How To Create an SMS Template

Using SMS templates will allow your efficiency levels to go up while work required to go down. It allows you to send messages to your contacts without having to type the entire message out every time. Use an SMS template in combination with a Contact Variable to really personalize your message. You can create templates both as an Admin and a Caller. 

Note: It is strongly recommended to take a look at our SMS Best Practices article to prevent velocity issues. 

 

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Create an SMS Template as an Admin

As an Admin, you have the ability to create SMS templates within a Project. Once created, you can assign the template(s) to send automatically when a Result Code is selected by following the steps in our Automatic Email and/or SMS by Result Code article, or allow Callers to use as needed. To create a template as an Admin, you will need to follow these steps:

  1. Log in to VanillaSoft as an Admin.
  2. Select the desired project.
  3. From the menu at the top, select the Email, SMS & Docs tab, then the SMS Templates section.
  4. Give the template a name and then click Add Template.
  5. Enter the desired template text, including any Contact Variables as needed.
  6. Set the Status drop-down to either Available to Callers or Not Available to Callers as desired.
  7. Once done, click Save.

Note: You can set which template are or are not available from the SMS Templates list by checking or unchecking the Available to Callers checkbox. 

 

 

Create an SMS Template as a Caller

As a Caller, you have the ability to create SMS templates. The templates you create can only be seen, modified, or used by you. Unlike templates created by an Admin, any template you create as a Caller can only be used by selecting from a drop-down list and not automatically send when selecting a Result Code. If you would like a template that you created, to be sent automatically when a Result Code is selected, please reach out to your Admin to have them configure this. To create a template as a Caller, you will need to follow these steps:

  1. Log in to VanillaSoft as a Caller.
  2. Click on MySMS listed at the top of the page.
  3. Open the SMS Templates section.
  4. Open the SMS Templates for Project drop-down and select the desired Project.
  5. Enter the desired name of the template then click Add Template.
  6. Enter the desired template text, including any Contact Variables as needed.
  7. Once done, click Save.

 Your SMS templates are now ready to use.

 

 

Testing Your Template

While creating your SMS templates, you will see a box labeled Send SMS Test To with a field where you can enter your mobile number (shown below). Enter your number and click Send. This will send the template to your cell phone. If you do this test, any Contact Variable used will come in showing the actual Contact Variable title and not showing the contact information as it would in a real-world use. 

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 Alternatively, you could add yourself as a contact, making sure to include your mobile number, then send yourself an SMS message from the Caller side. If you do this, you will receive the SMS message exactly how a contact would receive it.

 

 

Modify an Existing Template

If you would like to make any changes to an existing SMS Template, you have the ability to edit or even delete your templates. To make changes, you would need to follow these steps:

As an Admin

  1. Log in to VanillaSoft as an Admin.
  2. Select the desired project.
  3. From the menu at the top, select the Email, SMS & Docs tab, then the SMS Templates section.
  4. Click on the Display Name of the template you would like to modify.
  5. Make any changes as desired.
  6. Once done, click Save.

 

As a Caller

  1. Log in to VanillaSoft as a Caller.
  2. Click on MySMS listed at the top of the page.
  3. Open the SMS Templates section.
  4. Open the SMS Templates for Project drop-down and select the Project where the template resides.
  5. Click on the Display Name of the template you would like to modify.
  6. Make any changes as desired.
  7. Once done, click Save.

 

Note: An Admin can not modify any templates created by a Caller, as well as a Caller can not modify any templates created by an Admin. If you wish to make any changes to a template that you did not create, you would need to reach out to the user that created it.

 

 

Using SMS Templates

To find out more about how to use SMS Templates, please refer to our Using an SMS Template article. 

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