Bulk texting that reaches people at the right time
Bulk texting is one of the fastest ways to reach leads, prospects, customers, and clients when timing matters. With Shape, your team can send targeted SMS messages straight from the CRM, without texting each record one by one. Use it for new-inquiry follow-up, appointment reminders, re-engagement, or important updates.
Great bulk texting is about more than speed. Your audience, message, timing, carrier rules, 10DLC registration, and overall sending volume all affect whether people receive and respond to your texts.
That’s why Shape builds in the hard parts for you:
- Message pacing, so carriers see steady, sustainable traffic
- Time Zone Protect, so each text goes out during the recipient’s local calling window
- A managed sending queue that pauses and resumes automatically
- Opt-out handling and communication preferences, enforced across the CRM
Your team focuses on sending relevant messages and working the conversations that come back.
What is bulk texting in Shape?
Bulk Texting lets authorized users select a group of records and send them an SMS through Shape’s Bulk Actions. Each message goes to each recipient individually. When someone replies, the reply is saved to that person’s record so your team can continue the conversation one-to-one.
Common uses:
- Following up with a targeted group of new leads
- Re-engaging prospects who haven’t responded
- Sending appointment or event reminders
- Sharing an important update with existing customers or clients
- Reaching records in a particular status or stage
- Following up with contacts assigned to a specific user or team
- Engaging a segment you’ve identified with filters or a Prioritized View
Start with the right audience
The biggest advantage of texting from your CRM is using the data you already have to choose who should get the message. Instead of starting with a giant list, use list filters, statuses, assignments, sources, dates, or Prioritized Views to narrow your audience.
For example, rather than texting your whole database, you might target people who:
- Submitted an inquiry recently
- Are still in an active working status
- Haven’t been contacted within a certain period
- Have an upcoming appointment or deadline
- Belong to a specific customer or prospect segment
- Recently showed engagement
- Need a specific follow-up based on your team’s workflow
A targeted audience creates a better experience for recipients and makes the replies much easier for your team to manage.
How to send a bulk text in Shape
Open the right record list
Go to the list with the records you want to contact. Depending on your setup, this could be leads, contacts, opportunities, customers, policies, loans, or other record types.
Filter your audience
Use filters to narrow the list, then review the results. Your filters decide who receives the message, which matters most with larger lists.
Select your records
Check the records you want to include, either individually or as a larger filtered selection.
Open Bulk Actions
Choose Send SMS Text. Bulk Actions access is controlled by Role Permissions, so your options may differ from a coworker’s.
Write and review your message
Type your message or choose a text template. Check that it’s clear who it’s from, why the recipient is hearing from you, that it fits everyone selected, that any next step is clear, and that the content is appropriate for business SMS. Add merge tokens with the Tokens button to personalize each message.
Send yourself a test
Click Send Test, enter your own mobile number, and click Send Test again. Check the text on your phone to make sure tokens filled in correctly and the message reads the way you want. Click Cancel to close the test window without sending a test.
Submit the bulk text
Shape places your messages in the SMS sending queue. They don’t all go out at once. Shape paces them and times each one to the recipient’s local calling window.
How the bulk text queue works
Business SMS runs through carriers, messaging providers, registration rules, throughput limits, and spam filters. Instead of pushing a large send through all at once, Shape releases messages at a steady pace.
Under Shape’s standard configuration, bulk texts are queued at about one message every four seconds. There’s nothing extra for you to do; just plan ahead for time-sensitive sends.
How long will my bulk text take?
| Messages | Approximate queue time* |
|---|---|
| 100 | 6 to 7 minutes |
| 250 | 16 to 17 minutes |
| 500 | 33 to 34 minutes |
| 1,000 | About 1 hour 7 minutes |
*Estimates for planning only, based on standard pacing with an empty queue. Earlier sends in the queue, recipients’ calling windows, carrier throughput, and other factors can add time. These are queue times, not guaranteed carrier delivery times.
What happens when several users send bulk texts?
All bulk texts in your organization share one queue and are processed in the order they’re submitted. For example:
- User A submits a bulk text to 1,000 records.
- User B submits a bulk text to 250 records afterward.
- User B’s messages wait behind User A’s.
- Once User A’s send finishes, Shape starts on User B’s.
A new send doesn’t open a second high-volume stream. This is intentional and helps Shape manage carrier throughput, messaging compliance, and deliverability for your whole organization.
Texting hours: how Time Zone Protect times every bulk text
Shape’s Time Zone Protect makes sure bulk and automated texts only go out during each recipient’s local calling window. Time Zone Protect is always on for texting and can’t be turned off.
This means your team doesn’t have to split a bulk send by time zone. Shape times each message to the person receiving it.
What hours does Shape use?
- Default window: 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM, every day, in the recipient’s local time.
- State-specific windows: Some states have their own configured hours, weekend limits, or holiday restrictions. For example, Texas texts start at 12 PM on Sundays, and Pennsylvania has no Sunday texting. See the Time Zone Protect guide for the full state-by-state table.
- Holidays and daylight saving time: Shape applies configured holiday restrictions and adjusts for daylight saving time automatically.
How Shape finds each recipient’s time zone
Shape checks the record’s address first and uses the phone number’s area code only as a last resort. People often keep their phone number when they move, so an area code alone can point to the wrong time zone.
| Priority | Checks first | If missing or invalid |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Present ZIP Code | Present State |
| 2 | Mailing ZIP Code | Mailing State |
| 3 | Property ZIP Code | Property State |
| 4 | Phone number area code | Last resort only |
If Shape can’t confirm a recipient’s exact time zone, it uses the most restrictive window that applies.
Example: You send a bulk text at 8:30 AM Eastern to recipients in New York and Nevada. New York recipients are inside their window, so their messages process right away. It’s 5:30 AM in Nevada, so those messages wait in the queue and go out once Nevada’s window opens.
What happens when a recipient’s window closes?
Messages still in the queue when a recipient’s window closes are paused, not cancelled. They resume automatically when that window opens again. A large send may span more than one window, and you never need to restart it.
Manual, mobile, and bulk texts work differently
| How the text is sent | Outside the recipient’s window |
|---|---|
| Bulk texts and automated texts (drips, triggers) | Wait in the queue and send when the window opens |
| AI texts | Wait for the window; AI can’t override |
| Manual one-to-one texts from the web app | Shape shows a warning; the user can confirm and send anyway |
| Manual texts from the mobile app | Refused; the app has no Send anyway option |
If a one-to-one text truly needs to go out after hours, send it from the web app. Your organization decides when overriding a warning is appropriate.
10DLC, throughput, and deliverability
What is 10DLC?
If you text from U.S. local phone numbers, A2P 10DLC is a key part of business texting. A2P means Application-to-Person, and 10DLC is the carrier registration framework for business SMS sent from standard 10-digit local numbers. In short, carriers want to know who’s sending business texts, why, and how recipients agreed to receive them.
10DLC registration can include:
- The organization or brand sending messages
- The intended messaging use case
- How recipients give consent
- Sample messages
- Opt-out handling
- Expected messaging activity and volume
10DLC applies to U.S. phone numbers. Texts sent to U.S. numbers go through 10DLC registration. Texts sent to phone numbers outside the U.S. don’t.
Shape handles the messaging infrastructure, but 10DLC registration and carrier throughput still shape how business texting works. They’re one reason Shape uses a controlled queue rather than treating bulk SMS as unlimited and instant. To learn more, see 10DLC Phone Number Registration.
What happens if my company isn’t registered for 10DLC?
Carriers can block business texts sent to U.S. numbers from companies that aren’t registered for 10DLC. When that happens, the text may still show as sent in Shape, because Shape successfully handed it to the carrier, but the carrier never delivers it to the recipient’s phone.
If recipients say they aren’t getting your texts, even though Shape shows them as sent, check your 10DLC registration first. Shape Support or your account representative can review your setup with you.
Queue speed vs. carrier delivery
Shape controls how quickly messages leave its queue. Once a message reaches the carrier network, other factors affect delivery, including:
- Your 10DLC registration
- Carrier throughput and the receiving carrier
- Messaging provider conditions
- Whether the phone number is valid
- Carrier filtering and message content
- The recipient’s opt-out status
- Other carrier or network conditions
Sending faster isn’t the same as sending better. Shape’s paced, time-zone-aware queue is built for sustainable messaging that still reaches large, targeted audiences efficiently.
How to write a good bulk text
The best bulk texts are relevant enough to feel natural to the person receiving them. Before you send, ask:
- Will they recognize you? Don’t assume recipients have your number saved. Identify yourself or your company when it makes sense.
- Why are they getting this? The message should fit the audience you selected. If you filtered to people with appointments tomorrow, send a reminder. If you filtered to uncontacted recent inquiries, say so.
- Is there a clear next step? If you want a conversation, make replying easy.
- Would it make sense one-to-one? If the text would feel strange or irrelevant sent to just one of the recipients, rethink the message or the audience.
- Is your team ready for replies? A good bulk text can generate a wave of conversations. Plan who will answer.
What happens when someone replies?
Replies become part of that recipient’s individual SMS conversation in Shape. Your team can respond from the SMS Inbox and other messaging areas throughout the CRM.
This is where bulk texting shines as part of a bigger strategy: find the right audience, start relevant outreach efficiently, then move engaged people into normal one-to-one conversations. For larger campaigns, think about response volume before you send. The goal isn’t just to get messages out; it’s to start conversations your team can actually work.
Opt-outs, texting types, and delivery errors
SMS opt-outs and communication preferences
Shape’s messaging providers recognize supported opt-out keywords. When a recipient sends one, Shape updates their Text Opt-Out preference so future SMS and MMS can be blocked. Shape also uses communication preferences across the CRM to stop users from reaching out on a channel where a record has opted out.
This gives you one central place to manage preferences, instead of relying on each user to remember who shouldn’t get texts. Your organization is still responsible for keeping proper consent and deciding whether recipients may be contacted.
Bulk, automated, and manual texting
Shape offers three ways to text, and they work well together:
- Bulk Texting: a user sends to a selected group of records.
- Automated Texting: sent through Drip Campaigns, Automated Actions, or other configured workflows.
- Manual Texting: a user texts one recipient directly.
For example, use automation for predictable lifecycle messages, bulk texting for targeted or timely outreach, and manual texting for the conversations that follow. All three respect communication preferences and Time Zone Protect, as described in the texting hours section above.
Delivery issues and errors
Submitting a text doesn’t guarantee the carrier will accept or deliver it. A text can show as sent in Shape and still not reach the recipient. Delivery can be affected by:
- Invalid or unsupported phone numbers
- Recipient opt-outs
- Carrier filtering or restrictions
- 10DLC registration issues, including texting U.S. numbers without an active 10DLC registration
- Messaging throughput
- Unsupported, prohibited, or restricted content
- Other carrier or provider conditions
Content Shape blocks before sending
To follow 10DLC rules, Shape checks every text before it’s sent, including bulk, manual, drip campaign, and trigger texts. Texts that include SHAFT content (sex, hate, alcohol, firearms, and tobacco) or certain words and phrases from industries carriers prohibit aren’t sent. Instead, you’ll see: Oops! Prohibited message content detected. Please rewrite your message and try again.
This protects you in two ways: you don’t pay for texts carriers won’t deliver, and you avoid sending messages that could put your 10DLC registration at risk. To fix it, rewrite the message without the flagged content and send it again. See SMS Spam Filtering & Deliverability for more.
If you’re seeing unexpected failures, Shape Support can review the record, sending number, message activity, and account setup with you.
Bulk texting best practices
- ✓Segment before you send. Use statuses, assignments, dates, sources, Prioritized Views, and engagement data to build a relevant audience.
- ✓Send yourself a test first. Use Send Test to check the message on your own phone before it goes to your whole list.
- ✓Keep it conversational. SMS is short-form. Clear, focused messages are easier to read and reply to than an email squeezed into a text.
- ✓Give people context. Make sure recipients know who’s texting and why.
- ✓Keep addresses up to date. Time Zone Protect uses ZIP code and state first, so accurate addresses mean better-timed messages.
- ✓Coordinate larger sends. Bulk texts share one queue, so plan big or time-sensitive campaigns together.
- ✓Think beyond the send. Decide who will monitor replies, how fast they’ll respond, and what happens next.
- ✓Keep your database clean. Accurate phone numbers and preferences cut down on failures and improve results.
- ✓Respect communication preferences. Shape enforces opt-outs, but good consent and data practices still matter.
- ✓Don’t confuse volume with strategy. A smaller, well-targeted segment often creates more useful conversations than a broad message without context.
Frequently asked questions
Can I send a test before I send a bulk text?+
Yes. In the bulk text window, click Send Test, enter your own mobile number, and click Send Test again. The test goes only to the number you enter, not to the records you selected. Click Cancel to close the test window.
Does a bulk text send immediately?+
No. Messages enter Shape’s sending queue and are processed at about one message every four seconds. Each message also waits for the recipient’s local calling window.
Why does Shape pace bulk texts?+
Controlled pacing helps Shape manage carrier throughput requirements, messaging compliance, and SMS deliverability.
Why is my bulk text still waiting?+
There may be earlier messages ahead of yours in the queue, or some recipients may be outside their calling window. Sends are processed in the order they’re submitted, and automated messaging can also be in the queue.
What happens if another user submits a bulk text while mine is processing?+
Their send waits behind yours. For example, if one user sends 1,000 messages and another then sends 250, the second send starts after the first finishes.
Are the estimated queue times guaranteed?+
No. They’re for planning only. Earlier sends, calling windows, carrier throughput, and other factors affect actual timing.
What texting hours does Shape use?+
Time Zone Protect’s configured windows: 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM in the recipient’s local time by default, with state-specific hours and holiday restrictions where configured.
How does Shape know each recipient’s time zone?+
It checks the record’s Present, Mailing, and Property address (ZIP code first, then state) and uses the phone number’s area code only as a last resort. If the time zone can’t be confirmed, Shape uses the most restrictive window that applies.
Do I need to split my bulk text by time zone?+
No. Shape times each message to its recipient automatically. Recipients inside their window get the text right away; others get it once their window opens.
What happens if a recipient’s window closes before my bulk text finishes?+
Their remaining messages are paused, not cancelled, and resume automatically when the window opens again. You don’t need to resend.
Can I override Time Zone Protect for a bulk text?+
No. Bulk and automated texts always wait for each recipient’s window.
Do calling hours apply to manual texts?+
Yes. From the web app, Shape warns you before texting someone outside their window, and you can confirm and send anyway. The mobile app refuses those texts because it has no Send anyway option.
What happens if someone opts out?+
Shape updates their Text Opt-Out preference, and future SMS and MMS to them can be blocked.
Do we need 10DLC registration?+
Business SMS to U.S. phone numbers is generally subject to carrier A2P 10DLC requirements. Texts to numbers outside the U.S. aren’t. If you’re unsure about your setup, contact Shape Support or your account representative.
Why does my text show as sent, but the recipient never got it?+
Shape shows a text as sent once it hands the message to the carrier. The carrier can still block it, most often because the company isn’t registered for 10DLC, the number isn’t valid, or the carrier filtered the content. Check your 10DLC registration first, then reach out to Support if you need help.
Why did I get a “Prohibited message content detected” error?+
Your message includes content carriers don’t allow, such as SHAFT content (sex, hate, alcohol, firearms, and tobacco) or words and phrases from prohibited industries. Shape blocks these texts before they’re sent so you don’t pay for messages carriers won’t deliver and your 10DLC registration stays in good standing. Rewrite the message without that content and try again.
Can we bulk text our entire database?+
Authorized users can work with large selections, but that doesn’t mean every record should get every message. Build a targeted audience for each purpose. Your organization is responsible for confirming it has consent to contact each recipient.
Can I see replies in Shape?+
Yes. Each reply is saved to that recipient’s record, and your team can respond with Shape’s texting tools.
Can Shape help us build a better texting workflow?+
Yes. Your account representative or Shape Support can help you plan how bulk texting fits your contact strategy.
Build bulk texting into your contact strategy
The real value of bulk texting isn’t sending one message to hundreds of people. It’s using what’s already in Shape to decide who should hear from you, what they should receive, when it should arrive, and what your team does when they reply.
One team might use a Prioritized View to find recent leads that still need attention, send a targeted text, and work the replies one-to-one. Another might remind existing customers about an upcoming appointment, deadline, renewal, or application milestone.
Behind the scenes, Shape handles the operational details: paced SMS queueing, Time Zone Protect calling windows, communication preferences, and messaging infrastructure. Your team focuses on what matters most, creating timely, relevant conversations and following up when people engage.
Need help? Email help@setshape.com, call Support at (888) 718-6344, or visit setshape.com/support.
Related guides: Time Zone Protect · Texting in Shape · SMS Spam Filtering & Deliverability · 10DLC Phone Number Registration · Drip Campaigns · Merge Tokens