Sending automated SMS using Webex Connect Visual Flow Builder

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Prerequisites

• Access to Webex Connect platform (request your trial access here)
• Postman app (or an alternative tool) to invoke APIs (Download Postman app from here)

Step 1: Create a Service

Create new service from the Services Dashboard. If this is the first time you are creating a service in Webex Connect, refer to the tutorial.

Step 2: Get a phone number

A phone number is needed for sending and/or receiving messages from your customers using Webex Connect. You can skip this step if you already have a number.

Here's a quick tutorial on Buy a Phone Number using Webex Connect

Step 3: Create a Flow to Send SMS

1. Create a New Flow

For detailed steps on creating a new flow, refer here.

2. Select the custom event as the event trigger on the trigger category selection page

• On the next window, configure your custom event. Select radio button "Create New Event"
• Name the custom event. Next, define the parameters to be used in this event.
• Under the PARAMETERS (OPTIONAL) section, choose the TYPE as String from the drop-down.
• Enter msisdn as the variable.
• Check the Mandatory box.
• Click on +ADD NEW to define another parameter & define all the parameters as follows

3. Build the Flow

• You will arrive at the Visual Flow Builder screen with the custom event node already present in the flow builder.
• Drag and drop a Send node from the node palette to the left of the screen, under the Channels tab.
• Connect the custom event node with the Send node by dragging the green dot towards the Send node.
• Double-click on the Send node to configure its parameters. You will arrive at the configuration window.
• Here, enter $(msisdn) in the DESTINATION field.
• Note: MSISDN stands for Mobile Station ISDN number, which refers to the mapping of the telephone number to SIM card.
• Select the sender id from the drop-down under FROM NUMBER
• Type the message that you wish to send to your customers in the MESSAGE section and click on SAVE to save these settings.

Step 4 : Configure the 'onsuccess' event

Step 5 : Configure the 'onerror' event

Publish the Flow

Step 7: Invoke the flow using Postman

Here's how the complete flow will look: