Categories Amazon Pinpoint

How to Set Up Amazon Pinpoint SMS Channel

SMS messages through Amazon Pinpoint’s SMS channel drive higher engagement rates than emails or push notifications.

The AWS SMS service makes customer communication simple – no app downloads, website visits, or authentication needed. Amazon Pinpoint’s two-way SMS capabilities are a great way to get customer responses and provide useful next steps. Your business can reach people in over 200 countries and regions, which makes this a powerful tool to communicate globally.

This piece walks you through the complete process of setting up Amazon Pinpoint’s SMS channel. You’ll learn everything from creating your project to enabling two-way communication and managing spending limits. We’ll share proven practices that help you boost engagement while steering clear of common mistakes.

How to Send an SMS Message with Amazon Pinpoint?

The Amazon Pinpoint SMS channel needs specific requirements to send SMS messages. You need an Amazon Pinpoint project with SMS channel enabled as your first step. Your account must run in production mode and have an active origination identity that sends SMS messages.

Amazon Pinpoint offers multiple ways to send SMS messages. The easiest method works through the Amazon Pinpoint console. Developers can also use the API with AWS SDKs for .NET, Java, or Node.js.

Your SMS message setup needs these details:

  1. Destination phone number – The recipient’s phone number in E.164 format (e.g., +1-555-555-5654)
  2. Origination number – Your dedicated phone number or short code
  3. Message body – The content of your SMS
  4. Message type – Either TRANSACTIONAL (for time-sensitive content) or PROMOTIONAL (for marketing content)

Optional parameters include:

  • Sender ID (varies by country/region)
  • Registered keyword (required for short codes)
  • Maximum price limit

Here’s a simple example of the API request structure:

{
  "ApplicationId": "your-pinpoint-project-id",
  "MessageRequest": {
    "Addresses": {
      "+12065550142": { "ChannelType": "SMS" }
    },
    "MessageConfiguration": {
      "SMSMessage": {
        "Body": "Your message text here",
        "MessageType": "TRANSACTIONAL",
        "OriginationNumber": "+12065550199"
      }
    }
  }
}

Amazon Pinpoint shows delivery status like SUCCESSFUL, THROTTLED, or PERMANENT_FAILURE after sending. SMS message delivery follows Message Parts per Second (MPS) limits that change based on destination country and origination number type.

You should test your setup with Amazon Pinpoint’s simulator feature before rolling out SMS messaging in production. This helps verify your configuration settings and message delivery work correctly.

Create and Configure Your Pinpoint Project

A dedicated project forms the foundation of an Amazon Pinpoint SMS channel. This project will contain all your SMS configurations, segments, and campaigns.

Log into the Pinpoint dashboard

The Amazon Pinpoint console can be accessed through these steps:

  1. Sign in to the AWS Management Console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/
  2. Search for “Amazon Pinpoint” or find it in the services menu
  3. Select your preferred AWS Region from the dropdown in the top-right corner

The process of creating a new project in the Pinpoint console varies based on your account status:

For first-time users:

  1. Look for the “Get started” section on the “All projects” page
  2. Enter a descriptive project name (like “SMSRegistration”)
  3. Choose “Create project”
  4. Select “Skip this step” on the “Configure features” page

For existing users:

  1. Go to the “All projects” page
  2. Click “Create a project”
  3. Enter your project name and confirm
  4. Skip the configuration step initially

Your Project ID will appear on the “All projects” page. Save this ID because you’ll need it later for API integration.

Enable SMS channel under project features

The SMS channel needs specific activation after project creation:

  1. Click “Settings” in the left sidebar from your project dashboard
  2. Select “SMS and voice” under the Settings menu
  3. Click “Edit” in the SMS settings section
  4. Check the box for “Enable the SMS channel for this project”
  5. Configure your account-level settings:
    • Default message type: Select “Transactional” for time-sensitive messages like verification codes or “Promotional” for marketing content
    • Account spending limit: Define your monthly budget in USD (default sandbox limit is $1)
    • Optional: Set up a sender ID if your region allows it

Note that project-specific settings apply to the current project, while others like spending limits affect your entire AWS account. Click “Save changes” to activate your SMS channel.

Set Up Long Code and Enable Two-Way SMS

The next significant step after creating your Pinpoint project is to set up a dedicated phone number and enable two-way communication capabilities. This setup lets your Amazon Pinpoint SMS channel send messages and receive customer responses.

Request a long code for your region

Long codes are standard phone numbers that follow your target country’s format. Here’s how to request one through the console:

  1. Open the AWS End User Messaging SMS console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/sms-voice/
  2. Go to Configurations > Phone numbers > Request originator
  3. Select your destination country (ensure this matches your Pinpoint project region)
  4. Under Number capabilities, select SMS and enable Two-way messaging
  5. Choose between Long code or 10DLC (for US destinations)
  6. Review and submit your request

The console currently supports direct requests from 15 countries including Australia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the UK. You’ll need to create an AWS Support case to request a dedicated long code for other regions.

Important: US recipients require either a short code, 10DLC number, or toll-free number instead of standard long codes.

Enable two-way SMS messaging

Two-way SMS lets customers respond to your messages – perfect for verification systems and interactive campaigns. Here’s how to set it up:

  1. Select your phone number in the SMS console
  2. Click Edit settings on the Two-way SMS tab
  3. Enable two-way messaging
  4. Select Amazon SNS as your destination type

Create an SNS topic for incoming messages

Set up message processing by creating an SNS topic:

  1. Select New Amazon SNS topic during two-way SMS setup
  2. Enter a descriptive name (e.g., “SMSRegistrationFormTopic”)
  3. Select Use SNS topic policies for the channel role
  4. Save your changes

You can enhance the system with custom keywords that trigger automatic responses. Setting up keywords like “YES” or “CONFIRM” helps create automated replies to customers. This feature works well especially when you need double opt-in systems or interactive texting experiences.

Handle Incoming Messages with SNS

The Amazon Pinpoint SMS channel directs all customer responses to your designated SNS topic after you enable two-way SMS messaging. This creates a seamless bridge between customer messages and your business logic for incoming messages.

Subscribe an endpoint to your SNS topic

Your system needs endpoints subscribed to your SNS topic to process incoming messages effectively. Customer responses will trigger appropriate actions in your system through this connection. Here’s your setup guide:

  1. Sign in to the Amazon SNS console
  2. Look for “Subscriptions” in the left sidebar
  3. Click “Create subscription”
  4. Under “Details,” enter your SNS topic ARN (the one created during two-way SMS setup)
  5. Select a protocol that matches your processing needs:
    • HTTP/HTTPS: For web service endpoints
    • Email/Email-JSON: For monitoring via email
    • Amazon SQS: For message queuing
    • Lambda: For serverless processing
  6. Enter the appropriate endpoint value (URL, email address, or ARN)
  7. Configure optional settings like filter policies or dead-letter queues
  8. Choose “Create subscription”

AWS KMS encrypts messages sent to these topics, which adds extra security when you use encrypted SNS topics to handle sensitive customer data.

Understand the JSON payload structure

Amazon Pinpoint sends a standardized JSON message to your SNS topic each time a customer replies to your long code. This payload contains essential information about the incoming message:

{
  "originationNumber": "+14255550182",
  "destinationNumber": "+12125550101",
  "messageKeyword": "JOIN",
  "messageBody": "EXAMPLE",
  "inboundMessageId": "cae173d2-66b9-564c-8309-21f858e9fb84",
  "previousPublishedMessageId": "wJalrXUtnFEMI/K7MDENG/bPxRfiCYEXAMPLEKEY"
}

The payload’s structure has these key fields:

  • originationNumber: Customer’s phone number
  • destinationNumber: Your Pinpoint long code
  • messageKeyword: Any registered keyword identified in the message
  • messageBody: Actual text content sent by the customer
  • inboundMessageId: Unique identifier for tracking
  • previousPublishedMessageId: Reference to your original message if this is a reply

This system lets you create interactive SMS workflows, gather customer feedback, and generate automated responses based on customer inputs.

Best Practices and Limitations

The Amazon Pinpoint SMS channel works best when you understand its key limitations and follow practices that optimize delivery and compliance.

Increase your default spending limit

AWS places new Amazon Pinpoint accounts in an SMS sandbox with a monthly spending limit of only $1.00. Your account could hit this limit after sending just a few dozen text messages. You should request a spending limit increase right away by:

  1. Creating an AWS Support case in the AWS Support Center
  2. Selecting “AWS End User Messaging SMS (Pinpoint)” as the service
  3. Choosing “Account Spend Threshold Increase” for the quota type

Requests over $10,000 need extra details about your origination identity and use cases. Your limit can be set anywhere between $1 and your account limit, which helps manage your budget effectively.

Understand rate limits and country restrictions

The AWS SMS service lets you send 20 messages per second. This means you can send about 18,000 SMS in a 15-minute window. These limits change based on:

  • Each country’s local regulations
  • Your origination identity type (short codes give you higher throughput)
  • Your registration status in regulated markets

Local rules strictly control SMS content, delivery hours, and sender authentication. Review each country’s guidelines carefully to avoid message blocks or service suspension.

Use cases for transactional vs promotional messages

The difference between transactional and promotional messages is vital to compliance:

Transactional messages include verification codes, order confirmations, or account alerts. You can send these time-sensitive updates anytime with fewer restrictions.

Promotional messages cover marketing offers, discounts, and sales communications. These messages need stricter rules:

  • Get explicit written consent from customers
  • Send only during business hours (Monday-Friday)
  • Follow each country’s quiet hours

Breaking these rules can lead to heavy penalties. US laws under TCPA allow fines between $500-$1,500 for each unsolicited message.

Conclusion

Amazon Pinpoint SMS channel setup needs careful planning but can work wonders for your communication strategy. This piece walks you through everything from creating your Pinpoint project to enabling two-way SMS and handling incoming messages.

The right configuration plays a vital role in successful implementation. You’ll need to ask for a spending limit increase above the default $1 sandbox limit before launching any major SMS campaign. Understanding the difference between transactional and promotional messages helps you comply with regulations in different regions.

Two-way SMS messaging packs quite a punch. It reshapes the scene by turning one-way notifications into interactive conversations. Your customers can respond to your messages directly through simple keywords. This creates engaging experiences and helps collect valuable feedback.

A small test group should be your starting point before expanding SMS operations. You can check delivery rates, see how messages look on different devices, and adjust your strategy. Our team at Campaign HQ specializes in AWS messaging solutions and can help set up your Amazon Pinpoint SMS campaigns.

FAQ

Does Amazon send SMS messages?

The answer has two key parts. AWS provides SMS messaging through Amazon Pinpoint and Amazon SNS, which lets businesses text their customers through multiple channels. But Amazon doesn’t send promotional or shopping-related text messages directly to consumers.

In fact, messages that claim to be from Amazon about Prime account problems or unauthorized purchases are usually scams. Over two-thirds of scams that pretended to be Amazon in 2023 were about order or account problems. These fake messages usually:

  • Say there’s a problem with your Prime account payment
  • Tell you your account will be suspended unless you act fast
  • Create panic about purchases you didn’t make
  • Send you to fake websites or phone numbers

What is the new name for Amazon Pinpoint?

AWS End User Messaging became the official new name for Amazon Pinpoint’s messaging features in July 2024. This new brand includes:

  • SMS messaging
  • MMS messaging
  • Push notifications
  • Text-to-voice messaging

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