Creating SMS campaigns

This guide walks you through how to create and send your first SMS campaign in Sender, from composing your message to selecting recipients and scheduling delivery.

Where to Find This Feature

In the Sender dashboard, go to: SMS campaigns → New campaign

Click SMS campaigns in the left sidebar. If this is your first campaign, you will see the Quick SMS setup checklist page — click New campaign to begin. If you already have campaigns, you will see the SMS campaigns library with tabs for All, Draft, Scheduled, Sending, and Sent campaigns. Click New campaign in the top-right corner to start a new campaign.

The campaign creation workflow has three stages displayed in a stepper at the top of the page: Settings → Recipients → Review and schedule.

Steps to Create an SMS Campaign

Step 1 — Configure campaign settings

On the Settings page, start by entering a name in the Campaign name field. Select your verified phone number from the Sender dropdown — this is the number recipients will see when they receive your SMS. If no verified numbers appear, click Go to SMS settings to register one first.

In the Message text area, write your message. A character counter at the bottom (e.g., 0/160) tracks your usage and shows the SMS count. Click Custom fields to insert personalization tags such as First name or Phone number. Use the emoji icon to add emojis. You can also click Use a template to choose from pre-built templates under categories like Promotional, Holiday, and Feedback, or click Save as template to save your own.

The Automatically shorten links checkbox is enabled by default and will compress any URLs in your message.

Below the message area, enable Add Opt – Out instructions to automatically append opt-out text (e.g., “Reply STOP to optout”) to your message. Enable Insert your organisation name to prepend your brand name. Both are recommended for compliance and are reflected in the Message preview on the right side of the page. Once your message is ready, click Save and continue.

Step 2 — Select recipients

On the Recipients page, you will see the Select subscribers panel. Choose who receives your SMS by selecting from the available options.

Check All active subscribers to send to your entire SMS subscriber list. Alternatively, select specific groups under Subscriber groups or specific segments under Saved segments. Each section includes a search field and a Select all / Deselect all option. The number next to each group or segment shows how many subscribers it contains.

To exclude certain subscribers, enable the Exclude recipients toggle and select which groups or segments to remove from the recipient list. The total Recipients selected count displays at the bottom of the page. Click Save and continue to proceed.

Step 3 — Review and send or schedule

On the Review and schedule page, review a summary of your campaign before sending. The Settings section shows your campaign name and sender phone number. The Subscribers section shows the recipient count, total subscribers, and Estimated campaign cost. Each section has an Edit button to return to that stage and make changes.

The Message preview on the right displays your message exactly as recipients will see it, including any opt-out text or organisation name. Click Send a test SMS to send a test message to your own phone number and verify everything looks correct.

When you are ready, click Send now to deliver the campaign immediately, or click Schedule to send to choose a future date and time. In the Schedule campaign dialog, select a date from the calendar, set the time, and click Schedule to confirm.

SMS Compliance Requirements

TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act) — Applies to SMS recipients in the United States. Generally requires express written consent before sending marketing SMS messages. Sender’s opt-in tools and consent collection forms help you document subscriber consent. Consult a legal professional for jurisdiction-specific guidance.

GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) — Applies to recipients in the European Union and European Economic Area. Generally requires a lawful basis (such as explicit consent) for processing personal data, including phone numbers used for SMS marketing. Sender allows you to collect and store consent records through signup forms.

Carrier requirements — Mobile carriers in many countries enforce rules on sender identification, opt-out mechanisms, and message content. Sender provides the Add Opt – Out instructions toggle to append opt-out text to every campaign and the Insert your organisation name toggle to identify your brand, helping you meet these carrier requirements.

Sender’s SMS policies — Sender requires that marketing SMS messages include opt-out instructions. You can customize your default opt-out text and organisation prefix in Account settings → SMS settings on the Phone numbers page under SMS Message Add-ons. The Opt-out text field must include “STOP” in the message.

Always consult a legal professional for advice specific to your jurisdiction and industry before launching SMS campaigns.

What Happens Next

After sending or scheduling your campaign, it will appear in the SMS campaigns library under the appropriate tab (Sending, Scheduled, or Sent). You can monitor delivery status and performance by clicking View report next to a sent campaign.

To manage your SMS settings going forward, go to Account settings → SMS settings to update your verified phone numbers, organisation prefix, or opt-out text. Any draft campaigns can be resumed by clicking Edit from the campaign library.

Your SMS campaign setup also connects to Sender’s automation features, where you can trigger SMS messages based on subscriber actions or events.

Common Issues

“No verified phone numbers have been found” → Your account does not have a verified sender phone number. Go to Account settings → SMS settings and click Add phone number to register and verify a phone number before creating a campaign.

Phone number status shows “In Progress” → Your phone number registration is still being reviewed. Wait for the status to change to verified before attempting to send campaigns. Contact Sender support if the status does not update.

Message exceeds 160 characters → A standard SMS message using GSM-7 encoding (basic Latin characters) supports up to 160 characters. If your message exceeds this limit, it will be split into multiple SMS segments, increasing cost. The character counter below the message text area (e.g., 65/160 – 1 SMS) shows your current usage and segment count.

Opt-out text not appearing in preview → The Add Opt – Out instructions toggle is turned off. Enable it in the Settings step to append opt-out text automatically. The Message preview will update in real time to reflect the change.

Recipients selected shows 0 → No subscriber groups or segments have been selected on the Recipients page. Select at least one group, segment, or check All active subscribers to proceed.

Campaign cost appears higher than expected → The estimated campaign cost on the Review and schedule page is based on the total number of selected subscribers and the number of SMS segments per message. Using special characters or emojis may switch encoding from GSM-7 to Unicode, reducing the character limit per segment to 70 and increasing segment count.

FAQs

What is a sender ID?

A sender ID is the name or phone number that appears as the sender when recipients receive your SMS. In Sender, you register a sender ID by adding and verifying a phone number in Account settings → SMS settings. Depending on your country and carrier, this may be a phone number or an alphanumeric name.

Do I need consent to send SMS messages?

Yes. SMS regulations like TCPA (US) and GDPR (EU) generally require explicit consent from recipients before sending marketing SMS. Collect consent through signup forms with a clear opt-in statement. Consult a legal professional for guidance specific to your jurisdiction.

What should I include in every SMS message for compliance?

Every marketing SMS should include opt-out instructions, such as “Reply STOP to optout.” Enable the Add Opt – Out instructions toggle in the Settings step to add this automatically. This is required by most carrier regulations and Sender’s own SMS policies.

What phone number format does Sender require?

Phone numbers must be stored in international format with the country code prefix (e.g., +1 for the United States, +44 for the United Kingdom). Ensure subscriber phone number fields include the full international format.

How do I test my SMS setup?

After composing your message in the Settings step, click Send a test SMS in the Message preview panel. You can also send a test from the Review and schedule step. Verify that the message arrives, the sender ID displays correctly, and the content appears as expected.

What is the character limit for an SMS message?

A standard SMS using GSM-7 encoding supports up to 160 characters per segment. If you use special characters or emojis, the encoding switches to Unicode, which reduces the limit to 70 characters per segment. The character counter below the Message text area tracks your usage and shows the segment count in real time.

Can I use message templates?

Yes. In the Settings step, click Use a template to browse pre-built templates organized by category (such as Promotional, Holiday, and Feedback). You can also save your own message as a template by clicking Save as template for reuse in future campaigns.

Can I personalize SMS messages?

Yes. Click Custom fields below the Message text area to insert personalization tags such as First name, Last name, Email, Phone number, or Birthday. These tags are replaced with each subscriber’s actual data when the message is sent.

Are there SMS sending restrictions by country?

Yes. Some countries have specific carrier restrictions on sender IDs, content, or sending hours. Check Sender’s SMS documentation or contact support for details about restrictions in your target countries.