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SMS templates are reusable text messages you design once and reference by name — in SMS campaigns and triggered communications. This guide walks the exact dashboard flow for creating one.
This is a dashboard walkthrough. Screens are captured from cloud.comify.io → Template Manager → Manage Templates → SMS.

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Before you start: connect a provider

Open Template Manager → SMS to reach the SMS Templates list. It shows your connected SMS provider in a selector at the top, Category and Status filters, search, and Create Template. Existing templates list their Category, Language, Status, and Last Updated.
SMS Templates list

SMS Templates list — provider selector, filters, and templates

You need an SMS provider connected (e.g. Twilio, Gupshup, MSG91, Karix) before creating templates. See SMS Providers.

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Create a template

Click Create Template to open the SMS editor. It’s a single page: Template details on the left, a live Preview on the right.
SMS create template form

SMS create form — name, language, category, and message

1

Name your template

Enter a name in the Name your template field (e.g. order_shipped_alert).
Names must use lowercase letters, numbers, and underscores only — no spaces or capital letters.
2

Select a language

Choose the Language the message is written in from the dropdown (defaults to English).
3

Choose a category

Pick the Category that matches the message:
Your SMS provider and local regulations may enforce sending rules (e.g. registered sender IDs, time-of-day restrictions) based on category — Transactional and Promotional traffic are often routed differently.
4

Write the Message

Enter your text in the Message box (up to 512 characters). Insert dynamic values using double curly braces, or via the Insert variable control below the box:
SMS variable insertion and test controls

Insert variable, Data Source, Recipient, and Test

Insert variable is populated from your Data Source. Click Data Source in the top bar and select a Payload first — its fields then become available as {{variables}} and as Recipient options.
5

Set the Recipient

Click Recipient in the top bar and choose the payload field that holds the destination phone number (e.g. phone_number).

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Preview and test

As you type, the Preview panel on the right renders the message as a real SMS bubble, with a live character/segment count. Use Test in the top bar to send a real test message once a template name and provider are set.

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Publish

Click Publish to make the template live. Only Live templates are selectable in the SMS campaign template picker.
If Publish is disabled, check that the template Name and Message are both filled in — these are required fields.

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Best practices

Match the category

Transactional, Promotional, and OTP traffic are often routed and rate-limited differently by carriers — pick the one that matches the content.

Keep it short

SMS is billed and delivered in segments (typically 160 characters per segment). Shorter messages are cheaper and render more reliably.

Always set a fallback

Give every variable a sensible fallback so a missing data point never leaves a gap in a delivered message.

Include an identity

Sign off with your brand or business name — SMS has no “From” display name the way email does.

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Next steps