Create an SMS Template

• 

• Administrator

Learn how to build and modify SMS templates if you plan to run a campaign using the SMS channel.

Related documentation:

• How Outbound works
• Get started with CX Contact

Create SMS Content

To get started, you need to create an SMS dialing profile

When you set up your SMS profile, you'll see a tab named Content. This is where you'll create a template for an SMS message and one for responses to Help and Opt-out requests from customers.

To begin, specify the following:

• Type - Select Alert or Variable Alert. When you select Variable Alert, you can create additional SMS templates by clicking the plus button. The templates can have different Sender IDs and messages.
• Labels - If you plan to personalize messages using fields you defined in a labeling schema, select the labeling schema here. Otherwise, the Personalization menu will populate the default CX Contact list fields. See the Personalized Content section below for more information.
• Use Smart Filter - When enabled (default), CX Contact removes unnecessary symbols, spaces, and line breaks before sending the text message.

Important

The type of template cannot be changed after a dialing profile is created.

Create an Alert SMS Template

Watch this video to learn how to create a general SMS template.

Create a Variable SMS Template

For variable alerts, the first template you create is the default template. For subsequent templates you can add a custom JavaScript expression in the Selection Expression field, which evaluates the conditions for a True or False outcome. True allows for that template to be used. If the conditions specified in all such expression fields fail, the default template is used.

Watch this video to learn how to create a variable SMS template.

Add Message Content

Now, insert the text into the message body for each type of alert message:

• Initial Message - The initial outbound message, also known as the Message Termination (MT).
• Help Response - The response used when a customer texts the Help or Info keyword. See the Supported Keywords section for a list of supported keywords.
• Opt-out/Stop Response - The response used when a customer texts the Stop keyword. Those customers are automatically added to the suppression list. Additional Supported Keywords such as, Unsubscribe, Cancel, Quit, and End will also automatically add the customers device/mobile number to the suppression list.

Important

ARRET and UNSUB are supported Opt-Out/Stop responses for Canada.

Supported Keywords

The following is a list of supported keywords. These are not case sensitive.

• Help
• Info
• Stop
• Unsubscribe
• Cancel
• Quit
• Aide
• Arret
• Unsub
• Unstop
• Start
• Subscribe
• Resume

Tip

Alpha or alphanumeric Sender IDs cannot receive mobile-originated (MO) SMS responses. Therefore, CX Contact disables Edit dialogs in the UI for the Stop and Help keywords if the Sender ID’s are configured for an SMS Campaign Group.

Custom keywords

You can override the default keywords for the options Help and Stop/Opt out and specify custom ones. When you add a personalized response for the Stop or Help options, click the Override Stop Keywords or Override Help Keywords buttons to set custom keywords. You can specify multiple custom keywords and delete the ones that you don't want. Keywords can include both alphabets and digits. If required, you can also use GUIDs in keywords.

Character Length in Message Bodies

There is no limit to the amount of characters in the message body text, but sending an SMS with more than 160 characters is enabled with SMS Concatenation. Also, when using Personalized content, those field values count toward the maximum field length. Every tag counts as 10 characters.

Important

Delivering content with more than 160 characters requires the system to send multiple SMS messages. Since each SMS incurs costs, please consider this when creating content over 160 characters.

Personalized Content

To personalize a message (for example, greet the customer by name):

1. Select the labeling schema from the Labels menu
2. Fom the personalization menu, drag the contact list field name to the body of the message.

Important

When you use the personalization feature, we recommend you always use the Send SMS Test option to ensure the template populates as expected.

Scenario

Action: You write: Hi followed by the First Name tag: Result: The system scans the contact's information and finds that the First Name value for this contact is John. The customer receives the following text message: Hi John.