SMS Templates in Zyntro
What a template is, where it can be used, and when not to use one.
What It Is
An SMS template is a saved message body with a name, kept against one brand. It can contain smart tags such as {contacts.fname}, which are replaced with real values when the message is sent.
You manage them at Brands > Brand Assets > SMS Templates. A template has only two parts — a name you will recognise in a dropdown, and the message itself. There is no subject, because SMS has none.
Why It Matters
Zyntro's position on templates is unusual, and the screen says so plainly: templates are sometimes necessary, but they are the exception.
The reason is that Segmentation Intelligence can write a message for one specific contact, in your brand voice, using what it knows about that relationship — where they are in your pipeline, what they last responded to, what they have already been told. A template says the same thing to everyone, which is exactly what you want for a booking confirmation and exactly what you do not want for a follow-up.
So reach for a template when the message must be identical and predictable every time: confirmations, reminders, access codes, anything with compliance wording. For anything persuasive, let SI write it.
How It Works
Templates belong to a brand. The list shows the templates for the brand you are working in. Another brand's templates are not visible here and cannot be edited from here.
They are picked up wherever SMS is sent. Once saved, a template appears in the SMS broadcast builder, Send SMS to Contact, FLOW actions, form actions, pipeline board settings, webinar registration settings, the unified inbox and the Zyntro mobile app.
Smart tags are replaced at send time, not when you save. The editor counts the tag as the characters you typed; the recipient gets the substituted value, so the real message is a different length. Which tags are actually replaced depends on how the message is sent — see Smart Tags for SMS, because this is the single most common surprise.
Messages are charged per part. A plain message fits 160 characters in one part; a single emoji drops that to 70 for the whole message. Charges are always disclosed before sending.
Examples
A booking confirmation — a good use of a template
"Hi {contacts.fname}, your appointment is confirmed. Reply STOP to opt out." Identical for everyone, needs to be exact, and nothing is gained by varying it. A template is right here.
A follow-up after someone went quiet — a poor use of a template
A single reminder sent to everyone who stopped replying performs far worse than a message that references what that contact actually looked at and when. This is what Segmentation Intelligence is for; a template throws away the context that makes it work.
The same wording needed for two brands
Templates are per brand, so create it once in each. They are separate records, which is deliberate: the two brands can drift apart in tone without affecting each other.
Tip: If you find yourself writing a template to persuade someone, that is usually a sign the work belongs with Segmentation Intelligence instead. Templates are for messages that must not vary.
