How to Test an SMS Message Before Sending

Learn how to send test SMS messages to verify how your SMS campaigns look before sending to your full contact list. Testing helps ensure messages are formatted correctly and within character limits.

How to Test an SMS Message Before Sending

Before You Begin

Owner or admin permissions required
Twilio integration must be connected (required for SMS)
Sign in at https://app.joinzipper.com/auth/login

Steps

Navigate to: Marketing > SMS
Find and open the campaign you want to test
Click Send test SMS
Enter your phone number including country code (e.g., +15551234567)
Click Send test — the message will arrive shortly

Check your phone: verify the message text, length, and clarity before sending to your full list. Keep messages under 160 characters to avoid splitting.

Troubleshooting

Send test SMS option isn’t visible. Make sure you have the campaign open in edit mode.

Test SMS isn’t arriving. Verify the phone number includes the country code and that your Twilio integration is connected. Wait a few minutes for delivery.

Message is too long. Keep the message under 160 characters, or split into multiple shorter messages if needed.

Test looks wrong. Edit the message and send another test.

Need a hand?

Email our team at support@joinzipper.com and we'll usually reply within a few hours.

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