---
title: "SMS quick start guide"
slug: "quick-start-sms"
updated: 2026-06-04T15:33:29Z
published: 2026-06-04T15:33:29Z
canonical: "docs.xtremepush.com/quick-start-sms"
---

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

# SMS quick start guide

All you need to know before starting sending SMS campaigns through Xtremepush

To be able to use the SMS channel, it must first be enabled by a user with Project Admin or Company Admin access from **Settings > Channels > Manage Channels** by enabling the **SMS** toggle.

> [!NOTE]
> Setting up SMS for the first time?
> 
> [Contact us](/documentation/docs/contact-us) before setting up SMS for a new project, so we can configure the gateway integration.
> 
> We have a range of SMS gateway configurations available based on requirements so that your account manager can ensure the best pricing and deliverability results for your target markets.
> 
> Our team will ensure all necessary gateway configurations are in place and help you test the integration end-to-end.

You will be able to see SMS as an available channel from the campaign builder menu once this has been done. You can use SMS as a standalone channel or as part of a wider multichannel strategy. A common use case is having push notifications as a primary channel on certain campaigns with SMS as a fallback channel (for users that are not subscribed for push notifications).

> [!TIP]
> Testing makes perfect!
> 
> Running tests is encouraged before starting sending SMS campaigns.

## Testing SMS campaigns

In order to send a test SMS you will need a mobile number in a user profile and an active SMS subscription. Users with the correct [level of access](/documentation/docs/create-user-accounts#access-levels) can edit user profiles or create a new one if needed:

Navigate to **Data > Users > Create User profile**.

Add your mobile number in the following format: international dial code (not including prefixed zeroes 00) followed by the mobile number (not including prefixed zero 0). Example: `353850123456`.

Then set the SMS subscription to *Subscribed*, and save the profile.

You can now test sending an SMS by navigating to **Campaigns > Create Campaign > Single-stage > Time-based > Create Campaign** > select **SMS** from the [**Setup** tab](/documentation/docs/campaign-setup).

Navigate to the **Content** tab of the campaign builder, select one of the *from names* preconfigured from [SMS settings](/documentation/docs/sms-settings) from the picklist and include some text for the SMS message.

Navigate to the **Segment** tab to specify the recipients of the campaign. If you have multiple users and you want to target a particular mobile, you can simply use it in a target segment by selecting **Create custom segment** and adding the condition *mobile number equals* from the identifiers section of the [Segmentation Engine](/documentation/docs/segmentation).

> [!TIP]
> Count recipients before launching the campaign
> 
> Whenever launching a campaign it is a best practice to use the **Calculate recipients** feature to count recipients and make sure that your targeted audience for this campaign is what you are expecting.