📘 How to Set Up Auto Reply in the SMS Portal

Overview #

DataPhone provides its customers with an SMS portal where they can send and receive messages seamlessly. One of the powerful features available in the portal is Auto Reply, which allows you to set automated SMS responses based on time-based conditions.

This guide walks you through setting up an Auto Reply message.

🔐 Step 1: Login to the SMS Portal #

1. Go to the DataPhone SMS Portal.
2. Log in with your provided credentials.

📝 Step 2: Create an SMS Template #

Before setting an auto reply, you must first create a template for the message you want to send automatically.

To create a template: #

1. Navigate to Templates in the sidebar.
2. Click Add Template.
3. Fill in the following:
   • Template Name – Give your template a clear and unique name.
   • Description – Briefly describe the purpose of this template.
   • Body – Enter the actual message content that will be sent as the auto reply.
   • Visibility – Choose who can use this template:
     • Public – Anyone can use/view this template.
     • Number – Only specific numbers can use this template.
     • User – Only selected users will have access.
     • Private – Only you (the creator) can use it.
4. Click Save.

📱 Step 3: Assign Auto Reply to a Number #

1. Navigate to Numbers in the portal.
2. Find the number for which you want to set up auto replies.
3. Next to the desired number, click the Auto Reply Rules button to manage auto reply settings for that number.
4. Click Add Rule.

⚙️ Step 4: Configure Auto Reply Rule #

When creating a new rule, provide the following:

• Name – A title for your rule.
• Template – Select the template you created earlier.
• Weight – Set the priority of the rule (lower value = higher priority).

Then, click Add Condition to define when the auto reply should trigger. You can use one or more of the following conditions:

Available Conditions: #

1. Date and Time Range – Auto reply is active between specific start and end dates/times.
2. Day of the Week – Auto reply works only on specific days (e.g., Monday to Friday).
3. Time of the Day – Auto reply is active during specific hours (e.g., 12:00 AM – 9:00 AM).

Example Use Case: #

To set this up:

You want to send an auto-reply from Monday to Friday, between 12:00 AM to 9:00 AM, for the next 3 months.

• Condition 1: Set a Date and Time Range starting from the current month date and ending after 3rd Month last date.
• Condition 2: Add Day of the Week and select Monday through Friday to exclude weekends.
• Condition 3 (Optional): Use Time of the Day to specify the 12:00 AM – 9:00 AM window.

Each condition acts as a filter, so the message will only be sent when all conditions are met.

5. Click Save to finalize the rule.

✅ Result #

Once the rule is active, any incoming SMS during the specified time and conditions will automatically receive your pre-set message as a reply.

🧠 Understanding Weight (Priority) #

When creating auto reply rules, the Weight field determines the priority of each rule. The system checks rules in ascending order of weight — meaning lower weight = higher priority.

🧪 Example Use Case: #

• You’ve created a general rule to send an auto reply Monday to Friday with a weight of 2.
• However, you want to send a different message specifically on Wednesdays.
• To achieve this:
  • Create a second rule with a Day of the Week condition set to Wednesday only.
  • Assign this rule a lower weight, such as 1.

In this case:

• On Wednesdays, the system will match the Wednesday-specific rule first (weight 1) and send that message.
• On other weekdays, it will fall back to the general Monday–Friday rule (weight 2).

This priority mechanism ensures more specific rules override general ones when their conditions overlap.

🛠 Need Help? #

If you need assistance configuring auto replies or managing templates, please contact the DataPhone Support Team at help@dataphone.cloud.