules for our own messages.

The text message rules

Texts and emails in Australia are covered by the Spam Act 2003. The rules are simple, but the fines are big, so we stick to them every time.

The basics

• Marketing messages need permission. A message counts as marketing if any part of it promotes your business, even a link to a page with specials on it. You need the person's permission before you send it. The best permission is a clear yes that you've written down.
• Say who it's from. Every message names your business and gives a way to contact you that still works 30 days later.
• Give an easy way out. Every marketing message tells people how to opt out, for example "Reply STOP to opt out". Opting out must be free and must not need a login.
• Stop within 5 working days. Once someone opts out, they must not get any more marketing messages after 5 working days. We aim for straight away.
• GoHighLevel handles STOP. When someone replies STOP to a text, GoHighLevel marks them as "do not disturb" and stops texting them automatically. If someone opts out another way (by email, on the phone or in person), tell us or mark it in their contact record yourself.
• Keep a record. Note when and how each person agreed to hear from you.
• Only your own customers. Never text or email bought lists, or numbers and emails copied from websites or directories.

How each message is treated

A factual message turns into marketing as soon as you add a special, a "follow us" link, or a link to a page with offers on it. Keep factual messages and marketing messages separate.

Getting permission

The easiest time to ask is when people book.

• On your booking form, add tick boxes that are not ticked to start with: "Yes, text me a review link after my job." and, separately, "Yes, send me specials and news. I can opt out any time."
• On the phone or at the job: "Is it OK if we text you a quick review link after the job?" Then note the yes in their contact record.
• Don't hide permission in your terms and conditions, and don't use boxes that are already ticked.

Before you send

• Keep each text under 160 characters, or it's sent (and charged) as 2 or more parts.
• Use plain characters. Emoji, curly quote marks and some symbols cut a text to 70 characters per part.
• Send between 9am and 8pm. That's not a rule for texts, but people complain less.
• Your texts come from a normal phone number, so people can reply STOP. A business name shown instead of a number can't take replies, and since 1 July 2026 it has to be registered or it shows as "Unverified". So we use a number.

The review rules

Asking for reviews is fine, and we'll help you do it. Asking the wrong way can cost a lot. The ACCC (the consumer watchdog) and Google both have rules, and we follow them for every client.

How we set up your review requests

• The same request goes to every customer when the job is marked done, unless they've opted out.
• Mark every finished job as done, not just the ones that went well. Picking who gets asked is the same as screening people out.
• The request links straight to your Google review page.
• It names your business and includes an opt-out.
• One request, and at most one reminder. Then we stop.
• GoHighLevel keeps a record of every message sent, so you can show you ask everyone the same way.
• We won't set up incentives, screening steps or star-rating requests, even if asked.

Ready-to-use messages

Change the highlighted parts. Each text is under 160 characters as written. A long business name or link can push it over, so check the character count before you save it. GoHighLevel may add "Reply STOP to unsubscribe." to the first text each person gets, which adds about 27 characters to that text, so allow for it.

Missed-call text-back

Sent once, straight after a missed call. Factual only: no specials and no links to offers.

After hours:

Booking confirmation

Booking reminder

Review request (text)

Sent to every customer when the job is done, if they agreed to get it.

Review reminder (once only)

Sent once, [3 to 5 days] after the first request. Skip anyone who has already left a review, good or bad. Then stop.

Review request (email)

Opt-out confirmation (only if needed)

Only send this if your system doesn't already confirm opt-outs. Send it once, with nothing else in it.

Promotion

Only to people who said yes to specials. The offer must be true and you must be able to honour it.

What not to send

• Specials, "follow us" links or links to pages with offers in a missed-call text-back or booking message.
• A chain of texts after a missed call. One reply is enough.
• Review requests that mention stars or a rating, suggest what to write, or offer anything in return.
• Review requests to only some of your customers.
• More than one review reminder.
• Anything to someone who has opted out, however they told you.
• Marketing to people who haven't said yes to it.
• Texts or emails to bought lists, or to numbers and emails copied from websites or directories.
• Messages that don't say who they're from.
• Claims you can't back up, like "only 2 spots left" when there are more, or a "was" price you never charged.