Overview
PublicInput can automatically send text messages (SMS) to registered speakers during meetings. This helps clerks manage speaker queues efficiently and ensures speakers — whether attending in person or remotely — know when it’s their turn.
There are three ways text messages are sent to speakers:
Called to Speak — An automatic text is sent when a speaker is marked as “called” during the meeting
Agenda Item Status Change — An automatic text is sent when an agenda item’s status changes (e.g., from Pending to Active)
Manual Reminders — A meeting admin manually sends a text to eligible speakers from the Speakers tab
Each method can send different messages to in-person and remote speakers, and all messages support dynamic placeholders that are filled in automatically at send time.
Meeting speaker text messaging is available on the Meetings Premier plan only. Ask your customer success manager if you'd like to explore adding text messaging to your plan.
Setting Up SMS Templates (Board Level)
Before using text messaging during meetings, configure your default message templates at the board/commission level. These templates apply to all meetings under that board unless overridden.
Where to Find It
Navigate to your Board or Commission project.
Click the Text tab in the project settings.
The Speaker SMS Reminder Templates editor appears at the top of the tab.
The Template Editor
The template editor is split into two columns — In-Person Speakers on the left and Remote Speakers on the right. Each column has:
A Message Template textarea showing the current message with placeholders
A character counter (e.g., “85/320 characters”) and SMS segment count
Insert merge field buttons (Agenda Item, Meeting Date, Meeting Time, Meeting Link, Phone Number, Access Code) to add placeholders without typing them manually
Default Templates
Template | Who Receives It | Default Message |
In-Person Speaker Reminder | Speakers attending in person |
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Remote Speaker Reminder | Speakers attending by phone or video |
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Overflow In-Person | In-person speakers on the overflow list |
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Overflow Remote | Remote speakers on the overflow list |
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Call-to-Speak SMS
Below the template textareas, there is a checkbox: “Send SMS to in-person speakers when called to speak.” When enabled, an additional template field appears for the call-to-speak message.
Template | Who Receives It | Default Message |
Call-to-Speak SMS | In-person speakers when marked as called |
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After editing, click Save Templates. You can click Reset to Defaults at any time to restore the system defaults.
Character limit: Each template can be up to 320 characters (equivalent to two standard SMS segments).
Available Merge Fields (Placeholders)
All SMS templates support the following placeholders. These are replaced with real values when the message is sent:
Placeholder | Description | Example Output |
| The agenda item or section title the speaker registered for | Public Hearing — Rezoning Application 2024-03 |
| The meeting date | March 28, 2026 |
| The meeting start time | 6:00 PM |
| Dial-in phone number (from conference override or project phone) | (555) 123-4567 |
| Phone access/conference code | 4821 |
| Virtual meeting URL (conference URL or publicinput.com link) | |
| Speaker’s position in the overflow queue | 4 |
| Estimated number of speakers that can be accommodated | 15 |
Method 1: Send a text when an in-person speaker is "Called" to speak
How to Enable
Go to your Board project → Text tab → Speaker SMS Reminder Templates.
Check the box: “Send SMS to in-person speakers when called to speak.”
Customize the Call-to-Speak SMS template if desired.
Click Save Templates.
How It Works
During a meeting, the admin toggles the dropdown to "Called" next to a speaker’s name in the Speakers tab. The system automatically sends the call-to-speak SMS to that speaker’s phone number. This only applies to in-person speakers with a phone number on file.
Important Notes
This feature is off by default — you must enable it per board in the template editor.
Only in-person speakers receive call-to-speak texts. Remote speakers are managed through the conference call queue.
The SMS is sent as soon as the “Spoke” box is checked — there is no confirmation prompt.
Method 2: Agenda Item Status Change SMS (Automatic)
You can configure custom agenda item statuses so that changing an item to a specific status automatically sends a text to all registered speakers for that item.
Common use case: When an item moves from “Pending” to “Active,” text all registered speakers to let them know the item is now being discussed.
Where to Configure
Navigate to Agenda Item Statuses (found in your organization settings, or linked from the agenda item editor status selector).
Click Add Status to create a new status, or edit an existing one.
In the status form, look for the SMS Notifications section.
Configuration Options
When editing a status, the SMS Notifications section provides the following controls:
Setting | Description | Default |
Send SMS notification when item status changes to this status | Master toggle — enables/disables SMS for this status | Off |
In-person speakers | Checkbox — send to speakers attending in person | Checked |
Remote/phone speakers | Checkbox — send to speakers attending remotely | Checked |
In-Person Speaker SMS Template | Message for in-person speakers (max 320 chars) |
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Remote/Phone Speaker SMS Template | Message for remote speakers (max 320 chars) |
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How It Works
During a meeting, the admin changes an agenda item’s status (e.g., from Pending to Active).
If the new status has “Send SMS notification” enabled, the system automatically:
Finds all eligible speakers registered for that agenda item
Splits them into in-person and remote groups
Sends the appropriate template to each group
Speakers who have already been notified for this item are not texted again (deduplication).
Speaker Tab Triple Toggle Mapping
The Agenda Item Statuses page also shows the Speaker Tab “Triple Toggle” Mapping section. This configures which of your statuses are applied when the clerk toggles through agenda item states during a live meeting. The toggle has three positions:
“Pending” (Planned) Toggle Position — the default state
“Active” Toggle Position — item is currently being discussed
“Complete” Toggle Position — item is done
If you assign a status with SMS enabled to any of these toggle positions, the corresponding SMS will fire automatically when the clerk toggles to that state.
Overflow Speakers
When a meeting has speaker limits (maximum speaker count or time cap), speakers beyond the limit are placed on an overflow list. These speakers receive a different message template letting them know they may be called if time permits.
The overflow templates use two special placeholders:
{queue-position}— The speaker’s numeric position in the overflow queue (e.g., “4”){estimated-max-speakers}— How many speakers the system estimates can be accommodated based on time limits
Method 3: Sending SMS Manually During a Meeting
In addition to the automatic triggers below, meeting admins can manually send text reminders to speakers from the Speakers tab during a meeting.
SMS Number Requirements
To send text messages, your organization must have at least one registered SMS number. The system selects the sending number in this order:
Project-specific SMS number — If the board/commission has an assigned SMS number, it is used first.
Customer-level SMS number — Falls back to any registered SMS number for the organization.
If no registered SMS number is available, text messages will not be sent. Contact your PublicInput implementation team if you need to set up an SMS number.
Speaker Opt-Out
Speakers can opt out of SMS notifications through their subscriber preferences. If a speaker has opted out, they will be automatically skipped for all SMS sends and shown as ineligible in the reminder drawer.
Quick Reference
What You Want | Where to Configure | Key Setting |
Set default reminder messages for a board | Board project → Text tab → Speaker SMS Templates | Edit In-Person and Remote templates |
Auto-text when a speaker is called to the podium | Board project → Text tab → Speaker SMS Templates | Check “Send SMS when called to speak” |
Auto-text when an agenda item becomes active | Agenda Item Statuses → Edit Status | Enable “Send SMS notification” + set templates |
Manually text speakers during a meeting | Meeting Admin → Speakers tab → Send Reminder button | No pre-configuration needed (uses board templates) |
Set up overflow messaging | Board project → Text tab → Speaker SMS Templates | Edit Overflow In-Person and Overflow Remote templates |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many characters can an SMS template be?
320 characters maximum (two standard SMS segments of 160 characters each). During manual sends from the meeting drawer, the limit is 480 characters (three segments).
Will a speaker get the same text twice?
No. The system tracks which speakers have already been notified for each agenda item. Duplicate sends are prevented automatically.
What happens if a speaker doesn’t have a phone number?
They are automatically skipped and marked as ineligible with the reason “No phone number.”
Can I send different messages to in-person and remote speakers?
Yes. Every SMS feature supports separate templates for in-person and remote speakers.
Do I need to configure anything before my first meeting?
The system includes sensible defaults for all templates, so you can send manual reminders without any setup. However, we recommend reviewing and customizing your board-level templates and enabling the call-to-speak feature if desired.
Can I see if a message was delivered?
Yes. Click a speaker’s name in the Speakers tab to open their profile drawer. The SMS History section shows every message sent, with delivery status (Pending, Sent, Delivered, Failed, or Undelivered) and trigger type.