We live in a world where instant responses make an impact. Customers don’t want to read long emails; they want quick answers in a channel they actually use.
SMS has become that channel, and it’s no accident that businesses using it are 217% more successful than those that don’t. Bring an SMS chatbot into the picture, and you take it further: smarter conversations, better support, and growth that doesn’t require more people.
In this guide, you’ll learn what SMS chatbots are, why they matter, how to create one, and why ControlHippo is the tool that makes it easy.
What is an SMS Chatbot?
An SMS chatbot is a platform that interacts with users through bot text messages. Instead of relying on phone calls or waiting for email replies, customers can send a first message to your business phone number.
Then, the chatbot will automatically send the next message based on the user’s input via the internet connection and process it as a user input element, like a form inside the flow.
These automated responses make the chatbot experience seamless. From FAQs to appointment reminders, an SMS bot can engage customers on various topics without needing extra apps or complicated setups.
SMS chatbot example: A customer might sign up on your website and get a confirmation SMS template. The bot can then trigger the next step, like sharing delivery updates or sending notifications.
Why use an SMS Chatbot for Your Business?
90% of SMS messages are read within 3 minutes, which makes them an ideal medium for approaching customers. Here’s how they can bring more favorable results to your business:
- Engage customers instantly with automated responses to common questions.
- Provide 24/7 support without requiring extra services or human agents.
- Send personalized messages and promotional messages to boost sales.
- Help customers receive text message auto replies for reminders, alerts, and notifications.
- Improve customer satisfaction by making conversations quick and interactive.
Start with FAQs and transactional updates before expanding into marketing campaigns. This ensures your chatbot is helpful from the first day.
How to Create an SMS Chatbot?
Creating a text Chatbot is simple with ControlHippo. You don’t need coding skills, just a phone number, your business knowledge, and ControlHippo’s Flow Builder to design natural language processing bot.
1. Connect Your SMS Number or Service Provider with ControlHippo
To set up your SMS service (e.g., Twilio) with ControlHippo, the first step is to connect your SMS service provider to ControlHippo. This way, you can configure your number to send and receive SMS messages using your business number.
To connect your SMS provider to ControlHippo, do the following:
- Obtain a Twilio number with SMS availability..
- Log in to your ControlHippo dashboard.
- Select Start Integrations and connect your SMS provider.
- Confirm that you have an active number with two-way messaging capabilities.
Once you’ve connected with your SMS provider, your ControlHippo account will sync your SMS conversations. Also, it will allow you to manage them alongside your other chat channels.
2. Upload Knowledge Base
Next, upload your FAQs, product info, company policies, and other customer-facing information into ControlHippo’s knowledge base.
This will fuel your text message chatbot with responsive and accurate replies. Additionally, it will help users with reliable answers to common questions, such as when their order will arrive, how much your service or product costs. Even if customers forget specific details (like order ID), the bot can still guide them back on track.
3. Design Your SMS Chatbot Flow with ControlHippo
Now comes the fun part: building your chatbot flow. Follow the steps below to get started with building an SMS chatbot flow.
Open ControlHippo:
- Go to the Flow Builder section.
- Click “Create Flow” and select SMS as your channel.
- Name your flow and assign your connected SMS number.
Define triggers to make your SMS chatbot function:
- First Message – When a customer texts your number.
- Keyword Trigger – When users send specific terms (like “order” or “support”).
- Transactional Trigger – For automated alerts like payment reminders or delivery updates.
Use the drag-and-drop flow builder to design your chatbot with elements like:
- Send a Message (for confirmations, updates, or promotions)
- Ask a Question (to collect customer details or preferences)
- Buttons / Options (to simplify choices for users)
- AI Agent Handoff (for ControlHippo’s AI to respond using your knowledge base)
- Assign to Human Agent (to transfer complex queries directly to your team)
Once designed, click Save and then Activate to set your chatbot live.
4. Test and Launch
Before going live, test your SMS chatbot thoroughly.
Validate:
- Message delivery and response accuracy
- Flow logic for different customer inputs
- Transitions between bot and live agents
Run tests across mobile devices, laptops, and tablets to ensure smooth customer experiences. Once everything looks good, launch your chatbot directly from ControlHippo.
5. Monitor and Optimize
After launch, use ControlHippo’s analytics dashboard to track how your chatbot performs.
Monitor metrics like:
- Engagement rates (how many users interact with the chatbot per event)
- Query resolution success
- Escalation rate to human agents
- Customer satisfaction (CSAT) scores
Regularly refine your chatbot by updating the knowledge base, improving flows, and adding new triggers. This ensures your SMS chatbot keeps evolving with your business and customer needs.
Turn SMS Chatbot Into Your Growth Channel
ControlHippo’s AI-powered chatbot keeps your customers engaged around the clock.
Why Choose ControlHippo Over Other SMS Chatbot Tools?
Most “chatbot tools” are just reply machines. They’ll send automated texts, but they won’t help you actually win the conversation. ControlHippo’s chatbot workflow is built differently. It gives you one place to manage every channel. Here are the top features that make it an ideal tool:
Unified Inbox for SMS + Other Channels
With ControlHippo, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Email, everything comes in a unified inbox. So, you don’t have to switch between different tabs. It leads to zero scattered tabs and zero missed messages. As a result, you can deliver faster responses for your customers.
AI-Assisted Workflows
Automation without intelligence is not enough. ControlHippo’s no-code chatbot builder plus AI Copilot allows you to design workflows that feel human. Deliver real-time reply suggestions, smart knowledge-base answers, and smooth handoffs to your team when needed. It will help you achieve less manual work and more meaningful conversations.
Cost-Effective Marketing and Support
Why pay for three different tools when one does the job? ControlHippo’s AI SMS chatbot combines bulk SMS messages + WhatsApp campaigns with day-to-day support. Marketing and customer service finally share the same home. That saves money and makes your customer experience consistent.
Easy Setup with CRM Integrations
ControlHippo integrates with HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho, and Pipedrive. It allows you to facilitate customer data flows, align sales and support teams, and most importantly, have a customer conversation that is personalized. One added benefit is, this setup only takes a few minutes, and you can get going right away.
Wrapping Up
Chatbots shouldn’t feel like robots. They should feel like an extension of your team; fast, personal, and effortless. That’s the gap most tools miss, and it’s exactly what ControlHippo gets right.
With a unified inbox, AI that actually makes sense of conversations, and plug-and-play integrations, it’s the chatbot platform built to help your business scale without the chaos.
If you want to stop “replying” and start building relationships through SMS, ControlHippo’s free SMS chatbot is where you make that shift.
Updated : October 1, 2025
Tarang Patel is a Demand Generation Manager with 10+ years of professional experience. He currently specializes in developing targeted RCS and SMS awareness campaigns that enhance brand visibility and customer engagement, optimizing message delivery and response metrics to build strong audience connections through mobile messaging platforms.