Get a text the moment a new lead comes in
Stop refreshing your inbox. MeritsOnly can send an SMS to your phone the instant someone completes your form, so the hottest leads never sit unread while you're out on a job.
SMS lead notifications are text messages a business receives on its own phone the moment a new lead submits a form, so the team finds out immediately instead of whenever someone happens to check email. MeritsOnly sends this alert to a phone number you configure per widget, works alongside — not instead of — email notifications, and is opt-in: it's off by default and only starts sending once you switch it on for a widget.
The problem with finding out about a lead tomorrow
Email notifications work until they don't. A new-lead alert lands in an inbox that already has forty unread messages, or arrives while the whole team is on a job site with a phone in a pocket. By the time someone opens it, the lead has already called two competitors and picked whoever answered first.
Response speed is usually what decides who gets the work, not who has the better quote. A lead sitting in an unopened email for a few hours is, in practice, a lead that's gone cold before anyone even saw it.
A text message doesn't wait for an app to be open or a browser tab to be refreshed — it shows up on the lock screen of the phone that's already in a pocket. That's why MeritsOnly can send one the instant a lead comes in, for the widgets where that urgency actually matters.
Who it's for
How it works
Turn it on for a widget
SMS alerts are opt-in and off by default. Flip the toggle on for a widget in your portal settings whenever you're ready to use it.
Set the destination number
Point alerts at a dedicated business phone, or leave it blank to use the phone number on the account.
Get texted at submission
The instant a lead completes the form, a text goes out with the urgency flag, niche, city, and score — no lead contact details in the message itself.
Tap through for the full record
The text links to the lead's page in your portal, where the name, phone, email, and full answers are waiting.
What you get
Real-time alerts to a phone
Not just an inbox — a text shows up whether or not anyone is at a desk to see it.
Configurable per widget
Turn SMS on where speed matters most and leave it off elsewhere, instead of an all-or-nothing setting.
Urgent leads flagged
A 🔴 URGENT prefix calls out your highest-priority scores so you know which text to open first.
Works alongside email
SMS adds a faster channel on top of email notifications — it doesn't replace them.
No lead details in the text
The message links through to your portal instead of texting a stranger's name and phone number to your device.
Built on Twilio, with a real opt-out
Standard, reliable SMS delivery, with STOP to unsubscribe and HELP for support at any time.
SMS lead alerts vs. email-only notifications
| Email-only notifications | MeritsOnly | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it shows up | Inbox, buried with everything else | Phone lock screen, texted directly |
| Speed to notice | Whenever someone checks email | Seconds after the lead submits |
| Good for job-site teams | Only if email is open on a phone | Works the moment a text lands |
| Per-widget control | All-or-nothing | Enable per widget, set a dedicated number |
| Urgency signal | Same subject line for every lead | Score and urgency flagged in the message |
| Setup | On by default, nothing to configure | Off by default — flip a per-widget toggle to turn it on |
SMS lead alerts by industry
Frequently asked questions
Does this text the lead, or text us?
You. SMS lead notifications go to your business's own phone number — the person or team who needs to know a new lead came in. It is not a text message sent to the visitor who filled out your form.
Is SMS on by default?
No. Email notifications are on by default; SMS is opt-in and stays off for a widget until you switch it on in your portal settings.
What does the text actually say?
Something like "MeritsOnly: 🔴 URGENT New roofing lead in Denver! Score: 82/100. View: [link]". It's deliberately short and leaves out the lead's name, phone, and email — you tap the link to see the full record in your portal.
Can alerts go to a specific person's phone instead of the main business line?
Yes. Each widget has its own notification phone number, so you can route, say, emergency leads to an on-call tech's phone while routine ones go to the office line.
What if I want to stop getting texts?
Reply STOP to any alert to opt out, or turn SMS off for a widget in your portal settings. Opting out of SMS doesn't affect your email notifications.
Is SMS included in my plan?
It's bundled on the Growth and Scale plans. Starter accounts can add it as a paid add-on — contact support to activate it on your account.
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