How to Send SMS & Text Messages in FORMEPIC

Stay connected with your respondents through instant text messaging #

FORMEPIC’s SMS capabilities let you reach respondents directly on their mobile devices with instant notifications, automated responses, and scheduled digests. Unlike emails that might sit unread in an inbox, text messages typically get opened within minutes, ensuring your message gets through when it matters most. Whether you’re confirming appointments, alerting teams to urgent submissions, or simply thanking participants, SMS keeps everyone in the loop with real-time communication that works anywhere.

The platform supports multiple SMS providers including Twilio, Vonage, MessageBird, and more, giving you flexibility to choose the service that best fits your needs and budget. With dynamic field insertion, you can personalize every message with respondent data, and our AI-powered message editor helps craft professional, compliant messages that respect character limits while delivering your key information clearly.

Requirements #

• Active Form: Your form must be saved before configuring SMS settings
• SMS Provider Account: An active account with a supported SMS provider (Twilio, Vonage, MessageBird, Plivo, Telnyx, Sinch, Africa’s Talking, or Infobip)
• Provider Credentials: API keys, authentication tokens, or account SIDs from your SMS provider
• From Number: A verified phone number from your SMS provider that messages will be sent from
• Recipient Numbers: Valid phone numbers in international format (e.g., +1234567890) for receiving test messages and notifications

How to Access SMS Settings #

1. Open Your Form: Navigate to the form builder for the form you want to add SMS to
2. Access Settings Panel: Click the “Settings” icon in the left sidebar
3. Find SMS Section: Scroll down to locate the “SMS” section
4. Configure Provider: If this is your first time, you’ll need to add an SMS provider first

Setting Up Your SMS Provider #

Before sending any SMS messages, you need to connect your SMS provider account:

1. Click “Add SMS Provider”: In the SMS section, click the button to add a new provider
2. Choose Provider Type: Select your SMS service from the dropdown:

• Twilio
• Vonage (formerly Nexmo)
• MessageBird
• Plivo
• Telnyx
• Sinch
• Africa’s Talking
• Infobip

1. Enter Provider Name: Give your provider configuration a memorable name
2. Add Credentials: Enter the required credentials based on your provider:

• Twilio: Account SID and Auth Token
• Vonage: API Key and API Secret
• MessageBird: API Key
• Plivo: Auth ID and Auth Token
• Telnyx: API Key
• Sinch: Service Plan ID and API Token
• Africa’s Talking: Username and API Key
• Infobip: API Key and Base URL

1. Save Provider: Click “Save Provider” to store your credentials securely

Creating SMS Notifications #

SMS Notifications alert specific recipients (like team members or administrators) when someone submits your form:

1. Click “Create SMS Notification”: In the SMS section, click the notification button
2. Select Provider: Choose your configured SMS provider from the dropdown
3. Set From Number: Enter the phone number messages will be sent from (must be from your provider)
4. Add Recipients: Enter phone numbers in international format (+1234567890), one per line
5. Compose Message: Write your notification message (160 characters recommended for single SMS)
6. Insert Dynamic Fields: Click the “Insert Field” button to add form data like respondent name, email, or any form field
7. Enable Notification: Toggle the switch to ON to activate notifications
8. Save Settings: Click “Save SMS Settings” to apply your configuration

Creating SMS Autoresponders #

SMS Autoresponders automatically send a text message to respondents after they submit your form:

1. Click “Create SMS Autoresponder”: In the SMS section, click the autoresponder button
2. Select Provider: Choose your configured SMS provider
3. Set From Number: Enter your verified sender phone number
4. Choose Recipient Field: Select which form field contains the respondent’s phone number
5. Compose Message: Write your thank-you or confirmation message
6. Personalize: Insert dynamic fields to personalize the message with their submission data
7. Enable Autoresponder: Toggle the switch to ON
8. Save Settings: Click “Save SMS Settings”

Creating SMS Digests #

SMS Digests send periodic summaries of form submissions to specified recipients:

1. Click “Create SMS Digest”: In the SMS section, click the digest button
2. Select Provider: Choose your configured SMS provider
3. Set From Number: Enter your sender phone number
4. Add Recipients: Enter phone numbers for digest recipients
5. Set Frequency: Choose how often digests should be sent:

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly

1. Compose Message: Write your digest message template
2. Enable Digest: Toggle the switch to ON
3. Save Settings: Click “Save SMS Settings”

Personalizing SMS Messages #

Make your messages more engaging by including respondent data:

1. Click “Insert Field”: While composing any SMS message, click the insert field button
2. Select Field: Choose from your form fields or standard fields:

• Standard Fields: Name, Email, Phone, Date, Time
• Custom Fields: Any field from your form

1. Field Inserted: The field placeholder (e.g., {name}, {email}) is added to your message
2. Preview: The actual data will replace these placeholders when sending

Example SMS with Dynamic Fields:

Hi {name}, thanks for your inquiry! We received your message: "{message}". Our team will respond to {email} within 24 hours.

Managing Multiple SMS Types #

You can have multiple SMS configurations active simultaneously:

• Multiple Notifications: Send alerts to different teams or individuals
• Multiple Autoresponders: Send different messages based on form logic (requires conditional logic setup)
• Multiple Digests: Send summaries at different frequencies to different recipients

Each SMS type can be enabled or disabled independently using the toggle switches.

Tips and Tricks #

• Keep It Short: SMS is best for concise messages. Aim for 160 characters to avoid message splitting and extra charges
• Use Standard Fields: Insert fields like {name} and {email} to personalize without making messages too long
• Test Before Launch: Always send test messages to verify formatting, delivery, and that dynamic fields populate correctly
• International Format: Always use international format for phone numbers (+country code followed by number)
• Multiple Recipients: For notifications and digests, add one phone number per line
• Cost Management: Monitor your SMS provider dashboard to track usage and costs
• Backup Communication: Use SMS alongside email for critical notifications to ensure delivery
• Character Limits: Most providers charge per 160-character segment, so messages over this limit cost more
• Time Zones: Consider recipient time zones when scheduling digests to avoid late-night messages
• Compliance: Ensure you have consent to send SMS messages to recipients (especially for autoresponders)

Important Notes #

• Provider Costs: SMS messages incur costs from your provider. Check your provider’s pricing before high-volume sending
• Character Encoding: Special characters and emojis may count as multiple characters or cause encoding issues
• Delivery Reports: Check your SMS provider dashboard for delivery status and failure reports
• Rate Limits: Most SMS providers have rate limits. Verify your limits if sending to many recipients
• Test Mode: When your form is in Test Mode, SMS messages are still sent (use cautiously)
• Phone Number Validation: FORMEPIC validates phone number format, but actual deliverability depends on the number being active
• Dynamic Fields: If a dynamic field is empty, it will show as blank in the SMS message
• Message Splitting: Messages over 160 characters are automatically split into multiple SMS segments
• Provider Support: Different providers have different capabilities and coverage areas. Choose based on your target regions

Common Issues & Troubleshooting #

SMS Not Sending

• Verify your SMS provider credentials are correct
• Check that your from number is verified with your provider
• Ensure recipient numbers are in international format (+1234567890)
• Confirm your provider account has sufficient credits/balance
• Check your provider’s dashboard for error messages or delivery failures

Test SMS Not Received

• Wait up to 5 minutes for delivery (some delays are normal)
• Verify the test phone number is correct and active
• Check for carrier-level spam filtering (try a different carrier)
• Confirm the from number is properly configured with your provider
• Review your provider’s logs for delivery attempts and failures

Dynamic Fields Not Populating

• Verify the field name exactly matches the form field ID
• Ensure the form field has data in the submission
• Check that field names are wrapped in curly braces {fieldname}
• Test with a real submission to see actual field values

Messages Being Split

• Keep messages under 160 characters to avoid splitting charges
• Remove special characters and emojis that use multiple character spaces
• Consider shortening URLs or using a URL shortener
• Preview character count while composing messages

Provider Authentication Failing

• Double-check API keys and tokens are copied correctly (no extra spaces)
• Verify credentials are for the correct provider account
• Ensure API keys have the necessary permissions in your provider account
• Try regenerating API keys from your provider dashboard
• Contact your SMS provider support if authentication continues to fail

Autoresponder Not Triggering

• Confirm the autoresponder is enabled (toggle switch is ON)
• Verify the recipient phone field is correctly selected
• Check that respondents are entering valid phone numbers in that field
• Ensure your form is published and not in draft mode
• Review form submissions to confirm the phone field contains data

International Delivery Issues

• Verify your SMS provider supports the destination country
• Check if your provider requires special setup for international sending
• Confirm the recipient number includes the correct country code
• Some countries have restrictions on commercial SMS messages
• Consider using a local provider for better international coverage