Introduction

In addition to existing notification options, users can now also use SMS notifications for Rules and Exceptions.

Please note, SMS functionality is not enabled by default. You'll need to reach out to your partner or reseller to request a ticket with Geotab to have it activated on your database.

Please note, SMS functionality is currently only available for Rules Notifications.

How to Enable SMS Notifications

To set up SMS notifications, you must opt in to notifications in your user profile, enable notifications for the relevant rules, and configure the necessary notification templates.

User Setup

To opt in to SMS notifications, for yourself or on behalf of another user:

Navigation to People > Users & Drivers and select the user from the list, or search for the user by name.
Select the System Communications tab.
Enter a valid phone number for the user in the Phone number field, if no phone number is associated with their account. If there is a phone number already associated with the user's profile, the SMS notification section will automatically populate with that phone number.
Review the Terms and Conditions listed in the SMS Notifications section.
Click the checkbox to accept the Terms and Conditions and opt in to SMS notifications for the user.

✱ NOTE: If a user's phone number changes within the system (for example, they switch numbers) they will be automatically opted out and must go through the opt-in process again.

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Rule Setup

You can configure new and existing rules to receive SMS notifications using the Rules page.

To configure an existing rule for receiving SMS notifications:

Select Groups & Rules > Rules from the main menu.
Select the rule you would like to enable SMS notifications for from the list, and click the Pencil icon to open the Edit Exception Rule page.
Select the Notifications tab.
Under Notification Recipients, select More… > SMS notification.
Select the notification template you would like to use for these notifications in the Template dropdown menu.
Select the users to whom the notifications will be sent from the Recipients dropdown menu. Note: If you can't find a user in the recipient list right away, please wait on the page for 30-40 seconds. The system may still be loading the full list of opted-in contacts.
Click Save.

✱ NOTE: The Recipients section has been designed to display only users who have opted in to receive SMS notifications.

✱ NOTE: To enable SMS notifications when creating a new rule, follow steps 3 through 6 of the instructions above once you have selected Add at the top of the Rules page.

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Notification Template Setup

To configure a new notification template for SMS notifications:

Select Groups & Rules > Rules from the main menu.
Click Notification templates at the top of the page.
Click Add SMS template at the top of the page.
Create a name for your template in the Name field.
Create your template message by selecting tokens in the Text field.
Click Save.

✱ NOTE: Template messages are restricted to tokens as the system does not permit free-text to be added to the body of the SMS at this time.

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Current Limitations

Currently SMS notifications are only available for USA and Canadian phone numbers.
The SMS notification template only allows users to add tokens to the body of the text. Free-text is not currently available by default.
SMS notifications are not supported in the Distribution List.

Opting Out of SMS Notifications

Users can opt out of receiving SMS notifications by unchecking the SMS Notifications checkbox in their User Profile.

Users can also opt out of receiving SMS notifications directly from their device by texting STOP to the phone number from which they receive notifications. They will receive an automated response confirming that they have opted out of SMS notifications. To restart notifications, simply text START to the same number.

Best Practices

SMS Content

The content sent via SMS must adhere to industry standards and meet the platform's requirements. It is essential that the SMS does not contain any content that would violate these platform guidelines.

Please see the Twilio Acceptable Use Policy and the Twilio Messaging Policy for guidelines on what kind of content is acceptable for SMS notifications.

Violating these policies may lead to disruptions in SMS notification services. To prevent any potential issues for our customers, we have decided that, in the initial release of this functionality, only tokens will be allowed for SMS notifications. This approach ensures the content remains templated and aligned with the business use of this solution.

Opting Out

If a user opts out of SMS notifications via their device by texting STOP, it is highly recommended that the user or their administrator update their User Profile settings to reflect this change in MyGeotab.

✱ NOTE: If user settings are not updated in MyGeotab after opting out of SMS notifications and this causes service issues, Geotab can update these settings on a user’s behalf to maintain service stability.

Limit on number of SMS Notifications

The initial release of the SMS notification feature will not include limits on the number of SMS notifications permitted per database. However, we strongly recommend using SMS notifications judiciously. For optimal user experience, we suggest keeping the total SMS notifications under 1,000 per month. Future releases will implement limits on the number of SMS notifications allowed per month for each database. More information on this will be provided at a later date.