About Act-On SMS

  • Updated

SMS (short message service) is a channel for sending short text messages to opted-in recipients. Act-On supports SMS for both promotional messages (marketing campaigns) and transactional messages (receipts, reminders, account alerts). This article covers the concepts you need before setting up or sending.

Who does this: Anyone new to SMS in Act-On - marketing ops, campaign managers, or Administrators preparing to enable the channel
Time needed: 5-10 minutes to read before you start setup
Why this matters: SMS rules are different from email rules. Send to someone who did not opt in and you risk fines and platform penalties; miss the opt-out language and carriers filter you out; ignore character limits and one message becomes three. Understanding Credits, Recipients, Opt-Ins, and reply keywords up front makes the rest of SMS straightforward.
In plain English: You buy a pool of Credits. Every message uses at least one. You can only send to numbers that agreed to receive SMS from you. Recipients can reply STOP, START, or HELP to manage their subscription themselves.

What SMS is in Act-On

SMS in Act-On works in some of the same ways as email:

  • You can segment and use behaviour data to target recipients.
  • Clicks on links are tracked (when you use the Act-On Link Shortener).
  • SMS can be used as a step in Automated Programs.
  • Recipients can opt out at any time.

And in some important ways it is different:

  • Messages are short - 160 characters per message - and contain no formatting.
  • Regulations differ from email; many jurisdictions require explicit opt-in plus disclosure of message frequency and opt-out instructions.
  • SMS is opt-in only. Act-On only sends to numbers on your SMS Opt-In List.

SMS Credits

Act-On uses Credits to track SMS sends. Your Credit allowance resets on the 1st of each month. Unused Credits do not roll over.

  • Each SMS is up to 160 characters. Messages longer than 160 characters use more than one Credit.
  • International SMS (outside the US and Canada) uses Credits on a per-country multiplier. See International SMS - Credits by Country.
  • To view your current Credit balance, go to SMS > Messages > New Message > Message and look at the Credits Summary.

Credits Summary

Recipients

When you send an SMS, a contact is eligible to receive it only if all three are true:

  • Their record is in the selected Marketing List or Segment.
  • Their phone number is on the SMS Opt-In List.
  • The same phone number appears in the Marketing List or Segment.

You cannot target the SMS Opt-In List directly as a send list. Select a Marketing List or Segment, and Act-On filters it against Opt-Ins and Opt-Outs at send time.

SMS Opt-In List

The SMS Opt-In List contains every mobile number that has consented to receive text messages from your company. Act-On uses this list to decide which recipients in a Marketing List are eligible to receive an SMS.

You can build the Opt-In List by adding the SMS Opt-In section to a Form, or by uploading opt-ins from an existing data source. See Build Your SMS Opt-In List for the overview.

SMS Opt-Out List

The SMS Opt-Out List contains mobile numbers that have unsubscribed from your SMS messages. After receiving any SMS from your account, a recipient can reply STOP to opt out. Their number is added to the Opt-Out List automatically.

Let recipients know how to opt out by including unsubscribe language in your messages - for example, "Reply STOP to unsubscribe." In many jurisdictions this disclosure is required.

To view numbers that have opted out, go to SMS > Opt-Outs. Opting out of SMS is separate from Email Opt-Outs.

Reply keywords (SMS Interactions)

Recipients can send specific reply words to opt out, opt back in, or get help. It is good practice - and in some jurisdictions required - to let recipients know these options work.

Note: Reply keywords are not recorded as replies in the SMS Report or Activity History. Opt-outs (STOP replies) are recorded in both places and added to the Opt-Out List.
Reply What it does
STOP Opts out of SMS. The number is added to the SMS Opt-Out List. Act-On replies with a confirmation.
START Opts back in. The number is removed from the Opt-Out List.
HELP Returns instructions - typically "Reply STOP to unsubscribe. Msg&Data Rates May Apply."

Reply keyword examples

How to purchase SMS

SMS is an add-on package. Pricing is based on how many Credits you buy. Contact your Account Manager for details. SMS is currently available on Enterprise or Professional plans with an active integration to Salesforce, Zendesk Sell, Microsoft Dynamics, SugarCRM, or NetSuite.

Next steps

Was this article helpful?

Have more questions? Submit a request