Before you start
You need a BulkSMS account and access to Account Settings in ChurchSuite.
UK churches, charities, schools and other community organisations can apply for a Community Messaging account with reduced messaging rates. Everyone else can create a standard BulkSMS account.
With BulkSMS in ChurchSuite you can:
- Schedule SMS to send later.
- Use a personal mobile number as the Sender ID, so replies go to that phone.
- Register your church or organisation name as a Sender ID for messages that don't need a reply.
Replies aren't shown in ChurchSuite's communication logs. They go to the number the message was sent from.
Create a BulkSMS API token
Log in to your BulkSMS account and go to Settings > Developers.
Click Create API Token and give it a name you'll recognise, for example ChurchSuite.
Copy the Token ID and Token Secret. The secret is only shown once, so paste it into ChurchSuite (next step) before you close the window. If you lose it, you'll need to create a new token.
Add your BulkSMS account to ChurchSuite
In ChurchSuite, go to Account Settings > Integrations and select BulkSMS.
Click Add account and fill in the pop-up:
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Name | A name for this account, for example BulkSMS. You can add more than one BulkSMS account, so choose a name that tells them apart. |
| Token Id | Your BulkSMS Token ID. |
| Token Secret | Your BulkSMS Token Secret. |
| Sender ID | What recipients see the message is from. Leave it blank to use the default Sender ID on your BulkSMS account. |
| Users | The ChurchSuite users who are allowed to send SMS through this account. |
Click Save. The users you selected can now send SMS.
You can come back to this page at any time to edit or delete an account, add another one, or reset the integration (which removes all accounts).
Send your first message
Compose an SMS in ChurchSuite and click Preview SMS.
The preview sends a test message to the BulkSMS test number 1111111 to check that the message will be accepted and that you have enough credits. It shows as failed in BulkSMS and looks like a duplicate, but it doesn't use any credits.
Send the message, then check Sent Messages in BulkSMS to see its delivery status.
Using a name as your Sender ID
To send from a name, such as your church name, instead of a number, register it with BulkSMS first. See applying for a Sender ID. Then add it to your BulkSMS account in ChurchSuite.
- Sender IDs are 3 to 11 characters, with no spaces.
- People can't reply to messages sent from a name.
- Name Sender IDs are only available in some countries. They aren't supported in South Africa or the United States.
Troubleshooting
The account won't save or messages fail: check the Token Id and Token Secret, and that the token hasn't been revoked in BulkSMS.
Preview SMS fails: check that your BulkSMS account has enough credits, and that your Sender ID is registered and allowed in the recipients' country.
A user can't send SMS: check they are selected under Users on the BulkSMS account in ChurchSuite.
You can see every message and its delivery status in your BulkSMS account under Sent Messages.
All setup and ready to go!
If you have any questions, please contact our support team. Include your account name and put ChurchSuite in the subject line, and we'll be happy to help.
For more detail, see ChurchSuite's Integrating with BulkSMS article.