> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.tracklysms.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart

> Get up and running with Trackly SMS

This guide gets you from zero to sending your first SMS. Choose the path that matches your situation:

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="I have my own number">
    If you already have a phone number and credentials from an SMS provider (Infobip, Twilio, CM, etc.), you can start sending in minutes.

    ## Prerequisites

    <Check>
      A Trackly SMS account ([sign up here](https://app.tracklysms.com/signup))
    </Check>

    <Check>
      A verified phone number from your SMS provider
    </Check>

    <Check>
      Your provider API credentials (API key, auth token, etc.)
    </Check>

    ## Step 1: Create a Sending List

    A **sending list** connects a phone number to its SMS provider so Trackly can send through it.

    <Steps>
      <Step title="Navigate to Lists">
        From the sidebar, click **Lists**
      </Step>

      <Step title="Create a new list">
        Click **New List** in the top right
      </Step>

      <Step title="Configure your list">
        Fill in:

        * **Name**: A descriptive name (e.g., "Brand A - Marketing")
        * **Phone Number**: Your number in E.164 format (e.g., `+14155551234`)
        * **Provider**: Select your SMS provider
        * **Provider Credentials**: Enter your API key, auth token, or product token depending on the provider

        <AccordionGroup>
          <Accordion title="Infobip credentials">
            | Field    | Where to find it                                          |
            | -------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
            | API Key  | Infobip dashboard > API Keys                              |
            | Base URL | Your Infobip API endpoint (e.g., `xxxxx.api.infobip.com`) |
          </Accordion>

          <Accordion title="Twilio credentials">
            | Field       | Where to find it              |
            | ----------- | ----------------------------- |
            | Account SID | Twilio console > Account Info |
            | Auth Token  | Twilio console > Account Info |
          </Accordion>

          <Accordion title="CM credentials">
            | Field         | Where to find it              |
            | ------------- | ----------------------------- |
            | Product Token | CM dashboard > Channels > SMS |
          </Accordion>
        </AccordionGroup>
      </Step>

      <Step title="Save">
        Click **Create List**
      </Step>
    </Steps>

    ## Step 2: Add a Test Contact

    <Steps>
      <Step title="Navigate to the list">
        Click into the list you created
      </Step>

      <Step title="Add a contact">
        Click **Add Contact** and enter your personal phone number for testing. Make sure the number is in E.164 format (e.g., `+14155559999`).
      </Step>
    </Steps>

    ## Step 3: Create a Creative

    **Creatives** are reusable message templates.

    <Steps>
      <Step title="Navigate to Creatives">
        From the sidebar, click **Creatives**
      </Step>

      <Step title="Create a new creative">
        Click **New Creative** and write your test message:

        ```
        Hello from Trackly SMS! This is your first test message.
        ```

        The character count and segment count update as you type.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Save">
        Click **Create Creative**
      </Step>
    </Steps>

    SMS messages are limited to **160 characters** per segment (70 if using special characters). Longer messages are split into multiple segments and reassembled on the recipient's phone.

    ## Step 4: Send Your First Message

    <Steps>
      <Step title="Navigate to Schedules">
        From the sidebar, click **Schedules**
      </Step>

      <Step title="Create a schedule">
        Click **New Schedule** and configure:

        * **Name**: "First Test Send"
        * **Sending List**: Select your list
        * **Send Mode**: Blast
        * **Schedule Type**: One-time, Send Now
      </Step>

      <Step title="Add a message variant">
        Click **Add Variant**, select your creative, and set the audience percentage to **100%**
      </Step>

      <Step title="Select audience">
        Select **All Contacts** (your test number)
      </Step>

      <Step title="Send">
        Click **Schedule** to queue the message
      </Step>
    </Steps>

    You should receive your test SMS within seconds.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="I need a number">
    If you don't have your own SMS provider account, Trackly can provision a **toll-free number** for you. This process involves a carrier review to verify your brand and use case.

    Number provisioning requires a **Paid plan** (\$19.99/month). You can upgrade in **Settings > Account Settings** after signing up.

    ## Prerequisites

    <Check>
      A Trackly SMS account on the **Paid plan** ([sign up here](https://app.tracklysms.com/signup))
    </Check>

    <Check>
      A verified email address
    </Check>

    <Check>
      A website or landing page for your brand (or plan to set one up)
    </Check>

    <Check>
      An opt-in form where contacts consent to receive SMS — carriers require proof of this
    </Check>

    ## Overview

    Here's what the process looks like:

    ```
    Set up brand landing page (optional but recommended)
        → Submit number request in dashboard
        → Carrier reviews your request (1-5 business days)
        → Number approved and assigned
        → Create sending list, import contacts, send
    ```

    ## Step 1: Set Up a Brand Landing Page (Recommended)

    Carriers want to see that you have a legitimate opt-in flow. Trackly's **white-label** system lets you spin up a branded landing page with a signup form, privacy policy, and SMS terms on your own domain — no coding required.

    <Steps>
      <Step title="Choose a domain">
        Pick a subdomain like `alerts.yourbrand.com` or `sms.yourbrand.com`
      </Step>

      <Step title="Add a CNAME record">
        In your DNS provider, point your subdomain to Trackly's proxy:

        | Type  | Name     | Value                  |
        | ----- | -------- | ---------------------- |
        | CNAME | `alerts` | `proxy.tracklysms.com` |
      </Step>

      <Step title="Submit a setup request">
        Create a support ticket from your dashboard (**Support > New Ticket**) with:

        * Your domain name
        * Brand name
        * Vertical (finance, health, ecommerce, etc.)
        * Brand colors (hex code) and logo (optional)
        * Legal entity name and contact info
      </Step>

      <Step title="Verify">
        Once configured, visit your domain in a browser. You'll see a branded landing page with signup form, privacy policy, terms, and SMS terms — all auto-generated with your brand info.
      </Step>
    </Steps>

    <Tip>
      SSL certificates are provisioned automatically. No manual setup needed.
    </Tip>

    For full template customization options, see [White-Label Reference](/account/white-label-reference).

    If you already have your own website with an opt-in form, you can skip this step — make sure you can screenshot the form for the number request.

    ## Step 2: Submit a Number Request

    <Steps>
      <Step title="Navigate to Number Requests">
        From the sidebar, go to **SMS Settings > Numbers**. You must be an account **Owner** to submit requests.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Click 'New Request'">
        Switch to the **New Request** tab
      </Step>

      <Step title="Fill in the request form">
        Provide the details carriers need to approve your number:

        | Field                 | What to enter                                               |
        | --------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
        | **Brand Name**        | The brand contacts will see (e.g., "Smart Investors Daily") |
        | **List Name**         | Your own name for this number (e.g., "Main Marketing")      |
        | **Website URL**       | Your brand website or white-label landing page              |
        | **Opt-In Form URL**   | URL where contacts give SMS consent                         |
        | **Business Address**  | Physical business address                                   |
        | **Promotion Summary** | Brief description of what you'll send                       |
        | **Monthly Volume**    | Estimated messages per month                                |
        | **Example SMS**       | A sample message recipients would receive                   |
        | **Screenshots**       | Screenshots of your opt-in form (up to 10, max 5MB each)    |
      </Step>

      <Step title="Submit">
        Click **Submit Request**. Your request enters the review queue.
      </Step>
    </Steps>

    <Note>
      The opt-in screenshots are critical. Carriers reject requests without clear proof that contacts consent to receive SMS. Your white-label landing page's signup form works perfectly for this.
    </Note>

    ## Step 3: Wait for Approval

    Carrier review typically takes **1-5 business days**. You can track the status of your request in the Number Requests page:

    | Status       | Meaning                           |
    | ------------ | --------------------------------- |
    | Pending      | Submitted, waiting for review     |
    | Under Review | Being evaluated by carrier        |
    | Approved     | Ready to use                      |
    | Rejected     | See rejection reason and resubmit |

    You'll be notified when your request is approved. If rejected, the reason will be shown — address the issue and resubmit.

    ## Step 4: Create Your Sending List

    Once your number is approved:

    <Steps>
      <Step title="Navigate to Lists">
        From the sidebar, click **Lists**
      </Step>

      <Step title="Create a new list">
        Click **New List** and enter:

        * **Name**: Use the list name from your request
        * **Phone Number**: The approved toll-free number (you'll receive this)
        * **Provider & Credentials**: These are configured for you during approval
      </Step>

      <Step title="Save">
        Click **Create List**
      </Step>
    </Steps>

    ## Step 5: Import Contacts and Send

    With your list ready, you can import contacts and send your first message. Follow the same flow as the "I have my own number" path:

    1. **Add contacts** to your list ([Importing Guide](/guides/contacts/importing))
    2. **Create a creative** with your message text (sidebar > **Creatives** > **New Creative**)
    3. **Create a schedule** to send (sidebar > **Schedules** > **New Schedule**)

    See the [Send Your First SMS](/quickstarts/send-first-sms) quickstart for a detailed API-based walkthrough, or follow the dashboard steps in the other tab above.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Send First SMS" icon="paper-plane" href="/quickstarts/send-first-sms">
    Follow the step-by-step quickstart
  </Card>

  <Card title="Authentication" icon="key" href="/api-reference/authentication">
    Set up your API key
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Message not received">
    * Check that the contact's phone number is in E.164 format (`+1...`)
    * Verify your sending list's provider credentials are correct
    * Check the message status in the Schedules view
    * Ensure the contact is subscribed (status: active)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Provider credentials rejected">
    * Double-check your API key, token, or secret
    * Ensure your provider account is active and has sending credits
    * Verify the phone number is registered with your provider
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Number request rejected">
    * Read the rejection reason on the Number Requests page
    * Common issues: missing opt-in proof, unclear use case, no website
    * Update your landing page and screenshots, then resubmit
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Contact shows as unsubscribed">
    * Contacts who reply STOP are automatically unsubscribed
    * Check the contact's subscription status in the list view
    * Re-subscribe the contact if this was a test number
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>