For AI agents: the complete documentation index is available at https://docs.clickmax.io/en/llms.txt, the full documentation bundle is available at https://docs.clickmax.io/en/llms-full.txt, and this page is available as Markdown at https://docs.clickmax.io/en/guides/sms-and-voice-campaigns.md.
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      • How do I use SMS and automated voice calls (IVR)?

      SMS and voice are expensive, intrusive channels with one advantage nothing else has: they arrive without depending on an app, on the internet, or on template approval. That makes them useful in a handful of moments — and bad in all the others.

      Before you start

      When it is worth it

      SituationWorth it?Why
      Purchase or delivery confirmationYesExpected, useful information
      Reminder for a meeting or an event that is closeYesArrives even without internet
      Payment-declined noticeYesUrgent and actionable
      Promotional campaign to the whole baseNoExpensive, intrusive, generates complaints

      1. Write short

      An SMS holds 160 characters. Accents are removed and emoji are discarded before counting, so they never shrink the limit — and nothing is cut silently: the editor shows the real count and blocks the send while the text is over the limit. One piece of information, one link, and a clear indication of who is speaking.

      2. On an IVR call, get to the point

      In an automated call, the first few seconds decide whether the person hangs up. Say immediately who is speaking and why. A long menu makes people hang up.

      3. Respect the time of day

      Messages and calls outside business hours generate complaints and damage the brand. Schedule your sends.

      4. Build it into the flow

      Add the Send SMS or Send voice step to the automation, fired by the right trigger — see trigger-based automations. For a one-off send to a list, tag or segment, create the automation with the Manual start trigger, publish it and click Run — see how to run an automation for a contact, list, tag or segment.

      5. Test on your own number

      Always send to yourself first. A number-formatting error or a blank field is obvious in a test and invisible in the settings.

      If it didn't work

      • The number is rejected: review the format, including the country code.
      • The send is blocked because of the length: the editor counts the text the way the carrier does (without accents or emoji). Shorten it until it fits 160 characters.
      • The call does not go out, or the audio is discarded: the file must be MP3 or WAV up to 4 MB at a reachable link.