Sending and Receiving Text Messages

Rick Ruth

May 25, 2022 18:45

If your account has text-enabled numbers, you can send and receive text messages (SMS and MMS) through your text log. This article will cover sending or replying to single text messages (messages with a single recipient). For more information about bulk text messaging, see the full article here.

Individual text messages are inherently limited to 160 characters. Longer messages of up to 1600 characters are sent by splitting the message into segments of 160 characters each (10 messages). Messages longer than 1600 characters will be truncated to fit. Special characters may use more than a single character when composing a message.

Starting a New Text Message

FROM THE TEXT LOG

Navigate to Texts → Text Log.
Click the New Message button in the upper right corner of the text log page.
Use the drop-down menu to select the tracking number you would like to send the message from.
In the next field, select the country code and enter the phone number you would like to send the message to.
Enter the message you would like to send in the Message field.
Click the arrow on the right side of the message box to send the message.

FROM THE CALL LOG

Navigate to Calls → Call Log.
Use the search bar or scroll through the call log to find the contact you wish to send a message to.
Click Edit to the left of the call record to open the detail panel.
Click the Text Message tab.
Use the drop-down menu to select the tracking number you wish to send the text message from. By default, this will be set to the tracking number that the contact called.
Enter the message you would like to send in the Message field.
Click the arrow on the right side of the message box to send the message.

Replying to Text Messages

You can reply to messages from either the Call Log or the Text Log in your account. To reply to messages, open the activity detail panel and select the Text Message tab, as in the instructions above.

As you reply to messages, the Text Message window will update to show the entire conversation.

How to Filter Profanity for SMS

Using a Trigger, you are able to filter out unwanted inbound text message profanity. In order to set this up, you will need to go to Triggers:

Select → New Trigger

Name your Trigger
Add a description (Optional)
Next go to: Trigger (Drop down menu) Select → When a message is received
Toggle on: Trigger for all activities

Select Workflow
Add Condition → If SMS Message Body
Add Condition → Is
Add Condition → Obscene
Add Action → Remove Conversation (or choose any other action you would like to initiate)
Select Save

How to Apply the MMS Safe for Work Filter

CallTrackingMetrics offers a feature that classifies images for inbound Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) that restricts unwanted obscene images. (Additional costs per image apply and vary based on your plan.) The service cost is:

Performance Plan: $0.05, per image received

Growth Plan: $0.03, per image, received

Connect Plan: $0.02, per image, received

The recommended classifications for the images are as follows:

Safe for Work (SFW)
Not Safe for Work (NSFW)

In order to activate the service you will need to set up two triggers: one that you label SFW and the other you’ll label NSFW. To get started:

Go to Triggers and select → Create New Trigger

Name the Trigger “SFW”
Add a description (Optional) – Safe for Work
Next go to: Trigger (Drop down menu) Select → When an activity is received
Toggle on → Trigger for all events
Click “Save”
Exit the triggers you created

Next create another: New Trigger

Name the Trigger “NSFW”
Add a description (Optional) – Not Safe For Work
Next go to: Trigger (Drop down menu) Select → When an activity is received
Toggle on → Trigger for all events
Click “Save”

Select Workflow
Select Add Action (Drop down menu)
Select Classify Image

Go to Trigger Media When Not Safe for Work
Select the new trigger marked: NSFW
Next, go to Trigger Media When Safe for Work
Select the trigger for SFW
Save Changes