SMS Text Messaging: A Comprehensive Guide
SMS (Short Message Service) is a standard communication protocol that enables the sending of text messages between mobile devices. This feature is essential for businesses seeking to communicate with their customers quickly and efficiently, especially for one-to-one interactions.
Platform Details
At Bigfoot Voice, we utilize the Flowroute carrier for SMS services. To send application-to-person (A2P) messages, 10DLC (Shared Cost 10-Digit Long Code) registration is mandatory. Inbound SMS messages are delivered via a Flowroute webhook to our agent panel backend, while outbound messages are sent via the Flowroute API from the assigned Direct Inward Dialing (DID) number.
Limitations
- Text-only: SMS messages can only contain plain text. To send images, videos, or file attachments, use MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service).
- Segment limit: Messages are divided into segments of up to 160 characters (160-character segments for GSM-7 encoding, 70 characters for Unicode messages). Longer messages incur multi-segment charges.
- Best-effort delivery: There is no guarantee of delivery receipt for SMS messages.
- Carrier filtering: Messages may be silently dropped by carriers if they are flagged as spam.
- 10DLC registration and campaign approval: Before sending SMS messages, you must register your 10DLC campaign and receive approval from the carrier.
- Rate limits: Each 10DLC campaign has a specific rate limit (typically 1-60 messages per second, depending on trust score).
- Short codes not supported: Our platform does not support short codes for SMS services.
- International SMS: International SMS may be blocked or incur additional charges depending on Flowroute routing.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
- Not receiving SMS: Verify that your DID is SMS-enabled in Flowroute, check the status of your 10DLC campaign, ensure the webhook URL is active and responding.
- Outbound not delivering: Check the status of your 10DLC campaign approval, verify your Flowroute API credentials, examine carrier filtering (content may trigger spam filters), confirm the destination number accepts SMS messages.
- Messages arriving out of order: Multi-segment messages may arrive out of sequence due to carrier-level issues, with no platform fix available.
- Delayed messages: Delays may be caused by carrier congestion, 10DLC throughput limits, or destination carrier queuing. Check Flowroute logs for delivery timestamps.
- Character encoding issues: Emoji or special characters force Unicode encoding (70 characters per segment). Advise callers to use plain text when possible.
At Bigfoot Voice, we strive to provide you with reliable and efficient SMS services. If you encounter any issues or have questions, our support team is always ready to assist you.
Further Reading
For more information about MMS, please refer to our article on MMS Messaging.