Did you know you can connect with the City of Charleston via text? Citibot, headquartered in Charleston, offers an interactive text messaging and customer service tool for civic engagement.

The service empowers residents to solve city problems and get questions answered immediately.

Residents and visitors can use Citibot to:

Report potholes, broken street signs, and missed trash pickups
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Access information on business licenses, garbage collection, permits, and public meetings
Search the City of Charleston website
Get text alerts on emergency preparedness, COVID-19, and other city topics

To start a conversation with Citibot, text “hello” to 833-990-2427. The interactive chatbot instantly responds to text messages and follows up once the issue has been resolved.

The city began using Citibot in 2021. We spoke with Citibot CEO Bratton Riley, son of longtime Charleston mayor Joe Riley, who shared that the company is currently expanding throughout the nation.

Citibot is also utilized in the Lowcountry by the City of North Charleston, the Town of Sullivan's Island, and Charleston County. Sullivan's Island uses a web chat feature in addition to the text service.