GoHighLevel's missed call text back automatically sends a pre-written SMS to any caller whose call goes unanswered within 15 seconds.
To set it up: go to Settings → Business Profile → scroll to Missed Call Text Back → toggle it on → write your message → save. It takes 5 minutes and requires no workflow. Once active, it runs 24/7 on its own.
1. What Is GoHighLevel Missed Call Text Back?
GoHighLevel missed call text back is a built-in feature that sends an automatic SMS to a caller the moment their call goes unanswered.No workflow needed. No staff required. The text fires within 15 seconds fast enough that the person is still looking at their phone when it arrives.
The message is sent from your GHL phone number the same number they just called and replies land directly in your GHL Conversations inbox for your team to respond.
According to GoHighLevel's own data, 62% of inbound calls go unanswered. When callers hit voicemail, most of them don't leave a message and don't call back they call the next business in their search results.
US businesses lose an estimated \$75 billion annually to missed calls and poor follow-up. Missed call text back closes this gap.
A dental practice client of ours was missing an average of 14 inbound calls per day most of them from new patient enquiries. After activating missed call text back with a booking link in the message, they booked 9 new patient appointments in their first week from calls they would previously have lost entirely.
2. How to Set Up Missed Call Text Back in GoHighLevel (Step-by-Step)
Before you start: make sure you have a phone number connected in your GHL sub-account. Go to Settings → Phone Numbers. If you haven't added a number yet, click 'Add Number' and purchase a local number for your area code.
If you're in the US and your missed call texts are not delivering, the most common reason is incomplete A2P 10DLC registration.US carriers require this for all business SMS. Check Settings → Phone Numbers → Compliance. If your status shows 'Pending' or 'Unregistered', complete registration first approval takes 1-5 business days and is required for SMS to send reliably.
Open your sub-account settings
In your GHL dashboard, click your sub-account name in the top left, then click 'Settings' in the left sidebar (the gear icon at the bottom of the menu).
Go to Business Profile
Inside Settings, select 'Business Profile'. This is the main settings panel for your sub-account.
Find Missed Call Text Back
Scroll down on the right-hand side until you see the 'Missed Call Text Back' section.
Toggle it on and click Customize
If the toggle is off, switch it on. Then click the 'Customize' button to open the message editor.
Write your message
Type your automated response. Keep it short, human, and include a clear next step. Use {{contact.name}} to personalise.
Send yourself a test message
Enter your own phone number and click Send Test. Within 15 seconds you should receive the message.
Click Save
Hit Save to activate. From this point, every missed call to your GHL number will trigger the automated text.
3. How to Write an Effective Missed Call Text Back Message
The default GHL message works. A well-written custom message works significantly better. Here is what separates a message that starts a conversation from one that gets ignored.
Sound Like a Human
Write the way you'd text a friend. Conversational messages convert better than robotic ones.
One Clear Next Step
Ask a question or include your booking link. Don't do both pick one.
Keep It Under 160 Characters
One SMS segment is 160 characters. Avoid splitting into two texts.
4. 5 Copy-Paste Message Templates by Industry
Copy any of these directly into your GHL missed call text back message editor. Personalise the business name and booking link.
General Service Business
Copy-paste this template
Dental / Healthcare Practice
Copy-paste this template
Home Services (HVAC, Plumbing, Roofing)
Copy-paste this template
Real Estate Agent
Copy-paste this template
After-Hours Message
Copy-paste this template
5. How to Connect Missed Call Text Back to a Booking Workflow
The native missed call text back sends one message and stops. If you want to do more add the contact to your CRM, send a follow-up if they don't reply, or route them into a booking sequence build a workflow instead.
1. Go to Automation → Workflows → Create Workflow
2. Set the trigger: Inbound Call → filter by Call Status: Missed
3. Add action Send SMS: Your personalised missed call message with booking link
4. Add Wait: Wait 20 minutes (prevents duplicate texts)
5. Add If/Else: Did the contact reply? If YES → end workflow. If NO → send follow-up SMS after 2 hours
6. Add action Add to Pipeline: Create opportunity in 'Missed Call' pipeline stage
7. Add action Create Task: Call back {{contact.name}} assigned to team member
Enable 'Run Once Per Contact' on the workflow trigger to prevent the same person from triggering the workflow multiple times if they call and hang up repeatedly within a short period.
→ Want to understand GHL workflows more broadly first? Read: How to Set Up GoHighLevel Workflow Automation for Beginners
6. Why Your Missed Call Text Back Might Not Be Sending
These are the four most common reasons the feature fails in order of frequency from our audits.
A2P 10DLC registration is incomplete or pending
Cause: US carriers block SMS from unregistered numbers
Fix: Check Settings → Phone Numbers → Compliance. If status is not "Approved", complete registration first. This is the #1 reason texts silently fail.
The feature is not enabled for the correct phone number
Cause: Missed call text back is configured per phone number, not per account
Fix: Check Settings → Phone Numbers → select the number → Advanced Settings → enable missed call text back.
The caller is an existing contact with SMS opted out
Cause: GHL honors opt-out preferences and will not send SMS to opted-out numbers
Fix: Check the contact record in your CRM for SMS compliance status. You cannot override a contact's opt-out.
A duplicate workflow is conflicting
Cause: Both native missed call text back AND a workflow with Missed Call trigger may be firing simultaneously
Fix: Disable one. Native version is faster to set up; workflow version gives more control. Don't run both.
7. Frequently Asked Questions
What is GoHighLevel missed call text back?
GoHighLevel missed call text back is a built-in feature that automatically sends a pre-written SMS to any caller whose call goes unanswered. The text fires within 15 seconds while the caller is still looking at their phone and replies land in your GHL Conversations inbox. It requires no workflow to activate and works 24/7.
How fast does GoHighLevel send the missed call text back?
GoHighLevel sends the missed call text back within 15 seconds of the call going unanswered. This is intentionally fast enough to reach the caller while they are still holding their phone, before they open a search engine to find a competitor.
Does missed call text back work after business hours?
Yes. Missed call text back fires 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, regardless of your business hours settings. For after-hours calls, customise the message to set appropriate expectations for example: 'Our office is closed right now but we'll call you first thing tomorrow morning.'
How much does GoHighLevel missed call text back cost?
The feature itself is included on all GoHighLevel plans at no extra cost. You pay the standard GHL SMS usage rate for each text sent, which is approximately $0.0079 per SMS segment (160 characters). For a business receiving 50 missed calls per month, that's under $0.50 per month in SMS costs.
Can I use missed call text back with my own Twilio number?
Yes. Missed call text back works with both GoHighLevel's native LC Phone numbers and your own Twilio numbers. Whichever number the caller dials, the text will be sent from that same number if the feature is enabled on it.
What is the difference between the native missed call text back and building a workflow for it?
The native feature sends one text and stops. A workflow version gives you more control: you can add the contact to a CRM pipeline, send a follow-up if they don't reply, assign a task to your team, and add conditional logic. For most businesses, start with the native feature for speed, then upgrade to a workflow once you understand the basics.
Why is my GoHighLevel missed call text back not sending?
The most common reasons are: (1) incomplete A2P 10DLC registration for US numbers, (2) the feature is not enabled for the specific phone number the caller dialed, (3) the caller has previously opted out of SMS, or (4) you have both the native feature and a workflow running simultaneously, causing conflicts. Check each in order.
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