Order confirmation SMS templates

Short answer: a good order status SMS fits in one message, states the order number and what's happening, and includes a way to opt out. Below are five templates, each under 160 characters, for order confirmed, shipped, out for delivery, delivered and delayed, plus what US rules require before you text a customer and how to turn SMS on in Shopify.

Facts about Shopify's SMS setup come from Shopify's own help center; US opt-in rules are summarized from CTIA's published messaging guidance. Checked October 21, 2026.

Templates (all under 160 characters)

US opt-in basics

In the US, a customer giving you a phone number to complete an order doesn't by itself give you permission to send marketing texts; that's a separate opt-in. CTIA's industry messaging guidance, which carriers use as the baseline for compliant business texting, calls for clear, affirmative consent before marketing messages, telling the customer what they're signing up for, and a standard way to opt out, according to CTIA's Messaging Principles and Best Practices, checked October 21, 2026. In practice, that means:

• Say clearly what the customer is signing up for (order updates, or marketing, or both).
• Note that message and data rates may apply.
• Include a way to opt out, usually "reply STOP to unsubscribe", and honor it.
• Keep a record of when and how you got consent.

Transactional messages, like an order confirmation tied to a purchase someone just made, are treated differently from marketing texts, but it's still good practice to include an opt-out line, as the templates above do.

How to set up SMS in Shopify

Shopify has two separate SMS paths, and it's easy to mix them up:

1. Built-in transactional SMS. If a customer checks out with a phone number instead of an email address, Shopify can send an order confirmation by SMS automatically, at no extra cost. This template can't be edited, and it's limited to stores with a business address in a supported country, according to Shopify's SMS notifications documentation.
2. SMS marketing campaigns, for custom messages like the ones above. Install the Shopify Messaging app, then go to Apps > Messaging > Settings > SMS, add your target countries, and set up a sender: an alphanumeric sender name for the UK and supported EU countries, or a toll-free number registration for the US and Canada, which Shopify says takes 2 to 5 business days to verify, according to Shopify's SMS setup guide. Your opt-in checkbox text needs to reference marketing messages or offers for this registration to be approved.

For order status updates beyond the basic confirmation (shipped, out for delivery, delayed), most stores send these through Shopify Messaging campaigns, a post-purchase SMS app, or their fulfillment or carrier's own tracking texts, rather than a single built-in Shopify template.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need customer consent to send an order confirmation SMS?

A transactional confirmation tied to a purchase is generally treated differently from marketing SMS, but you still need the customer to have given you their phone number for that order, and it's good practice to include a way to opt out.

How long does US toll-free SMS registration take in Shopify?

Shopify says 2 to 5 business days, with an email once verification is complete, according to Shopify's SMS setup guide, checked October 21, 2026.

Can I edit Shopify's built-in order confirmation SMS?

No. The built-in transactional SMS template, sent when a customer checks out with a phone number instead of email, can't be edited, according to Shopify's SMS notifications documentation.

What has to be in an SMS opt-in for marketing texts?

Clear wording that the customer is agreeing to marketing messages, a note that message and data rates may apply, and a way to opt out, typically "reply STOP", according to CTIA's messaging guidance.