Every subscriber in Clearstream has a status. The status of most subscribers will be "opted-in", but there are three statuses that subscribers can have: Opted-In, Opted-Out, Inactive. You will only be able to text subscribers who are opted-in (aside from replying to an incoming message or sending an automated response).
If you're planning to communicate with people on an ongoing basis (announcements, reminders, etc) you'll need these subscribers to be opted in.
There are four primary ways people can opt-in to your account:
CSV Import: Import a spreadsheet of phone numbers from Excel, Google Sheets, etc. and optionally add their name and email address.
Church Management Integration: Integrate with Planning Center, Church Community Builder, or Rock RMS to easily sync your contacts into Clearstream.
Keywords: Let people text a keyword to opt themselves into your account.
Signup Forms: People can fill out a form on your website and select which lists they'd like to join in your account.
Things to note:
After someone opts out, they will no longer receive your messages.
If someone has accidentally opted-out, they can opt themselves back in by texting in with one of your keywords or the word START.
Subscribers who are opted-in can be copied and moved into other lists.
Subscribers will not be re-opted-in when your church management software sync runs each night. They will have to use one of your keywords or the word START to be opted back in.
If you have any questions about this or need help opting subscribers in, reach out to our Support team, we're happy to help.