SMS channel configuration

The SMS channel in Connectif allows you to communicate with your contacts via text messages, a powerful tool for promotions, alerts, and direct communications. In this article, you will learn how to set up and use the SMS channel in your Connectif account.

STEP 1: SMS Channel Configuration

1. Go to Store Settings in the left-hand menu.

2. In the tab selector, go to "Channels > SMS".

3. Enter the API key provided by your SMS provider.

4. Copy the link to obtain SMS bounce information from Instasent and paste it into the Callback URL field of the API key configuration in your API Tokens panel on Instasent.

5. Click Save.

STEP 2: Review SMS Subscription Statuses

6. Go to the contact's record

7. In the Contact Fields section, review the contact's Mobile Phone (_mobilePhone). This is a system field that indicates the contact's phone number, stored in E.164 format, always starting with the "+" symbol. This field can be synchronized in the following ways:

• By editing the contact on the contact editing page.
• By importing contacts.
• Using a workflow.
• Using the special tag Contact Information Tag.

8. In the Contact Status section, review the contact's Mobile Phone Status (_mobilePhoneStatus). This field indicates the status of the contact's phone number. These values will be used for the "Send SMS" node, and are:

• Active: The contact's phone number will be used to attempt an SMS send.
• Bounced: No attempt will be made to send an SMS to this contact as the phone number has bounced.
• Paused: No attempt will be made to send an SMS to this contact as the contact has been paused.

9. In the Contact Status section, review the SMS Subscription Status (_smsSubscriptionStatus). This field indicates the contact's subscription status. These values will be used in the "Send SMS" node, considering whether mass or transactional sends are performed, and are:

• Subscribed: The contact's phone number will be used to attempt to send an SMS for both mass and transactional sends.
• Not Subscribed: The contact's phone number will be used to attempt to send an SMS only if a transactional send is performed, meaning the contact will not receive mass notifications.
• None: Functions similarly to the "unsubscribed" status, but no information is available about whether the user is subscribed. This is the default value and can be modified in the "Custom Fields" section of Connectif.

STEP 3: Using SMS Synchronization Nodes

3.1. The "Send SMS" Node

This action-type node is used to send an SMS to contacts who reach this part of the workflow. In the node's interface, all aspects of the message to be sent and the recipients are configured step by step.

10. In step 1 of the node configuration, SMS, select the SMS-type content to be used.

11. In step 2, Configuration:

• Specify whether the send will be to a contact or if it's an alert. If it's an alert, the SMS will be received at a specified phone number that will always be the same, regardless of the contact's phone number.
• Configure whether the SMS is Transactional (typically triggered by an event) or Newsletter (mass SMS).
• Set the Sender Name that indicates the SMS sender, limited to 11 characters by SMS protocol specification.

12. In step 3, Variables, associate any variables in the SMS text with the contact fields.

3.2. The "SMS Received" Node

This condition-type node is used to check whether the contact has received one or more SMS sent through Connectif.

13. In the node's interface, configure:

• Whether it is a specific SMS.
• How many times the contact has received it.
• Whether it is a newsletter or transactional.
• The time interval or specific date of receipt.

Keep Learning!

To fully leverage the potential of your Connectif account, we recommend continuing with the following articles: 

• Onboarding, to gain proficiency with our interface.

• SMS Editor, to learn how to create and send text messages with Connectif.

• SMS Subscribers, to segment your SMS-subscribed contacts.
• Mass SMS Campaign, to send your first SMS campaign.