Getting Started with
myAmbs Mass Texting

How to Send Messages

1. Head over to the Messaging tab in the menu, then choose New Message.

2. If you’d like to use a specific Sender ID (1), you can select it from the Sender ID dropdown menu.

3. Adding recipients is simple, and you have a few choices:

   • Import from File (2): Got a contact list saved as an Excel or CSV file? This option lets you easily import it.

   • Manual Entry (3): Start typing a contact’s name or phone number. You can also paste a list of numbers directly from a spreadsheet or other document into the recipient field.

   • Contacts (4): Use Search contacts to browse and select individuals from your contact list. You can also select all contacts if needed.

   • Contact Lists (4): For saved groups, click Search contact lists and pick the ones you want to send to. If you need to exclude someone, just expand the list and uncheck their name.

   • Contact Segments (5): If your contacts are grouped based on common traits or behaviors, choose Search contact segments to find and send to the right segment. You can still fine-tune by unchecking any names within the segment.

4. 

   Type your message in the Message Content field. As you write, you’ll see a live preview of your message on the right, showing exactly how it will appear to recipients.

5. Happy with your message? Just hit Send Now in the bottom right corner.

Key Reminders:

• You can message multiple contacts or groups with both the Quick Message and New Campaign options.
• Got templates? You can load a saved one from the dropdown in the top left of the message window.
• To include an opt-out message, click the button in the top right of the message window. If you don’t see it, check that Automatic Unsubscribe is turned on in your settings.
• Keep an eye on the bottom of the message box to see how many characters and messages your text will use.
• You can copy a column of numbers from a CSV or Excel file and paste them right into the recipient field.
• If you’re using personalization in a New Campaign, the preview will show the personalized content as it will appear to each recipient (e.g., “Hi #Firstname#” will show as “Hi John” for someone named John).

How to Send Quick Messages

Need to send a message fast? Our Quick Message feature lets you send texts right away to a mobile number, contact, or group. Perfect for those one-off, time-sensitive messages.

It’s simple and efficient. First, click on the message button on the bottom right of the dashboard.

Then, enter your recipients (1), type your message (2), and hit send (3), and you're all set!

Creating Individual Contacts

1. Go to Contacts in the menu and select All Contacts.
2. Click Add Contact (1) at the top left.
   
3. Fill in the necessary details listed in the photo above:
   • First Name and Last Name.
   • Mobile Number.
   • Subscription Status: new contacts are subscribed by default, but you can mark them as unsubscribed if needed.
   • Email, Lists, and any other info like Alias, Birthday, or Location.
     
     
4. Once done, click Save. Your contact will now appear in your All Contacts list and any selected contact lists.

Importing Contacts in Bulk

Step 1: Preparing Your Contact Data

Make sure your contact list is saved as a CSV, XLS, or XLSX file. CSV UTF-8 is the preferred format for the smoothest import.

• For numbers without international prefixes, the system will assume they’re local based on your account settings.
• If you’re importing numbers from another country, add the correct international prefix.
• Local numbers don’t need a leading zero (e.g., "0412345678" is fine as "412345678").

You can also map extra details (like contact roles or office locations) to custom fields for easier organization later on.

Step 2: Importing Your Contact Data

1. In the menu, click Contacts, then choose either All Contacts or Lists.
2. Click the Import (1) button at the top left.
   
   
   
3. Upload your file by browsing for it or simply dragging and dropping (1) it into the window.
   • You can choose to add contacts to specific groups or lists during the import (2).
   • If needed, you can also bulk-unsubscribe contacts (like when uploading a blacklist).
4. Match the columns (3) from your file to the relevant fields in the system (e.g., phone numbers, WhatsApp numbers, etc.). The system will try to auto-detect these, but you can manually fix any errors.
5. If you’ve included extra information like Division or Role, map those to your custom fields in the contact profile.
6. Once everything looks good, click Import Contacts at the top right to complete the process.

When it’s done, you’ll see a summary of the results, with links to review any successful or failed imports.

Compliance

We can't stress the importance of having the proper consent before adding contacts. Our system automatically keeps track of each contact’s subscription status, even if they’re removed. If you need to re-subscribe someone, you’ll need to do it manually. Keep in mind—re-importing a contact doesn’t count as re-subscribing.

To learn more about compliance in texting for business, visit the FCC's regulations document on texting. or Sinch's best practices for compliant texting.