Purchasing Your Text Number

Most organizations only need one texting phone number. An administrator purchases it in CoolFocus after text messaging approval is complete and WayCool has connected your texting credentials. This article covers how to search for and purchase that number, then turn it on for reminders.

This is an administrator task. If you do not see Settings → Inbox Settings → Numbers, ask a system administrator.

See also Texting Compliance Requirements.

Before you buy a number

You can only use Add Number when both of these are true:

1. Text messaging approval for your organization is approved (compliance requirements have been met or texting is already active), and

2. WayCool has connected your organization’s texting credentials

Until then, Add Number stays disabled, and CoolFocus shows Texting approval required, with a link to open approval status.

Typical workflow steps:

1. Contact WayCool Support if Inbox texting is not yet on your subscription

2. Complete Texting Compliance Requirements under Settings → Inbox Settings → Compliance (brand details, legal pages, consent proof, message examples, precheck, submit for WayCool review, then carrier review)

3. Wait for approval and for WayCool to connect texting credentials

4. Purchase your number (steps below)

5. Turn on SMS routing so the number can send appointment reminders (steps below)

How to buy a texting number

1. Open Settings → Inbox Settings → Numbers (page title Phone Numbers)

2. Select Add Number

3. In the Add Phone Number window:

   • Choose Number type: Local or Toll-Free

   • For a Local number, enter a 3-digit Area code (for example, 612). For Toll-Free, area code is optional — leave it blank to search all toll-free options

   • Select Search

4. Review the list of available numbers. Each row shows the number, whether SMS (text) and Voice are available, and the monthly price

5. Click Select on the number you want

6. Confirm the monthly cost, then select Confirm Purchase

CoolFocus purchases the number on your messaging account and configures it to receive SMS. You should see a success message, and the number appears on your Phone Numbers list.

After you buy the number

The new number is not automatically set as the reminder sender. Turn it onusing the steps below:

1. On Settings → Inbox Settings → Numbers, find the number you just purchased

2. Under SMS routing, turn the switch on so the status says Enabled for reminders (this is the same as Use for Reminders on the number’s Configure page)

   

3. Optional: enter a Friendly name (for example, “Main Office”) so staff can tell numbers apart

4. Optional: open Configure on the number if you want a Campaign label for local attribution reporting (for example, radio ad vs website). That label is only for your reporting — it is not your carrier A2P campaign registration

Most centers leave a single number with Use for Reminders turned on. If you buy more than one number later, only the ones you enable for reminders will be used for appointment reminder text messages.

One purchased number is enough for:

• Appointment reminder and confirmation texts

• Two-way texting in Inbox

• Related SMS features that use your organization’s sender number

You do not need a separate number for each staff member.

Inbox Domains (Client, Donor, or Volunteer)

CoolFocus can keep Client, Donor, and Volunteer texting streams separate in Inbox. That is about how conversations are grouped, not a second purchase step for most centers.

• Most organizations use one purchased number for everyday client texting

• You do not need a different number for every person — one number is enough for normal use

• Campaign label (if you use one) is only for local attribution reporting. It is not the same as Inbox Domain and not your carrier A2P campaign registration

See Inbox Domains: Client, Donor, and Volunteer for how domains work in Inbox.

Troubleshooting

• Add Number is disabled — Finish text messaging approval under Settings → Phone → Compliance, or wait for WayCool to connect credentials after approval

• Search finds no numbers — Try another area code or Toll-Free

• Purchase fails — Note the error message and contact WayCool Support. Do not buy the same number twice from outside CoolFocus

• Number appears but reminders still will not send — Confirm SMS routing / Use for Reminders is on for that number, and that clients are marked OK to text. See Reminders, Notifications, and Intake Messages

Related

• Texting Compliance Requirements

• Inbox Domains: Client, Donor, and Volunteer

• Reminders, Notifications, and Intake Messages

• Getting Started in the Inbox

• Inbox Settings

• Sending Text Messages

• Understanding Text Message Delivery Warnings