DetailOAR Field Manual · Messaging automation

Create Automated Text and Email Messages

Set up providers, consent, templates, quiet-hour rules, previews, test sends, logs, reminders, follow-ups, and opt-outs — without one accidental send.

Intermediate12 min readAction: 40 minUpdated July 16, 2026

Written by Kevin Reynolds · Reviewed by DetailOAR Product Team

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Contents

Start

Know the outcome.

Steps

Do the work in order.

Step 1
Choose and configure providers
1. Open Settings, Integrations.
2. Under Email, pick the supported platform provider or enter the approved SMTP/Mailgun configuration. Point From and Reply-to at monitored, authenticated domains.
3. Under SMS, choose Twilio or the supported adapter, and put credentials only in the dedicated protected fields.
4. Leave live delivery off while you build templates. In local/demo mode, sends should land in the console/database outbox instead of reaching real people.
5. Save, then check the interface shows configured status without revealing the secret.
Step 2
Edit templates safely
1. Open Email templates and choose Edit beside the exact event, such as Booking confirmation, Appointment reminder, Estimate, Review request, or Follow-up.
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2. Write a specific Subject, a short body, the accurate business identity, the reason you’re writing, and a real reply or manage path.
3. Stick to documented merge fields, and preview with an optional field missing so the sentence still reads naturally.
4. Choose Save template. Repeat for SMS with a tighter version that carries the required opt-out language.
5. Never put private notes, a full VIN, payment details, or inspection allegations in an automated message.
Step 3
Set timing and safeguards
1. Open Reminders and set the enabled timing relative to the appointment.
2. Look over quiet-hour configuration and the workspace time zone. A recipient may be somewhere else — apply the stricter appropriate rule.
3. Set estimate follow-up, review request, and maintenance rules with stop conditions, so acceptance, cancellation, opt-out, or a completed action halts nudges that no longer apply.
4. Choose Save reminders and Save owner alerts as needed. Owner alerts are operational — they’re not permission to market to the customer.
Step 4
Preview and test
1. Test with a non-real seeded customer, or a team-controlled address/number with documented permission.
2. Trigger one event at a time. In demo mode, check the outbox; in live test mode, use Preview or Test send if the interface offers it.
3. Check merge values, links, time zone, sender, reply path, mobile wrapping, and opt-out text.
4. Open Messages or the related record and confirm the delivery status and history.
5. Send STOP from the test phone, then confirm future nonessential sends show Suppressed and the consent record reads Opted out.

Reference

Use the detail when you need it.

Start with consent and local requirements

Email, SMS, automated marketing, quiet hours, identification, recordkeeping, and opt-out obligations all vary by country and jurisdiction. Check the current rules and provider policies with qualified counsel. The software can record consent and STOP events — it can’t create lawful consent after the fact.

What good looks like

Nothing sends in production before explicit configuration.
Every message says who sent it and why.
Links and times come out right for the workspace.
Consent and opt-out status block ineligible sends.
Failures stay visible in the message or audit log.

Troubleshooting

Email stays queued: check provider status, domain authentication, the recipient, and the outbox error.
SMS suppressed: check consent, STOP history, quiet hour, and provider registration — never override a valid opt-out.
Merge field comes out blank: use only supported fields and rewrite the sentence around it to tolerate optional data.
Duplicate reminder: check the idempotency key/event history before retrying by hand.

Finish

Check the result and close the loop.

Final checklist

Providers or demo mode clearly identified.
From/reply identities monitored.
Templates previewed with missing fields.
Timing and stop conditions tested.
Message log records status.
STOP suppression verified.

Prerequisites

Configure the Lead Pipeline and Lead Sources12 min read

Learning paths with this guide

Set Up DetailOAR8 guides

Frequently asked questions

Will local development send real messages?

It shouldn’t. The default console/outbox adapter records the message without any external delivery.

Can I text every imported customer?

No. Import doesn’t create consent. Verify lawful consent and purpose before sending.

What should happen after STOP?

The consent record flips to opted out, and future applicable messages get suppressed.

Sources and review

Reviewed by DetailOAR Product Team on July 15, 2026. Verify current labels, interfaces, prices, and local requirements before acting.