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How email and text message invitations are sent

How InviteBird delivers invitations by email and text, exactly what guests receive on each channel, and how text-message consent works.

Last reviewed 4 min read

On this page7 sections
  1. One channel per guest
  2. What an email guest receives
  3. What a text-message guest receives
  4. Consent, by design
  5. After the send
  6. Common questions
  7. Related articles

When you send an event, InviteBird reaches each guest on the channel that matches the contact details you added. This article explains how that works, what your guests see on each channel, and how text consent keeps everything welcome.

One channel per guest

Every guest is contacted on a single channel per send, chosen automatically from what's on their guest row:

  • Guests with an email address receive an email invitation.
  • Guests with only a phone number (no email on file) receive a text message.

If a guest has both an email and a phone number, email is used. This keeps delivery reliable and open-tracking available, and it avoids double-sending. Want a specific guest reached by text? Leave their email blank and add their mobile number.

Every send also creates a shareable RSVP link you can copy and post or forward yourself — through your own messaging app, a group chat, or social media. That link works for anyone, on any channel, and is the universal fallback when a guest has no email or phone on file.

What an email guest receives

The email subject reads You're invited to [your event]! Inside, a clean branded card shows your event's date, time, and location (each row appears only if you've filled it in), followed by a View Invitation & RSVP button that opens the guest's RSVP page.

A few details make it feel personal and land well:

  • The sender appears as [your host name] via InviteBird, which helps it reach the main inbox rather than a promotions tab.
  • Every guest-facing email carries a one-click unsubscribe link in the footer, as required for this kind of mail.
  • The email is designed to look right in any email app, since it uses inline styling that email clients respect.

What a text-message guest receives

Text invitations are available for United States and Canada mobile numbers only. Numbers outside the US and Canada are not texted; if that guest also has an email address, they're reached by email instead.

Because InviteBird uses a double opt-in, the first text a guest receives is a one-time confirmation. It names you and your event, includes the RSVP link, and asks the guest to reply YES to receive further event updates by text. Two things are worth knowing:

  • A guest can open the link and RSVP right away without replying YES. Replying YES only turns on ongoing event texts (reminders, updates, thank-you notes).
  • Once a guest has opted in, the invitation itself reads like You're invited to [your event]! View & RSVP: [link].

Every text ends with Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Msg&data rates may apply. Guests can reply STOP at any time to opt out permanently, or HELP for support.

Texting is always optional. At send time, if any of your recipients would be reached by text, you confirm with a single checkbox that each of those phone numbers was given to you by the guest for event communication. A guest isn't enrolled in ongoing event texts until they reply YES, and no one is ever required to accept texts to use InviteBird — the RSVP link works for everyone. The full rules live in SMS consent and compliance.

After the send

Once invitations go out, you can watch them land and follow up:

Common questions

If a guest has both an email and a phone number, which do they get? Email. InviteBird uses one channel per guest and prefers email when it's available. To reach a guest by text, leave their email blank and add a mobile number.

Can I send by text to a guest anywhere in the world? No. Text invitations are limited to US and Canada mobile numbers. Guests elsewhere are reached by email if they have an address on file.

Why did my guest get a "Reply YES" text instead of the invitation? That's the one-time opt-in confirmation, and it does include your event link so the guest can RSVP immediately. Replying YES turns on ongoing event texts; the invitation follows.

Do I have to send through InviteBird at all? No. Every event has a shareable RSVP link you can send yourself, in addition to (or instead of) email and text invitations.

What happens to a guest with no email and no phone? They can't be reached by an automatic send. Add a contact detail for them, or share your event's RSVP link with them directly.

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