Publishing & content
SMS
Text urgent updates to members who have opted in.
SMS is for the messages that can't wait for email: game-day changes, ground closures, urgent renewal chases. You'll find it under Publish updates → SMS in the admin sidebar. SMS is a Pro-plan feature with a metered allowance per billing cycle — texts cost real money to deliver, so the meter is a hard cap, not a suggestion.
SMS is strictly consent-based. A member only ever receives texts from your club if they have opted in from their own account page for your club and have a phone number on their profile. Consent is never assumed and members can opt out at any time.
Who can use this
- Admins and moderators, plus anyone granted the Send broadcasts permission through a council position, can compose and send.
- Members control their own opt-in from their account page — there is no way for staff to opt a member in.
What's on the page
- Send a text — the composer, with a live character/segment counter, the number of opted-in recipients, your remaining allowance, and a Send test to me button.
- Settings — an optional alphanumeric Sender ID (e.g.
NORTHFC) shown as the sender on recipients' phones. - Recent sends — the last 30 messages with delivery status, your audit trail for what was sent and when.
Step by step
Send an urgent update
- Open Publish updates → SMS.
- Type the message — keep it short; each 160 characters is a separate billed segment per recipient.
- Click Send test to me and check it on your own phone (you need a phone number on your profile).
- Click Send to N members and confirm. Texts can't be unsent.
Get members opted in
- Ask members to open their account page on your club site.
- They flip Opt in to SMS under "SMS updates" and make sure their profile has a phone number.
- The composer's recipient count updates as members opt in.
Field reference
| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| Message | Up to 480 characters (three SMS segments). Sent as-is — no links are shortened, nothing is appended. |
| Sender ID | Optional, 3–11 letters/digits starting with a letter. Recipients can't reply to an alphanumeric sender. |
Tips & FAQ
- How big is the allowance? Pro includes 500 texts per billing cycle, Enterprise 2,000. A send that would go over the remaining allowance is refused outright — nothing is partially sent.
- Why is my recipient count zero? No active members have both opted in and a phone number on file. Point members at their account page.
- Should I use SMS or a broadcast? Email broadcasts for anything routine; SMS only for time-critical messages. Push notifications (free) cover most "right now" needs for members who installed the app.
- Compliance: only sending to members who explicitly opted in keeps you on the right side of the Spam Act. Don't paste in numbers from elsewhere — the composer only ever sends to opted-in members.