SMS Message Length & Costs: What You Need to Know

Keeping Your SMS Short & Sweet (and Cost-Effective!)

Sending text messages might seem simple, but did you know that longer messages can cost more? SMS messages are split into "segments," and if your message is too long, it gets broken up into multiple parts—each one adding to your cost.

Our SMS provider, Twilio, follows specific rules about message length, so here’s what you need to know to avoid surprise charges.

How SMS Length Works

Regular Texts (GSM-7 Standard Characters)

• You get 160 characters per message before it splits into extra segments.
• If your message is longer than 160 characters, it gets broken into chunks of 153 characters each (to include linking info so messages arrive in order).

Texts with Special Characters or Emojis (Unicode)

• If you use an emoji 😊 or a special character like “—” or “✓,” your limit drops to just 70 characters per message.
• Messages longer than 70 characters get broken into 67-character chunks and sent as multiple segments.

Real-Life Examples

A Regular Text (GSM-7 Characters)

A Text with an Emoji (Unicode Encoding)

Tips to Keep Costs Low

1. Keep messages short & to the point – Try to stay under 160 characters (or 70 if you use emojis).
2. Watch out for special characters – Even one emoji can change the way your message is counted.
3. Use a character counter – Before sending, double-check your message length to avoid surprises.
4. Shorten links – If you're including a website, use a link shortener to save characters.
5. Test before you send – Send a test message to see how many segments it will use.

Following these tips will help you get your message across without extra charges!

For more details, check out Twilio’s official guide on message length and segmentation.