SMS
To enable SMS functionality in ampEducator, you’ll need to connect to a third-party SMS gateway. ampEducator does not provide SMS service by default, so this setup is required for sending individual or bulk text messages to Students and Prospects. Go to Institution Config / General / SMS to get started.
Enabling SMS and Choosing a Provider
To get started, check the SMS Enabled box. This will activate the setup options.
Next, use the SMS Provider dropdown menu to select your preferred gateway. Once selected, the page will update to show the specific setup instructions and fields required for that provider.
ampEducator currently supports Twilio and Ring Central. If you’d like to use a different SMS service, you can contact [email protected] to request adding your provider.
Twilio Setup
- Create a project called ampEducator.
- Purchase a phone number to be used as the SMS sender.
- Copy your Account SID, Auth Token, and Phone Number from your Twilio project dashboard.
- In ampEducator:
- Select Twilio as the provider.
- Paste the credentials into the respective fields.
- Check CC Email if you’d like incoming texts to be emailed to the assigned Admissions Advisor.
- Enter a Fallback Email for unmatched incoming messages.
- Use the Sandbox checkbox if you’re testing in trial mode (note: in trial mode, SMS can only be sent to verified phone numbers).
- Click Save & Configure.
Once successfully connected, you’ll see SMS Configured: YES.
Ring Central Setup
- App Name: ampEducator
- Organization: Your institution
- Description: Any description
- Application Type: Private
- Platform Type: Server-only (No UI)
- Permissions: Read Messages, SMS, Webhook Subscriptions
- Once the app is created, copy the following from the app’s dashboard:
- Client ID
- Client Secret
- Phone Number
- Extension
- Password
- In ampEducator:
- Select Ring Central as the provider.
- Paste the credentials into the required fields.
- Check CC Email and enter the Fallback Email, if applicable.
- Use Sandbox for testing, if needed.
- Click Save & Configure.
When successful, you’ll see SMS Configured: YES.