Send SMS action

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Send SMS Action

    The Send SMS action allows ServiceNow users to send SMS text messages via email to specified users or groups utilizing their instance email server. Recipients must have an SMS device configured to receive these messages.

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    Key Features

    • Workflow Integration: Available as a core action in Workflow Studio, accessible by users with the flowdesigner or admin role.
    • Recipient Configuration: Users can specify recipients by dragging a pill from the data panel; hard-coded addresses are not supported.
    • Message Content: Users can enter the SMS text directly or use data panel pills for dynamic content.
    • Outputs: The action generates an Email record that can be used as input in other workflows.

    Key Outcomes

    Customers should note that the email-to-text gateway service is deprecated, and it is recommended to use the Notify feature for sending SMS notifications via third-party services like Twilio. This transition requires the configuration of appropriate workflows. Error messages will guide users on input requirements and any issues encountered during the process, such as missing recipients or inactive SMS devices.

    Send an email-based SMS text message to specified users or groups using your instance email server. Recipients must have an SMS device configured to receive the message.

    Roles and availability

    Available as a Workflow Studio ServiceNow core action. Users with the flow_designer or admin role can add an action to a flow and define configuration details.

    Deprecation of email-to-text gateway

    Email-to-text service is now deprecated and no longer supported by service providers such as AT&T and Verizon. It is recommended to use Notify for sending SMS notifications.

    Notify provides support for sending SMS notifications through integration of third-party services, such as Twilio, and requires configuration of supporting workflows. For more information, see How to setup a SMS email notification in ServiceNow [KB0712569] knowledge base article.

    Fields

    Field Description
    Recipients Recipients of the SMS text message. Specify a user or group by dragging a pill from the data panel.
    Note:
    Hard-coded addresses are not supported.
    Message Content of the SMS text message. You can enter text directly or drag a pill from the data panel.

    Inputs

    Provide a value for each input that your flow needs. To add dynamic values, you can also drag and drop pills from the Data panel or select them from the pill picker.

    Recipients
    Data type: String

    Recipients of the SMS text message. Specify a user or group by dragging a pill from the data panel.

    Message
    Data type: String

    Content of the SMS text message. You can enter text directly or drag a pill from the data panel.

    Outputs

    These outputs appear in the Data panel. You can use them as inputs elsewhere in your flow.

    Email
    Data type: Record

    The Email record created for the SMS message.

    Error messages

    Error Description
    Recipients are required to send SMS Appears when no user or group is entered in the recipients field.
    Message is required to send SMS Appears when no message is entered in the message field.
    While parsing the recipients, found hardcoded addresses: %s which were ignored as they are not supported Appears when hard-coded address is entered in the recipients field.
    While parsing the recipients, no active users or groups were found for sys_id(s): %s Appears when one or more inactive users or groups are entered in the recipients field.
    No active SMS device was found for users(s) with sys_id(s): %s Appears when no SMS device is configured and found for one or more recipients.
    Email sending is currently disabled. Please enable it via the property to send SMS using email gateway Appears when email sending is disabled.