---
title: "Create a Proactive SMS Campaign"
slug: "create-a-proactive-sms-campaign"
description: "Create a Proactive SMS Campaign. Visit Gladly Help Docs to learn more."
updated: 2025-09-16T15:01:45Z
published: 2025-09-16T15:01:45Z
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.gladly.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Create a Proactive SMS Campaign

| **REQUIRED USER ROLE** Administrator | **PERMISSION OVERVIEW** [View permissions by role](https://help.gladly.com/docs/managing-users-and-roles#roles-and-responsibilities) |
| --- | --- |

## **Before you start**

Before you configure and create a Proactive SMS Campaign, we recommend that you first review the following:

- Review [Proactive Conversation use cases](https://help.gladly.com/docs/get-started-with-proactive-conversations/#reasons-to-use-proactive-conversations).
- Understand the [requirements](https://help.gladly.com/docs/prepare-to-use-proactive-sms) to use Proactive SMS. Remember that you’ll need to create a Messaging Answer to host your SMS message for the Campaign.
- Get to know Proactive Conversation [concepts](/docs/proactive-campaign-outreach-and-recipients-definitions) (Campaign, Recipients, Outreach).
- Review the [Proactive SMS Campaign Best Practices](https://help.gladly.com/docs/proactive-sms-best-practices) guide for additional guidance.

## **Create a Proactive SMS Campaign**

Remember to have the [Messaging Answer](https://help.gladly.com/docs/create-and-edit-answers) ready before creating the SMS Campaign.

1. Click ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/hamburger-menu-icon(2).svg) on the top left corner of the screen.
2. Click **Settings**.
3. Under the **Proactive Conversations** category, click **Proactive SMS**.
4. The Proactive SMS page lists SMS Campaign(s) that have been created.
5. From the Proactive SMS page, click **Create Campaign**.
6. Enter the following information about the Campaign. ![Form for creating an SMS campaign with details like name, description, and schedule.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/SMS-campaign-configuration.png)
  - **Campaign Name –** Enter a name that helps you identify what the Campaign is for.
  - **Description –** Provide a brief description of what the Campaign is for.
  - **Phone Number –**Select the phone number the Campaign will use to send SMSes for the Campaign.
    - **Note –** You’ll only see SMS-able phone numbers on the list.
    - **Note –** Replies to an SMS Campaign route to the Inbox linked to the phone number.
  - **Language –** Select the language the Messaging Answer is created under.
  - **Answer –** Lists Messaging Answers created based on the language chosen. Select the appropriate Messaging Answer you created for this Campaign.
  - **Campaign Schedule –**Configure the time frame when SMS Campaign messages are allowed to go out.
    - **Note –**If the SMS Campaign’s start date/time (configured in the [Add Recipients](https://help.gladly.com/docs/create-a-proactive-sms-campaign) page) falls outside the Campaign’s schedule, then outreach begins on the next SMS send window. Messages are received based on the recipient’s prescribed timezone on the CSV.
      - **Closed checkbox –** Check the **Closed** box if you don't want SMSes sent on a particular day. The **Closed** is checked by default, so uncheck the **Closed** box to allow SMSes to be sent on a particular day. ![Monday hours listed from 09:00 AM to 05:00 PM, currently closed status indicated.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/close_day-proactive-communications.png)

> [!WARNING]
> Abide by local/state/country regulations for sending schedule
> 
> It’s your responsibility to abide by rules and laws when communicating with your Customers. For example, states like Texas, marketing and telephone solicitations via SMS cannot be sent before 9 a.m. or after 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and before noon or after 9 p.m. on Sundays.
7. Click **Create Campaign.**

Once your SMS Campaign is created, next, you'll need to add the recipients that will be contacted as part of the outreach for the Campaign.

### Add Recipients

1. To the right of the Campaign you created, click ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/pencil-edit-icon.svg), then select **Edit Recipients**. ![Proactive SMS campaign management interface showing delivery status and editing options.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/edit-recipients-sms-campaign.png)
2. From the Campaign’s outreach status page, click **Add Recipients**. ![Delivery status overview with options to add recipients and view progress.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/add_recipients_proactive_sms_comm.png) **Enter the following information:**
  1. **Campaign Details –** This section shows the meta details of the SMS Campaign.
  2. **Recipients –** Click *CSV Template*to download a CSV template to upload your recipient list. The template is pre-populated with rows with sample timezones and phone numbers in the correct format.
    - **Edit the CSV template:**
      - Enter the recipient’s **timezone*** in column A based on their primary location.
        - For column A/timezones, use the TZ database name found [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tz_database_time_zones).
      - Enter the recipient's **phone number** in column B.
        - You must include the country code (1 for the US).
        - There is no need to include a "+" before the country code, as this is done programmatically in Gladly if it's missing. The phone number format is country code – area code – phone number (e.g., 1-555-123-4567).
      - Enter the recipient's **name**in column C.
        - For column C/name, the name used here is used to replace the *Customer’s First Name* variable in the Messaging Answer.
  - Save the CSV as **Comma Separated Values.csv** or **CSV UTF-8** only, and use a name that allows you to identify the recipient list easily.
3. Once your CSV is saved, click **Upload CSV** to upload your recipient list (CSV).
4. **Outreach Date/Time –**Select a date/time when you want your Proactive SMS Campaign to begin. For example, If you are setting up your Campaign on the 3rd of the month but want to start the automated SMSes to go out on the 15th of the month, select the 15th as the start date. You can choose a time and any month in the future.
  - **Should outreach end on a certain date/time? checkbox** – Check this box if you want the SMS Campaign to end on a specific date/time, then you can specify the end date/time. Without an end date/time, a Campaign will be marked as **"Completed"** once it goes through the entire recipient list.
    - **Note –** If the outreach date and time fall outside the SMS Campaign's schedule (on the SMS Campaign’s details page), outreach will begin on the next SMS send window.
    - **Note –** Some recipients may not be contacted if the outreach end/date time is reached before everyone is contacted. See [SMS send limits](https://help.gladly.com/docs/proactive-sms-best-practices-1#take-note-of-sms-send-limits) for more information.
5. Click **Save**.

The outreach will begin on the outreach date/time you selected.

> [!CAUTION]
> Specify the correct timezone on the CSV
> 
> When entering the timezone on the CSV, use the *TZ database name* found [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tz_database_time_zones). The default timezone used to call Customers is set by your organization's time. Because the Customers you SMS may be in different time zones, you will need to specify a timezone for each recipient on your list. Know where your Customers are to avoid contacting them at odd hours. For example, if your organization's timezone is *America/New_York (EST)* and your SMS Campaign start time is *9 AM,* if you have Customers on your recipient list that lives in Los Angeles (America/Los_Angeles) and you don't enter their timezone as *America/Los_Angeles,*you'll be SMSing them at 6 AM.

> [!NOTE]
> **Return to the SMS Campaign list**
> 
> Click < Proactive SMS on the top left area of the Campaign Status page to return to the SMS Campaign list.

### Add multiple recipients

An SMS Campaign can contain one or multiple recipient lists/CSV, and each CSV can contain up to 3,500 contacts. Every recipient list uploaded can have a different outreach date/time.

![Scheduled CSV files with creation dates and statuses displayed in a table format.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/multiple_recipients-proactive-email.png)

Click **Add Recipients** to upload another CSV of SMS contacts you’d like to contact as part of the SMS Campaign.

## **CSV upload error**

If your CSV cannot be uploaded due to an error, you may see an error message with a link to download the error log. Click **Download error log** to view the CSV log.

![Error message indicating a problem with the uploaded CSV file and instructions to resolve it.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/campaign_error_state.png)

Look under **column A** in the error log to see what caused your upload to fail.

### Number of recipients exceeds the maximum number allowed

- Ensure your CSV has 3,500 contacts or less.
- Add a new recipient list if you have more than 3,500 contacts.

### **Invalid Timezone**

- Make sure you are using the correct timezone format using the [TZ database](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tz_database_time_zones).

### **Wrong Number of Fields**

- There should only be two columns in your CSV **timezone,** and **phone_number**. Remove any extra columns.
- Save the CSV as **Comma Separated Values.csv** or **CSV UTF-8** only.