Hello! I want to create a feature in a messaging application I've made. I want to be able to sent text messages in bulk to people's phones. Is anyone familiar with how to do this? If so, what steps did you take? Thank you
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I have an update. I was able to filter, but I can't send to more than one phone number. If I add more than one, the message is sent to neither. I may have to try and loop the process model, but I would like to work within the plug-in if possible. Do you know how I can send the message to more than one phone number? Thanks
Sending a text to a different phone number based on application status should not be difficult. The node takes an input called "To" that does not have to be a constant. It can be a process variable that can be populated however you want.
As for sending to multiple people, the standard SMS API (https://www.twilio.com/docs/sms/api) only sends one SMS to one number. If you are going to be sending to under 1,000 people, you can set up MNI in Appian on that node to loop over your "To" numbers.
Twilio also seems to have a "messaging service" feature in beta (https://www.twilio.com/docs/sms/services/api), but it looks to me like this is for a static group of numbers you always send messages to, not your dynamic use case.
Thanks, Steven. So let me just confirm. I've been able to create an expression rule that filters applicants by phone number, and if there's only one phone number in the system, the SMS message is sent fine. If there's more than one number, none of the messages get sent. My team has reviewed the expression rule and has found no errors.
So is it safe to say that this error is because the standard SMS API only sends a single message to a single number? And would I then have to loop the process model to solve this? Thanks
Let me just say I wrote this Twilio Utilities plugin before Appian Integration Objects were a thing. This is definitely the preferred way to go with modern Appian.
Hi, Jim. Thanks for helping me out on Friday (I think it was you). As you and Steven suggested, I'm trying to loop the process model so that I can send a single SMS to multiple phone numbers. The relevant portion of my process model and the XOR configuration are shown below. As configured, the email is sent to the address hundreds of times, and the SMS is never sent at all. Quite a combination! Any ideas on how to properly configure the looping? Thank you
I don't think you are hearing us regarding moving away from this plugin and using the Appian Integration Object instead. But if you just want this to work as is... you do not have to create a manual loop in the process. You can configure to node to run multiple times on the node configuration itself.
Then put pv!arrayOfPhoneNumbers (or pv!arrayOfPhoneNumbers[tp!instanceindex] if that doesn't work) in the value of the "To" field on the "Data" -> "Inputs" tab.
Hello Steven Miccile.I really appreciate your help on this; I have no prior experience as a coder and this online community has proven invaluable.
I noticed in your snapshot that you have a multi-value variable to choose from in the drop-down box. I've attached my own snapshot; I don't seem to have this option. I added a process variable, however (snapshot included). Could you advise? I think I'm getting very close to the answer
pv!phoneNumber has "Multiple?" set to "No". Click on that variable and click the checkbox to make it a multiple.
Hi, Steven Miccile
I configured the below as you showed, but I still can't send multiple text messages. I think I'm out of ideas. Do you have any? Thanks.
Did you also try pv!phoneNumber[tp!instanceindex]?
Now you need to start debugging your instances to figure out how it is running. When you monitor the process instance:
How many times does the node run (right click on it)?
What does the pv!phoneNumber variable value look like (go to variables)?