When composing campaigns in the Cequens Console, it is important to understand how character limits and message encoding affect your delivery costs. SMS length is determined by the "encoding" used—either standard Latin characters (GSM-7) or special characters (Unicode).
SMS Character Limits and Encoding
1. Standard Latin Messages (GSM-7)
Messages consisting solely of standard English letters, numbers, and basic punctuation use GSM-7 encoding.
Single Message: Up to 160 characters.
Multi-part Messages: If your text exceeds 160 characters, it is segmented into parts of 153 characters each.
Why the change? Seven characters per part are reserved for "invisible headers" that allow the recipient's phone to reassemble the segments into a single long message.
2. Unicode Messages (Arabic, Emojis, and Special Symbols)
Most non-Latin languages, including Arabic, as well as emojis and unique technical symbols, require Unicode encoding.
Single Message: Up to 70 characters.
Multi-part Messages: Once you exceed the 70-character limit, the message is segmented into parts of 67 characters each.
The "One-Symbol" Rule: If even a single Unicode character (like an emoji or an Arabic letter) is added to an otherwise English message, the entire message is treated as Unicode, and the lower limits will apply.
Quick Reference Table
| Encoding Type | Single SMS Limit | Multi-part Limit (per segment) |
| Standard (English/GSM) | 160 Characters | 153 Characters |
| Unicode (Arabic/Emoji) | 70 Characters | 67 Characters |
Billing and Optimization
Credit Usage: Each "part" or segment of a message consumes one SMS credit. For example, a 200-character English message will be billed as two credits (153 + 47).
Real-time Counter: To ensure accuracy, the Cequens portal includes a live character counter that automatically indicates how many SMS parts are required for your specific content before you hit send.