Understanding Your SMS Sending Limits

This guide explains how text message (SMS) sending limits work in your GoHighLevel (GHL) account. It covers why your daily limit starts small and grows over time, what happens when you reach it, and what to do next.

Many people are surprised to learn that finishing their text message registration does not let them send unlimited texts right away. Your account also has a separate daily sending limit that starts low and grows as you use it. This guide explains how that works so you are never caught off guard.

Every account starts with a low daily text limit that grows in steps. Each step is called a level. This is sometimes called the ramp-up process.

This protects your phone number's reputation with the phone carriers. Numbers that start slow and build up gradually are trusted more, which means more of your texts actually reach people instead of getting blocked.

When the Clock Starts

Your limit does not start counting on the day you created your account. It starts on the day you send your very first text message that goes through successfully.

So if your account is brand new and you have not sent anything yet, you are simply sitting at the starting level, ready to begin.

There are 8 levels. Everyone starts at Level 1 and works up. Here is how many text messages you can send in a 24-hour window at each level.

How You Move Up a Level

You move up by actually using your full limit. To unlock the next level, you must send the full amount for your current level within a 24-hour window.

Once you hit that full amount, your sending pauses for 24 hours. After the pause, the next level unlocks and you can send more.

This is the most common point of confusion, so it is worth saying clearly.

Your account has two separate systems working at the same time:

• Registration (A2P) is your permission to send business texts at all. Without it, your texts will not go through.
• The sending limit (the ramp) controls how many texts you can send per day, and it grows with use.

You need both. Finishing registration is a big step, but it does not skip the daily limit. Plan your first weeks of texting around the levels above.

Here is what to expect during the 24-hour pause:

• People can still text you. Incoming messages keep arriving and you will see them in your conversations.
• You cannot text back yet. Even a personal reply to one person will not send until the pause ends.
• The pause lasts 24 hours. After that, your sending turns back on and your next level unlocks automatically.

A Different Kind of Pause

There is also a separate pause that can happen if too many of your texts are reported as unwanted or fail to deliver. This one works differently. You can still send one-to-one replies and test messages during it, and it clears automatically at midnight UTC rather than after a full 24 hours.

Once you reach Level 8, you can send 3,000 or more texts in a 24-hour window. This is the standard maximum.

If your business needs to send even more than that, contact your Sulus.ai representative. They can help you request a higher limit.

You do not have to guess where you are. There are two easy ways to see your current level and whether you are paused.

Option 1: Your Dashboard Card

Look on your main dashboard for the Messaging Ramp Progress card. It shows your current level and how close you are to the next one.

Option 2: Your Restriction History

To see a record of any pauses on your account:

1. Open your Settings.
2. Click Phone Numbers.
3. Open Advanced Settings.
4. Find the Restriction History section.

If your texting number is a toll-free number (one that starts with 800, 888, 877, 866, 855, 844, or 833), two things apply to you.

• You still follow the same level system described above.
• Your number must also be verified before it can send any texts. If your toll-free number is unverified or still pending review, it is blocked from sending until verification is approved.

In short, toll-free numbers have one extra approval step on top of the daily limits.

A few myths come up often. Here is the truth behind each one.

"Once I am approved to send texts, my limit goes away."

Not true. Approval lets you send at all. The daily limit is a separate rule that still applies and grows with use.

"Toll-free numbers skip the daily limits."

Not true. Toll-free numbers follow the same level system, and they have an extra verification step on top.

"My provider can turn off the limit for me."

Not true. The daily limit cannot be removed or skipped by anyone. It is built into how the system protects your number.

"I can still reply to people while I am paused."

Not true for the daily-limit pause. When you hit your daily limit, even one-to-one replies are blocked until the 24-hour pause ends.

If something does not look right, use the solutions below. If your issue is not listed here, contact a Sulus.ai representative for assistance. For questions specific to GoHighLevel, GHL's official support documentation is available at help.gohighlevel.com.

Does finishing registration raise my daily limit?

No. Registration and the daily limit are separate. You still start at Level 1.

How long does it take to reach the top level?

It depends on how quickly you reach your full limit at each level. Each step needs at least a 24-hour pause, so the fastest path is several days of sending your full amount.

Do replies and automated texts count toward my limit?

Yes. Every outgoing text counts, including replies you type, automated workflow texts, and missed-call text-backs.

What about long messages?

A long message can be split into multiple parts, and each part can count toward your limit. Keep messages short to make the most of your daily allowance.

Can anyone remove the limit for me?

No. The daily limit cannot be turned off. Once you reach the top level, your Sulus.ai representative can help you request a higher limit.