What is an SMS Welcome flow?

The SMS Welcome flow is a standalone flow that texts a shopper as soon as they subscribe to SMS. It follows the same logic as your email Welcome flow, with its own touchpoints, timing and coupon, but sends texts instead of emails.

Why you need one

  • SMS consent is separate from email consent, so an SMS subscriber is not enrolled in your email Welcome flow.
  • A shopper who signs up with a phone number and no email address has no other welcome to receive.
  • Without this flow, a new SMS subscriber hears nothing from you until your next SMS campaign.
  • It runs alongside your email Welcome flow, so a shopper who gives you both gets both.

How to set it up

Before you start

The SMS Welcome flow only appears in your dashboard once SMS is set up on your account. If you cannot see it, you either do not have SMS billing enabled or your SMS configuration is not complete yet.

  • SMS must be configured and verified for your sending region. See Enabling Instant AI SMS in Australia.
  • Your SMS brand prefix should be set to your brand name. See Customising your SMS brand prefix.
  • If you currently send an SMS welcome or new subscriber text through another platform such as Klaviyo, Attentive or Postscript, turn it off before you enable this flow. Shoppers forgive a duplicate email, but a duplicate text is a fast way to lose a subscriber.

Turning the flow on

  1. Go to AI Flows in your Instant AI dashboard
  2. Find the Welcome Flow SMS and toggle it on
  3. Click Edit templates to open the flow
  4. Under SMS content, replace the default text in the Message field with your own copy
  5. Add a Link so clicks and revenue can be attributed
  6. Add a coupon if you want to offer one, then insert the {{coupon_code}} variable into your message
  7. Save, then send yourself a test to check how the message reads on a phone

Writing your SMS content

You write the copy for each touchpoint. Instant does not generate SMS copy in this flow, so each step ships with a default message that you replace with your own. If you leave the default in place, that is what sends, so write your copy before you turn the flow on.

Every message is made up of your copy plus the parts Instant adds automatically:

[your brand prefix]: [your message]
[your link]
text STOP to opt out

Your brand prefix, the tracked link wrapper and the opt-out text are all handled for you. The character counter in the editor accounts for them, so what you write is what a shopper reads. See Understanding SMS character limits for how long a single message can be.

You can personalise your copy with variables from the dropdown above the Message field, including first name and {{coupon_code}}.

Tip: Keep the first text short and lead with the offer. This is the one message a new subscriber is expecting, so it does not need to introduce your whole brand the way a welcome email does.

Adding a coupon

Coupons are optional and are set on the flow rather than in the message.

  • If no coupon is configured, the {{coupon_code}} variable is not available
  • If a coupon is configured, you have to insert {{coupon_code}} yourself so the code appears in the text
  • If you save with a coupon configured but the variable unused, Instant warns you before you continue
  • Where a shopper is in both the email and the SMS Welcome flow, they get one shared code

How it works

How shoppers enter the flow

The flow is triggered by a new SMS subscription. As soon as Instant records live SMS consent for a shopper, they are enrolled and the first text sends.

Instant captures SMS opt-ins from every source on your store, with no extra setup:

  • The phone capture step on an Instant sign-up form
  • The SMS marketing consent checkbox at Shopify checkout
  • A Klaviyo, Alia or Postscript pop-up, picked up automatically by the Instant pixel
  • SMS consent synced from Klaviyo or Shopify

A shopper can enrol on their phone number alone. They do not need to give you an email address as well.

Only a live opt-in enrols a shopper. Importing a list or backfilling existing SMS subscribers does not trigger the flow, so turning it on will not text your existing list. A shopper whose consent has not changed is not re-enrolled.

What happens if someone subscribes to email and SMS at the same time

They receive both. The email Welcome flow and the SMS Welcome flow are separate flows with their own enrolment, so a shopper who gives you an email address and a phone number in the same sign-up gets the first email and the first text within seconds of each other.

  • Each flow tracks its own sends, so one does not cancel or delay the other.
  • A shopper already part way through your email Welcome flow who then opts in to SMS starts the SMS Welcome flow from the beginning. The email flow keeps running on its own schedule.
  • If you have a coupon configured, the shopper gets the same code in both channels rather than two separate discounts.

Touchpoints and timing

The flow sends one text by default. You can add up to five, and they use the same delays as your email Welcome flow.

  • Use Add step to add a touchpoint and Delete step to remove one
  • Each step has its own message, link and coupon variable
  • If the shopper places an order, the remaining steps are skipped

FAQ

Does Instant write the SMS copy for me? No. AI copy generation is not available in the SMS Welcome flow. A default message is provided as a starting point, but you write and edit the copy yourself. This is different to SMS in abandonment flows, where each message is generated for the individual shopper and their cart.

Will a shopper get a text and an email if they sign up for both? Yes. Both welcome flows run at the same time and neither one suppresses the other.

Will turning this on text my existing SMS subscribers? No. Only a new opt-in triggers the flow. Existing subscribers and imported lists are not enrolled.

Can I run the SMS Welcome flow without an email Welcome flow? Yes. The two flows are independent, so you can run either one on its own.

Do I need to capture an email address to enrol someone? No. A phone number and SMS consent are enough.

Why can I not see the SMS Welcome flow in my dashboard? The flow is hidden until SMS billing is enabled and your SMS setup is complete and valid. Speak to your CSM if you want SMS switched on.

How do I see how it is performing? Open the flow and use the Performance and Activity tabs, the same way you would for any other flow with SMS enabled. See Instant AI SMS in Flows.

For more on the email side of the welcome experience, see How does the Welcome Flow work? and How to Use Sign Up Forms and Welcome Flows with Instant AI.