Send your first SMS with confidence
Follow the complete path from preparing your account and audience to sending a campaign and checking delivery. Search this page for a specific task or problem.
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Try “verification”, “Sender ID”, “contacts”, “voice”, “credits”, or “reports”.
Getting started
For a reliable first send, complete these five steps in order. Approval and feature availability can depend on your account plan and the sending services available to you.
Create and verify your account
Register with your Ghana phone number, then verify your email address.
Prepare your account
Confirm that your account has an active plan or enough SMS credits.
Request a Sender ID
Submit the name recipients should see and wait for approval.
Create your audience
Add contacts manually or import them into a contact group.
Send a test
Test with your own number before launching a larger campaign.
Create and verify your account
Complete registration and confirm your email address before using the customer dashboard.
- Open the registration page and enter your name, email address, company details, timezone, and preferred plan.
- Enter your phone number as 12 digits in Ghana format, such as 233241234567. Do not add spaces or the plus sign.
- Create and confirm a password, accept the applicable terms, and submit the registration form.
- Open the verification email and select its verification link before trying to access the dashboard.
- If the email does not arrive, check your spam or junk folder, then use the resend option on the verification page.
You may also receive a welcome SMS containing a link to this guide. Keep your password and any sign-in verification code private; support will not need them to help you.
Account, plan, and credits
Make sure your account is able to send before preparing a campaign.
- Sign in and open your dashboard.
- Check the current plan card and the SMS credit balance in the top navigation.
- If no plan is active, choose an available package. If your account uses prepaid credit, select Top Up.
- After payment, return to the dashboard and confirm that the plan or balance has updated before sending.
A plan can control which sending channels, campaign tools, and monthly limits are available. If an option in this guide is missing, check your plan or contact support.
Request a Sender ID
A Sender ID is the name recipients see when your SMS arrives.
- From the customer menu, open Sending → Sender ID.
- Select Request New Sender ID and enter the business or service name you want to use.
- Provide any requested purpose or supporting information, then submit the request.
- Monitor the request until its status is approved. Only approved Sender IDs should be used for live campaigns.
Use a name that clearly represents your organisation. Approval is handled by service providers or telcos and may not be immediate.
Create your audience
Organise opted-in recipients into contact groups for targeting and personalisation.
Create a contact group
- Open Contacts and create a group with a clear name.
- Add any custom fields you need, such as First Name, Organisation, or Location.
- Add contacts manually, paste a list of numbers, or import a file.
Prepare phone numbers
- Use full international numbers, including the country code.
- Keep one recipient per record and remove duplicate or invalid numbers.
- Only upload people who have consented to receive your messages.
Send a test message
Use Quick Send to confirm your sender, content, and delivery before a full campaign.
- Open SMS → Quick Send.
- Select an approved Sender ID and the available sending server.
- Enter your own phone number as the recipient.
- Write the message and review its character and segment count.
- Send the test, then open Reports to confirm its delivery status.
A longer message can use more than one SMS unit. Review the displayed segment count before sending, especially when using special characters.
Build your first campaign
Send one message to one or more saved contact groups now or at a scheduled time.
- Open SMS → Campaign Builder.
- Choose the sending server, approved Sender ID, and contact groups.
- Write the message or select a saved template. Add personalisation fields only when your contacts contain the required data.
- Review recipient count, message segments, estimated units, timezone, and delivery schedule.
- Send immediately or choose a future schedule, then confirm the campaign.
Send a test to yourself first. Check spelling, links, personalisation fields, sender name, and opt-out instructions before submitting a large audience.
Send using a file
Upload a prepared recipient file when you do not need to save the audience as a contact group first.
- Open SMS → Send Using File and download the sample file.
- Keep the header row and enter one recipient per row. Phone Number is required; other spreadsheet fields are optional.
- Avoid formulas, merged cells, decorated number formats, or multiple numbers in one cell.
- Upload the file, map its fields if prompted, then review the detected recipients and message.
- Confirm the Sender ID, cost, and schedule before submitting.
Send voice messages
Send a recorded message or use text-to-speech when Voice is included in your plan.
- Open Voice, then choose Quick Send, Campaign Builder, or Send Using File.
- Select the voice sending server available on your account.
- Provide the message in the format requested for that server. The form changes automatically when you select a server.
- Choose your recipients, review the details, and send a test to your own phone before sending to a larger audience.
- Open Reports → All Messages to follow the call result.
Voice Quick Send accepts up to 100 recipients. For a larger saved audience, use Voice Campaign Builder or Send Using File if those options are included in your plan.
Track delivery and cost
Use reports to follow campaign progress and investigate individual messages.
Understand common statuses
- Pending or queued: the platform accepted the message and is preparing or waiting to send it.
- Sent: the sending provider accepted the message.
- Delivered: a delivery receipt confirms arrival at the recipient network or device.
- Failed or undelivered: open the individual record and review its response or error before retrying.
Understand voice call statuses
- Submitted: the voice request was accepted and is waiting for a final result.
- Answered or Delivered: the call connected successfully.
- Busy or No answer: the call did not connect to the recipient.
- Rejected, Expired, or Failed: the call could not be delivered. Review the recipient and audio before trying again.
For supported Arkesel voice calls, units charged for a Busy or No answer result are returned automatically. If the call is later confirmed as answered, the balance is adjusted again automatically.
Other platform features
Available tools vary by account plan, permissions, and configured sending services.
Save frequently used SMS content for faster, more consistent campaigns.
Configure recurring messages such as birthday greetings when enabled.
Build media campaigns using compatible sending services when included in your plan.
Use channel-specific campaign builders when included in your plan.
Manage inbound-capable numbers or keywords when supported by your provider.
Prevent specific recipients from receiving future messages from your account.
Open your profile menu and select Announcements to read service notices and information sent to your account.
Troubleshooting and safe sending
Check these common causes before retrying a message or contacting support.
Why can’t I access the dashboard after registering?
Verify your email address first. Check your spam or junk folder if the message is missing, then use the resend link on the verification page.
Why can’t I select a Sender ID?
The request may still be awaiting approval, may have been rejected, or may not be allowed for the selected sending server. Open Sender IDs to confirm its current status.
Why is a contact file rejected?
Start from the sample file, preserve the header row, use one full international number per row, and remove formulas, merged cells, spaces, and display formatting from number columns.
Why is my voice recording rejected?
Check the server selected on the Voice form. Arkesel Voice requires MP3. Frog Voice accepts MP3 or WAV. Select the file again after changing the sending server.
Why does one message use multiple units?
SMS billing is based on message segments. Long content and some special characters reduce the number of characters that fit in each segment.
Why is a message pending?
Scheduled campaigns wait until their configured time. Other messages may remain queued briefly while a sending server processes them. Confirm the schedule, timezone, balance, and server availability.
Should I resend a failed message?
Review the delivery response first. Correct invalid numbers, sender problems, insufficient credit, or content restrictions before retrying to avoid repeated charges or duplicate messages.
Only contact recipients who have given permission. Keep consent records, identify your organisation clearly, honour opt-outs promptly, and follow the messaging rules that apply in the recipient’s country.
Developer resources
Connect another system through the API when your plan includes developer access.
The authenticated developer area contains API credentials, webhook settings, sending-server options, request parameters, and examples for supported channels. Treat every API token like a password and never place one in a public page, screenshot, or client-side application.