Keywords and Actions
Keywords are words in the message text of the inbound message that are used to filter out specific messages received on a number. Each keyword can filter messages based on pre-defined keywords.
You are not required to set up specific keywords, and in that case, all messages will be treated equally.
NOTE
Keywords can be of any length, as long they fit into one SMS message. There is no limitation to how many keywords can be used on one number. You can use multiple keywords on one number to support multiple campaigns on a single number.
Configure Keywords
To set up a keyword:
- Log in to the Infobip web interface and go to Channels and Numbers > Numbers. Click on a specific number you own.
- A side panel on the right appears with a list of already assigned keywords. If the number has SMS, MMS, and Voice capabilities, you can select the configuration tabs on the side panel. The SMS configuration tab is the default.
- Click ADD KEYWORD.
- Add a keyword and assign a specific action to it. This will create a configuration that will then be applied to all the messages matched with that keyword. This means that all keywords, except the ones specifically defined, will follow this path. When a message arrives, the system will first try to match it to the keyword and process the action you configured. If a message can’t be matched to the keyword and there is an action configured without a keyword specified, then this action will be executed. If there’s no action the message will just be stored in the message log.
The forwarding method options for SMS are:
- Forward to HTTP
- Forward to Email
- Pull
- Forward to SMPP
- Save message to log
The forwarding method options for MMS are:
- Forward to HTTP
- Pull
- Save message to log
- Click the Use conversations option to set up the keyword in conjunction with Conversations. Your call center agent can then use the number for bi-directional communication.
NOTE
You can configure only one forwarding action per keyword.
Configure Keywords over API
You can configure keywords using the API. You have access to all the actions, including non-forwarding actions.
The forwarding actions are:
- Forward to HTTP
- Forward to Email
- Forward to SMPP
- Pull
- Save message to log
The non-forwarding actions are:
- Use conversations
Each keyword can have one forwarding action and one or more non-forwarding actions.
See the Numbers API documentation.
Actions
When adding a keyword, assign a specific action for what happens next when the keyword is matched.
Forward to HTTP – When a message arrives on the Infobip platform, it will be forwarded to the URL you specify. Use this action to integrate with other systems and include them in your business processes.
Forward to Email – Use this option if you would like to receive an email every time a message arrives. Have in mind that in cases when there are a lot of messages, there may be a lot of emails coming your way. Then, your email provider could blocklist Infobip and you will not receive these emails.
Pull – In cases when you don't need real-time integration, you can choose to pull new messages when you need them. Configure this action to store messages so you can pull them by using the Get inbound SMS messages method.
Forward to SMPP – Use the Short Message Peer to Peer Protocol (SMPP) you can receive SMS messages.
Save Message to Log – Messages will be stored in the message log and no action will be performed. You can still see these messages by browsing the message log.
Use Conversations – If you use Conversations, our cloud contact center, you can enable a number to be used by agents for two-way communication. This will enable forwarding messages to Conversations. For more information, refer to the Conversations API documentation.
Voice Actions
Create voice actions for voice-capable numbers, with a clear distinction when compared to the SMS capable numbers. Voice numbers are phone numbers that can receive incoming calls.
If you plan on using inbound calls, you must have a Voice number. Also, if you want to have a dedicated caller ID with outbound calls, you also need a voice number.
Voice numbers are purchased, or rather, leased from Infobip. To buy a voice number, in the web interface, go to Channels and Numbers > Voice > BUY NUMBER.
Voice numbers can have only one voice action and there are no keywords. In practice, this means that every call that is received in Infobip will be treated in the same way.
The configuration options for incoming calls are:
Forward to a Phone Number – Forward all incoming calls to your business phone number.
Forward to IP – Forward all incoming calls to your voice platform IP address. The IP address must be public and static, and your platform should support SIP.
Forward to Softphone – Use this if your voice platform is not available over the public and static IP address. User credentials are used as an authentication method. Here, the Voice number is used as a user name and you should set up the password. Integration is done using SIP.
Trigger Number Masking – This is a special case of forwarding a call to a phone number. The number Infobip forwards the call to is defined in a response Infobip receives from your platform as an answer to our number masking API request. The Number Masking feature guarantees security and anonymity. Refer to Number Masking for more details.
Forward to Flow using Moments – Forward the call to a Voice Flow scenario. Refer to IVR for more details.
Missed Call – This is a special type of inbound calls where an inbound call reaches the Infobip platform but the call is not answered. Instead, the Infobip platform rejects the call and sends your platform information about a received call using an API request. Due to telecom regulatory sensitivity, this feature is available in a limited number of markets only.
No Action – The incoming call won't trigger any configuration nor will it be forwarded. Use this in case you need the Voice number as a caller ID for your outbound communication.
For more information refer to the Voice and Video product documentation and Voice API documentation.