RESOURCES
FOR YOUR BUSINESS

The Business SMS Portal currently separates group messages into individual threads for each person included, are there any plans to contain the group message to a single thread?

Group messaging is a carrier-supported feature and we do not currently have plans to change how message threads are displayed within the portal.

How does Business SMS use email on contacts?
Emails are used as a contact card. If an SMS message comes in, the email is used to create a contact within various integrations we connect to.

​

What user/account types are billable?

Any account type that can send a message is billable, including 'Number Only' users. All accounts can utilize autoresponders and, as such, be able to send messages automatically. Please review the account types below for a better understanding.

Billable:

• User+Number

• Numberless User

• Number Only

Not Billable:

• Tenant admins

​

How long are SMS conversations retained?

The retention period will vary depending on the selected plan. The Starter Plan offers a 180-day conversation history retention period, while the Professional Plan offers a 3-year conversation history retention period.

How can I block a number from sending me SMS/MMS messages? Is there a way to manage blocked numbers?

To stop receiving SMS/MMS messages from a number, respond with the keyword 'BLOCK.' Sending this response will add the number to your blacklist.

​

If you wish to stop blocking a previously blocked number and resume incoming messages, simply respond with the keyword 'UNBLOCK.'

​

Note: Using the keywords BLOCK/UNBLOCK will not notify the wireless subscriber that they've been blocked. An internal message is sent to the SkySwitch user saying that they've blocked an external number ([SYS-MSG] tel:<phonenumber> was added to blacklist.).

There is currently no UI to manage Blacklisted numbers; however, you may send 'MSGBL' to any number, and you will be provided with a list of currently blacklisted numbers, as seen below.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

When is it appropriate to use the 'Number Only' account type?

The original intention of Business SMS was that all users had a DID. We learned many partners had opportunities where the users didn't have a DID but wanted to share a main, support, or marketing number.

In some cases, all users will have their own number, while in other cases, you'll want to just share the 'Number Only' account with any combination of numberless users and users with their own DID, as pictured below. 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​If you are using the main number only and have only one person sending on behalf, then we recommend using the account type 'User+Number.'

​

Can Business SMS be used to send international SMS to a client?

As of right now, we are limited to 10-digit numbers.

​

I am seeing a “Page Unresponsive” error when attempting to bulk import contacts, what is causing this?

Attempting to import too many contacts at once may cause issues, and an extremely large amount of contacts can potentially cause some slowness. In our testing, we recommend importing up to 5000 contacts per import and not exceeding 20000 imported contacts in total.

​

Is there a character limit for sending SMS?

SMS has a general segment character limit of 160 characters, but the messages exceeding this limit will be sent individually and should be joined back together as a single message by the receiver’s device.

​​

The Business SMS app is not identifying keywords within a sentence response, is this a bug and how do I fix it?

This isn't an issue or a bug, keyword responders only respond to a single word message response.

​

The app does not support multi-word responses such as "where are you located" and the responder will need to reply with a single word you set, such as "location", "address", etc. in order to trigger a canned response.

For example, if you originally wanted a response to the question "Where are you located?", the responding message should only be one of the configured keywords, such as "located", "address", or "location", which can be set to reply with the location of your business. Instead of the reply "Where are you located?", the responder would need to send a single-word message matching a set keyword, such as "location" in order for the system to respond with the assigned canned response.

For more information regarding keywords use, please see https://usshortcodedirectory.com/faq/what-is-a-sms-keyword/.

​

Is API support available for Business SMS? 

Not at this time. 

​​

How can I view additional details for a message? What does it mean when the sender shows as 'unavailable'?

The timestamp of a message is seen just below the message itself, as pictured below. To see the sender of a message, hover your mouse over the 'Sent' button at the bottom right of the message. If it says 'unavailable', this means the message was a keyword-triggered response.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​If a wireless subscriber responds to a drip campaign, will they stop getting messages?

This is now a configurable option. If you disable automatic deletion of drips, the rest of the drips will continue to be sent on the selected schedule. If not, any response other than an auto-responder keyword on a canned response will terminate any remaining drip messages.

Can you explain what happens to a canned response with no keyword?

A canned response with no auto-reply keyword can only be used in conversation as a template response that can be edited prior to sending.

​

​

What are "Reserved Keywords," and why are they important?

U.S. mobile phone carriers have designated specific single-word keywords to serve as standard consumer commands.

​

• Opt-out keywords include STOP, END, CANCEL, QUIT, and UNSUBSCRIBE.

• Opt-in keywords include START, YES, SUBSCRIBE, and UNSTOP.

• Customer care keywords include HELP and INFO.

​

Please be aware these keywords cannot be modified. Their utilization and prescribed usage are governed by industry regulations outlined by U.S. mobile phone carriers and the Cellular Telephone Industries Association (CTIA).

​

In accordance with industry regulations, SMS campaigns are required to incorporate support for these standardized SMS keywords and provide responses that adhere to compliance standards.

​

​

How do Keyword Auto Responses work, are they just canned messages?

A canned response with an auto-reply keyword will be sent automatically if an incoming text message contains only 1 word that matches that keyword.

​

​

Are there any mobile apps?

Yes, mobile apps for Android and iOS are available in the app store or you may visit this download page. 

​

​

With number sharing, is there a way to transfer the conversation to a specific user?

Not at this time. Please note that shared conversations via number sharing track the user that sent the message.

​

​

Is there a way to set up a blast campaign to automatically stay within 10DLC limits for ATT/T-Mobile?

No. Message hub should queue up all the valid messages and retry them until they send successfully. Be sure to have the proper campaign associated with the number used to send blasts.

​

​

If a blast message is sent to a group where some recipients previously provided consent while some others did not, will the recipients who did not provide consent still receive the blast message after consenting?  

If a blast message is sent to any recipient who has not yet provided consent, they will not receive the original message. In this case, the sender would need to send the message again after the recipient(s) have provided consent in order for the message to be received successfully.

​

​

Why can't 2FA messages be sent to VoIP numbers?

The majority of two-factor authentication vendors refrain from transmitting messages to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) numbers due to the heightened vulnerability it poses to potentially fraudulent activities.

​

​

Can I add hyperlinks to an SMS message?

No.  Only the web link (non-working example: www.company.com/example) or a shortened version of it called a short link (non-working example: company.com/TcbG8) can be sent to the recipient.  Please note that we do not provide web shortening services.

Use this font for titles to sections.