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Knowledge Base

SMS Inbox and MMS Inbox

What is an SMS Inbox?

The SMS Inbox stores all SMS messages sent to the campaign by users. The inbox displays the phone number, shortcode, and the date/time that the message was received. The ‘reply to’ message and actual message received are also displayed. The ‘reply to’ message provides the most recent message sent to the user prior to their response. You can filter a search by phone number and date range.

SMS Inbox

SMS Inbox FAQs

Can I save the information so that I can review it externally?

Yes. You can do so by selecting the ‘Generate CSV Export’ button and downloading the CSV file from the exports page.

Am I just restricted to SMS message responses? Where can I find my MMS responses?

The SMS Inbox will only display SMS message responses, but you can set your campaign to receive MMS replies. This can be done by enabling the “Forward MMS replies” option within the campaign’s setting and selecting a particular MMS Inbox.

What is an MMS Inbox?

The MMS Inbox is a tool that receives, stores, and moderate incoming multimedia messages. Within the MMS Inbox, you can respond back to the device which submitted the MMS content or opt the number into an SMS/MMS campaign.

MMS Inbox

How do I create an MMS Inbox?

Select the “Create MMS Inbox” button. This will redirect to the MMS Inbox Settings page.

MMS Inbox Settings

When you click an existing MMS Inbox or the Create MMS Inbox button, you will be able to access and configure the settings.

MMS Inbox Settings 1
MMS Inbox Settings 2
MMS Inbox Settings 3
SettingDescription
General SettingsSet the name of the MMS Inbox and the status (active or inactive).
Add/Remove KeywordsHere you can add the MMS keyword(s) that a customer will submit along with the MMS. The system will detect the unique keyword being submitted to a particular shortcode and route the incoming message to your MMS Inbox.
Submission Limit per CustomerSet the number of submissions that can be accepted from a single phone number to your MMS Inbox. Once the limit is reached you can set up an SMS or MMS reply telling the customer that the limit is reached. Any new messages submitted after the limit is reached will be stored in the “Denied” folder in the moderation. The submission limit is an optional setting.
Public or Private StorageStore MMS Inbox content in a private encrypted folder or a public folder. Your choice will depend on how you are using the content and the security requirements surrounding the content. If you select Private Storage then you will need to supply a password to access the content or export the content via SFTP instead.
Validation RulesEnsure that incoming messages contain the proper content by setting up validation rules for incoming multimedia. MMS text validation will use a regular expression to validate text submitted. MMS content validation will check the content type of the message. If the incoming MMS is not in the proper format you can respond with either an SMS or MMS reply.
Reply Message on ReceiptReply back with an SMS or MMS to the sender when the MMS MO is first received.
Reply Message on ApprovalReply back with an SMS or MMS to the sender when the MMS MO is approved.
Reply Message after ExpirationAdd an expiration date for your MMS Inbox. Messages received after the expiration date will be labeled as “Denied” unless you configure it to another label. Additionally, you can send an SMS or MMS message in response to any messages received after the inbox’s expiration date.
Opt-in to SMS/MMS CampaignOpt-in those who submit an MMS into one of your existing SMS/MMS campaigns. Select the campaign and set the opt-in confirmation type. The opt-in feature defaults to double opt-in but it can also be set to auto-subscribe or silent opt-in. You must follow all MMA guidelines no matter the type of opt-in option you select. Double opt-in will deliver potential subscribers an automatic SMS message and require them to reply with “Y” or “Yes” before they are considered opted-in. After they have subscribed, they will receive a confirmation message. Auto-subscribe will automatically subscribe users into a campaign without requesting a double opt-in. After the customer submits a message the system will deliver an opt-in confirmation SMS message. Silent opt-in will automatically subscribe users into a campaign without requesting a double opt-in or sending them a confirmation SMS message. Use this option if you would like to create your own opt-in confirmation.

MMS Inbox FAQs

Can I create an MMS inbox without a keyword?

Yes. If you create an MMS Inbox without a keyword, this inbox will then only store MMS replies from your customers who are already subscribed to a campaign.

Can users send an MMS message to an MMS Inbox without sending the MMS keyword?

Yes. This can be done if the customer is replying with an MMS message within an SMS/MMS campaign that is set up with the inbox, or if you have a dedicated shortcode.

What happens to incoming MMS messages with file attachments that don’t meet validation rules?

The message will be stored in the “denied” section of the moderation panel and will not be forwarded to the postback URL. If you have an SMS or an MMS response set up, that reply will be sent to inform the user that the message did not meet validation rules.

How can I send additional messages to people who have submitted content?

When content is submitted to your MMS Inbox, the person submitting the content can be automatically opted-in to one of your SMS/MMS campaigns. You may then interact with them regularly until they opt-out.

How do I shut down an MMS Inbox?

Your MMS Inbox and the rules you defined within it will continue to function until you change the “Status” to inactive.

If I set an MMS Inbox item to inactive, will I still own the keyword(s) connected to that inbox?

Yes, you will own the keyword until you delete it or if it is released due to inactivity. Making your MMS Inbox inactive will not release the keyword.

Where do I see reports on the success of my MMS Inbox?

Statistics of the MMS Inbox can be found by selecting the “Stats” button for a particular MMS Inbox. This allows you to view how many submissions were entered by date, time, country, and carrier.

What happens if the user forgets to enter the keyword or misspells it?

This depends on if you have a shared short code or a dedicated short code. On a shared short code, if the keyword submitted does not already exist, the user will receive an error SMS response message from Skycore informing them that their keyword is incorrect. On a dedicated short code you will be given the ability to route all messages with incorrect keywords to a particular MMS Inbox.

What kind of MMS content can be submitted?

Images (Jpeg, Gif, Png)
Text (500+ characters)
Audio (AMR, AAC, MP3, QCP)
Video (3gp, MP4)

Who owns the list of phone numbers that have submitted content?

You own the list of numbers who submit content to your MMS Inbox.

Who owns the multimedia content?

Your customers grant you a license to their picture submissions when they submit the content to you. Therefore you are the licensee of the multimedia content submitted to your inbox and not Skycore.

Can I run a picture contest?

Yes, you may run a contest using MMS photo submission. However, you may be required to file a brief with the carriers containing the sweepstakes rules, sweepstakes advertisement, and call to action depending on the size and nature of the contest.

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