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SMS Lists Management Guide

Learn how to create new lists, edit existing lists or review the performance of a specific list.

Updated over 3 months ago

The SMS Lists view is where you come to create new lists, manage both active and inactive lists, or drill down to review an individual list's performance.

To access the SMS Lists page navigate to Contacts > SMS Contacts SMS Lists.

💡 If you have multiple sender codes, you will need to select the correct sender code from the navigation dropdown menu.

📑 Click on a topic below to learn more about it:



Page Navigation

  • Sender Code Dropdown: Displays the Merchant Name and sender code provisioned to the merchant. 💡 If you have multiple sender codes, select the applicable sender code from the dropdown.

  • New List: Click to create a new SMS list.

  • Edit: Edit, unsubscribe, or ban a contact selected from the list.

  • Search: Search the contact list by phone number.

  • Sort: Use this function to sort columns.

  • Show/Hide Column: Customize your grid with the areas you want to view.

  • Active/Inactive Tabs: Toggle between either tab to display any list that is active or has been deactivated. Both tabs contain the following details:

    • List Name: The list to which the contact is subscribed to.

    • Date Created: The date the list was created.

    • Subscribers: Total number of subscribed contacts, to date.



Create a New List

An SMS list contains the contacts who have subscribed to the sender code via a list subscription campaign, import, or keyword campaign tied to a specific list. Setting up a list is required before any contact can be added or before any campaign can be set up in your SMS channel.

A Test list is an example of a new list that can be created by your team since the marketing list will already be set up by Listrak's implementation team.

The purpose of a test list is to store internal team members and send tests of upcoming broadcast campaigns.

To access the SMS Lists page navigate to Contacts > SMS Contacts SMS Lists.

💡 If you have multiple sender codes, you will need to select the correct sender code from the navigation dropdown menu.

  1. To begin, click New List.

  2. Give the list a unique name (required).

  3. Select the list type from the dropdown.

    1. Test: Subscribers to this list typically include either the individual(s) deploying broadcast messages or an entire internal marketing team if you have multiple SMS stakeholders. Learn more on how to add a single contact or multiple contacts to your list.

    2. Marketing: Used to promote your brand, send offers or promotions, educate your subscribers, promote loyalty enrollment, announce new store locations or products, shopping cart recovery, or even enter into a sweepstakes.
      ⚠️ It is required to create a separate Sweepstakes marketing list used ONLY for the intent to subscribe contacts to a sweeps and send texts about the sweeps.

    3. Transactional: Used to send automated informational text messages such as; appointment reminders, order/delivery notifications, BOPIS, billing/payment notifications, account activation/recovery or, reservation confirmations.


List Messages

Opt-in messages are the automatic responses sent to a customer after they have subscribed via a Keyword Campaign, List Subscription Campaign, via an SMS Rest API or manually been added via a single contact or file import in the Listrak platform.

  • Begin by configuring each message.

    • Click here to learn more about each message type.

  • Select the opt-in type that best works with your strategy/brand.

    💡 Helpful Tips:

    • The Listrak Implementation team configures these messages during the onboarding process for the Master List.

    • If you are creating a Test List simple Copy and Paste the message contents of all three types from the existing SMS Master List and select the same Opt-in Message type.

    • If your program requires the use of an age gate, please contact your Account Manager with questions regarding the setup of a new list.

  • Click Save List to create the new list.

  • Message Types:

    • Single Opt-in

      • The single opt-in configuration does not require the contact to provide written consent before being added to the sender code, resulting in sending the subscriber a single message.

      • This message will be sent to contacts that were subscribed be either of the following methods:

        Example of user experience:

    • Double Opt-in

      • The double opt-in configuration requires the contact to provide written consent before being subscribed to the sender code, resulting in sending the contact a series of two messages:

        • Asking for consent.

        • Confirming receipt of consent.

          ⚠️ Some carriers require a double opt-in for Cart abandonment messages.

      • This message will be sent to contacts that were subscribed by the following methods:

        Example of user experience:

    • Existing Subscriber

      • This message is sent to current subscribers that try to signup while already on the configured list.

        Example of user experience:



Edit a List

To edit a list select the Active or Inactive Status tab > check the box to the left of the name > click Edit.

Active Lists

Editing an active list allows you to deactivate the list, make changes to the List configuration settings or, the List Message settings.

  • How to deactivate a List

    • A list can be deactivated by clicking the Deactivate button. By doing so this list will mark any associated keyword campaigns and transactional messages as complete/inactive - listing them in the table, and all scheduled broadcast messages will be permanently deleted.

      💡 The deactivated list will move to the Inactivate tab.


Inactive Lists

Editing an inactive list ONLY allows you to reactivate the list. To reactivate the list

simply click the Activate button.

This will allow edits to be made to the list settings page and will re-associate all broadcast messages, keyword campaigns, and transactional messages.



List Dashboard

To access the List Dashboard, click on the List Name to see the detailed view of how a specific list is performing.

Page Navigation

  • The List Name is displayed at the top of page.

  • Date Selector: The date selector allows you to adjust the timeframe for your report view. The metrics in your report will update to show data for the selected range - default is set to the last 30 days.

  • Edit List Settings/Cog Icon: Click to edit the settings for this list.

  • Subscribers Graph: The graph shows how the list is growing during the selected timeframe.

    • Use the legend to show or hide the subscriber count and suspension count during the timeframe.

    • Hover over a date to see the gross number of subscribers or gross number of suspended numbers through the date selected.

  • New Subscriptions: The number of new subscribers who have opted-into your sender code during the selected time frame - includes all subscription methods.

  • Unsubscribes: The number of individuals who have opted-out of your sender code during the selected time frame - includes all opt-out methods.

  • Carrier Suppressions: Displays the total number of contacts who had their service temporarily paused during the selected timeframe.

  • List Delta: Rate of change during the selected time frame. Suppressed contacts are still considered subscribed in the list delta calculations.

  • List Type: Displays the type of program that your list will represent - Marketing, Transactional, or Test.


Opt-Out Reasons

View the Opted-out contacts broken down by reason, the percentage within each reason, or by using the pie chart graphic. Values are based on the selected time frame.

The reason or method assigned to a contact that has been opted-out of the sender code. Types include:

  • Mobile Originated User (MO): Mobile Originated (MO) text message sent from a consumer's mobile device to (opt-in/opt-out) of a sender code.

  • Delivery Failure: Assigned when Listrak receives information back from the delivery receipt indicating a phone number is no longer in use or service.

  • Opt-out: Assigned when a Listrak platform user removes a subscriber from the list via the Contacts page.

  • API: Assigned when the Unsubscribe Contact API is used to successfully unsubscribe someone from Listrak.

  • Import: Assigned when a Contact file is imported to Listrak used to opt-out contacts.

  • Deactivate: Assigned when a phone number is shared by carriers as numbers no longer associated with that carrier.

  • Permanent Error: Listrak received an error code indicating the messages will never be received.

  • Banned: Assigned when a contact is permanently removed from all communication with the sender code in Listrak.


Subscription Source

View the subscribed contacts broken down by source, the percentage within each source, or by using the pie chart graphic. Values are based on the selected time frame.

The source of how the contact was subscribed onto the sender code. Types include:

  • Mobile Originated (MO) User: Counted when the Mobile Originated (MO) text message is sent from a consumer's mobile device to (opt-in/opt-out) of a sender code.

  • Admin Subscription: Counted when a Listrak user imports a phone number to a list.

  • API: Counted when the Subscribe Contact API is used to successfully subscribe someone onto a list.

  • Import: Counted when a Contact file is imported into Listrak used to subscribe new contacts.

  • Subscription Point: Counted when a contact is subscribed to a list via a subscription point in Listrak.


Associated Keyword Campaigns

This section displays all keyword campaigns that are associated with a list during the specified time frame. These keyword campaigns contribute to the growth of the list and are categorized by Active, Scheduled, or Completed.

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