Inbound SMS Workflows

Introduction to Inbound SMS Workflows

Inbound SMS workflows allow businesses to automate actions based on incoming text messages. By setting up predefined conditions and actions, businesses can streamline communication, improve response times, and enhance customer engagement. Workflows are particularly useful for automating responses, updating contact lists, and integrating SMS interactions with third-party applications.

With inbound SMS workflows, businesses can:

• Automatically reply to messages based on specific conditions.
• Capture customer information and update contact lists.
• Forward messages to relevant departments via email, mobile, or third-party integrations.
• Trigger actions in external applications through webhooks.

Below are several use cases and step-by-step instructions to set up different workflows.

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Example 1: Automating Out-of-Office Responses

Business Case: Automatically respond to customer messages when your office is closed.

Steps to Set Up:

1. Click New Workflow.
2. Name the workflow (e.g., “Out-of-Office Auto Reply”).
3. Click Add Filter, select Date and Time
4. Use Is between (time range every day) to set the out of office hours.
5. Click Add an Action and select Send SMS.
6. Enter the auto-reply message (e.g., “Our office is currently closed. We will get back to you during business hours.”).
7. Select Run once per interval per sender – set the interval to 1 day (will only trigger one message per day  to each inbound sender)
8. Click Save Workflow.

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Example 2: Adding New Contacts to a Group

Business Case: Capture inbound SMS senders and automatically add them to a contact group.

Steps to Set Up:

1. Click New Workflow.
2. Name the workflow (e.g., “Add to VIP List”).
3. Under Filter, choose Message Content and specify keywords (e.g., “VIP”).
4. Click Add an Action, then select Add to Group.
5. Choose or create a contact group.
6. Click Save Workflow.

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Example 3: Forwarding SMS to Email

Business Task: Ensure particular inquiries sent via SMS are forwarded to a specific email inbox.

Steps to Set Up:

1. Click New Workflow.
2. Name the workflow (e.g., “Forward Urgent Support to Email”).
3. Under Filter, select Receiving Number and use the dropdown to select your support Virtual Number.
4. Add a second filter, and select Message Content and specify keywords (e.g., “support,urgent,help”).
5. Click Add an Action, then select Forward to Email.
6. Enter the recipient email address (e.g., support@yourbusiness.com).
7. Click Save Workflow.

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Example 4: Triggering Webhooks for Third-Party Integration

Business Task: Integrate inbound SMS with an external system like a CRM or helpdesk.

Steps to Set Up:

1. Click New Workflow.
2. Name the workflow (e.g., “CRM Integration”).
3. Select relevant filters, such as Message Content (e.g., “interested,yes”).
4. Click Add an Action, then choose Send to Webhook.
5. Enter the webhook URL provided by your third-party software.
6. Click Save Workflow.

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Example 5: Opt-Out Management

Business Task: Automatically update customers’ communication preferences in your CRM when they send “STOP”.

Steps to Set Up:

1. Click New Workflow.
2. Name the workflow (e.g., “Opt-Out Management”).
3. Under Filter, select Message Content and specify “STOP”.
4. Click Add an Action, then choose Send to Webhook.
5. Enter the webhook URL provided by your third-party software
6. Click Save Workflow

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Additional Notes

• Workflows can have multiple filters and actions for advanced automation.
• Use Run Settings to control the frequency of a workflow per sender.
• Virtual Numbers are required for inbound SMS workflows.
• Combine workflows with other platform features for a seamless communication experience.

These examples provide a solid foundation for automating SMS interactions. Customise workflows based on business needs and optimise customer engagement with intelligent automation.