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Sending Messages

  • Updated

There are a few different methods that can be used to send messages in the Web Portal depending on your needs. Let's take a look...

Quick Message

Just like sending a message from your own handset, Quick Message is an easy way to send ad hoc messages fast!

You will find a Quick Message link in the header bar of every page so it's always one click away.

It contains two simple fields:

  1. To - type a mobile number, contact name or group name – or combination
  2. Compose - type your message. The character count and credits are calculated as you type

Once you’re finished, simply hit Send now and your message will be processed! Simple!

Helpful Tips:

  • You can send to multiple contacts and/or groups with QuickMessage
  • You can add a simple opt-out message by clicking the “Opt-out message” button
  • Check the bottom of the message box to see how many characters and messages are being utilised for your send

"New Message" with preview

In the left-hand menu, click "Messaging" and then "New Message":

 

 

First, choose your sender ID:

  • Shared numbers pool - your message will be sent from a number selected at random from a common pool. Recipients can reply to this number, but subsequent messages sent to them will appear to be from different numbers
  • Use your business name (Alpha tag) - if you have activated this feature on your account, you can enter a business or organisation name to appear as the sender ID on the recipient's phone (otherwise known as an Alpha Tag). Recipients cannot reply to messages sent from an Alpha Tag.
  • Dedicated Numbers - if you have purchased any dedicated numbers, they will also appear in the dropdown list for this section

 

Next, enter the recipient number(s), contact name(s) or group name(s) in the recipient field:

 

Now, compose your message in the "Message Content" field. You will see that as you type, the message preview on the right will update in real-time:

 

 

When you are happy with your message, click "Send"

Helpful Tips:

  • You can send to multiple contacts and/or groups
  • You can add a simple opt-out message by clicking the “Opt out message” button
  • If you are using personalisation, the preview will show you the content in line with the fields you are using (e.g. if you are sending to a saved contact who's first name is John and you type "Hi #Firstname# ..." the preview will show "Hi John")

Sending to a List of Numbers

To send the same message content to a large list of numbers, go to Messaging > New Message:

There are a few different ways you can add multiple numbers:

  1. Paste Numbers

If you have a list of numbers in a spreadsheet, you can copy them directly from the spreadsheet and paste them into the “To” field:

 

2. Add Contacts / Groups

  • Click on “Search Contacts” or “Search Contact Groups” next to the “To” field
  • Tick the box next to each contact or group you want to add
  • You can search for specific contacts using the search box

 

 

3. Import from file

  • Click on “Import from file” above the “To” field
  • Either drag & Drop your contact list into the upload box, or click “browse” to search for your file (Note – you will need to ensure each contact number has the leading “Zero” at the start – you can do this by formatting the CSV column as “Text”)

 

 

  • You will also need to indicate the column in the CSV which contains the contact numbers
  • Scroll down to “Match Columns” and choose the appropriate column header from the dropdown list (in this example, the contact numbers are listed in the column labelled "Number" in the spreadsheet):

 

 

Next, compose your message in the “Message Content” field. You can also add an opt-out message by clicking the “Opt-out message” button in the top right of the dialogue box.

  • To see how the message will display on a recipient handset, you can click Send test. This allows you to send the composed message to yourself and/or a colleague without losing any of your data so you can continue with the send after vetting the message.
  • Once you are happy, simply click Send now

 

 

Important things to remember

If your messages are not sending correctly, check these important things to see if there are any errors with your broadcast:

  • It's good practise to always enter numbers in international format
  • If you are sending to numbers in the local country (e.g. sending to Australian numbers only, from Australia) then you do not need to add the international prefix
    • If you do add the international code, the send should still work; however, as mentioned above, you will need to ensure it is added correctly
  • If you are copying and pasting numbers into the recipient field, the web portal will automatically add the international prefix of whatever country you have set as your location, if this prefix is not already present in the number

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