Can You Put Hyperlinks in Text Messages? Here's How

Can you put hyperlinks in text messages?

With the majority of people glued to their smartphones, nonprofit organizations are increasingly turning to text marketing to connect and engage directly with their audience. When combined with a holistic marketing strategy, the power of text messaging as a communication tool is key to amplifying your mission, engaging constituents directly, and increasing donations for your cause.

The simple answer is yes, you can include hyperlinks in text messages. As technology has evolved, our smartphones have become even more capable of bridging the gap between a simple text-only message and a more immersive, responsive digital experience. Strong calls to action and clickable hyperlinks are crucial to a full digital message experience.

Whether it's directing recipients to a video, a mobile-friendly survey form, or a mobile-responsive donation landing page on your website, hyperlinks serve as the gateway from your text message to these digital destinations. There are a few nuances to consider when including hyperlinks in your text marketing strategy.

The ability to include tappable links in text messages has transformed SMS from a simple notification tool into a full-fledged conversion channel. According to the Pew Research Center, 97% of Americans own a smartphone, which means nearly every person who receives your text message can tap a link and be taken directly to a donation page, registration form, or impact story within seconds. That seamless path from message to action is what makes hyperlinks in text messages so powerful for nonprofit fundraising and engagement.

Maximize text message campaigns with hyperlinks

It's important to remember that standard, text-only SMS messages have a character limit of 160, while MMS messages — messages that can include GIFs, emojis, video, and images — can go up to 500 characters. Every character in your hyperlinked URL counts toward those limits, whether you're sending text-only SMS or richer MMS messages.

Because URLs can eat into your character budget quickly, keeping hyperlinks short and purposeful is essential. Ensure your messages stay within the character limit by planning your hyperlink placement as part of the overall message composition.

Character management becomes especially important when you consider that most effective SMS messages need room for three elements: a greeting or context line, a clear value proposition, and the link itself. A raw URL like https://www.yournonprofit.org/donate/giving-tuesday-2026?utm_source=sms&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=gt2026 consumes more than half of a standard SMS's character limit before you've written a single word of your actual message. This is why link shortening is not a luxury — it's a necessity for effective SMS campaigns.

How hyperlinks work in SMS vs. MMS

The way links are displayed varies between SMS and MMS, and understanding the difference helps you choose the right format for each campaign:

• SMS links: In a standard text-only SMS, a URL appears as plain text that the recipient's phone renders as a tappable link. The link displays exactly as written, so a clean, short URL matters both for readability and for the impression it makes on your supporter.
• MMS links: In an MMS message (which supports images, GIFs, and longer text), links behave the same way but benefit from the richer context around them. An MMS might include an image of your campaign alongside the link, giving supporters visual context before they tap. MMS messages also allow for longer copy, so you have more room to frame the link with a compelling value proposition.
• RCS and rich messaging: As carriers and platforms adopt Rich Communication Services (RCS), links can be rendered as tappable buttons with custom labels — for example, a button that says "Donate Now" instead of displaying a raw URL. This format increases click-through rates because it looks more intentional and trustworthy. The GSMA's RCS specifications outline how these rich messaging features work across carriers.

Optimizing hyperlinks for text messages

Links, especially those with UTM parameters or other tracking tags for marketing campaigns, can be quite long. An easy solution is to use a link shortener. The best nonprofit texting platforms should provide a link shortener as part of their texting package.

A platform like momoGood Messaging not only offers an in-app link shortener but also supports other link shorteners such as Bitly. For example, a conservation-focused nonprofit could use branded short domains like "savewat.er," "helpaturt.le," or "bit.ly/donate" to reinforce their mission while saving characters.

Link shorteners can be very useful in individual messages or as part of a full campaign. They not only help you stay within the character limit but also keep your message clean and more readable. A hyperlinked URL using a link shortener can direct the supporter's eye and encourage them to take action.

Use branded, trackable short links

Long URLs look unprofessional and can trigger carrier spam filters. Use your messaging platform's built-in link shortener to create clean, branded short links. These are easier to read, more trustworthy, and trackable — so you can see click-through rates for every message.

Branded short links serve a dual purpose: they save characters and they reinforce your organization's identity. When a supporter sees a link on a domain they recognize — rather than a generic shortener — they're more likely to trust it and tap. In an era of increasing phishing awareness, trust is a critical factor in click-through rates.

Add UTM parameters for analytics

Append UTM tags to your links so you can attribute traffic and conversions to specific text campaigns in your analytics platform. Most messaging platforms handle this automatically, letting you track which messages drive the most engagement and donations.

A well-structured UTM taxonomy lets you answer questions like: Which campaign drove the most donations? Did the morning send or the evening send perform better? Did the text with the impact story link outperform the text with the direct donate link? Without UTM tracking, you're flying blind — you know supporters clicked, but you don't know which message or campaign deserves the credit.

Avoid generic URL shorteners

Public shorteners (like bit.ly without a branded domain) can be flagged by carrier spam filters because spammers use them too. Use your platform's native link tools or a branded domain for better deliverability and supporter trust. The CTIA's messaging guidelines specifically call out URL shortener abuse as a factor in carrier filtering decisions, making this a deliverability issue as well as a trust issue.

Include only one link per message

Multiple links in a single text can confuse recipients and trigger spam filters. Keep it focused: one message, one CTA, one link. This approach also makes it easier to track which campaigns are performing best.

Easy ways to use hyperlinks in text messages

Understanding how to effectively use hyperlinks in your text messages opens up a world of possibilities for engaging with your audience. Here are some of the most impactful ways nonprofits use hyperlinks in their text messages:

• Send supporters to a donation page: The most common use — include a direct link to your mobile-friendly giving page so donors can complete a gift in seconds.
• Direct users to fill out a survey: Link to short surveys to collect donor insights, event feedback, and program evaluation data.
• Encourage users to sign a petition: Share petition links so supporters can add their signature with one tap from their phone.
• Ask constituents to watch a video: Link to videos that tell your story more powerfully than text alone — impact reports, beneficiary stories, and campaign announcements.
• Event registration: Send RSVP links that supporters can tap and register immediately, reducing friction between interest and commitment.
• Blog posts and impact updates: Drive traffic to your website with links to stories, reports, and updates that deepen supporter engagement.
• Recurring giving sign-up: Link directly to a recurring giving enrollment page so a supporter can set up monthly donations with a single tap. Recurring giving links are especially effective in thank-you and stewardship messages, when donors are already feeling positive about their relationship with your organization.
• Volunteer sign-up and shift selection: Share links to volunteer management platforms where supporters can browse available shifts and sign up instantly, turning passive supporters into active participants.

There are so many ways to use hyperlinks in your text message or fundraising campaigns. By directing recipients to additional resources, promotional content, or mobile-responsive websites, you can enhance your marketing strategies and drive meaningful action.

Best practices for landing pages

Make sure the landing page is mobile-friendly

Your supporters are clicking from a phone. If the page they land on isn't mobile-optimized — slow to load, hard to navigate, or cluttered with pop-ups — they'll abandon the process. Every link in a text message should lead to a fast, clean, mobile-responsive page.

Mobile-friendliness is not just about responsive design. Page load speed is equally critical. Research from Google shows that the probability of a mobile visitor bouncing increases significantly as page load time goes from one second to three seconds. Since your supporters are arriving via text message — a medium defined by immediacy — their tolerance for slow pages is even lower than average. Optimize images, minimize scripts, and test your landing pages on actual mobile devices before launching any SMS campaign.

Build trust with your link placement

Place your link after the value proposition, not at the very start of the message. Supporters should understand why they're clicking before they see the URL. This builds trust and improves click-through rates.

Match the landing page to the message

The landing page should deliver exactly what the text message promised. If your text says "Tap to see how your gift helped," the link should go to an impact story — not a generic homepage or a donation form. Message-to-page consistency increases conversion rates and builds trust for future messages. Supporters who feel misled by a link are less likely to click the next one.

Will links hurt my deliverability?

Links themselves don't hurt deliverability — but certain link practices can trigger carrier filtering:

• Avoid: Generic public shorteners, flagged domains, multiple links per message, and link-only texts with no context.
• Best practice: Use your platform's built-in link tools, include descriptive text around the link, and maintain a healthy sending reputation with compliant opt-in practices.

Using a dedicated short code also helps — short codes have stronger deliverability than standard phone numbers for high-volume nonprofit messaging.

It's worth noting that link-only messages — texts that contain nothing but a URL with no context or greeting — are among the most heavily filtered message types. Carrier filters interpret these as likely spam because legitimate senders almost always include context around their links. Always pair your link with a clear, natural-language message that explains what the supporter will find when they tap.