How do you send a link by SMS without it using up two segments? Copy the full URL from the address bar of Safari or Chrome, paste it into the text field of your messaging app, or use the Share button. For a campaign, shorten that URL on a branded domain so the message stays under the 160 characters of a GSM-7 SMS.
Copy and paste the link into an SMS on iPhone and Android
A link travels in an SMS like any other text. You copy it from the browser, then paste it into the text field of the messaging app. On iPhone, tap the text field in Messages, hold your finger down, then choose “Paste”. Labels vary from one system version to the next.
- iPhone: open the page in Safari, tap the address bar, then “Copy”. Open Messages, tap the text field and choose “Paste”.
- Android: tap your browser’s address bar and choose “Copy”, then press and hold in the text field of the messaging app until “Paste” appears. The exact labels change with the manufacturer and the system version.
Paste the full address with its “https://” prefix. Send the SMS to yourself first to test the click.
Share a page from the browser without copying
The “Share” button sends the content on screen to Messages without going through the clipboard. On iPhone, Apple Support (page dated July 16, 2026) gives the path Share > Messages: select the content in the app, tap “Share”, then choose “Messages”. On Android, look for the browser’s “Share” entry, then the SMS app. Its location varies from one device to another.
Depending on the browser, this method can keep the URL’s tracking parameters, such as utm_source. A 150-character address uses almost a whole SMS on its own: 150 out of 160, which leaves 10 characters.
Why the link does not show as clickable
The phone decides on its own whether to turn text into a link. Four causes come up again and again, from the simplest to the most technical.
- The “https://” prefix is missing. An address written without those 8 characters sometimes stays plain text, depending on the messaging app.
- The address was copied badly: a space, a line break or a stray trailing character cuts the URL in the wrong place.
- The sender is an unknown number. Some messaging apps then show the link without making it active, as a precaution.
- A carrier or messaging filter blocked or removed the link before display.
To narrow it down, retype the whole address with its 8-character https:// prefix, then send the message to a second number: if it stays inactive, the address is the problem, otherwise it is the recipient’s messaging app.
Testing on your own phone, from a number you have not saved, reproduces the case of a recipient who does not know you. If the link stays inert, the recipient can still choose “Copy” on the address: a short, readable URL makes that easier.
Shorten the link to fit in an SMS
An SMS of 140 bytes holds 160 characters in GSM-7, an alphabet of 128 characters (Twilio documentation, page dated September 16, 2026). Beyond that, the message is split into segments of 153 characters, because 7 characters of each segment serve as a reassembly header. A platform can bill every segment sent: check your own platform’s price list.
Take https://captainverify.com/fr/hlr-lookup.html: 44 characters. Added to a 120-character text, it brings the message to 164 characters and creates a second segment of 11 characters. With a shortened link of 26 characters (an assumption for the calculation), the same message drops to 146 characters and stays in one segment.
A short branded domain frees a few characters and puts your name in the URL. It is set up at the sending platform, which usually asks for DNS records to prove the domain belongs to you.
A free public URL shortener puts your link on a domain shared with other senders. A branded domain stays under your control.
Count the segments before you press Send
| Encoding | Single SMS | Each following segment |
|---|---|---|
| GSM-7 | 160 characters | 153 characters |
| UCS-2 (emoji, curly quotes) | 70 characters | 67 characters |
According to Twilio, a single emoji is enough to switch the whole message to UCS-2, where the limit drops to 70 characters per SMS and 67 per segment. The curly quotes your text editor inserts automatically have the same effect, as do some accented characters missing from the GSM-7 alphabet (ê, â, î, ô, û). A 90-character message with a single emoji therefore costs 2 segments instead of one: 67 characters in the first, 23 in the second.
Per Twilio, a concatenated message tops out at 1,600 characters in GSM-7 and 700 in UCS-2. Twilio’s “Message Segment Calculator” shows the encoding used, the number of segments and the offending characters. The guide on the number of characters allowed in an SMS details the limits for each encoding.
Make the link credible against smishing
Fake SMS messages with a link are common. A shortened link on an unknown domain looks like those messages.
Two settings reduce that risk. Where your country and platform allow it, send under a sender name that carries your brand. Put the link on a subdomain of your own, for example go.yourbrand.com.
Also ban any urgency formula: the threat of fees or a restricted service is the classic hook of fake SMS. What stops a message before it reaches the recipient’s screen is explained in the article on SMS deliverability with carriers.
Send the link in a campaign SMS
In a campaign, the link goes in the message template at the exact spot where it should appear. To track clicks, the platform adds a tracking code to the URL, which lengthens it considerably. That is why a short link pays off: a full tracking URL fits badly in 160 characters.
Test on 3 devices before the mass send: a recent iPhone, a current Android phone, a model from 2020 or older. Open the link over 4G rather than on the office Wi-Fi, from a received SMS and not from the draft. The landing page must display without zooming.
A marketing campaign follows consent rules. As an example of the French framework, the CNIL, the French data protection authority (page of June 10, 2026), sets the principle: marketing by SMS requires the person’s prior consent. That consent must be freely given and unambiguous. It takes a positive action, such as a checkbox that is not pre-ticked. Accepting terms and conditions is not enough. Two exceptions exist: the existing customer buying similar products, and non-commercial prospecting. These rules apply in France. You need to check what applies to your own recipients in your own country.
According to the CNIL, each message must also identify the organization sending it and let the person refuse further messages in a simple way. The “STOP” keyword is the common form of that refusal. It counts toward the character total. With a 120-character text and a 26-character link, 14 characters remain before the 160 limit: a 20-character notice (a calculation example) brings the total to 166 and opens a second segment. Plan room for the sender’s identity and the notice before writing the text, then schedule the send during the day.
The examples of SMS marketing that work show how to fit a call to action before the address. The framework for these sends is covered in the guide to commercial SMS campaigns.
An SMS sent to an invalid number is a segment that may be billed for nothing, depending on the platform: have the list verified before scheduling.
Frequently asked questions
Can you put a clickable link in an SMS?
Often, but with no guarantee. Paste the full address with its https:// prefix, 8 characters that count toward the 160. The recipient’s messaging app then decides whether to show it as an active link. An unknown number or a carrier filter can leave it as plain text. Test the click from a number the recipient does not know, over 4G and then over Wi-Fi.
How many characters does a link take in an SMS?
As many as the address has: 44 for the example in this article, 26 for the shortened link used as an assumption. All of it is deducted from the message’s 160 characters.
Does a link turn an SMS into two segments?
Yes, when the total goes past 160 characters in GSM-7, or 70 with an emoji. Following segments hold 153 characters in GSM-7 and 67 in UCS-2.
How do you report a suspicious SMS that contains a link?
Do not tap the link. In France, report the message to 33700, the free reporting platform against SMS spam created in 2008 (per the CNIL). Elsewhere, use the route your mobile carrier or national authority provides.
Before your next campaign, paste the final message into Twilio’s “Message Segment Calculator”: past 160 characters in GSM-7 or 70 in UCS-2, it moves to a second segment. Then send yourself a test on iPhone and Android.
