Text messaging may seem simple, but there are a few things happening behind the scenes that can affect how your messages are delivered and billed. Understanding message segments and special characters will help you write more efficient text messages while keeping your messaging costs under control.

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What Is a Message Segment?

A message segment is how mobile carriers measure the length of a text message. Most standard text messages can contain up to 160 characters before they’re automatically split into additional segments. If your message exceeds the character limit, the carrier will divide it into multiple segments. Each segment is billed as an individual message. A longer message may count as two or three message segments instead of one.

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Why Do Message Segments Matter?

Longer messages use more segments, which can:

• Increase messaging costs.
• Create longer messages that are more difficult to read.
• Occasionally cause messages to be split or delivered separately on some devices.

Whenever possible, keep messages short, clear, and conversational.

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How Special Characters Affect Your Messages

Not all characters are treated the same by mobile carriers. Using certain characters—such as emojis or special symbols—reduces the number of characters that fit into a single message segment. These rules are not set by Captivated. SMS character limits are determined by industry-standard character encoding, primarily GSM-7 and Unicode/UCS-2. Captivated works within these standards and calculates message segments based on how carriers will encode and transmit your message. Common examples include:

• E mojis: 😊 👍 ❤️ 🎉 ✅
• Smart/curly quotation marks: “ ” ‘
• Long dashes: — –
• Ellipses: …
• Bullets: •
• Symbols: ™ © ® ✓ ★ → ←
• Many accented characters: á í ó ú č š ž ł and others Non-English alphabets
• Non-Latin characters and alphabets, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Hebrew, Cyrillic, and others
• Invisible Unicode spaces or formatting characters, which can sometimes be introduced when copying text from websites, Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or other applications

There’s nothing wrong with using these characters—they simply use a different encoding standard, which means your message may be divided into additional segments sooner than expected.

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Example

This message fits comfortably into a single message segment:

Your lawn treatment is scheduled for tomorrow between 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM.

Now imagine adding several emojis, special symbols, and additional text. While the message still looks similar to your customer, it may now be sent as multiple message segments.

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Best Practices

Here are a few simple ways to keep your messages efficient:

• Keep messages short and easy to read.
• Only use emojis when they add value to the conversation.
• Avoid copying text directly from Microsoft Word or Google Docs, as these programs often insert smart quotes and other special characters.
• Use shortened links instead of long URLs whenever possible.
• Preview your message before sending large announcements or marketing campaigns.
• Consider using an image when you need to share detailed instructions or promotional content instead of sending several long text messages.

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Simple Example

1 Segment

Hi John! Your lawn treatment is scheduled for tomorrow between 9:00–11:00 AM. Reply STOP to opt out.

2+ Segments

Hi John! We wanted to remind you about your scheduled lawn treatment tomorrow between 9:00 and 11:00 AM. Please remember to move any lawn furniture, children’s toys, pet bowls, garden hoses, or other obstacles before our technician arrives. If you have any questions, simply reply to this message.

The second message communicates more information, but it also uses multiple message segments.

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Tips for Keeping Messages Short

Here are a few easy ways to reduce message segments:

• Keep messages clear and concise.
• Avoid unnecessary words.
• Use images instead of long written instructions when appropriate.
• Be mindful when using emojis or special characters.
• Use shortened links instead of long URLs.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my message count as multiple text messages?

Your message either exceeded the character limit or included special characters that reduced the number of characters allowed in a single message segment.

Do emojis cost more?

Not directly. However, emojis reduce the number of characters that fit into each message segment, which may cause your message to use additional segments.

Should I always stay under 160 characters?

Not necessarily.Your priority should always be sending a clear, helpful message. While shorter messages often reduce costs and improve readability, it’s perfectly acceptable to use multiple message segments when additional information provides value to your customer.

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The Bottom Line

Message segments and special characters are simply part of how text messaging works. By keeping your messages concise and understanding how special characters affect message length, you can better manage messaging costs while creating a great experience for your customers.