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Inbound SMS Types
Inbound SMS Types:
Choosing the Right
Collector for Your Use Case
TextingOnly offers four distinct inbound SMS automation types — each designed for a different level of interaction and data capture. Understanding which type to use is the most important configuration decision you’ll make when building a lead funnel.
When a contact taps your SmartLink and sends that first text, TextingOnly needs to know what to do next. That’s determined by the collector type you’ve configured. There are four types — each handling the incoming conversation differently, capturing different data, and suited to different business goals.
The Four Collector Types
OTTO asks a linear sequence of questions you define — name, service interest, location, etc. Contacts reply in free text. Best for simple data collection where every contact gets the same flow.
OTTO presents numbered menus — contacts reply with a number to navigate branches. Best for routing (Sales/Service/Support) and structured qualification with multiple paths.
OTTO engages in an adaptive, multi-turn conversation that adjusts based on responses. Best for complex qualification where the next question depends on the previous answer.
OTTO detects the contact’s language and switches to a configured Spanish (or other language) flow automatically — delivering English lead data to your team. Best for bilingual markets.
Type 1: Custom Questions
Custom Questions collectors run a scripted sequence — OTTO asks Q1, waits for a reply, asks Q2, and so on until the sequence is complete. Every contact who enters goes through the same questions in the same order. Replies are captured as free text.
Best for:
Simple opt-ins, event registrations, list building, and any scenario where you want the same information from every contact regardless of their situation. Also used for the “Capture Name” variant — which starts by asking for a name before any other questions.
Configuration:
Go to Lead Collectors → Create New → Custom Questions. Add questions in sequence. Each question becomes an OTTO message that fires after the previous reply is received.
All your contacts need the same information collected regardless of their situation — opt-in confirmation, event sign-up, basic contact capture. Keep it to 3 questions or fewer for best completion rates.
Type 2: Interactive Text Response (ITR) Menus
ITR collectors present a numbered menu — OTTO sends a message like “What can we help you with? 1 · Sales 2 · Service 3 · Support” — and routes the contact to a different sub-flow based on their numeric reply. This is the text-based equivalent of an IVR phone system.
Best for:
Department routing, lead qualification with distinct paths (buyer vs. renter, new vs. existing customer), any scenario where the appropriate follow-up depends on what the contact selects. ITR is the most common collector type for businesses using TextingOnly for lead generation.
Configuration:
Go to Lead Collectors → Create New → Interactive Text Response. Configure the main menu, then build sub-flows for each numeric option. Each branch can have its own questions, final message, and email notification address.
Unlike a phone IVR, the contact can read the menu options at their own pace, select their choice at any time, and refer back to the thread if needed. No hold queues. No sequential listening. Visual and async by design.
Type 3: Conversational OTTO Data Collector
The Conversational collector — powered by OTTO — conducts an adaptive, multi-turn conversation. Rather than a fixed question sequence, OTTO adjusts follow-up questions based on what the contact says. This produces richer, more contextual lead data than a scripted flow.
Best for:
Complex intake scenarios — legal case qualification, healthcare intake, real estate buyer profiling, recruiting candidate screening — where the appropriate questions genuinely depend on earlier answers. Also used when a natural conversational tone is more appropriate than a numbered menu.
Configuration:
Go to Lead Collectors → Create New → Conversational Data Collector. Define the data points you want to capture (name, service need, timeline, etc.) and OTTO builds the conversational flow to collect them. Edit questions and the final message in Options & Details.
Type 4: Language Funnels
Language Funnels detect the contact’s language from their reply and switch to a configured non-English flow automatically. The contact experiences the entire conversation in their language. Your team receives the lead data translated into English — no bilingual staff required for first-touch qualification.
Best for:
Businesses serving markets with significant Spanish-speaking populations — automotive, home services, legal, healthcare, construction, recruiting. Any scenario where a Spanish-speaking contact would currently fall through the cracks or require a bilingual team member.
Configuration:
Language Funnels are configured in the collector settings under the English-to-Spanish (or other language) options. Each language gets its own ITR or question flow — not just a translation of the English version.
Which Type Should I Use?
Schedule a demo and we’ll walk through the right collector configuration for your specific industry and goal.