Spreadsheets and databases

Airtable

Text people as records change in a base, and write their replies back to it.

What you can do

Recommended
Zapier
BlueBot’s Zapier app has a Send Text action and instant triggers for incoming texts and every change of state.
Zapier in the docs
Make
BlueBot’s Make app sends texts and starts scenarios when a text comes in or changes state.
Make in the docs
API
Your own code calls BlueBot’s REST API and listens to its signed webhooks.
API in the docs

Recipes

Set one up as written, or change it to fit how you work. The docs have the same recipes step by step.

01With Zapier

Starts when

When a record enters a view in Airtable

Make a view in your base that shows only records whose Status is Ready for pickup.
Start a Zap with Airtable’s trigger for a new record in that view.
Add BlueBot’s Send Text action and map the phone field to To.

The text it sends

Hi {{first_name}}, your order is ready for pickup. We’re open until 6 today.

From your own number

02With Make

Starts when

A text comes in (BlueBot’s message.received webhook)

03With the API

Starts when

A text is delivered or fails (BlueBot’s message.delivered and message.failed webhooks)

Send from your script with POST /v1/messages and put the Airtable record ID in metadata.
Listen for message.delivered and message.failed, which carry the same metadata.
Update the record’s Text status field through Airtable’s API.

The text it sends

Hi {{first_name}}, your class starts Monday at 6 PM. Reply here if you can’t make it.

From your own number