Use Inbound SMS Text in an Email
Scenario
Store the text of an inbound SMS from a contact in the contact's profile. Use this text for further communication with contacts.
Benefits
Record the content of SMS messages that contacts send to your Mapp Engage system. The SMS body is stored in a custom attribute.
The attribute only stores the most recent communication from the contact. If the contact sends another inbound SMS, the existing attribute value is overwritten.Use this text for further communication with contacts. For example, use a placeholder to insert the text into an email. The placeholder has the following format: <%${user.CustomAttribute['Name']}%>
The Message Reply Received (C) event only fires if Mapp Engage recognizes the mobile number that sends the incoming SMS. Incoming SMS messages from unregistered mobile numbers are ignored.
Procedure
A) Create Custom Attributes
In the Administration > Attributes area, create two new custom attributes.
See Create Custom Attribute.
Attribute Name | Data Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
SMSTimestamp | Date | Stores the date and time when the contact sent the SMS message. |
SMSContent | String | Stores the content of the SMS body. The attribute only stores the most recent communication from the contact. If the contact sends another inbound SMS, the existing attribute value is overwritten. |
B) Create Event-based Automations
- Create two new event-based automations. You can create the automation on a whiteboard or manually. Enter a name and description for the automation.
- Define the module settings as follows:
Automation 1
Event
Job
Group: Select the SMS group.
If you want, you can limit the event to incoming SMS messages that contain certain words.
Contact: Select the Use Event Parameter check box.
Add Parameters: Click the button to add an additional parameter.
In the first field, select the custom attribute SMSTimestamp.
Next to this field, select the Use Event Parameter check box. In the next drop-down menu, select the Event Processing Date option.
Automation 2
Event
Job
Group: Select the SMS group.
Contact: Select the Use Event Parameter check box.
Add Parameters: Click the button to add an additional parameter.
In the first field, select the custom attribute SMSContent.
Next to this field, select the Use Event Parameter check box. In the next drop-down menu, select the Event Body option.
- Click Next .
⇒ The Whiteboard wizard opens to step two. - Click Activate to immediately activate the whiteboard. The system only executes active whiteboards.
⇒ The whiteboard is saved and activated. The automation has the status Running if the start date is immediate and Scheduled if the start date is in the future.
You can insert the timestamp and body of the incoming SMS into an email. Use the following placeholders:
<%${user.CustomAttribute['SMSContent']}%>
<%${user.CustomAttribute['SMSTimestamp']}%>