Frequently Asked Questions

MustardSMS is an AI-powered text messaging switchboard for event organizers and professionals. Participants text your dedicated event number with questions, and the AI answers most of them instantly using a Knowledge Base you build. Questions the AI cannot answer are escalated to your dashboard for a human response. You stay in control of every conversation while the AI handles the repetitive work.

Safety first. MustardSMS uses an Assistant-Operator authority model where the AI generates suggested answers based on your Knowledge Base, but you, the organizer, retain full decision-making authority. The AI never makes commitments, infers approvals, or sends messages without your permission. You can override the AI at any time to send a manual response.

The Knowledge Base is your AI assistant's brain. You add your event details, such as schedules, parking info, venue maps, rules, and anything participants typically ask about. The AI uses this information to answer inbound questions accurately and instantly. The more detail you provide, the more questions the AI can handle without involving you.

No. Participants interact entirely through standard SMS on their phone. No app downloads, no account creation, no login required for anyone receiving messages.

Most users create their event and have the AI answering questions in under 5 minutes. You create your event, add details to the Knowledge Base, and share your event phone number or QR code. The AI starts working immediately.

MustardSMS works for any event where you need to communicate with participants at scale: birthday parties (RSVPs, dietary restrictions, day-of questions), weddings (RSVP tracking, plus-one management, venue details, day-of coordination), sports events (race day logistics, course info, packet pickup), corporate events (conference logistics, scheduling, attendee communication), and any gathering where participants will have questions.

MustardSMS runs on two tracks. Per-event plans are a one-time purchase covering the full event lifecycle, sized by participant count. Monthly plans suit organizers running events regularly, with a message pool that refreshes each month, including a free tier to start on your first event. See the exact tiers and prices on the pricing page.

Birthday party hosts add their event details to the Knowledge Base, including venue address, start time, parking, dietary considerations, and gift preferences. When participants or parents text in with questions, the AI answers instantly. Day-Of Assist mode handles participant questions on the party day itself so the host can focus on the celebration.

Yes. MustardSMS is built for sports event promoters, race directors, and tournament organizers. Athletes, spectators, and support crews text in with questions about parking, gear check, course maps, start times, and results, and the AI handles the large majority of them instantly, freeing race directors from managing the inbox during race week.

Day-Of Assist is a specialized AI mode that handles participant questions on the day of your event without involving the organizer. Whether it is a birthday party, wedding, or race day, the AI answers questions about timing, parking, venue details, and logistics so you can focus on running the actual event.

The AI automatically extracts dietary restrictions, allergies, and food preferences from participant texts and summarizes them in your dashboard. This is especially useful for birthday parties, weddings, and any catered event where you need accurate headcounts by dietary need.

Every event includes a branded QR code and a dedicated phone number. Participants scan the QR code or text the number to opt in. The AI sends a welcome message introducing itself, the event, and the organizer. From there, participants can ask questions, confirm attendance, or receive broadcast updates.

Yes. Multi-staff access allows team members to manage different parts of the participant list, respond to escalated questions, and coordinate event logistics from a shared dashboard.

When a participant texts your event number, the AI reads the message, compares it against your Knowledge Base using similarity matching, and generates a personalized response. If the AI is confident in the answer, it replies instantly. If not, it escalates the question to your dashboard so you can respond manually. The AI never guesses or makes things up.

Never. The AI is strictly advisory. It can interpret participant questions and generate suggested answers, but it cannot commit you to a participant count, change a venue, approve a plus-one, or make any decision that requires your authority. All automation is permission-based and approval-gated.

Yes. MustardSMS includes six personas that define how the AI communicates: Casual Host, Pro Planner, Family Organizer, Corporate Host, VIP Concierge, and Taskmaster. Each persona adjusts the AI's tone, formality, and communication style to match your event.

Yes. Broadcast messaging lets you send updates to all opted-in participants at once, useful for weather delays, venue updates, schedule changes, or post-event follow-ups. Broadcasts respect opt-out preferences and only reach participants who have not texted STOP.

Professional is designed for businesses and professionals who need to schedule appointments, send confirmations, and follow up with clients by text. It works for salons, consultants, therapists, trainers, and any service-based business that communicates with clients.

A dedicated business texting number, appointment scheduling and reminders, calendar integration with Google Calendar or Outlook, SMS confirmations and follow-ups, and AI-powered client communication.

Yes. The free tier includes scheduling capabilities so you can try the AI text teammate before committing to a paid plan.

Yes. Multiple staff members are supported, each with their own calendar and schedule, their own appointments and client conversations, and their own dedicated texting number.

Additional staff seats are $19 per month per staff member. Each staff member gets their own dedicated number, calendar, and client communication tools.

No. Each staff member operates independently with their own calendar, client list, and message history, which keeps client information private across your team.

Yes. MustardSMS is TCPA-ready. The platform includes explicit opt-in management, automatic STOP and HELP keyword handling, consent timestamp tracking, quiet hours enforcement, and 10DLC disclosure on every opt-in page.

Yes. All messaging requires explicit participant opt-in. Participants must actively consent by scanning a QR code or texting your event number before receiving any messages. Consent timestamps and opt-in sources are tracked automatically.

Yes. The platform automatically handles STOP, START, and HELP keywords. When a participant texts STOP, their broadcasts are paused immediately and no further messages are sent until they opt back in. HELP returns support information.

Yes. All MustardSMS numbers are verified with carriers and formatted to the E.164 standard to maximize deliverability and trust.

Event plans are pay-per-event, not subscriptions: you pay once for the specific event you are hosting. Professional plans are monthly, for ongoing business use.

No. Free plans are count-based, not time-based. Scheduled events remain active for 60 days after the event date. Ongoing events have no expiration until manually ended.

No long-term contracts are required for any plan.

Yes. MustardSMS is built to handle events of all sizes, from small birthday parties with 10 participants to large-scale sporting events and festivals with thousands. The AI switchboard scales automatically without slowing down. For custom capacity planning or enterprise-level support, contact us to discuss your needs.

MustardSMS may not be ideal if you need custom branded registration websites with full web design, complex multi-tier approval workflows, enterprise role hierarchies with granular permissions, or two-way voice calling or video conferencing. Not sure if it fits your use case? Reach out and we will help you figure it out.