How Channels Work in Reach

How Channels Work

What SMS, Email, Voice, and Push channels are in Reach, how to enable them on a program, and what needs to be in place before you can send.

Overview

Reach can send messages through four channels: SMS, Email, Voice, and Push. Channels are configured at the program level and then used in templates and campaign launches. This article explains what each channel does, how to enable them on a program, and what you need in place before a channel can be used in a send.

Templates are required per channel

A channel must have at least one approved (Live) template before it can be used in a campaign launch. Enabling a channel on the program is the first step, but not the last.

The Four Channels

Channel	What it sends	Subscriber field required
SMS	Text messages to mobile phones.	mobile_number1
Email	HTML or plain text emails.	email_address1
Voice	Automated phone calls using recorded or text-to-speech audio.	voice_number1
Push	Mobile app push notifications.	Configured through app integration

How Channels Are Configured on a Program

1. Go to Campaigns Configuration and select your department.
2. Click on the program name in the left-hand tree to open its settings.
3. At the top of the settings panel, you will see toggle switches for EMAIL, VOICE, and PUSH. SMS is typically on by default.
4. Toggle any channel ON or OFF as needed for this program.
5. Each channel row also shows the provider (Native or West/MCS), a sending number, a character limit, and a max character count.

What the Channel Settings Mean

Setting	What it controls
ON/OFF toggle	Whether this channel is active for the program. Off channels will not appear as options when launching a campaign.
Provider	The sending infrastructure. Typically set by Convey. Do not change this without guidance from Convey support.
Sender	The phone number or email address shown as the sender. Configured by Convey.
Recommended Length	The advised character or word limit for messages on this channel.
Max / Provider	The absolute character limit set by the provider.

Channel Availability at Launch

When launching a system campaign, the Settings step shows you which channels are available and how many subscribers have contact details for each. The counts show how many subscribers will receive the message on each channel based on their stored contact information and preferences.

Tips for Success

Common Pitfalls

• ×Turning on a channel without creating a Live template for it. The launch will not include that channel.
• ×Uploading subscribers with phone numbers but not enabling SMS on the program. They will not receive SMS.
• ×Changing provider settings without guidance from Convey. This can break message delivery.
• ×Using Voice for time-sensitive emergencies without accounting for call delivery latency.

Best Practices

• ✓Enable only the channels you have contact data for. If your subscriber list has no email addresses, turning on Email does nothing.
• ✓Check that your subscriber upload includes the correct contact field for each channel you plan to use.
• ✓Review the Recommended Length for each channel when writing templates to avoid truncation.
• ✓Test each channel using the Test Draft feature before going live.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can a single program use all four channels at once?

A: Yes. One program launch can send SMS, Email, Voice, and Push simultaneously to subscribers who have the relevant contact fields.

Q: What happens if a subscriber has no email address but I send an email campaign?

A: They simply do not receive the email. Reach only sends to subscribers who have the required contact field for that channel.

Q: What is the difference between SMS and Voice?

A: SMS sends a text message to the subscriber's mobile number. Voice makes an automated call to the subscriber's voice number. They can be the same phone number or different ones.

Q: What is the Push channel and how do I set it up?

A: Push sends notifications to a mobile app. Setting it up requires integration between Reach and your organization's mobile app. Contact Convey support to configure Push for your account.

Q: Can subscribers choose which channel they want to receive messages on?

A: Reach supports subscriber channel preferences. If the Default Preference setting is enabled on a program, subscribers' expressed preferences are taken into account at send time.

Need More Help?

For your convenience, please find the relevant articles listed below.

• Create SMS Templates How to write and approve an SMS template.
• Create Email Templates How to write and approve an email template.
• Create Voice Templates How to set up a voice template.