Missed Call Text Back in HighLevel

Updated: February 6, 2026  | 
Author: Bill Stilwell

This post covers what Missed Call Text Back is, why it matters for local businesses, how to build the workflow, what the message should say, how the built-in setting compares to the Workflow Builder approach, and the common setup mistakes to avoid.

Reading time: about 5 minutes.

What Is Missed Call Text Back?

Missed Call Text Back (MCTB) is an automation that fires an SMS to a caller when an inbound call to the business’s HighLevel LC Phone number goes unanswered. The call is missed – the caller reaches voicemail or no answer – and within seconds, an SMS arrives on the caller’s phone from the business.

The message bridges the gap between the missed call and the lost lead. A caller who does not reach anyone and immediately gets a text acknowledging the missed call is a caller who stays engaged with the business rather than moving on to the next option.

A caller who gets no response – not even a text – has a low chance of still being available when someone finally calls them back an hour or a day later.

Why It Matters for Local Businesses

Most local service businesses miss a significant portion of their inbound calls. The owner is on a job.

The front desk is on another call. After hours – which is when many homeowners call after discovering a leaking pipe or a broken HVAC unit.

Every missed call is a potential lead that experiences their first interaction with the business as an unanswered phone.

That experience has a predictable outcome: a meaningful percentage of callers simply move on to the next business in the search results. The business that answers – or at least immediately responds via text – gets the job.

The business that does not gets nothing.

Missed Call Text Back does not answer the phone. But it does something nearly as valuable: it converts the missed call from a failure into a response.

The caller knows the business is aware they called, is responding promptly, and will follow up. Many callers will wait when they receive an immediate text – rather than calling the next competitor.

Built-In Setting vs. Workflow Builder

HighLevel offers two ways to set up Missed Call Text Back. The built-in MCTB setting is the simplest option – find the Missed Call Text Back configuration in the sub-account settings (often in Settings, then Business Info or a Missed Call section), enter the message text, and enable it.

This handles the basic case: missed call fires SMS. Nothing more.

The Workflow Builder approach is more powerful. Using the Missed Call trigger in Workflow Builder enables building a full response sequence: immediate SMS, then a Create Task action for a human callback, then an Add Tag action for tracking, then optionally a follow-up SMS if no reply comes within a configured time window.

Every element of the missed call response is configurable individually.

For most businesses, the Workflow Builder approach is worth the extra 10 minutes of setup – the task creation alone (ensuring a team member is prompted to call back the missed call) significantly improves the conversion rate of missed call responses compared to the text alone.

Building the Missed Call Workflow

In Workflow Builder, create a new workflow. Set the trigger to Missed Call.

This trigger fires whenever an inbound call to an LC Phone number in the sub-account goes unanswered – the caller does not reach a live person.

The first action after the trigger: Send SMS with no wait delay. The SMS goes out immediately when the missed call event fires.

The message content (covered in the next section) is configured in the SMS action.

After the SMS action, add a Create Task action: task title “Call back missed call – [contact name] called [time],” due today, assigned to the owner or the relevant team member. This task appears in HighLevel’s task list immediately, prompting a human callback.

After the task action, add an Add Tag action: “Missed Call” or “Needs Callback.” This tag enables Smart List filtering to see all contacts who called and received the text back but have not yet had a completed conversation.

Writing an Effective Missed Call Message

The missed call text back message is the business’s first communication with a potential new customer who called because they had a need. The message needs to accomplish three things: acknowledge the missed call, identify the business, and offer a next step.

A strong format: “Hey [First Name], sorry we missed your call! This is [Business Name].

We’ll call you right back – or reply here if it’s easier to chat. [Booking Link Optional]”

What works: personalizing with the caller’s first name (HighLevel can often populate this if the caller is already a contact), identifying the business by name, keeping the tone warm and human rather than corporate, offering a concrete next step (reply to this text, or here’s a booking link).

What to avoid: a message that sounds like a marketing blast rather than a personal response, excessive length (under 160 characters sends as a single SMS segment), starting with “We noticed you called our business” which reads as obviously automated, and omitting the business name (the caller may not recognize the number).

Beyond the Text Back

The text back is the immediate response. The workflow can also include a follow-up sequence if the caller does not reply to the initial text.

A 30-minute wait after the first SMS, then a second SMS: “Hey [First Name] – just following up on our earlier text. Is there a good time for us to call you today?” This second touch, if the first text went unanswered, recovers some of the calls that the initial text did not convert.

The Create Task action in the workflow is what prevents the missed call from becoming a forgotten lead. The text back buys time – it keeps the caller engaged while someone on the team is wrapping up a job or a call.

The task ensures the team member actually makes the callback rather than hoping they remember.

Testing the Setup

The test for Missed Call Text Back is simple: call the LC Phone number from a personal phone and do not answer. Confirm that the SMS arrives on the personal phone within a few seconds of the call going to voicemail or ringing out.

Check the contact record in HighLevel to confirm the Missed Call tag was applied and the callback task was created.

If the SMS does not arrive: confirm the workflow is activated, confirm the Missed Call trigger is configured correctly, confirm the LC Phone number is provisioned and operational, and confirm A2P 10DLC registration is complete.

Common Mistakes

The most common mistake is using the built-in MCTB setting without the Workflow Builder approach – which means no task is created for the human callback. The text keeps the lead engaged for a few minutes.

Without a task, no one actually calls back promptly, and the lead’s patience runs out.

The second common mistake is an impersonal, obviously automated message. “Thank you for calling XYZ Company. We have received your call and will contact you shortly.”

Every caller knows that message is automated.

It does not create the impression of a personal, responsive business. Write the message as a human would write a text to a friend who just called – brief, warm, direct.

The third common mistake is forgetting A2P 10DLC registration. The missed call text back fires as an automated SMS.

Without A2P registration, the message is subject to carrier filtering. The text appears to send but may not reach the caller.

Register before activating any SMS automation.

What Can You Do With It?

• Convert missed calls from lost leads into engaged prospects: Every unanswered call gets an immediate personal-feeling text response – before the caller has had time to call the next competitor on their list.
• Respond to after-hours calls automatically without staff: A caller who calls at 9pm on a Saturday gets an immediate text response – they know the business is aware they called and will follow up. Without MCTB, that after-hours call is simply lost.
• Create a human callback task automatically for every missed call: The Workflow Builder approach creates a task for the team to actually call back – ensuring the text response is followed up with a real conversation.
• Track missed calls and response rates: The Missed Call tag applied in the workflow creates a Smart List of all contacts who called and received the text back – enabling tracking of how many are converting to conversations and jobs.

Who Is This For?

How to Set Up Missed Call Text Back

Step 1: Confirm LC Phone is provisioned

Settings, then Phone Numbers. Verify a local LC Phone number is active and A2P 10DLC registration is approved or in process.

Step 2: Open Workflow Builder

Automation, then Workflows. Create a new workflow named “Missed Call Text Back.”

Step 3: Set the Missed Call trigger

Add the Missed Call trigger. Configure for the LC Phone number if the trigger requires specifying a number.

Step 4: Add the SMS action

No wait time. Write the message: identify the business, acknowledge the missed call, offer a next step.

Keep it under 160 characters if possible.

Step 5: Add the Create Task action

“Call back [Contact Name] – they missed us, text sent. Due today.” Assign to the owner or appropriate team member.

Step 6: Add the Add Tag action

“Missed Call” or “Needs Callback.” This tag enables Smart List tracking.

Step 7: Activate the workflow

Activate. The workflow is now live.

Step 8: Test

Call the LC Phone number from a personal phone. Do not answer.

Confirm SMS arrives within seconds. Check the contact record for the tag and task.

Step 9: Monitor and refine

After a few weeks, check reply rates to the missed call text. Test alternative message versions if the reply rate is lower than expected.

How Does It Connect to HighLevel?

• LC Phone: LC Phone is the prerequisite – MCTB only fires for missed calls on LC Phone numbers managed within the sub-account.
• Call Tracking: Call Tracking records and attributes inbound calls – MCTB is the response layer on top of call tracking, converting the missed call data into an immediate engagement action.
• Two-Way SMS: The text back sent by MCTB opens a Two-Way SMS conversation. The caller’s reply appears in the Conversations Inbox – the team member can continue the conversation and convert the inquiry to a booked appointment.
• Workflow Builder: The Missed Call trigger and the full MCTB automation sequence live in Workflow Builder. The workflow approach is superior to the built-in setting because it enables task creation and tag application beyond the basic text send.
• Tasks: The Create Task action in the MCTB workflow creates a Task for the team member to make the human callback – ensuring the automated text response is followed through with a personal conversation.

Common Questions

What is Missed Call Text Back in HighLevel?

An automation that fires an instant SMS to a caller when their inbound call to the LC Phone number goes unanswered – keeping them engaged before they call a competitor.

How does Missed Call Text Back work in HighLevel?

Workflow Builder: Missed Call trigger fires when an inbound LC Phone call goes unanswered. SMS action sends the text immediately.

Optionally: Create Task for human callback, Add Tag for tracking.

What should the Missed Call Text Back message say?

Acknowledge the missed call, identify the business by name, offer a next step. Keep it brief and conversational.

Under 160 characters if possible. Do not make it sound automated.

Does Missed Call Text Back require a HighLevel LC Phone number?

Yes. MCTB only fires for missed calls on LC Phone numbers managed within the sub-account. Calls to other phone numbers are not detected by the HighLevel Missed Call trigger.

Can I set up Missed Call Text Back using HighLevel’s built-in feature vs. Workflow Builder?

Both work. The built-in setting is simpler – just enter the message and enable it.

Workflow Builder is more powerful – adds task creation, tags, and optional follow-up sequences. Workflow Builder is the recommended approach.

To Wrap It Up

Missed Call Text Back is one of the highest-ROI automations available in HighLevel precisely because it addresses one of the most wasteful patterns in local service businesses: a warm inbound lead calling, getting no answer, and moving on. The automation costs 15 minutes to build and runs for years – every missed call gets an immediate response, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The business case is simple. If 20 people call per week and 5 of them go to voicemail, and MCTB converts even 2 of those 5 from “moved on to a competitor” to “engaged and waiting for a callback,” that is 2 additional customers per week from a 15-minute setup.

At any reasonable customer lifetime value, the math works decisively.

The message quality matters as much as the speed. A message that sounds automated loses much of the advantage that the instant response creates.

Write the message as a human would write it – warm, brief, specific – and the caller’s experience is “wow, they responded instantly” rather than “this is a bot, I’ll move on.”

1. Confirm LC Phone is provisioned and A2P 10DLC registration is in process
2. Create a new workflow in Workflow Builder – name it “Missed Call Text Back”
3. Set the trigger to Missed Call
4. Add an SMS action with no delay – write a warm, specific, brief message
5. Add a Create Task action – “Call back [Contact Name] – they called. Due today.”
6. Add an Add Tag action – “Missed Call”
7. Activate the workflow
8. Test: call the LC Phone number, do not answer, confirm the SMS arrives

Do not enable the Workflow Builder MCTB and the built-in MCTB setting simultaneously – the caller could receive two text messages from the same missed call event. Use one or the other.

The Workflow Builder approach is recommended because it enables task creation. Disable the built-in MCTB setting if the Workflow Builder workflow is active.