Dotdigital SMS

Apteco integrates with Dotdigital SMS so that campaigns can send out text messages via PeopleStage.

Prerequisites¶

• PeopleStage diagram configured
• Apteco software Q2 2025 or later installed

With Apteco software Q2 2025, you can integrate with Dotdigital SMS using two different approaches. See Integration options below.

Setup¶

To configure a new PeopleStage channel:

1. Sign in to PeopleStage with a user that has Administration access.
2. Click File > Administration > Channel Editor.
3. In the folder where you wish to create the new SMS channel, click the ellipsis menu.

4. Click Add… > Add SMS Channel.

   

   

   Row Item	Description
   Mobile Number Variable	Select the variable from the FastStats system for Mobile (this should be on the person table)
   Variable Description Override	Optional, if the variable is called something different to Mobile
   Reply Email Address	Contact Email Address for replies
   Reply Mobile Number	Contact Mobile for replies
   Response File Key Type	Recommended as Urn or Communication Key
   Message Content Type	To decide which option suits your needs, see Integration options below
   Retrieve existing message names	Checked

   Row Item	Description
   Add New Fields	Ability to add new fields. Default is false
   Address Book	Add contacts to Address Book
   Admin From Email	The from email address that administrative emails are sent from
   Api Host	The endpoint URL for the Dotdigital API calls. Default is https://api.dotmailer.com/v2/
   Communication Key Field Name	Name of the Communication Key Field
   Cpaas Host	The endpoint URL for the CPaaS API calls. Default is https://api-cpaas.dotdigital.com/cpass/
   Dated List Format	The dated list format; default is yyyyMMdd-HHmmss
   Dm Timeout	The time in seconds before the API call is timed out. Default is 300 seconds
   Email Field Name	Name of Email Field
   Encoding	Encoding of the input file. Possible values: ASCII, BigEndianUnicode, UTF32, UTF7, UTF8, Unicode, Default
   Originator	Enter the Sender ID for the message originator you wish to use for this broadcast
   Page Size	The number of records to receive in each API page request. Must be in the range of 1 to 1000. Default is 1000
   Upload Batch Size	The size in MB in which to batch recipients when uploading. A value of 10 MB is recommended
   Urn Field Name	Urn Field Name
   Use Dated List	Setting to true adds a date and time stamp at the end of the list name. Default is true

5. Add any required Additional Variables.

   

Create SMS message in Creative Template Editor¶

Dotdigital does not currently allow message templates to be called from their API, meaning the SMS message needs to be created within PeopleStage as a Creative Template.

1. As an Administrator in PeopleStage, go to File > Administrator > Creative Template Editor.

   

2. Click New Creative Template, then choose SMS Create.

   

3. Give the Creative Template a Name and Description. In the right-hand dialogue box, enter the SMS text, using double curly brackets for any variables, for example {{Forename}}. For each variable added to the message, a new entry appears in the Parameters section.

   

4. Save and Close. The new Creative Template appears.

5. Close the Creative Template Editor.

SMS campaigns in PeopleStage¶

1. After creating the channel, refresh the PeopleStage Library.
2. Create a Person level Campaign, with an Audience and Message (Content and Delivery).

3. Drag and drop the new Dotdigital SMS channel into the Delivery step.

   

4. In the Delivery > Message Name, select the SMS Message template created in the Creative Template Editor.

5. Enter a List Name.

   

6. Schedule the campaign to run.

Integration options¶

With Q2 2025 installed, you can integrate with Dotdigital SMS using two different approaches. Your choice depends on how you want to handle opt-outs and responses.

• Broadcast templates—use this option when you want Dotdigital to manage SMS templates and handle opt-outs automatically.
• PeopleStage SMS templates—use this option for contractual SMS messages where you need full control over responses and link management.

Message content type options¶

The Message Content Type setting in the channel editor determines how opt-outs are processed and what features are available.

Broadcast templates¶

Use broadcast templates for promotional SMS campaigns where you want Dotdigital to manage compliance and opt-out handling.

Key features:

• SMS templates are created and managed in Dotdigital rather than PeopleStage
• Dotdigital automatically handles opt-outs and STOP replies
• SMS responses are not available in PeopleStage
• Link shortening is not supported

PeopleStage SMS templates¶

Use PeopleStage SMS templates for transactional messages or when you need to capture and process SMS responses.

Key features:

• SMS templates are created in PeopleStage using the Creative Template Editor
• Opt-outs are not automatically handled—you must manage these separately
• SMS responses are available in PeopleStage
• Link shortening is supported

Getting SMS responses¶

To receive SMS responses when using PeopleStage SMS templates:

1. Set up response handling in PeopleStage.
2. Ensure your Message Content Type is set to PeopleStage SMS Template.