Set up Channel Subscription via SMS

Overview

This guide explains how to set up SMS subscriptions for your communication channels. Users can join channels by texting a keyword to a shortcode or long code. This feature, often called text to join, uses a shortcode and keyword combination to help users quickly opt in. Once enabled, contacts can join a channel by texting a keyword to a designated phone number.

For SMS command syntax, refer to the SMS Commands to Subscribe via SMS section below for available commands. For details about shortcodes, long codes, and error codes, see Short Codes, Long Codes, and Error Codes. For general commands, see General SMS Commands.

Enable SMS Subscription for a Channel

1. Go to the Channels tab.

2. Locate and open the desired channel from My Channels or All Channels (admin access only).

   

3. On the channel’s settings page, select Subscription from the left navigation.

4. On the Subscription page, click the Subscribe via SMS tab.

   

5. Check Enable subscription to this channel via SMS.

6. Review or update the Keyword, which subscribers will use to join the channel. For example, Join . The keyword is case insensitive.

7. Review or update the value in the Text to Join Number field. This is the number that users must text to in order to subscribe to the channel via SMS. Users send the channel Keyword as the SMS message to this number to complete their subscription.

8. (Optional) check the Include information on how to subscribe to voice messages option. This will add more characters to the reply message. It may split the message and send if it exceeds 160 characters.

9. (Optional) check the box to Include information on how to subscribe to email notifications option. (Optional) check the Include information on how to subscribe to voice messages option. This will add more characters to the reply message. It may split the message and send if it exceeds 160 characters.

10. In Welcome Message, Specify the message that is automatically sent to users after they successfully subscribe to the channel via SMS.

11. Optionally, check Auto-delete subscribers from this channel to automatically remove subscribers who join the channel via SMS after a specified period. After enabling this option, set a duration for auto-deletion. Enter a duration and select "Hours" or "Days" as the unit. For example, setting the duration to "10 Days" removes SMS subscribers 10 days after they join the channel.

    

12. Click Save to apply your changes.

SMS Commands to Subscribe via SMS

Contacts can text one of the following commands to your channel’s shortcode or long code. The system responds with a confirmation. Use the space and colons as described.

Also, you can use the word “subscribe“ instead of join. Example: subscribe group:group_join_keyword

The commands JOIN and SUBSCRIBE have the same functionality. Using both, a contact can join or subscribe to a channel to receive SMS notifications.

LEAVE

STOP

CANCEL

END

QUIT

The commands STOP, CANCEL, END, and QUIT have the same functionality of stopping the user from receiving the SMS from the mentioned group or list.

Language Codes for Language Preferences

If your organization has the auto-translation add-on enabled, users can use the following language codes to select their language preference.

They must add the language preference after the keyword with an abbreviation for the supported language. Example Join warriors: es

After subscribing, users will receive a confirmation message. To receive email notifications as well, they can text:

keyword email@email.com

Join (keyword) or (GroupID) email address

Example:

join warriors user@gmail.com  
join 55733 user@gmail.com

The system sends an acknowledgment message upon successful subscription.