# Reply to a customer's text yourself

Reply to customer text messages yourself in Nuteq by opening the thread in Conversations or the Needs attention list and typing a response.

*Channels · Last updated 2026-09-08*

In Nuteq, every text thread with a customer is readable from Conversations, and you can step in and reply yourself at any point instead of leaving it to the agent, from the same place you'd handle a new lead or a booking request.

## Before you start

Texting works the same as calling: the customer needs an approved way to reach your business, and outbound texts to US numbers need your business's [text message registration](/docs/connections/phone/sms-registration) approved first. A customer who has opted out by texting STOP can't be texted again until they text START.

## Steps

First, open Conversations > Messages and pick a thread to read the full back and forth with that customer. Second, when you want to answer a customer yourself rather than the agent, open them from the Needs attention list on the Customers page, or from their own profile, and use the reply option there. Third, write your message, starting from the suggested draft if one is offered, and send it. Finally, your agent pauses answering that specific customer once you've sent a reply, so the customer never gets two different answers to the same message; it picks the conversation back up on its own after about a day of no further activity from you.

## Why a reply might not be available

Nuteq shows the exact reason next to the reply box instead of just hiding it. Common reasons: the customer opted out of messages, your business hasn't been approved to send texts yet, there's no business phone number to send from, or the conversation came from a channel Nuteq can't reply on directly, like an anonymous website visitor with no phone number.

## Troubleshooting

If a reply you sent shows as failed, see [Fix text messages that fail to send](/docs/connections/sms/sms-troubleshooting). For anything about a specific customer's history, [contact support](/docs/help/contact-support) with the conversation link.