Send an SMS

Use NewWebsms to send Single SMS, Bulk SMS, and Group SMS messages, and manage scheduled message jobs.

Messaging modes

NewWebsms provides three modes for sending messages. Choose the mode that matches how you want to select recipients.

All three modes let you schedule messages and remove duplicate recipients. You can add Acculync links only when sending Bulk SMS and Group SMS. All modes show the character count and number of SMS messages created by your typed message.

Image placeholder — Figure 3.1: Character and Message Count.

Select Coverage Details on the menu bar to view available routes and their pricing.

Image placeholder — Figure 3.2: Coverage Details.

Send a Single SMS

Use Single SMS to send a message to up to 250,000 mobile numbers that include a country code. Separate phone numbers with commas or enter each number on a new line.

1. From the Send SMS menu, select Single SMS.

Image placeholder — Figure 3.3: Send a Single SMS.

2. Enter the mobile numbers, message, and sender ID.
3. Select the message type.
4. Click Send.

Send Bulk SMS

Use Bulk SMS to send messages to multiple users from an uploaded file. You can also personalise the message for each recipient.

Upload a file

Upload a file containing recipient numbers with country codes. You can upload an MS Excel workbook, text file, comma-separated values file, or compressed file. Enter numbers in a line-separated format.

Image placeholder — Figure 3.4: Numbers in Line-Separated Format.

1. From the Send SMS menu, select Bulk SMS.

Image placeholder — Figure 3.5: Send Bulk SMS with File Upload.

2. Select and upload the required file.
3. Confirm that the system displays the uploaded file name next to the Choose File button.
4. Select the required message parameters.
5. Click Send.
6. If the system displays the total number count and a successful update message, click OK.

Image placeholder — Figure 3.6: Uploaded File.

Send a Personalised Bulk SMS

Personalised Bulk SMS is a Bulk SMS file-upload feature that lets you customise messages with column values from the uploaded file.

The uploaded file must meet these requirements:

• The top row contains column headers.
• The first column contains phone numbers with country codes.
• The remaining columns contain message data identified by their column headers.

Image placeholder — Figure 3.7: Personalised Message Format for Text Files.

1. Select the Personalise check box.
2. Upload the required file.
3. In the Add Field list next to the Message field, select the required column headers in the order you want them to appear.
4. Add any required static text directly in the Message field.
5. Click Send.
6. If the system displays the total number count, click OK.
7. Review the preview and click Confirm.
8. If the system confirms that the messages are uploaded, click OK.

The Add Field list displays the uploaded file’s column headers except the first header, which is associated with phone numbers. The system uses the selected fields and the matching mobile number to construct a custom message.

Image placeholder — Figure 3.8: Personalised Bulk SMS.

Image placeholder — Figure 3.9: Personalised Bulk SMS Preview.

Send a Group SMS

Use Group SMS to send a message to a selected set of contacts. A contact consists of a name and a number. You can select mobile numbers with country codes from groups in the address book or from distribution lists.

Manage a group

Use groups to add, edit, or delete contact names and mobile numbers with country codes. Duplicate mobile numbers are not permitted within a group.

Open Address Book → Group to manage groups.

Create a group

1. Enter the required name in the Group Name field.
2. Click Add.
3. If the system confirms that the group was added, click OK.

Image placeholder — Figure 3.10: Create a Group.

The group name appears in the Group Name list after the group is created successfully.

Rename or delete a group

1. In the Group Name list, select the required group.
2. Review the Contacts of Group section, which displays contact names and phone numbers for the selected group.
3. Click Modify.
4. Update the name in the Group Name field.
5. Click Save.

Image placeholder — Figure 3.11: Modify the Group Name.

Image placeholder — Figure 3.12: Save the Edited Group Name.

To delete a group, select the group, click Delete, and click OK if the system asks for confirmation.

Add contacts to a group from a file

You can add contacts by importing a text or comma-separated values file, or by entering contacts in the import text area. If a contact already exists in the group, the system removes the duplicate entry during addition.

1. In the Group Name list, select the required group.
2. Click Import Contacts.

Image placeholder — Figure 3.13: Address Book Import Window.

3. Do one of the following:
   • In the text area, enter contact details with the contact name and phone number separated by a comma. Enter each contact on a new line. Do not include a space between first and last names.
   • Click Choose File and select a file containing contacts.
4. Click Import to save the contacts in the group.

Add an individual contact to a group

1. In the Group Name list, select the required group.
2. Enter the required name in Contact Name.
3. Enter the required mobile number in Contact Number.
4. Click Add.

Image placeholder — Figure 3.14: Add Individual Contacts.

The contact details appear below the form.

Image placeholder — Figure 3.15: Added Contact.

Edit or delete a contact

To edit a contact, select the group containing the contact and select the corresponding Edit link.

Image placeholder — Figure 3.16: Edit a Contact.

To delete a contact, select the group and then select the corresponding Delete link. To delete multiple contacts, select the required contacts and click Delete Selected. If the system asks for confirmation, click OK.

Manage a distribution list

A distribution list stores only mobile phone numbers with country codes in a line-separated format.

Open Address Book → Distribution List to create a list, rename a list, add numbers, or delete numbers.

List management procedures are similar to group management.

Image placeholder — Figure 3.17: Managing a Distribution List.

Image placeholder — Figure 3.18: List Number Import Window.

Select group contacts or distribution lists

Group SMS lets you select contacts from multiple groups or select complete distribution lists.

1. From the Send SMS menu, select Group SMS.

Image placeholder — Figure 3.19: Select a Group or a Contact.

2. Click Import Contact. The Group Of window appears.

Image placeholder — Figure 3.20: Group Of Window.

Select a distribution list

1. In the DistributionList list, select the required list name.
2. Optional: Hold Ctrl while selecting list names to select multiple lists.
3. Click Import List.

The list name appears in the Contact Name field.

Image placeholder — Figure 3.21: Select List Name.

Select contacts from groups

1. Select the check box for the required group name. The Name and Number columns appear in the Contact section.
2. Select the check boxes for the required contacts.
3. Click Import.

You can select multiple groups. Selected groups display all their contacts. To select an entire group, select its check box in the Groups list.

Image placeholder — Figure 3.22: Import Multiple Contacts from Multiple Groups.

After importing recipients, use the Group SMS screen to send the message.

Image placeholder — Figure 3.23: Send a Group SMS.

Delete scheduled jobs

Messages scheduled or sent through Single SMS, Bulk SMS, or Group SMS to more than 100 numbers create jobs.

1. Select Job Management on the menu bar.
2. Use the Search Category section to find jobs.
3. Filter jobs by message, sender ID, or date range.

Image placeholder — Figure 3.24: Filters for Searching Jobs.

The Manage Scheduled Job section lists job details in a table.

Image placeholder — Figure 3.25: Job Details.

Scheduled jobs show the Scheduled status. To delete a previously scheduled job:

1. Find the required job in the table.
2. Select the corresponding Delete link.
3. If the system asks for confirmation, click OK.

Select Download to download the file containing destination phone numbers.