What is the difference between SMS in Digital Front Door and Marketing Direct?

Second Door supports two types of text messaging. They serve different purposes, but both use the same approved sending number for your organization.

Patient opt-in and opt-out status is managed centrally and applies to both.

Digital Front Door

• Used during the lead stage

• Supports two-way conversation

• Helps staff convert inquiries into scheduled visits

• Automatically closes once the patient is scheduled or marked closed won/lost

This is for real-time follow-up with new leads. For more details, check out this article.

Marketing Direct (via Customer.io)

• Used for automated campaigns

• Is one-way messaging

• Includes reactivations, reminders, and review requests

• Does not support live back-and-forth conversations

This is for structured outreach at scale.

Important Notes

• Both SMS types use the same Campaign Registry–approved sending number.

• If a patient opts out (for example by replying STOP), you will not be able to text them from either pathway.

• Opt-in status is shared across both systems.