How to Test an SMS Message Before Sending

Learn how to send test SMS messages to verify how your SMS campaigns look before sending to your full contact list. Testing helps ensure messages are formatted correctly and within character limits.

Before You Begin

• You must be logged in to your account at https://app.joinzipper.com
• You need permission to manage SMS (typically organization owners and admins have this permission)
• Twilio integration connected (required for SMS sending)
• An SMS campaign created (or in progress)

Steps

Step 1: Navigate to SMS Campaign

1. Log in to your account at https://app.joinzipper.com/auth/login
2. From the dashboard, go to SMS (or Marketing → SMS)
3. Find the SMS campaign you want to test
4. Click on the campaign to open it

What happens next: You'll see the SMS campaign editor.

Step 2: Create or Edit SMS Message

1. Create your SMS campaign (if not already created):

   • Enter SMS message content
   • Keep under 160 characters per message
   • Write clear, concise message
   • Configure campaign settings

2. Or edit existing campaign:

   • Make changes to message content
   • Update message text
   • Adjust content

Note: Create or edit your SMS message before testing.

Step 3: Find Send Test Option

1. Before sending to full list, look for Send test SMS button
2. This option is typically:
   • Near the Send button
   • In SMS preview section
   • Before final send confirmation

Note: Send test SMS option lets you test before sending to your list.

Step 4: Enter Test Phone Number

1. Click Send test SMS:

   • Test SMS dialog will open
   • Field for phone number

2. Enter your phone number:

   • Type the phone number where you want to receive test
   • Include country code
   • Example: "+15551234567" (US format)
   • Use your own phone number
   • You'll receive test SMS at this number

Note: Enter the phone number where you want to receive the test.

Step 5: Send Test

1. Review test SMS details:
   • Phone number is correct
   • Message is ready to test
2. Click Send test (or Send)
   • Test SMS will be sent
   • You'll see a confirmation
   • Test SMS is queued for sending

What happens next: Test SMS will be sent and:

• Delivered to your phone number
• Shows how message looks to recipients
• Includes all message content
• Helps you verify message appearance

Step 6: Review Test SMS

1. Check your phone:

   • Look for test SMS message
   • Open the message
   • Review how it looks

2. Verify message appearance:

   • Check message displays correctly
   • Verify character count
   • Ensure message is clear
   • Review content accuracy
   • Check formatting (if applicable)

Note: Review test SMS to ensure it looks correct before sending to your list.

Tips

• Always test SMS messages before sending to your list
• Keep messages under 160 characters
• Test message clarity and readability
• Verify phone number format
• Test multiple times if making changes
• Check message length

Troubleshooting

Problem: I don't see Send test SMS option Solution: Check that:

• You're editing the SMS campaign
• Test feature is available
• SMS campaign is created

Solution: Make sure you're editing the SMS campaign. Contact support if test feature isn't available.

Problem: Test SMS isn't arriving Solution: Check that:

• Phone number is correct and includes country code
• Twilio integration is connected
• SMS sending is working
• Wait a few minutes for delivery

Solution: Verify phone number format includes country code. Check Twilio connection. Wait for delivery.

Problem: Test SMS looks different than expected Solution: Make adjustments:

• Edit SMS message content
• Fix formatting issues
• Update message text
• Send another test

Solution: Edit message and fix issues. Send another test to verify changes.

Problem: Message is too long Solution: Check character count:

• Keep under 160 characters per message
• Shorten message if needed
• Split into multiple messages if necessary

Solution: Shorten message to stay under 160 characters. Split into multiple messages if needed.

Problem: I want to test multiple times Solution: You can test multiple times:

• Send test SMS again
• Make changes between tests
• Test until message looks correct

Solution: Send test SMS messages multiple times as needed. Make changes and test again.