Topic
How to enable the short URL in SMS messages for Organizations in Everbridge.
Description
There are two different types of short URLS in SMS messages:
- Short URLs generated by the Single SMS feature/flag.
- Short URLs generated by the Include Short URL in SMS Confirmation feature/flag.
Short URLs generated by the Single SMS feature/flag are enabled by default. With Single SMS links, the recipient clicks/taps on the link found in their SMS message and is led to a webpage that shows the message in its entirety, but does not confirm them. To confirm, the recipient must then click/tap on a button at the bottom of the webpage. For more information on this feature, see knowledge article EBS: Everbridge SmartPath: Single SMS.
The second type of short URL in SMS messages allows contacts to automatically confirm without replying to the message. This feature addresses situations where a contact might not have cellular service but does have access to the internet (e.g. Wi-Fi).
To enable the short URL in SMS messages, follow the steps below:
- Log in to the Everbridge Manager Portal and select your Organization
- Select Settings > Notifications > SMS Options
- Toggle the radio button next to Include Short URL in SMS Confirmation to the On position.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save.
After enabling this feature, an SMS message sent from Everbridge will look similar to the following:
When contacts receive an SMS message, they will now have the option to tap the link to respond:
- For standard and conference notifications, tapping the link will immediately confirm receipt of the message.
- For polling notifications, tapping the link will direct you to a web-page where you can make a selection from polling options.
NOTE: Enabling this feature can lead to the behavior reported in knowledge article EBS: When Contacts Try to Confirm Receipt of an Email or SMS Message in Everbridge Suite, They See 'We appreciate your response, but you already responded to this message'.