Using the Text Bank Interface

The text bank interface is where the magic happens. Once you're assigned to a text bank shift, this is your workspace for reaching voters, supporters, and community members. Let's take a tour so you feel confident from message one.

The Text Bank Dashboard

When you open a text bank shift at /actiongrid/text-bank, you'll land on the text bank dashboard. It's designed to feel simple even though there's a lot going on under the hood. Here's the layout:

• Left panel — your contact queue. This is the list of people you'll be texting during your shift

• Center panel — the conversation thread. This is where you read and send messages

• Right panel — the script and response buttons. This is your guide for what to say

• Top bar — shift info, your progress counter, and the end-shift button

The three-panel layout — contacts on the left, conversation in the center, script on the right

The dashboard also shows your shift stats at the top: how many contacts you've messaged, how many have replied, and how many are left in your queue. It's satisfying to watch that progress bar fill up!

Quick Tip

On smaller screens, the panels stack vertically and you can swipe between them. On a tablet or desktop, all three are visible at once. Text banking works on any device, but a larger screen makes it more comfortable for long shifts.

Contact Queue

The contact queue on the left is your to-do list for the shift. Each contact card shows:

• Name — the person's first and last name

• Status indicator — a colored dot showing where things stand:

• Gray — not yet contacted

• Blue — initial message sent, waiting for reply

• Green — replied, conversation active

• Yellow — needs follow-up or flagged

• Red — opted out or do-not-contact

• Last activity — when the last message was sent or received

Contacts are sorted so the most urgent ones appear first — people who've replied bubble to the top so you can respond quickly. You can also filter the queue to show only uncontacted, replied, or flagged contacts.

Color-coded contacts help you prioritize — green means someone's waiting for your reply

Script Panel

The script panel on the right is your conversation guide. It's written by the campaign organizers and includes:

• Initial message — the first text you send to each contact. This is pre-written and usually personalized with the contact's name

• Response buttons — quick-tap buttons for common replies. If someone says "Yes, I'll vote," you tap the "Positive - Will Vote" button and the appropriate follow-up is loaded

• Talking points — if a conversation goes off-script, these give you key facts and suggested responses

• Escalation notes — guidance on when to flag a contact for the organizer instead of responding yourself

You don't have to memorize anything. The script is always right there, and the response buttons handle most conversations with a single tap.

About the Script

The script isn't a rigid rulebook — it's a guide. If a contact says something the script doesn't cover, use your best judgment and keep the tone friendly and helpful. When in doubt, the "Escalate to Organizer" button is always there.

Sending Messages

Here's the flow for reaching out to a new contact:

• Tap a gray (uncontacted) contact in your queue

• The center panel loads with their info and the pre-written initial message

• Review the message — it's already personalized with their name

• Tap Send

• The contact moves to blue (sent) status

• Move to the next uncontacted person and repeat

You can send initial messages pretty quickly — most texters find a rhythm of 2-3 contacts per minute. The key is to keep moving through your queue and come back to replies as they arrive.

Initial messages are pre-written — just review and tap Send

Conversation Thread

When someone replies, their contact card turns green and moves to the top of your queue. Tap it to open the conversation thread:

• You'll see the full message history — your initial text and their reply

• The script panel updates to show suggested responses based on what they said

• Tap a response button to load the suggested reply, or type a custom message

• If you use a response button, you can edit the text before sending — it's a starting point, not a final draft

Conversations can go back and forth multiple times. The thread keeps a complete history so you always have context.

The conversation thread shows the full history and suggested responses

Pro Tip

Respond to replies within a few minutes if you can. Quick responses lead to longer, more productive conversations. If your queue has a lot of green contacts, prioritize replies over sending new initial messages.

Ready to Text?

• Review text banking basics

• Learn how scripts work

• Handle tricky conversations with confidence