How to set up missed call text back in GoHighLevel, step by step

The short version of the GoHighLevel setup

To set up missed call text back in GoHighLevel, open Settings in the sub-account, go to Phone System, then Voice, then Voicemail and Missed Call Text Back, tick the Enable Missed Call Text Back checkbox, write your message, send a test and save. The whole feature lives on one settings panel.

The steps below follow GoHighLevel's official help center article, last modified on 7 September 2026 and read on 3 October 2026. Other products work the same way in outline: in Quo, for example, auto-replies sit under Settings, Phone Numbers, the chosen number, then the Automations tab.

What you need before you start, and the plan

• An active sub-account with Phone System access. The help article names no minimum plan. The lowest plan, Starter at $97 a month, lists all core features.
• At least one number that is allowed to send SMS. For a US local number that means completed A2P 10DLC registration. For a toll-free number it means toll-free verification.
• Wallet balance. Each missed-call text is a normal billable SMS at $0.00747 per segment, and a local number rents at $1.15 a month.

Registration is the step that takes time and money. GoHighLevel lists a one-time fee of $22.50 for a Sole Proprietor or Low Volume Standard brand, and the fee starts when you submit, whatever the review outcome. Twilio's documentation says anyone sending application-generated SMS to US users from a 10-digit number must register, and unregistered traffic faces extra carrier fees and filtering. The cost page has every fee.

The numbered steps from GoHighLevel's help center

1. Open Settings. Click Settings at the bottom left of the sub-account.
2. Go to the feature. Choose Phone System, then Voice, then Voicemail & Missed Call Text Back. The Missed Call Text Back options open in a side panel.
3. Enable it. Tick the Enable Missed Call Text Back checkbox.
4. Customize the message. Click Customize, type the text, and add merge fields such as the contact's name if you want them. These only fill in when the caller is already a known contact.
5. Test and save. Pick a phone number from the dropdown, send a test message, check it on your own phone, then click Save.

On the same screen, set the Incoming Call Timeout. This slider decides how long a call rings before it counts as missed, and the help center recommends 10 to 20 seconds. You can also upload an mp3 or wav file as a custom voicemail greeting. The voicemail plays separately after the timeout.

A worked example with real settings

Take a two-person cleaning company with one registered local number. It sets the Incoming Call Timeout to 15 seconds and enters this message, written for this page: Hi, this is Brightside Cleaning. Sorry we missed your call. Reply with your ZIP code and what you need cleaned and we will call you back within the hour.

A caller rings at 2pm while both staff are working. After 15 seconds the call counts as missed and the text goes out. GoHighLevel sends it from the number that was called if that number can send SMS. If it cannot, the system falls back to a number used with that contact before, then the default outbound number, then any other eligible number in the location. The reply arrives in the conversation inbox. At 50 missed calls a month the texts cost 50 x $0.00747, which is $0.37, before carrier fees.

The most common mistake: duplicate texts on repeat calls

The mistake to avoid is leaving the simple checkbox on for a busy line. GoHighLevel's article says the feature sends an SMS for every missed call, even when the same person calls several times in a short period. It also fires outside business hours. A caller who redials three times gets three identical texts and you pay for three.

GoHighLevel's own fix is to use the Workflows recipe instead and add a wait step of about 20 minutes, or tag filters, so a contact is texted once. The workflow trigger to use is Call Details, which can filter on call direction and on statuses such as not answered, busy or voicemail. If you switch to the workflow, turn the checkbox off first so a caller is not texted twice, then test with your own phone.

Three smaller checks are worth making after launch: call your own number from a phone that is not a saved contact, confirm that contacts marked Do Not Disturb receive nothing, and decide who reads the replies. Staff notification options and how the feature works behind the scenes cover the rest.