# Write your message

## Why this matters

Every message part is charged, so the length and character set of your text affect the price. The **Text Message** section shows both as you type.

## Steps

1. On the **Send New** tab, go to **Text Message**.
2. Type your message in the box.
3. To add a value from your sheet, put the cursor where it should go and choose a column from the **merge field** list. See [Merge fields](/docs/sending/merge-fields/).
4. To add an emoji, click the **Emojis** button. Emojis change the character set; see below.
5. Check the size line under the box before you [preview](/docs/sending/preview-and-send/).

## The size line

Under the message ExcelSend shows how many characters it has and how many parts it will take, and which alphabet it uses:

| Alphabet | One part | Each part when split |
|---|---|---|
| Standard alphabet | 160 characters | 153 characters |
| Latin1 | 140 characters | 134 characters |
| Advanced alphabet | 70 characters | 67 characters |
{.table}

"Approximately" appears when your message has merge fields, because each merged message is a different length. The preview gives the exact size of each one.

Alerts appear under the message when they apply:

- **Advanced alphabet**: a character outside the standard set has shrunk the allowed size. The characters are highlighted so you can replace them.
- **Multiple parts.**: "Your message is long so will go out in multiple parts. Each part is chargeable."
- **Using merge fields**: some merged messages may be longer, and cost more, than others.

More detail in [SMS message parts](/docs/reference/sms-message-parts/).

## Save and reuse a message

1. With the message in the box, click the **Save** button.
2. Enter a message name, up to 25 characters, and click **save**. The status bar shows "message was saved".

To use a saved message, click **Open**, search your saved messages and choose one.

## Common problems

**The message went from 1 part to 3**
A character from outside the standard alphabet, often an emoji or a curly quote pasted from Word or email, switched the whole message to the advanced alphabet. Look for the highlighted characters and retype them.

**The part count says "Approximately"**
Your message has merge fields. Check the size of the longest messages in the preview.

## Related

- [Merge fields](/docs/sending/merge-fields/)
- [SMS message parts](/docs/reference/sms-message-parts/)
- [Preview and send](/docs/sending/preview-and-send/)

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Source: https://excelsend.com/docs/sending/write-your-message/