# Automated SMS at every step of the order Cart abandoned, order confirmed, parcel shipped, product back in stock: Kanal triggers the right text on each event in your Shopify store. You set it up once. Source: https://getkanal.com/sms-automation Last updated: 2026-10-11 ## A customer’s journey, text by text > Atelier Nova: your cart is waiting, Sarah. Finish your order here: atelier-nova.com/cart > Atelier Nova: thank you Sarah, order #4821 is confirmed. Details: atelier-nova.com/order > Atelier Nova: order #4821 is on its way. Track your parcel: atelier-nova.com/tracking > Atelier Nova: the linen shirt in sand is back. Get yours here: atelier-nova.com/linen-shirt > Atelier Nova: enjoying your shirt? 10% off the matching trousers this week: atelier-nova.com/trousers ## Abandoned cart SMS The customer filled a cart, typed a phone number, then left. An automated SMS shows the way back: a short reminder, a first name, the direct link to the cart. And a second nudge if needed. - **Trigger**: Checkout left unfinished on the store - **Recipients**: Customers who agreed to receive your texts - **Content**: Reminder, first name, link back to the cart - **Measure**: Orders and revenue recovered > Atelier Nova: your cart is waiting, Sarah. Finish your order here: atelier-nova.com/cart > Atelier Nova: last reminder, your cart is still available today: atelier-nova.com/cart ## Order and delivery SMS notifications Confirmation, shipping, delivery: these are transactional texts, triggered by the status of the order and expected by the customer. They answer "where is my order?" before the question reaches your support team. - **Trigger**: Order status in Shopify - **Recipients**: The customer of the order - **Content**: Order number, tracking link - **Nature**: Service message, no commercial offer > Atelier Nova: thank you Sarah, order #4821 is confirmed. Details: atelier-nova.com/order > Atelier Nova: order #4821 is on its way. Track your parcel: atelier-nova.com/tracking > Atelier Nova: your parcel has been delivered. Enjoy, Sarah! ## Back in stock SMS alerts A sold-out product is not a lost sale if the customer can ask to be told. The moment stock is back, the text goes to those who were waiting, with the link to the product page. - **Trigger**: Product available again - **Recipients**: Customers who signed up for the alert - **Content**: Product name, direct link - **Measure**: Orders attributed to the alert > Atelier Nova: the linen shirt in sand is back. Get yours here: atelier-nova.com/linen-shirt ## Post-purchase SMS: offers and review requests A delivered order opens two opportunities: suggest the product that completes the purchase, and ask for a review while the experience is fresh. - **Trigger**: Order delivered, or a delay after purchase - **Recipients**: Customers who agreed to receive your texts - **Content**: Matching product or review link - **Measure**: Additional sales per flow > Atelier Nova: enjoying your shirt? 10% off the matching trousers this week: atelier-nova.com/trousers > Atelier Nova: your opinion matters. One minute to rate your shirt: atelier-nova.com/review ## Set up once. Sent at the right moment. Each automated SMS goes to the customer concerned, at the moment the event happens in your store. ## How SMS automation works A flow reads from left to right: what happens, for whom, what goes out, what it brings in. ### An event in Shopify Cart abandoned, order paid, parcel shipped, stock updated. ### Your conditions A delay, a segment, an order amount: you decide who receives the message. ### The SMS A short text with the customer’s first name and the details of the order. ### The result The orders it brings in are attributed to the flow. ## Transactional or marketing SMS: what the rules say Not all automated texts fall under the same rules. The difference fits in three points. ### Service texts Order confirmations and delivery notices: the French operators’ charter classes them as functional messages, outside the sending hours set for promotional SMS. Sources: [af2m](https://af2m.org/charte-business-messaging-2026-laf2m-renforce-les-regles-du-jeu/) ### Marketing texts Cart reminders and post-purchase offers are marketing: they need the customer’s prior consent and respect sending hours, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time in the United States. Sources: [CNIL](https://www.cnil.fr/fr/la-prospection-commerciale-par-sms-mms), [CTIA](https://www.ctia.org/the-wireless-industry/industry-commitments/messaging-interoperability-sms-mms), [47 CFR 64.1200](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-64/subpart-L/section-64.1200) ### In every case The message names your brand and fits, where possible, in a single SMS of 160 characters. Sources: [CNIL](https://www.cnil.fr/fr/la-prospection-commerciale-par-sms-mms), [3GPP TS 23.038](https://www.3gpp.org/dynareport/23038.htm) General information, not legal advice. Rules depend on the countries you send to. ## Go further - [SMS campaigns](https://getkanal.com/sms-campaigns): One-off sends to a segment, with the editor and its character counter. - [SMS marketing software](https://getkanal.com/sms): The overview: bulk sending, rules, integrations. - [WhatsApp automations](https://getkanal.com/automations): The same flows on WhatsApp, from the same app. ## Frequently asked questions about SMS automation ### What is an automated SMS? It is a text that goes out with no manual action when an event happens: a cart abandoned, an order shipped, a product back in stock. You set up the flow once and it then applies to every customer concerned. ### What is a transactional SMS? It is a service message tied to something the customer did: order confirmation, shipping, delivery. It informs, with no commercial offer. The French operators’ charter classes these as functional messages, unlike promotional SMS. ### How do I send automated SMS from my Shopify store? With a tool connected to the store that receives its events. Kanal installs from the Shopify App Store, syncs your customers, orders and checkouts, then triggers the text you chose for each event. ### Do I need consent for SMS notifications? Prior consent rules target marketing: a cart reminder or a post-purchase offer falls under them. A delivery notice is a service message, which the French operators’ charter treats separately. Rules vary by country: when in doubt about a message, ask your legal counsel. ### Can automated SMS go out at night or on Sundays? Promotional texts follow sending hours: in the United States, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the recipient’s local time; in France, 8:00 to 21:30 under the operators’ charter, which advises against Sundays and public holidays. That charter leaves functional messages, such as a delivery notice, outside those time limits. ### Can I personalize an automated SMS? Yes. The message uses the customer’s and the order’s details: first name, order number, tracking link or link back to the cart. Keep it short to stay within a single SMS of 160 characters.