Understanding how segments work helps you manage costs, maintain message deliverability, and optimize your communication with leads, prospects, and clients.
How Many Segments Is One Text Message?
The number of segments your text uses depends on:
Message type (GSM vs. Unicode)
GSM (Standard Characters) → Up to 160 characters = 1 segment
Unicode (Special Characters / Emojis / Certain Symbols) → Up to 70 characters = 1 segment
Once you pass the limit for a segment, the carriers split the message into concatenated segments, which contain slightly fewer characters because of internal metadata.
Segment character limits in practice:
Encoding | Characters per Segment | Characters per Multi-Segment Part |
GSM 7-bit | 160 | 153 |
Unicode | 70 | 67 |
What increases Segment Count?
The carriers look at every character in the message, including invisible ones. The following elements will increase segment count:
1. Special Characters
Characters outside the standard GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) set automatically convert the entire message into Unicode.
Examples:
Curly quotes (“ ”)
Long dash (—)
Smart apostrophe (’)
Accent marks (é, à, ñ)
Symbols like ®, ±, §, €, •, etc.
2. Emojis
Any emoji forces the message into Unicode, which reduces the per-segment limit from 160 → 70 characters instantly.
3. Merge Fields (Variables)
Merge fields like:
{CompanyName}
{PropertyAdress}
… expand into real text when the message is sent based on your import file/ Profile Information.
If a field contains unexpected characters (such as a name with an accent mark, or a property address containing a special symbol), this can push the entire message into Unicode and increase segment count.
4. Hidden Formatting
Copy-pasting text from:
Word
Google Docs
Websites
... often introduces hidden Unicode characters.
5. Message Length
The longer the message, the more segments required. Even staying within GSM, passing 160 characters automatically adds segments (153 characters per segment when split).
Tips to Keep SMS Segment Count Low
Whether you're sending property alerts, follow-ups, or drip campaign messages, keeping your SMS short and clean saves money and boosts deliverability.
✅ 1. Avoid special characters
Stick to basic punctuation:
Use: ' instead of ’
Use: " instead of “ ”
Use: - instead of —
If in doubt, type directly into your SaaS text editor rather than pasting.
✅ 2. Avoid emojis
Even one emoji converts the entire message to Unicode (70 characters per segment).
Use words instead of icons.
✅ 3. Keep merge fields simple.
Make sure your database fields are clean:
No accented characters
No special symbols
Avoid unnecessary punctuation in names or addresses
Keep property descriptions short and clean
✅ 4. Shorten your message
Aim for 1 segment whenever possible.
Shorter messages → more likely to be read → lower cost.
✅ 5. Use plain text only
Avoid copying from formatted sources.
If you must paste:
First paste into a plain-text tool like Notepad
Then copy into your SMS editor
✅ 6. Review your SMS using a segment counter
Many SMS platforms (including ours) show segment counts before sending.
You can use that indicator to adjust your message in real time.
Important Note
This segmentation behavior is unified across all major U.S. carriers and are determined by the carriers—not by our platform.
The new limit display/counter system simply displays the segment count based on the standards defined by the carriers.
Summary
1 SMS = up to 160 GSM characters or 70 Unicode characters
Special characters, emojis, and certain merge field outputs convert messages to Unicode
Longer messages → more segments spent against texting limits.