SMS and WhatsApp
Connect your own SMS and WhatsApp accounts and add message steps to journeys.
SMS and WhatsApp steps come with Professional. Messages go through your own accounts; the provider bills you for them directly and Ellibo never adds a charge. Only an Admin can connect accounts, under SMS & WhatsApp.
SMS through MSG91
In India every promotional or service SMS must use a template registered on a DLT portal, with your registered sender ID (header).
- Register your business, sender ID and message templates on a DLT portal, and copy the DLT template ID of each.
- In your MSG91 account, add the same templates and copy your auth key.
- In Ellibo, go to SMS & WhatsApp > Add an account, choose MSG91 (India), and enter the auth key and sender ID. Click Test to send yourself a message.
- In an SMS step, write the text exactly as registered, with the personal fields in the places the template allows, and enter its DLT template ID.
An SMS that does not match its DLT template word for word is blocked by the operator. Copy the template text from the DLT portal.
Journeys start the talk, so WhatsApp only lets them send approved message templates.
- Set up the WhatsApp Business Platform for your business with Meta, and add a phone number.
- In Meta's settings, make a permanent access token and copy your phone number ID and WhatsApp Business account ID.
- In Ellibo, go to SMS & WhatsApp > Add an account, choose WhatsApp (Meta) and enter them.
- Create your templates with Meta and wait for approval. Then click Sync templates in Ellibo.
- In a WhatsApp step, pick a template and fill its parameters (
{{1}},{{2}}...) with personal fields such as{{first_name}}or{{order_no}}.
Delivery, clicks and replies
Each account shows a webhook address (it looks like .../marketing-automation/pub/hook.php?k=...). Paste it into your provider's settings for delivery reports and incoming messages. With it, journeys can branch on delivered, read, replied and failed.
Links in SMS are shortened so clicks can be tracked, and the next step can branch on link clicked or not clicked.
Phone numbers
Numbers are read from the person's record and put in international form using your business's country, for example +91 98xxx xxxxx. A person without a usable number skips the step.
STOP
Anyone who replies STOP gets no more marketing SMS or WhatsApp messages from your business. START turns them back on.
Daily limit
Each account has a daily limit (1,000 to start). Messages over it wait for the next day.