SMS Volume Stats By Hour Report
The SMS Volume Stats By Hour report provides an hourly breakdown of SMS messaging activity. Each row represents one hour, showing message counts and segment counts broken down by direction and source. This is useful for identifying peak messaging times and optimizing send schedules.
Report Columns
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Date | The date and hour (e.g., "Jan 7, 2026 3:00 PM") |
| Total Messages | Total count of all SMS messages during that hour |
| Total Segments | Total number of message segments during that hour |
| Inbound | Number of inbound (customer-sent) messages |
| Inbound Segments | Total segments from inbound messages |
| Outbound | Number of outbound messages sent from the system |
| Outbound Segments | Total segments from outbound messages |
| Agent Outbound | Number of outbound messages sent manually by an agent |
| Agent Outbound Segments | Total segments from agent-sent outbound messages |
| Campaign Outbound | Number of outbound messages sent by automated campaigns |
| Campaign Outbound Segments | Total segments from campaign-sent outbound messages |
| Outbound Errors | Number of outbound messages that had a delivery error |
How the Numbers Are Computed
All columns are computed identically to the SMS Volume Stats report, with the difference being that data is grouped by hour instead of shown as a single total.
Timezone Handling
Message timestamps are converted to your selected timezone before grouping by hour. This ensures hours reflect your local time, not UTC.
Totals Row
The Totals row at the bottom sums all columns across all hours.
Report Filters
Date Range
- From/To: Select the date range for messages to analyze
- Example: Jan-01-2026 to Jan-31-2026
Timezone
- Purpose: Determines how messages are grouped into hours
- Options: Select from available timezones (e.g., Central, Eastern, Pacific)
Understanding the Results
Example Rows
| Date | Total Messages | Total Segments | Inbound | Inbound Segments | Outbound | Outbound Segments | Agent Outbound | Agent Outbound Segments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 7, 2026 3:00 PM | 3 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Jan 9, 2026 1:00 PM | 6 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
This shows:
- The 3:00 PM hour on Jan 7th had 3 messages (5 segments): 2 inbound and 1 outbound sent by an agent
- The 1:00 PM hour on Jan 9th had 6 messages (6 segments): 3 inbound and 3 outbound, all agent-sent, all single-segment
Hours With No Messages
Hours with zero SMS activity are not included in the report. Only hours with at least one message are shown.
Use Cases
Send Time Optimization
- Identify which hours see the most inbound activity (when customers are messaging)
- Optimize campaign send times based on when customers are most responsive
- Avoid sending messages during quiet hours
Staffing Decisions
- Determine which hours need agent coverage for SMS responses
- Identify hours with high inbound volume but low agent outbound (potential response gaps)
- Plan SMS-focused staffing around peak messaging hours
Campaign Scheduling
- See hourly distribution of campaign sends
- Verify campaigns are sending at the scheduled times
- Monitor for delivery errors concentrated at specific hours
Related Reports
- SMS Volume Stats: Overall SMS summary for the period
- SMS Volume Stats By Day: Same metrics broken down by day
- SMS Response Duration: Agent response time metrics for SMS