Configure originators

An SMS originator is required to receive inbound SMS or to give your application a recognisable identity to your customers.

You can send using our Localiser and Stitching without the need for an originator, but your pool numbers change, making recognising your communications more difficult for your customers.

You can send SMS from the following types of originator:

To see and configure your available originators:

1. Log in to the Portal.
2. Go to Channels > Configure.
3. For SMS, select Numbers to view what SMS originators - or senders - are assigned to your API Space.

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Receiving data

Learn about how to send inbound messages to your own systems for processing in Webhooks.

Configure URL tracking

The tracking service shortens URLs to make them more character friendly. We then track every click based on a unique ID contained within this URL. You can use the service to cut the length of your SMS and get real-time proof of engagement.

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How long are tracked URLs?

Tracked URLs are no longer than 21 characters.

To enable and configure URL tracking on your API Space:

1. Log in to the Portal.
2. Go to Channels > Configure.
3. For SMS, select Tracking.
   
   
   

Key points

• When you enable URL tracking, your URL is converted into the form http://dyn.co, followed by a unique ID for every message that URL is featured in.
• No two URLs are the same, so you can’t use a unique URL for any other purpose than in its SMS without skewing your click-through results.
• If you use a secure URL in your message, we honour that security and replace it with a secure dyn.co version, for example https://dyn.co/{unique_ref}.
• Were you to include the same URL more than once in the same message, URL tracking doesn’t distinguish between them.
• Tracked URLs are no longer than 21 characters.

Tracking options

• Shorten and track all URLs
  Enable this option to have all of your SMS messages scanned for fully qualified URLs, for example, http://www.acme.com and not www.acme.com, and replaced with tracking links.
• Shorten and track marked URLs
  Enable this option to have all of your SMS messages scanned for fully qualified URLs marked with an @ symbol, for example @http://www.acme.com, and replaced with tracking links. Any non-marked URLs are left unchanged.
  For example:

Hi Dave, go to your personalised offer at @https://www.acme.com/offers/cust/ab9992534 , or find out more at http://www.acme.com/offers

Hi Dave, go to your personalised offer at https://dyn.co/as4532 , or find out more at http://www.acme.com/offers

• URL prefix
  Enable this option to allow you to prefix a single word in front of the original default shortened URL.
  For example, http://myprefix.dyn.co/{unique_ref}, where myprefix can be any single word.

  Prefixes increase message lengths
  By adding a prefix, message lengths increase, which may increase messaging costs.

• Custom domain
  Enable this option to allow you to use your own domain for the tracking links. Before you can use your own custom domain you must ensure that you have your custom domain configured to resolve to dyn.co.

  Any traffic destined for your custom domain name is redirected to our servers so this domain must be exclusively used for URL tracking.

  Add a CNAME record for your custom tracking domain pointing to dynco-cpaas-lb.cloudflare-dm-cpaas.com with your DNS Name server provider.

  For example:
  track.example.com CNAME dynco-cpaas-lb.cloudflare-dm-cpaas.com

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You must request your custom domain is registered

Once you have your DNS record in place you must contact your Customer Success representative to request that we register your custom domain, otherwise it won’t work.

Ensure your custom domain works before using

Adding the wrong information causes the tracking process not to work correctly, and breaks your links.

A DNS lookup for your custom domain should return 104.18.196.240 and 104.18.197.240.

In addition to the DNS record working correctly, you must have requested that your custom domain is registered for use with your Customer Success representative, and received confirmation the registration is complete.