A/B test
An A/B test sends two versions of the same message to part of a list, to compare how each one performs. In SMS PRO, the better of the two then goes out to the rest of the recipients.
In SMS PROtesting two messages in a campaign
Business SMS glossarySpeak fluent SMS, without the jargon.
37 business SMS terms, each explained in three sentences or fewer and linked to the page that puts it to work.
Updated on · SMS PRO team
New Caledonia's bulk SMS pioneers since 2016: we use these words every day with organisations right here.
COUNCIL EX
Text message
Tuesday 06:30
Example Council: cyclone pre-alert. Bring in your outdoor furniture and store drinking water. Full instructions: brf.nc/Ex7k
Delivered
124 characters · 1 SMS
Three sentences, tops
No jargon to explain the jargon: every term makes sense in a single read.
Tied to real use
Every definition takes you to the SMS PRO page where the idea comes to life.
Local by design
Six-digit numbers, the local network, Nouméa time: the vocabulary of SMS as it works in New Caledonia.
Ten years in the field
Since 2016, our customers' questions have shaped these definitions. Missing a word? We'll add it.
Anatomy of an SMS
One text. Seven glossary terms.
This store promotion fits on a single phone screen. Yet every part of it has a name, and a rule behind it. Tap a term and watch it light up in the SMS.
STORE EX
Text message
Thursday 16:05
Example Store: Jane, our private sale starts Saturday at 8 am. Details: brf.nc/Ex7k STOP: arret.nc/Ex1
Delivered
102 / 160 characters · 1 SMS
Sender ID
STORE EX, right at the top: 10 characters at most, registered for you, then checked with a real send.
The sender ID is the name of 10 characters or fewer shown at the top of the SMS. It is registered with the operator before the first send: SMS PRO handles that for you, then checks it with a real send.
See “Sender ID” in the glossaryMerge fieldOne text.
One text.
Everyone reads their own name.
You type {prenom} once; at sending time, each contact gets their own version. The counter measures the filled-in message, exactly as it will go out, and duplicate or unsubscribed numbers are set aside before anything leaves.
Delivered, not delivered, not confirmed
Three words that never lie.
For texts sent to a New Caledonian mobile, the local operator returns a delivery receipt. We only write “Delivered” once that receipt is in. With no receipt after 24 hours, the SMS stays “Not confirmed”.
Worth remembering
Four numbers, and you speak SMS.
160 characters
The room in one SMS, using the standard alphabet. Go beyond it and the text is split into parts.
Segment24 h with no receipt
And the SMS shows as “Not confirmed”. Never “Delivered” without proof from the network.
Not confirmed6 digits
A New Caledonian number. With +687 or 00687 in front, it is accepted as it is.
Country code +687Why these words matter
Behind every term, someone reading.
A grandmother in Lifou, a parent in Koné, a patient in Nouméa. The jargon stays on our side: what reaches them is simply a clear message, under a name they recognise.
The glossary
Every term, from A/B test to webhook.
Type a word or pick a letter. Each definition takes you to the page where the idea is put to work.
37 words, from A to W
A
Alphanumeric sender
An alphanumeric sender is a name made of letters and digits, such as COUNCIL EX, shown at the top of the SMS instead of a number. Nobody can reply to a sender like this.
In SMS PROcheck a sender ID
API
An API, or application programming interface, is the doorway that lets software send texts without anyone using the screen. The SMS PRO API is a documented REST API, described in OpenAPI 3.1.
In SMS PROthe SMS API for developers
Appointment reminder
An appointment reminder is a text sent ahead of an appointment so it isn't forgotten. With SMS PRO, it goes out from a Google Calendar, Outlook or Microsoft 365 calendar linked by its private address, to the number read in the event, following a rule such as 24 hours before.
In SMS PROappointment reminders by SMS
Approval before sending
Approval before sending is the step where a manager approves, edits or rejects a send prepared by a colleague, before it goes out. It can apply only above a number of recipients set by the organisation.
In SMS PROapproval by a manager
B
Bulk SMS
Bulk SMS means sending one message to a whole list of contacts in a single operation, with each contact able to receive their own personalised version.
In SMS PRObulk SMS with SMS PRO
C
Character counter
A character counter measures how long a text is and how many SMS it will take. The SMS PRO counter measures the message as filled in for each contact, exactly as it will go out.
In SMS PROthe counter, open to everyone
Contact group
A contact group is a list of recipients saved in the application, with custom columns, such as a class or an appointment date, that you can use in your messages.
In SMS PROcreate a group from an Excel file
Country code +687
+687 is the international dialling code for New Caledonia. A New Caledonian number has 6 digits; from abroad, you put +687 or 00687 in front of it.
In SMS PRONew Caledonian numbers, explained
D
Delivery receipt
A delivery receipt is the signal the network sends back once an SMS has reached the phone. For texts sent to a New Caledonian mobile, the operator returns it and SMS PRO attaches it to the message, with the time of delivery.
In SMS PROtracking every recipient
Direct marketing
Direct marketing means sending a message that sets out to sell or promote. An appointment reminder or an alert is not direct marketing, as long as it promotes nothing. For a promotion sent to a private individual, getting their prior consent is the safest practice.
In SMS PROwhat the regulations say
Duplicate
A duplicate is a number that appears more than once in a list, or in several groups. SMS PRO sends that number a single SMS if the text is the same, and one SMS per text if the texts differ.
In SMS PROcount the duplicates in a list
E
Extended character
An extended character is a sign from the GSM alphabet that takes up two places in the count: the euro sign, square brackets, curly braces, the caret on its own, the tilde, the backslash and the vertical bar.
In SMS PROthe characters that make a text longer
G
GSM alphabet (standard SMS alphabet)
The GSM alphabet is the basic character set of SMS, defined by the GSM 03.38 standard. It allows 160 characters per SMS. It includes é, è, à and ù, but not ê, â, î, ô, û or a lowercase ç.
In SMS PROcheck a text in the counter
I
Idempotency key
An idempotency key is an identifier that software attaches to its send request. With it, a call replayed by mistake never sends the same SMS twice.
In SMS PROthe safeguards built into the API
International format (E.164)
International format writes a number with a + sign and its country code, with no spaces and no unnecessary zero: +687560001 for a New Caledonian number. The standard that defines it is called E.164.
In SMS PROput a list into +687 format
L
Letter by SMS
A letter by SMS is a personalised PDF letter, on your letterhead, that the recipient opens from a short link received by text. Opening it can be protected by a code, and a read report shows who opened it.
In SMS PROsend a letter by SMS
M
Marketing message
A marketing message is a text that promotes a product, a service or an event. Good practice: the organisation's name at the start and an opt-out link at the end.
In SMS PROSMS marketing
Mercredi pédagogique
A mercredi pédagogique is a Wednesday with no classes for pupils, set by the school. In SMS PRO, school mode texts parents the day before each date ticked in the calendar.
In SMS PROSMS for schools
Merge field
A merge field is a placeholder in curly braces, such as {prenom} (first name) or {date}, replaced at sending time by each contact's own value. You write one text, and everyone gets their own version of it.
In SMS PROpersonalise a bulk send
N
Not confirmed
Not confirmed is the status of an SMS handed to the network with no delivery receipt after 24 hours. SMS PRO never shows it as delivered.
In SMS PROwhat each status means
Not delivered
Not delivered is the status of an SMS for which the network reported a delivery failure. In SMS PRO, you can resend to these genuine failures only, without texting everyone else again.
In SMS PROresend to genuine failures only
O
Opt-in
Opt-in is when a person asks, of their own accord, to receive your texts. In SMS PRO, they can sign up by scanning a QR code, and the sign-up is confirmed by SMS.
In SMS PROsign-up by QR code
S
Scheduled SMS
A scheduled SMS is a text prepared in advance that goes out on the date and at the time you choose. It can be paused, resumed or cancelled before it leaves.
In SMS PROschedule a text
Segment (concatenated SMS)
A segment is one of the parts of a long SMS. Beyond 160 characters, the message is split into parts of 153 characters that the phone puts back together as one message; each part counts as one SMS.
In SMS PROcount the parts of your message
Sender ID
The sender ID is the name of 10 characters or fewer shown at the top of the SMS. It is registered with the operator before the first send: SMS PRO handles that for you, then checks it with a real send.
In SMS PROtexts under your organisation's name
Service message
A service message is a text that informs or reminds without promoting anything: an appointment reminder, an absence, a service outage, an order ready to collect.
In SMS PROready-made service message templates
Set aside
A recipient set aside is one the SMS will not be sent to, for a reason shown before it goes out: unsubscribed, unreadable, duplicate or landline number.
Short link
A short link is a shortened web address, such as brf.nc/Ex7k, that takes up little room in an SMS. SMS PRO counts the clicks it gets, by day, by hour and by type of device, leaving out link-preview bots.
In SMS PROmeasure how a campaign performs
SMS payments
An SMS payment sends a personal link, inside a text, to a secure online payment page. Each recipient pays their own amount, and the money goes into the organisation's own collection account.
In SMS PROget paid by SMS
Staggered send
A staggered send spreads a campaign over a period of time, within chosen hours and on chosen days, leaving out specific dates if needed.
In SMS PROspread a campaign over several days
STOP list
The STOP list holds the numbers that have asked to stop receiving texts from an organisation, through the opt-out link in the message and a code received by SMS. In SMS PRO, it applies to every account in the organisation, including sends already scheduled.
In SMS PROSTOP opt-outs
Sub-account
A sub-account is an account attached to an organisation, for a department, a site or a store. The organisation's administrator assigns its roles and sender IDs.
In SMS PROorganise your teams
Survey link
A survey link opens an online form, in the organisation's colours and with its logo, from a link received by SMS. Answers feed a report with charts, which you can export to PDF, PowerPoint or Excel.
In SMS PROsend a survey by SMS
T
Two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication protects sign-in by asking for a second code on top of the password. In SMS PRO, an organisation's administrator can make it mandatory for every account.
In SMS PROaccount and data security
U
Unicode
Unicode is the character set an SMS switches to as soon as it contains a character outside the GSM alphabet, such as ê, ç or an emoji. The limit then drops to 70 characters per SMS, and 67 per part.
In SMS PROavoid switching to Unicode
W
Webhook
A webhook is a message a platform sends to your software of its own accord when something happens, such as an SMS being delivered. SMS PRO webhooks are signed, so your software can check they really come from the platform.
In SMS PROconnect your software to SMS PRO
The questions we get about these words.
Why does my text count as two SMS?
Because it's over 160 characters, or over 70 if it contains a character outside the standard SMS alphabet, such as ê or ç. It is then split into parts that the phone puts back together. Before you send, SMS PRO tells you how many characters to cut to get back to a single SMS.
Can people reply to a text sent under a sender ID?
No. Nobody can reply to a name like COUNCIL EX. If you're expecting an answer, put a number to call or a link to a survey in the message.
What is the difference between “not delivered” and “not confirmed”?
Not delivered: the network reported a delivery failure. Not confirmed: no delivery receipt came back within 24 hours, and SMS PRO never shows it as delivered. You can resend to the genuine failures only.
Is an appointment reminder direct marketing?
No, as long as it doesn't promote anything: it's a service message. For a promotion sent to a private individual, getting their prior consent is the safest practice, and the message carries an opt-out link.
A word is missing from this glossary. How do I let you know?
Email us at contact@smspro.nc or call (+687) 23.04.04. Our Nouméa team adds the term, with its definition and the page that explains it in detail.
It grows with youStuck on a word?
Stuck on a word?
Tell us.
This glossary grows with the questions people ask us. Write to the Nouméa team and we'll add the term, with its definition. Practical questions are answered in our FAQ.
The same words, in practice
The guide to sending SMS
Numbers, characters, timing, sender ID: the rules from this glossary, applied.
SMS templates
Ready-to-use messages by industry, with every rule already followed.
The SMS character counter
Paste your text and see how many SMS it will take.
The words are clear. Your turn to write.
You now know what every part of an SMS means. Time to put it into practice, with an adviser in Nouméa by your side for your first send.
50 free SMS to try, no commitment: contact@smspro.nc