How to Validate SMS Phone Numbers in HighLevel

• Why Validate SMS Phone Numbers?
• Setting Up SMS Phone Number Validation
• Step 1: Using Twilio Integration
• Step 2: Using Lead Connector
• Benefits of Phone Number Validation
• Conclusion

Effective communication is key in digital marketing, and SMS campaigns are a powerful tool for reaching your audience. However, sending messages to invalid phone numbers can lead to unnecessary costs and reduced campaign effectiveness. GoHighLevel offers a feature to validate SMS phone numbers, ensuring that your messages are sent only to legitimate numbers. In this blog, we’ll explore how to set up and use this feature to optimize your SMS campaigns and maximize your marketing budget.

Why Validate SMS Phone Numbers?

Validating SMS phone numbers is crucial for several reasons:

1. Cost Efficiency: Avoid wasting money on messages sent to invalid numbers.
2. Campaign Effectiveness: Ensure your messages reach real users, improving engagement rates.
3. Data Accuracy: Maintain a clean and accurate contact database.

When a phone number is added to the system and a text message is sent, GoHighLevel will validate the number to confirm its legitimacy. If the number is invalid, it will be marked as “Do Not Disturb” to prevent future messages. This feature helps maintain the integrity of your contact lists and ensures that your marketing efforts are not wasted on unreachable numbers.

Setting Up SMS Phone Number Validation

Here’s how to activate the SMS phone number validation feature in GoHighLevel:

Step 1: Using Twilio Integration

If you’re utilizing Twilio for SMS services, follow these steps:

1. Access Phone Integration: Log in to GoHighLevel at the agency level and navigate to “Phone Integration” under the settings. This is where you manage the phone numbers and SMS settings for your accounts.
2. Edit Sub-Account Settings: Find the sub-account using Twilio, and click the “Edit” button next to it. This will open up the settings specific to that sub-account.
3. Enable Phone Number Validation: In the edit settings, you’ll see an option labeled “Validate phone numbers when contact is created.” Enable this option by checking the box next to it. This setting will ensure that every new phone number added to the system is validated before any messages are sent.
4. Understand the Cost: Note that there is an additional cost of $0.005 per validation. This cost is minimal compared to the expense of sending SMS to invalid numbers. By validating numbers upfront, you can save significantly in the long run.

Step 2: Using Lead Connector

For those using Lead Connector, the process is slightly different:

1. Access Business Profile Settings: Log in to the specific sub-account’s business profile and navigate to “Settings.” This is where you can manage all the settings related to the sub-account.
2. Scroll to Phone Number Validation: Scroll down until you find the option “Validate phone numbers when first SMS is sent to a new contact.” This setting ensures that the validation occurs at the first point of contact via SMS.
3. Enable Validation: Enable this option and click “Update” to save the settings. This will activate the validation process for new contacts, ensuring that only valid numbers receive your messages.

By enabling this feature, the system will validate the phone number the first time an SMS is sent, ensuring only valid numbers receive your messages.

Benefits of Phone Number Validation

Enabling phone number validation in GoHighLevel offers several benefits:

• Cost Savings: Prevents sending messages to invalid numbers, reducing wasted spend. Over time, this can lead to substantial savings, especially for large-scale campaigns.
• Improved Campaign Metrics: Enhances delivery rates and engagement by ensuring messages reach real users. Valid numbers mean higher open rates and better overall performance.
• Data Quality: Helps maintain a high-quality contact list, essential for effective marketing. Clean data is crucial for accurate reporting and analytics, leading to better strategic decisions.

Conclusion

Validating SMS phone numbers in GoHighLevel is a simple yet powerful way to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of your SMS campaigns. By preventing messages from being sent to invalid numbers, you save costs and improve your overall campaign performance. Now that you know how to set up this feature, ensure you activate it for all your sub-accounts to maximize the benefits.

For more tips and insights on using GoHighLevel effectively, stay tuned to our blog!

Incorporating these practices into your SMS marketing strategy will not only save you money but also enhance your campaign’s reach and engagement. Make sure to implement phone number validation in GoHighLevel and enjoy the benefits of a more efficient and cost-effective messaging strategy.