When you send an SMS to a lead or contact, it goes out from one of the phone numbers in your account. If you have more than one number, you may wonder which number your contact will actually see the message come from.
When sending SMS, the system follows a set of rules to determine which Twilio phone number is used as the sender. This ensures messages are sent from the most appropriate number, maintaining consistency and compliance. This article explains how that “From” number is chosen so you can predict and control it.
The Short Version
The system picks the “From” number using a simple order of preference. It goes down this list and uses the first number that applies:
The Priority Order, Explained
If you (or an automation) explicitly set a “From” number , for example, when you pick a specific number in a workflow SMS action or specify one through the API , that number is always used.
This gives you full control. If you want a message to come from a particular number, set it directly and it will take priority over everything else.
The number you choose must be one that belongs to your account.
If no specific number was chosen, the system looks at the user who is sending the message. If that user has their own dedicated number assigned for this location, the message is sent from that number. This is useful when each team member has their own phone number, so replies feel personal and land back with the right person.
If the staff member sending the SMS is listed under the sub-account’s My Staff tab and has a dedicated Twilio number assigned, the lead will receive the SMS from that assigned Twilio number. (It can be changed manually.)
If the assigned Twilio number is SMS-incompatible, the system will fall back to the default outbound number.
If there’s no user-assigned number, the system checks whether the contact’s conversation is already tied to one of your numbers. If it is, the message continues going out from that same number.
This keeps a conversation consistent , your contact keeps seeing messages from the same number they’ve been chatting with.
If none of the above apply, the message is sent from your account’s default outbound number. This is the fallback used for most automated and system-generated messages when no other number is specified.
Make sure your default outbound number is set to the number you’d most want contacts to see when nothing else is specified.
How to Assign Twilio Numbers to Users
Go to Sub-Account Settings → My Staff.
Edit the user.
Expand the Call & Voicemail Settings.
Assign a Twilio phone number to the user.
Learn more about phone numbers for users / assigning Twilio numbers to users.
Workflow Settings Option
Inside the Workflow builder, you can also manually choose which number to send SMS from. When configuring a “Send SMS” step, you’ll see a dropdown for “From Number.”
This is useful when you want workflows to always send from a particular number, regardless of staff assignment or channel number.
Fallback Rules (When No User Number Exists)
If the logged-in user is not listed in the sub-account, or doesn’t have an LC number assigned, the system will try the following in order:
The first LC number ever used with that contact. This maintains conversation continuity.
If the channel number has been removed, the system will use the default Twilio number set at the account level.
Checking Which Number Was Used
To confirm the exact Twilio number used in a conversation:
- Hover over the SMS message in the conversation view.
- Click the three dots (…) → Details.
- This will show the Twilio number used to send that SMS.
How to Control Which Number Contacts See
Frequently Asked Questions
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