Send an alert

Write a short text, pick who gets it, and send it now or at a set hour. Add a link and a longer message when one text isn't enough.

Send an alertStaff

1. 1
   On the Alerts page, select Send Alert.
2. 2
   Pick one or more Groups 1 (marker 1 on the screenshot). Everyone in them gets the text.
3. 3
   Add People 2 (marker 2 on the screenshot) one by one, if they aren't in those groups. Someone who's in two of the groups, or also picked here, gets it once.
4. 4
   Write the SMS Message 3 (marker 3 on the screenshot). It starts with your church's name, so people know who it's from (Scheduly sets that up: What Scheduly sets up for you). Keep it short: every 160 characters or so is another text to pay for.
5. 5
   Optional: check Include Link 4 (marker 4 on the screenshot) to add a short link to the alert's page, where people can read a longer message and comment.
6. 6
   Select Send Alert 5 (marker 5 on the screenshot).

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The text goes out right away and the alert moves to Delivered Alerts. While you write, the link shows as https://bit.ly/AbCd123: the real link is made when the alert is sent.

Add a longer messageStaff

The text is for the headline. Put the details (directions, what to bring, a schedule) in a longer message that people open from the link.

1. 1
   Check Include Link 1 (marker 1 on the screenshot).
2. 2
   Check Add Secondary Message 2 (marker 2 on the screenshot).
3. 3
   Write it in Full Message 3 (marker 3 on the screenshot), up to 3,000 characters. Line breaks stay. Bible references (like Nehemiah 4) become links.

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Schedule an alertStaff

Write it now, send it later: a reminder the evening before, a note that goes out while you're busy on Sunday morning.

1. 1
   Check Schedule Send 1 (marker 1 on the screenshot).
2. 2
   Pick the date 2 (marker 2 on the screenshot).
3. 3
   Pick the time 3 (marker 3 on the screenshot), on the hour: 6:00 PM works, 6:30 PM doesn't. It's in your device's time zone.
4. 4
   Select Schedule Alert 4 (marker 4 on the screenshot).

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It waits under Scheduled Alerts and goes out at that hour. The people in the groups are looked up when it goes out, so someone who joins a group before then gets it too.

Check the cost firstStaff

Select Check Cost of Delivery before you send to see how many texts it will take. Do it for big groups and long messages. See What alerts cost.

CommentsStaff

Allow Comments is checked to start with. People who open the alert from the link can then post a comment under it (Comment on an alert). Uncheck it to turn comments off: the people you sent it to then see Comments are off., and only staff and admins can comment. You can change this after the alert is sent.

If it won't sendStaff

The window shows what's wrong at the top: