Quick answer
A text message is what you and the recipient see as one message in the conversation. A text segment is the unit mobile carriers use to transmit and bill that message.
One message can contain several segments. Brokerkit's monthly text allowance and usage billing are based on segments, not only on the number of messages shown in a conversation or the Activity Report.
Why one message can use multiple segments
The number of segments depends on the message's length and character type:
| Message type | One segment | Longer messages |
|---|---|---|
| Standard SMS using GSM-7 characters | Up to 160 characters | Split into segments of up to 153 characters each |
| SMS containing Unicode characters, including many emojis | Up to 70 characters | Split into segments of up to 67 characters each |
| MMS containing an image or other media | — | Counts as exactly 3 segments in Brokerkit |
Long SMS messages are reassembled by the carrier, so the recipient normally sees one seamless message even when several segments are billed. A single emoji or special character can change the entire SMS to Unicode and increase its segment count.
How segments multiply in bulk texts and Smart Campaigns
The segment count applies to every recipient.
For example, if the editor shows 6 segments and you send that message to 3,000 contacts:
6 segments × 3,000 contacts = 18,000 outbound segments
Replies are separate messages and add their own billable segments. That is why a monthly Billing total can be much higher than the number of outbound messages shown in the Activity Report.
Check the segment count before sending
Brokerkit shows the current segment count in the text editor. If your text spans multiple segments, the counter shows how many segments it uses, and a warning reminds you that billing is per segment. Review it after adding your final text, emojis, merge fields, or media.
Shortening the composed message can keep it to one segment when the final outgoing text fits. For outbound texts with no prior reply, Brokerkit may append the team sender name and opt-out text after the composed body; a prior reply suppresses the sender-name footer. Twilio's segment count on the delivered message is the final count. When appropriate, shorten your copy or remove unnecessary emojis or other Unicode characters to reduce the segment count.
Here is another example of a multi-segment SMS:
When you attach media, the editor shows the MMS segment count:
What happens if a bulk send may exceed your monthly limit?
Before a bulk text or Smart Campaign is submitted, Brokerkit projects the resulting usage:
- For a bulk text, it multiplies the message's segment count by the number of selected contacts and adds your current monthly usage.
- For a Smart Campaign, it totals the segments across the campaign's text steps, multiplies that total by the number of selected contacts, and adds your current monthly usage.
If the projection is over your monthly segment limit, Brokerkit displays a warning that shows the message count separately from the segment count, plus the recipient count, projected segment overage, and applicable usage fees. You must select Confirm before you can continue with the bulk text or add the campaign.
This confirmation helps prevent a surprise. It does not change the segment count or monthly billing period.
Track your usage during the month
Go to the Brokerkit Billing page to review your plan and month-to-date usage.
- Billing page: Use the text segment total to compare usage with your monthly allowance. It includes billable segments for sent and received texts.
- Activity Report: Use this to review the number of outbound text messages sent by each user. It does not show segment totals or inbound replies.
Because these pages measure different things, their text totals are not expected to match. Your billing period is monthly; the Billing page is the best place to monitor usage before the end-of-month bill.