Editing Tips for ensuring successful SMS delivery (section)

== Step-by-Step Instructions ==

To ensure optimal SMS delivery, follow these steps when sending messages:

1. **Obtain Explicit Consent**: Make sure contacts have explicitly opted in to receive SMS messages. Legal compliance and customer trust are paramount.
   
2. **Keep Messages Concise**: SMS messages are limited to 160 characters, making it crucial to convey your message clearly and briefly.
   
3. **Avoid Link Shorteners**: Do not use link shorteners such as Bit.ly in your SMS messages as these can be flagged as spam. This prohibition is in place to ensure higher deliverability rates. For more on link shorteners, see the rules for free or public link shorteners.
   
4. **Use Default Phone Field**: Ensure that you are using the default '''phone number field''' in your ActiveCampaign account. Custom fields you may have created for mobile numbers will not be utilized by the SMS sending service.

5. **Incorporate Automatic Opt-Outs**: ActiveCampaign will automatically add an opt-out clause for contacts if your message does not already contain one, ensuring that recipients can easily stop receiving messages.

6. **Follow Proper Number Formatting**:
   - **International Numbers**: Use the E.164 format for phone numbers outside the United States, which includes:
       * A "+" sign
       * The International Country Calling code
       * The Local Area code
       * The Local phone number
   For example, a Brazilian contact's number should be formatted as +55 123 456 789.
   
   - **U.S. Numbers**: For contacts within the United States, include the full number along with the area code (e.g., 123 456 7890). Note that ActiveCampaign does not reformat numbers; it saves them as submitted.