Twilio SMS

Twilio SMS

Twilio is a cloud communication system that provides SMS services to its users. By integrating Twilio with Zoho CRM you can send and receive individual or bulk SMS to your Zoho CRM leads or contacts manually. You can also send automated text messages to your users on Lead/ Contact/ Event/ Task creation. When you install this extension you will get the following components:
  • SMS Texts - A custom module that creates a record every time you send an SMS to a Contact. All necessary fields will also be installed along with this module.
  • Snd text sms - A custom function that sends the SMS to your contacts everytime it is triggered.
  • Send Bulk SMS - A custom button that will trigger the Snd text sms function.
Apart from these components some custom functions that triggers the SMS action will also be installed. You can view the complete list of components in the extension details page.
Note
  • This extension can be used to send and receive SMS only for the records in the Leads and the Contacts module and not for any other modules.
  • The number provided in the Mobile Number field of the records will be used as the recipient number. So this field should not be left empty.
  • The number has to be stored along with the country code.

Install Twilio SMS extension

To install Twilio extension
  1. Go to Setup > Marketplace > All.
    All the installed extensions are listed. Under All
    Extensions you can view all the extensions supported in CRM.
  2. Click All
    Extensions, browse through for Twilio and click it.
    The details about the extension will be available.
  3. Click Continue to Install.
  4. In the following screen, agree to the terms of service and click Install
    Now.

  5. Choose one of the following and click Confirm.
    • Install for admin only - The extension will be installed in CRM for only the users with the administrator profile.
    • Install for all users - The extension will be installed in CRM for all the users.
    • Choose
      profiles - The extension will be installed in CRM for all the users. You need to choose this option, click Continue and then select the profile
      The extension will be installed automatically for the specified users.

Configure Twilio extension

Once you've installed the extension, you will have to configure the extension for sending and receiving Text SMS. Twilio's incoming webhook URL will be initialized in extension settings during installation. Now you will have to configure both your Zoho CRM( for outgoing messages) and Twilio (for incoming messages) accounts.

Configure Zoho CRM for outgoing messages

  1. Once the extension is installed to your CRM account, you will be asked to configure the extension.
    If you click Skip in this step, you can later configure from Setup > Marketplace > All > Installed
    Extensions.
    In the Twilio SMS extension details page, you can click Configure.

  2. In the pop-up, specify the AuthToken, User's Message, Twilio Mobile Number and Account SID for the Twilio account and click Save.
    The AuthToken, Twilio Mobile Number and Account SID can be obtained from your Twilio account. To get these details log in to your Twilio account and click Dashboard in the left pane of the homepage. These details will be available in the Dashboard.
    In the Users
    Message field fill in the text for the Bulk SMS that has to be sent to your Leads and Contacts.

Configure Twilio for incoming messages

  1. Login to your Twilio console and click Phone Numbers in the homepage.
  2. In the Manage Numbers page, click the Twilio number that is associated with your Zoho CRM account.
  3. In the resulting page, under Messaging section, select Webhook from the A Message comes in drop-down list and paste the Incoming Webhook URL that was initialized during installation and click Save.

Send SMS using Twilio SMS

To send bulk SMS to your leads/contacts using Twilio SMS extension
  1. In your Zoho CRM account, go to the corresponding module and select the records to whom the SMS has to be sent in the List view page. A maximum of 50 records can be chosen at a time.
  2. Click Send Bulk SMS button.

  3. The SMS with the text you've configured will be sent to all the selected records.
  4. A new record will be created in the SMS Text module, everytime you send an SMS to individual or bulk leads or contacts.

Automated SMS

Apart from sending manual messages to your leads and contacts, Twilio extension also comes with certain pre written custom functions that allows you to send automated messages to the following recipients in the following cases:
  1. To the Lead/ Contact owner when a new lead/ contact is created.
  2. To assignees of a Task, two days before the due date
  3. To all the participants and others related to/associated with an event, a day before the due date.

View incoming SMS

Whenever a Lead or Contact or Any record associated with your CRM account sends an SMS to your Twilio number, that SMS will be stored in your Zoho CRM and can be viewed in two sections.
  • Under the SMS Texts related list of the associated record.

  • As a new record in the SMS Texts module with direction marked as Inbound. 

Uninstall Twilio SMS extension

You can uninstall the Twilio SMS extension whenever you wish to. Remember that deleting this extension will delete all its associated data.

To uninstall Twilio SMS
  1. Go to Setup > Marketplace > All.
    All the installed extensions are listed.
  2. Browse for Twilio SMS and click the corresponding Uninstall link.

  3. Click OK to confirm.
    The extension will be uninstalled.


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