IBM Cloud SMS service with Custom SMS

Create a subscription with Custom SMS as destination

1. From the Event Notifications dashboard, click Subscriptions in the navigation menu.

2. Click Create + to display Create a Subscription side panel.

3. Complete the following subscription details:

   • Name: name of the subscription.
   • Description: add an optional description for this subscription

4. Select a Topic from the list.

5. Select Custom SMS destination created as Destination from the list.

6. The Recipients section displays three tabs:

   • Invited - displays the list of phone numbers added to the subscription. Enter the phone numbers that need to receive SMS notifications and need to be part of the subscription.
   • Active - displays the list of phone numbers added to the subscription and confirmed by the user to receive SMS notifications.
   • Unsubscribed - displays the list of phone numbers added to the subscription and refused by the user not to receive SMS notifications.

   Add the phone numbers prefixed with + followed by the country code, with comma (,) as separator between the numbers.

Make sure that the phone numbers added belong to the destination supported countries, else SMS delivery may fail.

1. Click Create. The recipient automatically receives initial message that they have been invited to subscribe to the topic. This is the opt-in message.

The Opt-in message contains:

• invitee name or account
• name of the subscription
• name of the topic
• a link that will take you to a web page. The web page contains information that the recipient is subscribed to receive SMS notifications to a topic and a Confirm button. When the recipient click the Confirm button, then the recipient's number is moved from Invited tab to Active tab. A confirmation message also displaying that the recipient has accepted to receive SMS notifications. The confirmation message also contains a link to Unsubscribe, which on clicking moves to recipient's number to the Unsubscribed tab.
• an expiration time for the opt-in message.

Event Notifications are routed only to opted-in recipients. To stop receiving the notifications, recipient can click the Unsubscribe link in the message. Once unsubscribed, the recipients will not receive any notifications on the topic they have unsubscribed. To restart the subscription, the recipient need to contact IBM Event Notifications service administrator to add the number back to subscription.

In some cases, the carrier service allows keywords like START and STOP for receiving notifications and to stop notifications.

When a recipient prefers not to receive any SMS notification, they can opt out by sending a response STOP, which immediately disables sending notifications to the recipient. However, the phone number is moved to Unsubscribed tab only on the next attempt to send an SMS to the same number.

To add a recipient number back to active list, take the following steps:

1. Recipient needs to send START message back to the number from which SMS was received.
2. After sending START message, the recipient can contact their IBM Event Notifications service administrator to add the number back to subscription.

By adding phone numbers, you affirm, on behalf of yourself and your company, that you have adequately informed the individuals to whom the added phone numbers pertain about their inclusion in this recipient list and the purpose thereof. Additionally, you confirm that you have obtained the necessary consents to perform this action.