How to Send a Message From the Dashboard

Send a one-off text or email to a client, phone number, or email address without leaving the eCourtDate dashboard.

### Overview

The **Dashboard** includes a compose form that stays hidden until you open it. Click **New Message** and the **Send a Message** card opens in the left column, where you add recipients, write the message, and click **Send Message**. eCourtDate creates a separate message for each recipient you add, so this form suits quick reminders and follow-ups rather than large campaigns.

Recipients are not attached to the message as you type them. Each phone number or email address becomes part of the message only after you click **Add** and it appears as a badge above the field.

### Prerequisites

Before you send a message from the dashboard, make sure you have:

- Access to **Dashboard** in the top navigation (an administrator can hide navigation items for individual accounts)
- An active agency phone number or email address configured under **Admin** > **Settings** > **Agency Phones** or **Admin** > **Settings** > **Agency Emails**
- The recipient's phone number or email address, or the name of a client record you can search for

### How-To Steps

1. Go to **Dashboard** in the top navigation.
2. Click **New Message** at the top of the left column. The button changes to **Hide Compose** and the **Send a Message** card opens.
3. Enter a phone number or email address in the **To (Client, Phone, or Email)** field.
4. Click **Add** to attach that recipient to the message. The recipient appears as a badge above the field and the card title updates to show how many contacts you added.
5. Enter at least three characters of a client name in the same field to add a client instead. Matching records appear in a list below the field, and clicking one adds that client's notification contacts as badges.
6. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for every additional recipient.
7. Click the grid icon in the top right of the **Send a Message** card to show the optional fields. The tooltip reads **Show Options** when the panel is closed and **Hide Options** when it is open.
8. Select an entry from the **Auto Messages** dropdown if you want to pre-fill the **Subject** and **Message** from a saved auto message.
9. Click **Merge Tags** and pick a tag if you want to insert a placeholder such as a client name into the message.
10. Click **Insert Files** and pick a file if you want to add a merge tag that links to a file already stored in your agency.
11. Enter a **Send Date** and a **Send Time** if you want the message to go out later.
12. Enter a **Subject**. This field is optional.
13. Enter your text in the **Message** box. A character count appears next to the **Message** label as you type.
14. Click **Auto Translate** and choose a language if you want eCourtDate to translate the **Subject** and **Message**.
15. Choose files under **Attach Files** if you want to send files from your computer with the message. You can select more than one.
16. Click **Send Message**.

### What to Expect

eCourtDate creates one message for every recipient badge on the form. A confirmation appears with the message status, which reads scheduled until the carrier reports back, and the form clears its recipients, subject, and message text so you can compose the next one.

The new message appears in the messages feed in the right column of the **Dashboard**, and the status badge on that entry updates as the message is delivered or fails. Messages you dated for later stay in the **Scheduled Messages** list in the left column until they go out.

### Best Practices

- Click **Add** after every recipient you type. A value left sitting in the **To (Client, Phone, or Email)** field is not part of the message.
- Review the recipient badges before you send, and click a badge to remove a recipient you did not intend to include.
- Enter a **Send Date** whenever you set a **Send Time**. The time is discarded if no date is set.
- Watch the character count next to the **Message** label. It turns yellow past 320 characters and red past 480.
- Start from the **Auto Messages** picker when you send the same wording often, then edit the pre-filled text for the situation.

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Do I have to click Add after typing a phone number or email address?**

A: Yes. A typed value becomes a recipient only after you click **Add** and it appears as a badge above the field. **Add** stays disabled until the value is a valid phone number or email address.

**Q: Can I send to more than one recipient at a time?**

A: Yes. Add as many recipients as you need and eCourtDate creates a separate message for each badge. For larger sends, use **Bulk Actions** in the top navigation.

**Q: How do I schedule a message for later?**

A: Click the grid icon in the top right of the **Send a Message** card to show the options, then set both **Send Date** and **Send Time**. A time without a date is ignored.

**Q: What is the difference between Insert Files and Attach Files?**

A: **Insert Files** adds a merge tag to the message body that links to a file already stored in your agency. **Attach Files** uploads files from your computer and sends them with the message.

**Q: Does the compose form stay open between visits?**

A: Yes. The **Dashboard** remembers whether you left the compose form and the options panel open and restores that state the next time you visit.

### Troubleshooting

**Issue:** Clicking **Send Message** does nothing.

**Symptoms:** You typed a phone number or email address in the **To (Client, Phone, or Email)** field and clicked **Send Message**, but no confirmation appears and no message shows in the feed.

**Solution:** Click **Add** first so the recipient appears as a badge above the field, then click **Send Message**. The form sends only to recipients that appear as badges.

**Issue:** The **Add** button stays disabled or the field turns red.

**Symptoms:** You entered a value in the **To (Client, Phone, or Email)** field but **Add** cannot be clicked, or the field is outlined in red after you click **Add**.

**Solution:** Enter a complete phone number or email address. Values under three characters, values that are not a valid phone number or email address, and duplicates of a recipient you already added are all rejected.

**Issue:** An auto message or file is missing from a picker.

**Symptoms:** The **Auto Messages** or **Insert Files** dropdown does not list the record you expect, and searching inside the dropdown does not find it.

**Solution:** Each picker loads a limited set, the first 20 auto messages sorted by name and the 20 most recently added files, and the search box filters only what is loaded. Manage the full lists under **Admin** > **Messaging** > **Auto Messages** and **Admin** > **Files**. If the dropdown reads "Couldn't load auto messages.", click **Try again**.

**Issue:** A Simulate Mode warning appears on the message.

**Symptoms:** After you pick an entry from **Auto Messages**, a warning reads "Simulate Mode is enabled for this message."

**Solution:** Click **Send Live** in that warning to switch this message to live delivery. Simulate Mode carries over from the auto message you selected, so the warning does not appear when you compose from scratch.

### Related Articles

- [How to Send a One-off Message](/how-to-send-a-one-off-message)
- [How to Create an Auto Message](/how-to-create-an-auto-message)
- [How to Use Merge Tags](/how-to-use-merge-tags)
- [How to Send a Mass Message using Bulk Actions](/how-to-send-a-mass-message-using-bulk-actions)
- [How to Delete a Scheduled Message for a Client](/how-to-delete-a-scheduled-message-for-a-client)
- [How to Manage Agency Phone Numbers](/how-to-manage-agency-phone-numbers)