In addition to the per-message segment limit, Sense allows admins to set a monthly broadcast segment limit for each role. This helps teams manage SMS volume and cost while keeping day-to-day control in your hands.
New to segments? A segment is the unit carriers use to send SMS messages. See Introducing Segments in Messaging for how segments are counted.
How the Limit Works
- Set per role, applied per user. The limit is configured on a role, and each user in that role gets the full limit individually. For example, if a role has a limit of 2,000 segments, each user in that role can send up to 2,000 segments per month.
- Outbound SMS Broadcast counts. Segments from SMS broadcasts count toward a user's monthly usage.
- Limits follow the calendar month. Usage resets to zero on the 1st of every month. The limit is not a rolling 30-day window — calendar months make usage more transparent and easier for teams to manage.
- Usage is counted from the 1st, regardless of when the limit is enabled. If your admin turns on segment limits partway through a month, all segments sent since the 1st of that month still count toward each user's limit.
Tracking Your Usage
If your role has a monthly segment limit, you'll see your remaining segments for the month below the message body field while composing. Hover over it to see the estimated segments for the message you're writing and your total usage for the month.
| Usage | What you'll see |
|---|---|
| Below 85% | Segments remaining for the month, shown under the message field |
| 85% of limit | A warning banner that you're approaching your monthly limit |
| 100% of limit | An error banner; sending and scheduling are blocked until your usage resets on the 1st or an admin adjusts your role's limit |
Broadcast Drip and Estimated Usage
When composing a broadcast drip campaign, the estimated usage shown is the maximum possible — it assumes every follow-up message is sent and every recipient receives your longest auto-reply. Actual usage is often lower, since not every recipient triggers follow-ups or replies.
Scheduled Broadcasts
Scheduled broadcasts count toward the limit of the month in which they are sent. You can schedule a broadcast even if it would exceed your remaining limit — but at send time, it will only use the segments you have left that month. Recipients beyond your remaining limit are skipped, not queued for later.
Example: Your monthly limit is 2,000 segments. You schedule a broadcast that needs 500 segments, then send 1,800 segments before it goes out. At send time, the broadcast uses your remaining 200 segments and the rest is skipped because your monthly limit was reached.
Adjusting Limits (Admins)
Segment limits stay fully in your team's control. In the role configuration settings, admins can turn the monthly segment limit on or off for each role and set the limit amount. If users are hitting their limit, admins can:
- Increase or decrease the monthly limit for a role
- Disable the limit for a role entirely
- Move users into a role with a higher limit
Tracking Usage Across Your Team (Admins)
Admins can monitor SMS segment usage for the whole account on the Messaging SMS Usage page in Analytics. The page shows total usage over a chosen period (last 7, 30, or 90 days, or your contract term) with graphs by day, week, or month, and includes a per-user breakdown of segments used and broadcasts sent. The per-user table can be downloaded as a CSV.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the monthly limit a rolling 30-day window?
No. Limits are based on the calendar month and reset on the 1st of each month.
We enabled limits mid-month — why are some users already at their limit?
Usage is always counted from the 1st of the current calendar month, including segments sent before the limit was enabled. If users are capped out, an admin can temporarily raise the role's limit, move them to a higher-limit role, or wait for the reset on the 1st.
What happens to a scheduled broadcast if I've already used my limit?
At send time it sends up to your remaining segments for the month and skips the rest.
Can admins see day-by-day usage for each user?
The Messaging SMS Usage page in Analytics shows account-level usage with daily granularity, and per-user totals for any selected period (downloadable as CSV). For a custom day-by-day export per user, reach out to Sense Support.
Can I still receive and read messages after reaching my limit?
Yes. Incoming candidate messages still arrive in your inbox as usual, and you can continue sending 1:1 messages — the limit only blocks outbound broadcast sending until your usage resets or your admin adjusts the limit.