Enable SMS/MMS

Connect your messaging provider to create SMS campaigns in SmarterSends. MMS adds an image where supported by your provider, sending number and destination.

An Admin configures the connection. Template authors need Manage Templates; campaign creators need Create SMS. Direct sending uses Send SMS, subject to the account's approval, template and scheduling rules.

Choose your provider guide

First connect your platform under Integrations → Email, then configure Integrations → SMS/MMS. The SMS provider choices follow the connected platform; Braze also offers a webhook delivery option.

Provider	Setup instructions
Airship	Enable SMS/MMS for Airship
Braze or Braze - Webhook	Enable SMS/MMS for Braze
Cordial	Enable SMS/MMS for Cordial
Iterable	Enable SMS/MMS for Iterable

Provision the sending service and numbers with your provider before testing. From Name is text that can identify your brand inside the message; it does not select the sending number. Cordial and Airship have a Sender Id setting. Braze uses its subscription-group configuration, while Iterable uses its SMS channel, message type and provider-side sender configuration. Webhook delivery uses the destination service's setup.

Configure the shared settings

Open Integrations → SMS/MMS, choose SMS Provider, and complete the provider-specific fields plus these shared settings:

Setting	What it controls
MMS Enabled	Exposes MMS image options in templates. The delivery service must also support and be configured for MMS.
Stop Language	Footer text used when building the SMS template body. Leave it blank when the delivery service supplies the appropriate text, and check the received message for missing or duplicate footers.
Include From Name in Message	Includes the template's From Name when building the message body. This does not change the sending number.
Maximum Message Length	A whole number from 160 to 800 that limits text entry in the SMS template editor. It does not guarantee the final personalized message length or carrier segment count.

If Test API Access appears, select it to validate the form and reveal Save. In this form, the check validates the configuration entered; it does not send a test message. Select Save and confirm SMS Settings Updated.

After changing Stop Language or Include From Name in Message, review and update the affected template content, save the templates, and test the campaign output. Existing templates and saved campaigns should not be assumed to pick up new wording automatically.

Build an editable SMS template

1. Open Manage → Templates and choose Create SMS Template from the Create Template menu.
2. Complete the title, description, group assignments and template details. Keep Publish? off while preparing the template, then select Next....
3. Enter fixed wording in SMS Editor.
4. On the Content tab, select the Content Area tile. Select an existing area or use Add Content Area to create one.
5. Insert the area's %%contentareaXX%% code into the SMS text where its value should appear. If you created a new area, reopen the picker to insert it, or copy its code into the editor. Move the code to the intended position if needed.
6. Mark content areas required when a campaign must supply a value. Use suitable character limits and validation for each field.
7. Save and review the preview. After testing, enable Publish? and save so the assigned groups can use the template.

Creating a Content Area is not enough: its code must be inserted into the SMS template. Without inserted Content Areas, campaign creators cannot change the message's fixed body text.

For group availability and approval options, see Templates Overview.

Optional blocks

To make a block depend on a content area, place it between {%conditional-XX-begin%} and {%conditional-XX-end%}, using that area's numeric ID in both markers. The block is retained when the area's value is present and removed when it is empty or false.

For a Show/Hide area, also insert its %%contentareaXX%% code in the SMS template so the control is available during campaign creation. Test both choices and confirm that no insertion codes or conditional markers remain in the received message.

MMS images

When MMS Enabled is on, the template editor's Settings tab shows MMS Image URL, Select Image and Add Image Content Area. Use an image content area when campaign creators should choose the image. Confirm the selected image in the campaign preview and in a received device test. Follow the provider-specific guide for delivery limits and any additional checks.

Check length and links

Keep the complete message concise, including the brand name, footer, links and personalized values. The template editor's Messages count is a simple estimate based on its text; it is not a provider billing calculation. Personalization, added wording and character encoding can change the final length and segment count. Emoji and some special characters can use more message capacity. See Iterable's explanation of SMS character encoding and segment estimates.

Configure link shortening through the provider-specific options. Include any required campaign parameters in the destination URL and test the received link. Do not assume an Append to URLs area will add parameters to a plain-text SMS URL; its current processing targets HTML links.

Test and send

1. In Campaigns → Create Campaign, choose an available SMS template for the current group.
2. Enter the campaign name and content-area values, and select an image if applicable.
3. In Test Account..., enter the recipient value required by your provider:

Provider	Test recipient
Cordial	A mobile phone number. See the Cordial guide for the accepted input format.
Iterable	The email address of an Iterable profile with the intended SMS number.
Braze or Braze - Webhook	The test profile's email address; follow the Braze guide for the selected delivery method.
Airship	A mobile phone number; follow the Airship guide for registration and format requirements.

4. Select Send Test. This saves the campaign and sends through the connected provider.
5. Check the received message, sender, footer, image and links. A successful request does not confirm delivery to the device.
6. Select the audience and complete the approval or send workflow. Review the final schedule and campaign details before submitting.

Two-way SMS conversations are configured separately. Enabling outbound SMS/MMS alone does not set up reply handling in SmarterSends.