Skip to main content
GHL MCP Guide
SMS

SMS Operations

Conversations & Messaging · Intermediate · Updated March 2026

Send SMS and MMS messages to contacts, retrieve message history, and manage two-way text conversations through the GHL MCP server.

SMS is the highest-engagement communication channel in GoHighLevel. Text messages get opened within minutes, response rates dwarf email, and for service businesses, a well-timed text is often the difference between a booked appointment and a lost lead. Managing SMS through MCP means you can trigger messages from external events, build custom response logic, and integrate texting into workflows that GHL’s native builder can’t handle alone.

What This MCP Tool Does

Send outbound SMS and MMS messages to contacts, schedule messages for future delivery, cancel scheduled messages, and manage two-way conversation threads. Messages sent through MCP appear in the contact’s conversation timeline alongside messages sent through the UI or workflows, maintaining a unified communication history.

Endpoint Reference

Send an SMS/MMS message: POST /conversations/messages Send a text message to a contact. Specify the message type as SMS, include the contact ID, and provide the message body. For MMS, include media attachment URLs.

Schedule a message: Include scheduling parameters in the send request to queue the message for future delivery at a specific date and time.

Cancel a scheduled message: Cancel a queued message before it’s delivered.

Authentication

Requires a Private Integration Token (PIT) with the conversations scope enabled. The location must have an active phone number configured for SMS sending.

Key Parameters

  • type — set to “SMS” for text messages
  • contactId — the recipient contact’s ID
  • message — the text content
  • attachments — array of media URLs for MMS messages
  • conversationId — optional, to send within an existing conversation thread
  • conversationProviderId — the phone number to send from

Important Notes

Messages sent via MCP count against the location’s SMS usage and billing. The same per-message costs apply whether a message is sent through the UI, a workflow, or an MCP call.

MMS messages (with images or media) have higher costs than plain SMS. Media must be publicly accessible URLs — you can’t upload files directly through the message endpoint. Use the Media Library tool to upload and host media first.

Two-way conversations are automatic. When a contact replies to an SMS sent via MCP, their response appears in the conversation inbox and can trigger workflows just like any other inbound message.

Phone number compliance matters. The sending number must be properly registered for A2P (application-to-person) messaging. Unregistered numbers may have messages filtered or blocked by carriers.

Messages have a 1,600-character limit for standard SMS. Longer messages are split into multiple segments, each billed separately.

Common Questions

Can I send SMS from a specific phone number? Yes. Use the conversationProviderId parameter to specify which location phone number sends the message.

Do MCP-sent messages show up in the conversation inbox? Yes. They appear in the unified inbox alongside all other messages, maintaining a complete communication history.

Can I send MMS with images? Yes. Include publicly accessible image URLs in the attachments array. Supported formats include JPEG, PNG, and GIF.

What happens if the contact has DND (Do Not Disturb) enabled for SMS? The message will be blocked by GHL’s DND system. Check DND status through Contact CRUD before sending if you need to handle this gracefully.

Can I send to multiple contacts at once? No. Each SMS is sent to a single contact. For bulk messaging, iterate through your contact list and send individually with appropriate rate limiting.

Back to GHL MCP Guide