Overview
In this article, you will discover the options you can use to text your clients. RecDesk allows you to send SMS Text messages from Program Rosters, Membership Lists, and Leagues and their Teams. Members must opt in for Text Alerts on their Member profiles to receive an SMS text messages. See How do I Create or Edit a Member Account?
Note: AT&T Wireless (including Cricket Wireless, H2O Wireless, PureTalk Wireless, and Consumer Cellular - AT&T) discontinued its email-to-text service on June 17, 2025. If send text messages through RecDesk, we recommend choosing Plivo or Twilio as a more reliable text messaging option. Starting 6/17/2025, we removed text messages sent by email to members with those carriers. In addition, all Instructors/Coach Texts that are sent using email-to-text, regardless of the SMS Provider used in Director, will exclude texts to members with these providers.
| Carriers Discontinuing Email-to-Text | Date of Discontinuance |
| AT&T Wireless | 6/17/2025 |
| Cricket Wireless | 6/17/2025 |
| H2O Wireless | 6/17/2025 |
| PureTalk Wireless | 6/17/2025 |
| Consumer Cellular - AT&T | 6/17/2025 |
Sending SMS Text Messages from Programs/Memberships/Leagues:
You have two options for sending SMS Text Messages from RecDesk:
- Email (see important note above) - this option opens an email with each recipient's email algorithm for their mobile phone number. Once you send the email, the text message will be delivered by each member's phone carrier.
- Twilio or Plivo (best option due to discontinuance by some providers on 6/17/2025) - Cloud-based API platforms for SMS Text Messaging that can speed up the delivery of your text messages. Both of these options will charge a nominal fee per text message sent.
How to use Twilio for SMS Text Messaging:
- See Twilio pricing here under SMS - Twilio Pricing
- Sign up for free here - Create a Twilio Account
- Buy a Phone Number. Here are some tips:
- Request toll-free verification of your new phone number (this may take 3-5 business days).
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Your phone number will be used for SMS only.
- Once you have your phone number, follow these steps to get it configured into RecDesk:
- Log into RecDesk Director and click on the Admin Tab.
- Click Settings.
- Under SMS Settings, choose Twilio from the SMS Provider drop down.
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Enter your Account SID from Twilio into the Account Id.
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Click the eyeball icon to view your token and then copy/paste into Token.
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Enter Phone Number that you just bought from Twilio (include country code, but no spaces or hyphens; ie 19596660906).
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Click Save.
How to use Plivo for SMS Text Messaging:
- See Plivo pricing here under SMS - Plivo Pricing
- Request a trial here - Request Trial (this may take a few days for Plivo to respond you your trial request). Set up a meeting and mention that you need a phone number for the purpose of sending SMS texts via their API. You may need to become an active account instead of a trial account.
- Once you have your phone number, follow these steps to get it configured into RecDesk:
- Log into RecDesk Director and click on the Admin Tab
- Click Settings
- Under SMS Settings, choose Plivo from the SMS Provider drop down
- Enter your Auth ID from Plivo (see below)
- Check off Show next to Token and enter Token from Plivo (see below)
- Enter Phone Number that you just bought from Plivo (include country code, but no spaces or hyphens; ie 19596660906)
- Click Save.
Notes:
The default email method option is free but can vary greatly from one carrier to another.