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Set Up SMS

This guide takes you from an empty Daktela instance to answering SMS conversations in Daktela. It builds the pieces in the order they depend on each other.

If you haven't yet, read How SMS Works first β€” it explains what each piece does and how a conversation travels through them.

Info

The SMS connector's API token is set up by Daktela β€” contact us before you start.

The whole setup:

  1. Create the SMS queue
  2. Add agents to the queue
  3. Define your business hours
  4. Create a terminate target for offline conversations
  5. Create the time condition
  6. Create the connector
  7. Apply the configuration and test

1. Create the SMS Queue

  1. Go to Settings β†’ Routings β†’ Queues and click Add new, then select SMS.
  2. Fill out the Unique queue number and the Title (e.g. "SMS – Support").
  3. Click Save.

Every field is described in the SMS Queue reference.

2. Add Agents to the Queue

Info

Agents get queues only through their user rights: this dialog and the Queues tab of a set of rights are two views of the same setting β€” see How Users & Rights Work. If you have already given the queue a log-in type in your rights, this step is done. Setting up Daktela for the first time? Set Up Your Contact Centre shows where queues, rights and users fit in.

  1. In the queue list (Settings β†’ Routings β†’ Queues), find your new queue and click Change in the Agents column.
  2. Check (tick) the user rights that should have access to the queue.
  3. Select a Priority for each set of rights (0 – highest, 10 – lowest) and a Login type β€” Automatic is a good default.

See Queue Basics – Assign Agents to a Queue for all the options, and Distribution Strategies for how priorities drive who rings when.

3. Define Your Business Hours

  1. Go to Settings β†’ Workflows β†’ Time groups and click Add new.
  2. Fill out the Title and add an Open definition for each working period β€” e.g. 9:00–17:00, Monday–Friday.
  3. Click Save.

See Time Groups for holidays, linked groups and common pitfalls.

4. Create a Terminate Target for Offline Conversations

  1. Go to Settings β†’ Routings β†’ SMS β†’ Terminate and click Add new.
  2. Fill out the Title and select the Disconnection cause (internal only).
  3. In Queue, select the SMS queue from step 1 β€” this is what makes missed activity notifications work.
  4. Optionally select an Auto response template and set Answered.
  5. Click Save.

The full field reference is in Terminate.

5. Create the Time Condition

  1. Go to Settings β†’ Routings β†’ SMS β†’ Time conditions and click Add new.
  2. Fill out the Title, select the Time group from step 3.
  3. In If time matches, select Queue and choose the SMS queue from step 1.
  4. In If time does not match, select Terminate and choose the target from step 4.
  5. Click Save.

See Time Conditions for the other routing targets you can use here.

6. Create the Connector

  1. Go to Settings β†’ Routings β†’ SMS and click Add new.
  2. Fill out the Title and Description, and select the Connector type (SMS Connect or Hyper SMS).
  3. Enter the API token provided by Daktela and set the Sender according to your connector type.
  4. In Next destination, select Time condition and choose the time condition from step 5.
  5. Optionally set Number prefixes and CLID rules for inbound β€” see the SMS Connector reference for the pattern syntax.
  6. Click Save.

7. Apply the Configuration and Test

  1. Back in Settings β†’ Routings β†’ SMS, click Apply configuration changes in the top right corner.
  2. Test the online path: with an agent logged in to the queue and in the Ready state during business hours, text your number and check that the conversation rings the agent.
  3. Test the offline path: outside business hours, check that the conversation ends via your terminate target and shows up as a missed activity in the queue.

Warning

Every later change to connectors, time conditions, automessages, decision trees, chatbots or terminate targets needs Apply configuration changes again.

Go Further

  • Automessages β€” keep waiting customers informed.
  • Decision trees β€” Daktela's built-in chatbot.
  • Third-party chatbots β€” connect an external bot.
  • Missed conversation follow-up β€” turn on Missed activities in the queue settings.
  • For agents β€” how SMS conversations are answered is described in SMS.

Not Working?

  1. Nothing arrives? Click Apply configuration changes in Settings β†’ Routings β†’ SMS β€” routing changes stay in a working copy until you do.
  2. Always the offline path? Check the time condition has a time group selected and that the time group covers the current time.
  3. Conversations don't ring? In Realtime, check an agent is logged in to the queue, Ready and not on a pause.
  4. No missed conversations to follow up? The terminate target must have your queue selected, and Missed activities must be on in the queue.
  5. Messages don't arrive at all? Check the connector's API token and Sender β€” the token is provided by Daktela.

More checks, by symptom, are in Troubleshooting.