ZipLeads lets you choose both the business phone number that sends an SMS and the contact phone number that receives it. This is handy when your account has more than one messaging number, or a contact has more than one phone number. If you don't choose a sender yourself, ZipLeads uses sender-priority rules to keep conversations consistent.
What You'll Learn
How ZipLeads chooses an SMS sender, how to manually select the From and To numbers in Conversations, how multiple contact numbers behave, and how to check which number sent a message.
Important: Manually selecting a From number takes priority over automatic sender selection. The selected number must still belong to your account, support SMS, and meet any messaging registration and compliance requirements that apply.
What Are SMS To and From Numbers?
The From number is the business phone number ZipLeads uses to send an SMS. The To number is the contact's phone number that receives the message.
When more than one eligible number is available, the Conversations composer lets you choose the right sender and recipient before you send.
If you don't manually select a From number, ZipLeads uses its sender-priority rules to decide which business number sends the message.
Key Benefits of Selecting SMS Numbers
Choosing the right sender and recipient keeps your SMS conversations accurate when your business or your contacts use more than one phone number.
Choose the Correct Business Identity: Send from the right business number when your account has several numbers.
Maintain Conversation Continuity: ZipLeads can keep using the number already linked to the conversation.
Support User-Specific Numbers: A number assigned to the sending user can be selected automatically.
Reach the Correct Contact Number: Choose between a contact's saved numbers when there's more than one.
Override Automatic Selection: Manually choosing a From number takes priority over automatic sender selection.
Prerequisites and Limitations
Valid sender and recipient numbers, the right permissions, and messaging compliance help prevent SMS failures or an unexpected sender being used.
The From number must belong to your account.
The selected From number must support SMS.
The contact must have a valid phone number.
If a contact has more than one phone number, check which number is marked Primary.
Messaging registration, compliance, DND and opt-out requirements still apply.
Keep in mind: Workflow and bulk SMS sender selection use their own settings. The sender behaviour in this article is mainly about manual SMS messages sent from Conversations.
How ZipLeads Chooses the From Number
ZipLeads follows a sender-priority order when deciding which business number sends an SMS. Knowing this order helps explain why a message might come from a different number than you expected.
Sender Priority: Manually selected From number → number assigned to the sending user → number already linked to the conversation → default outbound number.
1. Manually Selected From Number
If you choose a From number for the message, ZipLeads uses that number first. This gives you direct control when a specific business, department or team number should be used.
2. User-Assigned Number
If no number is manually selected, ZipLeads checks whether the sending user has an eligible phone number assigned. If that number can't send SMS, the relevant fallback number may be used instead.
3. Existing Conversation Number
If no user-assigned number is used, ZipLeads checks the number already linked to the contact's SMS conversation. Reusing that number helps keep the conversation consistent.
4. Default Outbound Number
If none of the options above apply, ZipLeads uses your account's default outbound number.
How To Select the From Number in Conversations
Manually selecting the From number is useful when a message needs to come from a specific business line rather than relying on automatic sender selection.
In your account, click Conversations.
Open the conversation with the contact you want to message.
Select SMS in the message composer.
Find the From number selector.
Click the From dropdown.
Select the business phone number you want to use.
Write your SMS.
Check the selected From number.
Click Send.
Which Sender Numbers Can Users Access?
Which numbers you can see depends on your user role and number assignments.
Admins: Can access the phone numbers set up for the account.
Users: Can access the default, last-used, user-assigned and unassigned numbers available to them.
How To Select the Contact's To Number
Selecting the recipient number makes sure your message goes to the right phone when a contact has more than one number saved.
In your account, click Conversations.
Open the contact's conversation.
Select SMS in the message composer.
Find the To field.
If the contact has more than one phone number, click the To number dropdown.
Select the phone number you want to message.
Confirm the selected recipient number.
Write and send the SMS.
Multiple Contact Numbers: A contact can store up to 11 phone numbers, with one marked as Primary. If there's no previous conversation, the primary number is used by default.
How To Check Which Number Sent an SMS
Message details let you confirm the exact number used to send an SMS. This is useful when you're troubleshooting unexpected sender behaviour.
In your account, click Conversations.
Open the relevant conversation.
Find the SMS you want to check.
Hover over the message.
Click the three-dot menu (⋮).
Select Details.
Check the sending phone number shown in the message details.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I manually choose a From number?
The manually selected From number takes priority over user assignment, conversation history and the default outbound number.
What happens if I don't select a From number?
ZipLeads checks the sending user's assigned number, then the number linked to the existing conversation, and finally the default outbound number.
Why is an SMS still sending from an older number?
The existing conversation may still be linked to that number. Manually select the From number you want when you need to change the sender.
What happens if the user's assigned number can't send SMS?
If the assigned number isn't SMS-capable, ZipLeads can fall back to the relevant default outbound number.
Can I select any phone number as the sender?
No. The selected number must belong to your account and be able to send SMS.
What happens when a contact has more than one phone number?
Use the To selector in Conversations to choose the right recipient number. The contact record also marks one saved number as Primary.
How many phone numbers can a contact have?
ZipLeads currently supports up to 11 phone numbers on a contact record.
How do I know which number actually sent a message?
In Conversations, hover over the SMS, click the three-dot menu (⋮) → Details, and check the sender information.
Can I choose a From number for workflow SMS messages?
Yes. Workflow sender settings can specify a From number. Workflow settings are managed separately from the manual Conversations composer.
Does manually selecting a number override SMS compliance requirements?
No. The selected sender must still meet phone capability, registration, compliance, DND and opt-out requirements.