Get started with SMS
Use this section to get started with the enablement process for using Infobip SMS.
Enabling SMS for your organization largely depends on your geography, traffic direction, intended content, and national regulations for using SMS for business purposes.
It is important before starting setup and sending communications to understand all of these factors, as they will incur different setup and usage procedures.
Local Requirements
When using SMS for communication, it is crucial to understand that every country has different rules and terms of usage according to their national law. Before starting any SMS communications, make sure that you are fully familiar with the SMS coverage and connectivity regulations for each country.
For additional information about regulations and policies specific to mobile operators in the US and Canada, see Compliance Guidelines.
One-way and two-way traffic
SMS can be used for one or two-way communication with your customers. For example, if you are sending out notifications, or requests for a response where a customer can text back.
There are a number of conditions that apply depending on what type of traffic you allow. If you allow customers to respond using SMS, then you will need to purchase a number. Some countries also require you to register a number regardless of whether you are using one or two-way communications.
Make sure that you are fully familiar with SMS coverage and connectivity rules.
Senders
In Infobip SMS, a Sender is the name or number that appears on the recipient’s device when they receive an SMS message from you. Sender name or identifier helps the recipient know who sent the message, which is essential for building trust and increasing the likelihood of engagement. Sender IDs can be used to present anything from a company name or department to the name of a government organization.
Different countries and networks have different terms of use and regulations that affect many aspects of using SMS. For sender names, this may mean that you need to register your sender IDs before submitting traffic.
The registration process is usually unique to each operator that requires it. This can vary from simple pre-approval to message templates and additional authorization documentation. Wait times for registration are usually proportionate to the level of complexity behind the steps involved and are dependent on each operator. Contact your account manager for any additional details you may require.
To send messages from your dedicated sender, you can buy a number or request an alphanumeric sender:
- Number
- Consists of a phone number, either a short code (a 5-6 digit number) or a long code (a standard-length 10-digit phone number)
- Used when two-way communication is required, like customer support or interactive SMS campaigns
- The sender may appear as a recognizable, localized number, which can increase response rates for transactional or conversational messages
- Alphanumeric sender ID
- Typically used for branding purposes, it can include letters and numbers (up to 11 characters)
- Examples: "YourBrand," "Alert," or "Support"
- Used for one-way communication where replies are not necessary, like marketing campaigns or notifications
Choosing the sender ID
| Numeric sender | Alphanumeric Sender | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Phone number | Letters and numbers |
| Example | +1 (555) 123-4567 | MyStore |
| Character limit | 10-11 digits* | Up to 11 characters |
| Two-way messaging | Supported | Not supported |
| Country support | Widely supported | Limited, some require registration |
| Costs | Usually cheapest | Can be more expensive |
/* Depends on shortcode or long code. See Numeric sender ID section
Ownership type
A dedicated number is a number that belongs exclusively to you. All messages are automatically associated with your account.
In some countries, shared senders are also available. A shared sender (or shared sender ID) is a sender ID that is not exclusive to a single business or user. It is shared across multiple businesses or users on the same SMS gateway or platform. Shared senders are commonly used for cost-efficiency and ease of access, especially for smaller campaigns or businesses that don’t need a dedicated sender ID.
Having a dedicated sender, compared to a shared sender, increases brand awareness.
Sender names
Sender names can be added and used when sending outbound SMS messages. Rather than just presenting yourself as a generic number, you can appear on customer devices as your company name.
Sender name is often used interchangeably with Sender ID but refers more specifically to the brand or business name associated with an account or campaign within the Infobip platform. The Sender ID is the visible identifier seen by recipients and may need regulatory approval, whereas the Sender Name serves as an internal reference in the Infobip system to help you to manage multiple sender identities.
For example, you may choose to configure a sender name internally on Infobip as a way to organize and label multiple senders, even if each sender has its own specific Sender ID visible to message recipients.
Sender names are set in the web interface when creating new SMS communications. They are auto-saved and can be selected again in the future.
See the section on sending a message for more information about how to set a sender name.
Get your own number or alphanumeric sender
To buy a number or request an alphanumeric sender, go to Channels and Numbers > Channels and then select SMS to see the SMS landing page. On the landing page, you see a main overview page and the options to buy a number or request an alphanumeric sender.
| SMS tab | Description |
|---|---|
| Overview | Main overview page to get a number using Buy Number or request an Alphanumeric Sender ID using Request Sender. Also, manage your message compliance using the US sender registration. |
| My Numbers | Lists all of the number types that you have purchased and also gives you the option to buy a number. |
| My alphanumeric senders | Lists all of the alphanumeric senders that you have requested. |
| My requests | Lists all of your current requests for SMS. For more information about using communication channel requests, see My Requests. |
Numbers
A number (or numeric sender ID) is the default sender type of an SMS message in the standard MSISDN form (Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number). It identifies who is sending the message to the recipient.
Numeric sender IDs support two-way messaging, which means that recipients can reply to messages.
- Numeric - This ID is made up of a long number and is usually a typical mobile number in standard numeric form (for example, 447764720247). Using VLNs allows end-users to reply back on your number and opens up two-way messaging. If used internationally, sender networks need to be within operator roaming reach for messages to be received.
- Short code - This is a memorable 4 - 6 digit number which is essentially a shorter version of your numeric sender number (for example, 20247). Leased from MNOs and messaging companies, they're typically used for sweepstakes, polling, TV voting, and so on. Depending on the country they can also be used for strict one-way campaigns as a regular sender ID.
- 3-15 digits maximum length for numeric senders
- 4-6 digits for short codes
Buy a Number
To buy numbers for SMS communication, on the SMS landing page, under the Numbers section, click Buy Number.
When you select this option, you are taken to the Numbers app. The Numbers app enables you to purchase numbers, or if you already have a number procured elsewhere but want to use it over Infobip, you can also request it to be imported. You can also manage numbers to configure what happens after a message has been received. If you need to add more numbers, you can set them up in Numbers.
For more detailed information about buying and managing numbers in the Numbers app, see Numbers over web interface.
For more information about buying and managing numbers over API, see Numbers over API.
Configuring numbers
Once you acquire a number, all messages received by that number will be associated with your account, and by default all these messages are accessible via the Analyze module. You can see more information about this in Reports and Insights.
As well as simply receiving inbound messages, there are additional actions that can be set up on a number level, that will be triggered every time a message is received.
- Forward to HTTP - Forward received messages and their details to an external URL. This allows you to get the message into your platform for further processing.
- Forward to Email - Forward important SMS details (sender, receiver, content) to one or multiple email addresses in human-readable table form.
- PULL- Store all received messages in a pull container where they can be retrieved using the API.
- Forward to SMPP - Same as Forward to HTTP, this action is used to forward the received message to an external platform, however using SMPP protocol.
- Save message to log - Forwarding is not enabled, and messages are saved to logs which can be viewed in the web interface.
Forwarding is set up in conjunction with your keywords attributed to your numbers in the Numbers app. For more information on forwarding actions, see Keywords and Actions.
Alphanumeric sender ID
Use alphanumeric sender IDs to send one-way text messages to recipients using a custom, recognizable string made up of any combination of letters and numbers, or just letters. An alphanumeric sender ID more recognizable so that users can quickly identify the sender if they are not saved in their phone’s contacts.
To request an Alphanumeric sender ID for SMS communication, on the SMS landing page, under the Alphanumeric Sender ID section, click Request Sender.
Characters allowed in an alphanumeric sender ID
Sender IDs can contain both numeric and alpha characters (0-9, a-z, A-Z). The typical maximum length for alphanumeric senders is 3-11 characters. Some country restrictions set a minimum length in addition to a maximum length. See SMS coverage and connectivity for more information about restrictions.
Spaces are not supported but you can use the space character, that is, ASCII code = 32. Alternatively, you can use combinations of capitalization, hyphens, or underscores to make your sender ID more readable.
For example, alphanumeric sender IDs include:
- LoginCode
- FlashSale24
- infoSMS
Get an alphanumeric sender ID
An alphanumeric sender ID can be obtained from most enterprise SMS providers.
This option is not available in all countries, and in some cases, organizations have to pre-register their sender IDs to prevent duplication and fraudulent use. These include major markets like Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, and the Philippines. These countries may charge a one-time or monthly setup fee for this service.
To request an alphanumeric sender, click Request Sender.
For more information on the country-specific steps for requesting an alphanumeric sender, see Submit a request.
The My alphanumeric senders tab shows the list of your available senders, including the following information:
- Sender - on outbound SMS messages, this is the sender name you choose to appear on customer devices as your company name, rather than a generic number
- Country - the country in which this alphanumeric sender can be used
- Capabilities - the channel that can be used with this alphanumeric sender
- Network coverage - the most up-to-date list of networks that cover this sender
Network coverage
Network coverage for a sender is available using the network coverage icon. Click the icon to see the Network coverage panel.
This list shows the active networks and the NNC number. It is an active list and so the active networks results changes frequently. To ensure that the list is current, click Refresh.