How to add Click-to-text (SMS link) to your website
Click-to-text (SMS link) is a link that opens the visitor's messaging app with your number ready, used by trades, mobile services and any business where customers prefer texting to calling. Here's how to put it on your own website, which embed option to pick, and what goes wrong.
Quick answer
Get the code from nothing to generate — an sms: link written directly into your page. For most people the right choice is the plain sms link — opens the messaging app with your number filled in. Paste it into a code or embed block on your site — not a plain text field — then place it beside your main call to action and test the whole flow on a phone before relying on it.
Click-to-text (SMS link): which option to use
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Plain SMS link | Opens the messaging app with your number filled in. |
| Pre-filled body | Adds suggested text, which removes hesitation and increases contacts. |
| Paired with click-to-call | Two buttons side by side letting the customer choose. |
Step-by-step
- 1
Find the code or link in your account
Click-to-text (SMS link) keeps this in nothing to generate — an sms: link written directly into your page. Copy what you need before touching your website — most of the time people lose is spent hunting for the snippet, not installing it.
- 2
Pick the right option for the job
The table above is the decision. Plain SMS link: Opens the messaging app with your number filled in. Pre-filled body: Adds suggested text, which removes hesitation and increases contacts. Choosing before you paste saves rebuilding the section later.
- 3
Paste it into a code or embed block
This needs an HTML, code or embed block — not a plain text field, where the code will simply appear as text on your page. On Adviita, ask the AI editor to add an embed section and drop the code in. On WordPress use a Custom HTML block, on Squarespace a Code block (Business plan or above), and on Wix an Embed HTML element.
- 4
Put it where the decision happens
A messaging option is only an asset if someone answers it. An ignored chat is worse than none. A widget three scrolls down does a fraction of the work of the same widget beside your main call to action. Decide what the page is for, then place it at the point the visitor is deciding.
- 5
Check it on an actual phone
Most visitors to a small business website arrive on a phone, and embeds are where mobile layouts break. Open your live site on your own phone and confirm it loads, fits the screen without sideways scrolling, and does not push your contact button out of view. Third-party embeds are also the most common cause of a slow page, so if it noticeably delays loading, consider a plain link instead.
- 6
Test it end to end before you rely on it
Run through the whole flow yourself as a customer would — send a real message — and confirm what should happen actually happens. Broken embeds fail silently, and the first person to notice is usually a customer who has already given up.
Tips & best practices
- ▸The syntax for pre-filled text differs between iOS and Android. Test on both — getting it wrong means the message body is silently dropped.
- ▸SMS links do nothing on desktop, so never make it the only contact option.
- ▸Many customers prefer texting to calling, particularly for quotes. Offering both consistently increases enquiries.
- ▸Re-test the embed after any change to your site, your plan, or the connected account — third-party widgets break quietly and nothing tells you.
Common questions
How do I add a click-to-text link to my website?
+−
Use a link in the form sms:+441234567890 attached to a button. To pre-fill a message you add a body parameter, but the exact syntax differs between iOS and Android, so test on both before relying on it. Always pair it with a phone number or form for desktop visitors.
Do customers actually text small businesses?
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Increasingly, yes — particularly for quote requests and rescheduling, where a call feels like an imposition and a form feels slow. Trades that offer both call and text buttons generally see more total enquiries than those offering calls alone.
Do I need a developer to add Click-to-text (SMS link) to my site?
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No. Every option here is copy and paste into a code or embed block, which every mainstream website builder provides. The only genuine blocker is a builder or plan that does not allow custom code at all — Squarespace, for instance, requires a Business plan or above for code blocks.
Will adding Click-to-text (SMS link) slow down my website?
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Any third-party embed has some cost, because it loads code from another company's servers. One is usually unnoticeable; four or five on the same page is where small business sites become visibly slow. If page speed matters to you, prefer a plain link over a script wherever the option exists, and keep embeds to the pages that genuinely need them.