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Creating SMS Campaigns

Read this article to learn how to deploy SMS marketing with the SMS Campaigns module.
R
Ruba
23 Dec, 2025 - Updated  5 days ago

Feature Availability 

Vtiger Editions: One Professional | One Enterprise | One AI

Introduction

SMS marketing is a text-based communication method used to send promotional messages such as discount offers, product updates, and important announcements. 

Since SMS messages are delivered directly to mobile phones, they require the recipient’s consent and are highly effective, with open rates significantly higher than those of email.

With Vtiger’s SMS Campaigns feature, businesses can take advantage of this high engagement to reach customers quickly and effectively. Using the SMS Campaigns module, you can:

  • Create and send bulk SMS campaigns.
  • Track message delivery status in real time.
  • Configure automated actions for SMS replies.

Features

The following are the features of SMS Campaigns in Vtiger CRM:

  • Bulk SMS Sending: Send promotional or transactional messages to a large group of customers at once.
  • Consent-Based Messaging: Ensure messages are sent only to customers who have opted in, helping maintain compliance.
  • Delivery Tracking: Monitor SMS delivery status in real time.
  • Reply Management: Receive and manage customer replies directly within Vtiger.
  • Automation Support: Trigger SMS messages automatically through workflows.
  • Contact and List Integration: Send SMS campaigns using CRM contacts, leads, or marketing lists.
  • Template Support: Create SMS templates for consistent messaging.

Benefits

The following are the benefits of using SMS Campaigns in Vtiger CRM:

  • High Open Rates: SMS messages are read faster and more frequently than emails.
  • Instant Communication: Reach customers quickly with time-sensitive updates and offers.
  • Improved Engagement: Short, direct messages encourage faster customer responses.
  • Centralized Campaign Management: Manage SMS campaigns alongside other CRM activities.
  • Better Customer Experience: Timely and relevant messages help build stronger customer relationships.

In this article, you will learn about:

  • Prerequisites for sending an SMS campaign
  • Installing SMS Campaigns
  • Configuring an SMS provider
  • Creating an SMS campaign
  • SMS campaign record details
  • Viewing campaign statistics
  • Different SMS statuses

Key Terminology

Key Term 

Definition

SMS Messages 

SMS messages are short text-based communications sent between mobile devices without requiring internet connectivity.

SMS Template

An SMS template in Vtiger is a pre-written message that you can reuse to send consistent and quick SMS communications.

Marketing Lists

A Marketing List is a targeted group of leads, contacts, or organizations used to send and manage email campaigns in Vtiger CRM.

Service Provider

A service provider is a third-party service that manages and delivers your SMS, WhatsApp, or other communication messages.

SMS Opt-in

SMS Opt-in indicates a contact’s consent to receive SMS messages from your organization through Vtiger CRM.
 

Prerequisites for Sending an SMS Campaign

The following are the prerequisites for creating an SMS campaign.

  • Ensure that SMS service providers are configured in Vtiger CRM to send campaigns through these channels.
  • SMS campaigns can be sent only to a contact’s Mobile Phone number.
  • You must have the contact’s, customer’s, or lead’s consent before sending SMS messages. Additionally, contacts must be opted in, and the SMS Opt-in field must be set to Single Opt-in (User).
  • A marketing list must be created or selected for sending the campaign.
  • Ensure message templates are available for use in the campaign.

Let us learn how to configure an SMS service provider before sending an SMS Campaign.

Installing SMS Campaigns

The SMS Campaigns module is not available by default in Vtiger CRM. To use it, you must install the SMS Campaign Add-on.

Follow these steps to install the SMS Campaigns Add-on:

  1. Log in to the CRM.
  2. Click the User Menu in the top-right corner of the screen.
  3. Click Settings. The Settings page opens.
  4. Look for the Extensions section.
  5. Select Add-ons. The Add-ons page opens.
  6. Search for SMS Campaigns in the search bar.
  7. Click Install,

After installing the Add-on, you will see the SMS Campaigns module under the main Menu > Marketing.

Configuring an SMS Provider

Let us use Twilio as an example to learn how to set up an SMS provider. You can do this only if you are an Admin user.

Note: You will need to navigate between the Vtiger CRM and the Twilio screens. Keep the screens open in separate tabs or windows.

Step 1: Copying the Account SID and Auth Token from Your Twilio Account
Follow these steps to copy the account SID and Auth Token:

  1. Log in to your Twilio account.
  2. Go to the Dashboard in your Twilio Console.
  3. Copy the Account SID and save it in a notepad or document.
  4. Click Show to reveal the Auth Token, then copy and save it in a notepad.

Step 2: Logging in to Vtiger CRM and Pasting the Account SID and Auth Token
Follow these steps to configure an SMS service provider:

  1. Log in to the CRM.
  2. Click the User Menu in the top-right corner of the screen.
  3. Click Settings. The Settings page opens.
  4. Look for the Extensions section.
  5. Select SMS Provider Configuration.
  6. Click the +New Configuration button.
  7. Select Twilio from the Provider drop-down.
  8. Enter or select the following information:
    1. Provider: Select Twilio from the drop-down.
    2. Provider Name: Enter the name of the service provider.
    3. Active: Click the checkbox beside the required status.
    4. Default Provider: Select Yes or No to set Twilio as the default provider.
    5. Account SID: Paste the Twilio Auth SID into the Auth ID field.
    6. Auth Token:  Paste the Twilio Auth Token into the Auth Token field.
    7. From: Enter the sender’s phone number. The phone number must be in the E.164 format. 
  9. Click Save.

Once configured, the service provider will appear in the SMS Provider drop-down.

Creating an SMS Campaign

After you have installed the extension and configured an SMS provider, you can set up an SMS campaign. 

Follow these steps to create an SMS campaign:

  1. Log in to the CRM.
  2. Click the main Menu.
  3. Go to Marketing > SMS Campaigns. The SMS Campaigns module opens.
 
  1. Click the +Create SMS Campaign from the top-right corner.
 
  1. Enter or select the following information:
    1. Campaign Name: Enter the name of the SMS campaign. It is recommended that the campaign name be specific to distinguish it from other campaigns.
    2. Assigned To: This is the user or group to whom the SMS campaign is assigned or the owner of the SMS campaign.
    3. Select marketing list: The list of users to whom you want to send the campaign. You can select an existing marketing list from the drop-down or create a new one by clicking the Create New Marketing List button. To learn how to create a marketing list, click here.
    4. Add Fields: You can add field names in the SMS body with the help of merge tags. For example, if you add the merge tag $contacts-firstname$, the tag is replaced with the contact’s first name saved in the CRM.
    5. Select SMS Template: Choose the template to design the campaign.
    6. Message: Enter the content of the message for the campaign.
 
  1. Click Test to verify if the campaign is delivered successfully before the final send-out.
    1. Upon clicking Test, a pop-up appears prompting you to enter the recipient’s number to test the delivery of the message campaign.
    2. Note: The recipient number is required only when sending a test message campaign.​​​​​​​
 
  1. Click Send to send the campaign to the marketing list.

Once the campaign is sent, you will receive a notification confirming its successful delivery. You can also preview the final campaign in mobile view while creating the campaign.

SMS Campaign Record Details

 

When you open a specific message campaign from the List View, you will see the following details:

  • Campaign Chart: Displays the campaign performance in a pie chart format, showing message distribution and delivery status.
  • Campaign Details: Displays key information such as the campaign name, message content, status, and channel used.
  • Message Records: Shows the records of the SMS messages sent.

Actions in the Record View

 

You can perform the following actions in an SMS campaign record:

  • Open in New Tab: Opens the SMS campaign record in a separate browser tab for easy access.
  • Click to Copy Direct Link: Copy the direct link to the SMS campaign record so you can share it quickly.
  • More: Clicking on More will display the following actions:
    • Duplicate: Create a copy of the existing SMS campaign record for reuse or modification.
    • Delete: Permanently removes the SMS campaign record from the system

Viewing Campaign Statistics

You can view campaign statistics in a pie chart showing the delivery, dispatch, error, and failure rates for the SMS campaign.

Follow these steps to view SMS campaign statistics:

  1. Log in to the CRM.
  2. Click the main Menu > Marketing.
  3. Select SMS Campaigns. The SMS Campaigns module opens.
  4. Open the SMS campaign you want to view statistics for. 

You will see the campaign statistics when you open an SMS campaign.

Different SMS Statuses

When you send an SMS campaign to a marketing list, you can track its status. Here are all the possible statuses:

  • Draft: Campaign is created (or being created) and saved, but not sent
  • Queued: Campaign is in the queue and will be sent soon
  • Sending: Campaign is being sent
  • Sent: Campaign has been sent successfully
  • Completed: Campaign is complete when all SMS messages are successfully delivered, or delivery has failed.

Note: All SMS statuses of a campaign are fetched from the SMS provider

Reference

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