Can I set a header and/or footer on my outbound messages?
We have introduced a default template that will pre-populate saved text in any compose message text area.
The most common use case for this is for a message signature so you only have to type the variable message (see Default Message Template)
Default Message Template
The default message template option allows the user to set a default template on all outgoing messages. For example, a user might want a signature applied to all messages so they don't have to type it each time. The default template will be displayed in the compose section when sending a message. Note at least one template must have been already created before the default message template can be set.
Setting a default message template
1. Go to Settings > Numbers > Settings tab
2. Click the Edit icon in the Default message template section
3. Select a template to use
4. Click Save settings
Notes:
- If there are no templates available, navigate to Messaging > Templates and create a new template before returning to set it as default
- The default template can be overridden by overwriting in the actual message or selecting another template at the time of composing a message.
How do I stop my email signature or disclaimer being sent in my messages?
You have a number of ways to limit the amount of data you send in an "Email to SMS" message.
- Set a message limit
This is the number of message parts before we truncate the message content
1 = 160 characters
2 = 306 characters
3 = 459 characters (blocks of 153 characters for multipart messages)
- SMS end tags
SMS end tags are a cleaner way to truncate your Email to SMS message where you can set the cut-off point
Default end tags are
{end sms}
{end}
You can create your own custom tags by clicking Edit
In the text area type your custom tag. For example, if you end your emails with "Regards, Paul Rogers" you could use the keyword "Rogers" so your message will end with "Regards, Paul"
Neither the keyword nor any subsequent characters will be submitted in the message content
Why should I set an SMS limit?
Limits can be set per hour and/or per day. Setting an SMS limit is a good way to:
- Control your usage
- Prevent user error whereby a user might upload a misconfigured file with many more recipients than intended
- Prevent machine error whereby an automated system might send more messages than intended
You don't want to limit your account from sending important messages, so use common sense when setting the limit. You could look at past messaging trends when calculating - but beware of seasonal changes in sending patterns and organic increases due to business growth.
What is the difference between deleting and unsubscribing a contact?
It's very important to understand the difference between deleting and unsubscribing a contact because you must ensure you do not send to contacts who may have opted out from receiving messages from you.
Deleting a contact removes them from your address book; however, if they are created as a contact again, you may inadvertently send them another message.
Unsubscribing a contact means that as long as the recipient stays unsubscribed they will not receive a message from your account regardless of you including them in future broadcasts.
How do I exclude the subject line from Email to SMS messages?
By default, Email to SMS includes the subject line in messages. To prevent the subject line from being included:
- Go to Configuration > Email to SMS
- Under Settings click Edit
- Select the radio button for "Exclude subject line from SMS content"
Is there a limit to the size of the CSV file I can upload?
A: Yes
The size limit is 100MB.
This equates to more than 1,000,000 entries so it should be more than enough for your sending requirements. You will receive an error if you attempt to exceed this limit in which case you must split your CSV file and upload multiple times.
Where do my inbound messages go?
Inbound messages can be accessed in a number of locations within the web portal
- Dashboard
- The account dashboard provides a table of the most recent inbound messages so you are immediately aware of any new messages that need to be actioned
- A direct link to the inbox is also located in the table header
- Detailed Reports
- Accessible via Reports > Detailed Reports
- Scroll towards the bottom of the page to see an inbound log table
- You can filter the outbound and inbound table by a specific number to see all messages to and from a recipient within a specific date range
Will I be charged for sending messages to an unsubscribed contact?
A: No, you will not be charged for any messages submitted to unsubscribed contacts
We will see that the contact is unsubscribed and prevent this message from being processed by the messaging gateway.
Why must I configure and automatic top-up on my pre-paid account?
One of the most important things for a campaign is to make sure it goes out on time and a great way to do this is using Scheduled Messages; however scheduled and recurring campaigns will fail if there are insufficient credits in your account.
To reduce the likelihood of this happening, you are required to configure and enable Auto Top-Up on your account, so when a scheduled campaign sends with insufficient credits, it will automatically be topped up to prevent failures and your contacts will get the message on time.
Please contact your Administrator to configure Auto Top-Ups for your accounts to ensure your scheduled messages are sent out on time. You can see how to do that here