BulkSMSOnline - How to create "Personalized Messages?

How to Create Personalized SMS Messages in BulkSMSOnline

Personalized SMS messages help you send more relevant and engaging text messages to your recipients. With BulkSMSOnline, you can prepare a file with phone numbers and custom values, then use those values inside your message using placeholders such as { Value 1 }, { Value 2 }, and { Value 3 }.

This feature is useful when you want each recipient to receive a message with their own name, appointment date, order number, payment amount, verification detail, or other personalized information.

What Are Personalized SMS Messages?

Personalized SMS messages are dynamic SMS messages that automatically insert specific information for each recipient. Instead of sending one general message to everyone, you can customize parts of the message based on the data in your uploaded Excel or CSV file.

For example, instead of sending:

Dear customer, your appointment is confirmed.

You can send:

Dear Sarah, your appointment is confirmed for Monday at 10:00 AM.

This makes your SMS campaign more personal, useful, and professional.

When Should You Use Personalized SMS?

Personalized SMS is useful for many business and communication purposes, including:

Appointment reminders
Payment reminders
Order confirmations
Delivery updates
Customer notifications
Student or member alerts
Promotional campaigns
Event reminders
Service renewal reminders
Booking confirmations

How Personalized SMS Works

To send personalized SMS messages, you need to prepare a file with recipient phone numbers and custom values. The first column should contain the phone number. The next columns can contain the values you want to insert into the SMS message.

BulkSMSOnline supports up to three personalized value columns for this feature:

{ Value 1 }
{ Value 2 }
{ Value 3 }

These values will be replaced with the matching data from your uploaded file when the message is sent.

Step 1: Prepare Your Excel or CSV File

Start by creating an Excel or CSV file. Your file should begin with the recipient phone number, followed by up to three additional columns for personalized message content.

A simple file structure can look like this:

Phone Number	Value 1	Value 2	Value 3
60123456789	Sarah	Monday	10:00 AM
60198765432	John	Tuesday	2:30 PM
60111222333	Ali	Friday	4:00 PM

In this example:

Phone Number is the recipient mobile number.
Value 1 can be the customer name.
Value 2 can be the appointment day.
Value 3 can be the appointment time.

Correct Phone Number Format

Before uploading your file, make sure all phone numbers are written in the correct international format. The number should start with the country code and should not include spaces, plus signs, brackets, dashes, or special characters.

Example:

Correct: 12025550101
Incorrect: +120 255 50101
Incorrect: 0255 50 10 1
Incorrect: (120) 255 501 01

Using the correct phone number format helps reduce upload errors and delivery issues.

Step 2: Open the Personalized Messages Section

After preparing your Excel or CSV file, log in to your BulkSMSOnline dashboard.

Then follow these steps:

Go to the SMS Application tab.
Click on Personalized Messages.
Open the personalized message setup page.

You can access the BulkSMSOnline platform here: BulkSMSOnline Login.

Step 3: Upload Your Excel or CSV File

In the Personalized Messages section, upload the Excel or CSV file you prepared earlier.

Before uploading, check that:

The first column contains the phone numbers.
The next columns contain the personalized values.
The file does not contain unnecessary symbols or unsupported characters.
Phone numbers start with the correct country code.
The file is saved in a supported format, such as Excel or CSV.

Step 4: Enter the Sender

In the Sender field, enter the sender name or sender number you want to use for the SMS campaign.

Please note that sender ID behavior may depend on the destination country, selected route, operator rules, and sender ID support. Some countries may allow alphanumeric sender IDs, while others may replace or restrict sender IDs based on local regulations.

Step 5: Select the Message Type

Select the appropriate message type based on your campaign content and destination requirements.

Choose the message type carefully, especially if your message includes special characters, Unicode text, non-English language content, or longer message content. Message type and message length may affect the number of SMS parts used.

Step 6: Write Your Personalized Message

In the message box, write your SMS content and insert the personalized placeholders where needed.

You can use:

{ Value 1 } for the first custom column
{ Value 2 } for the second custom column
{ Value 3 } for the third custom column

Example message:

Dear { Value 1 }, your appointment is confirmed for { Value 2 } at { Value 3 }. Thank you.

If your uploaded file contains:

Phone Number	Value 1	Value 2	Value 3
60123456789	Sarah	Monday	10:00 AM

The recipient will receive:

Dear Sarah, your appointment is confirmed for Monday at 10:00 AM. Thank you.

Step 7: Save the Personalized Message

After uploading your file, entering the sender, selecting the message type, and writing your message, click the Save button.

Once saved, you can use the personalized message setup when you go to the Send SMS section.

Best Practices for Personalized SMS

To get the best results from personalized SMS campaigns, follow these best practices:

Keep your message short and clear.
Use accurate customer data in your Excel or CSV file.
Check that each phone number starts with the correct country code.
Remove duplicate or invalid numbers before uploading.
Make sure each personalized value matches the correct recipient.
Preview or test your message before sending to a large audience.
Avoid using misleading, spammy, or non-compliant message content.
Make sure recipients have agreed to receive SMS where required.

Common Personalized SMS Use Cases

Personalized SMS can be used in many industries and business workflows. Common examples include:

Appointment Reminder

Dear { Value 1 }, your appointment is scheduled on { Value 2 } at { Value 3 }.

Payment Reminder

Dear { Value 1 }, your payment of { Value 2 } is due on { Value 3 }. Please complete it on time.

Order Update

Hi { Value 1 }, your order { Value 2 } is now { Value 3 }.

Event Reminder

Dear { Value 1 }, reminder for { Value 2 } happening on { Value 3 }.

Check Your Message Length

Personalized values can increase the final message length after they are replaced with real data. For example, a short name may keep the message within one SMS part, while a longer name or longer custom value may increase the message length.

Before sending a large campaign, test your message with sample data and check the final message length.

Using Personalized SMS for Bulk Campaigns

Personalized SMS messages can improve engagement because each recipient receives a message that feels more relevant to them. This is helpful for customer relationship management, marketing, service reminders, and transactional updates.

To learn more about sending campaigns, visit the Send Bulk SMS Online page.

Using Personalized SMS With the Web SMS Platform

The BulkSMSOnline web SMS platform allows users to upload contacts, manage campaigns, use templates, send personalized messages, and track delivery reports from a browser.

You can learn more here: Web SMS Platform.

Check SMS Pricing Before Sending

Before sending personalized SMS campaigns, check your account balance and review the SMS price for the destination country. SMS cost may vary depending on destination country, route type, message length, and the number of SMS parts used.

You can review pricing here: Bulk SMS Pricing.

Sending Personalized SMS to Multiple Countries

If your uploaded file includes recipients from different countries, make sure each number includes the correct country code. For better campaign management, it is recommended to separate contacts by country when sending international SMS.

You can review supported destinations here: Bulk SMS Countries.

Personalized SMS for API Users

If your business sends SMS through API integration, you can also handle personalization from your own system by generating the final message content before sending it through the API.

This is useful for websites, CRMs, booking platforms, e-commerce systems, billing systems, mobile apps, and automated notification tools.

For SMS API, REST API, HTTP API, SMPP, delivery reports, and webhook information, visit the BulkSMSOnline Developers page.

Troubleshooting Personalized SMS Issues

If your personalized SMS file or message is not working correctly, check the following:

Make sure the file is saved in Excel or CSV format.
Make sure the first column contains phone numbers.
Check that phone numbers start with the correct country code.
Remove spaces, plus signs, brackets, dashes, and special characters from phone numbers.
Make sure your personalized values are placed in the correct columns.
Check that your message uses the correct placeholders: { Value 1 }, { Value 2 }, and { Value 3 }.
Make sure your sender field is filled correctly.
Confirm that your account has enough SMS balance.
Test with a small file before sending to a large list.

Need Help With Personalized SMS?

If you need help preparing your Excel or CSV file, setting up placeholders, uploading personalized messages, checking sender ID behavior, or sending your campaign, visit the BulkSMSOnline Help Center.

For account-specific support, contact the BulkSMSOnline team through the official contact page:

Contact BulkSMSOnline Support

Related Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

What are personalized SMS messages?

Personalized SMS messages are SMS messages that include custom values for each recipient, such as name, appointment date, payment amount, order number, or other personal details.

How do I create personalized SMS in BulkSMSOnline?

Create an Excel or CSV file with phone numbers in the first column and up to three personalized value columns. Then go to SMS Application, open Personalized Messages, upload the file, enter the sender, select the message type, add placeholders, and save the setup.

What placeholders can I use?

You can use { Value 1 }, { Value 2 }, and { Value 3 } to insert personalized data from your uploaded file.

What should be in the first column of the file?

The first column should contain the recipient phone number in international format with country code.

Can I upload Excel or CSV files?

Yes. You can prepare your personalized SMS data using an Excel or CSV file, depending on the supported upload format in your dashboard.

Why are my placeholders not working?

Check that the placeholders are written correctly and that the uploaded file contains the matching value columns. Use { Value 1 }, { Value 2 }, and { Value 3 } exactly as required by the platform.

Can I use personalized SMS for marketing campaigns?

Yes. Personalized SMS can be used for marketing campaigns, customer updates, reminders, and notifications. Make sure your recipients have agreed to receive your messages where required.

Where can I get help with personalized SMS?

You can visit the Help Center or contact support through the Contact Us page.

How to create "Personalized Messages?