Key Takeaways
- Edtech templates should lead with the fact (absence, time, pickup) in the first 40 characters.
- Default recipient is the guardian number on file, not a minor’s prepaid.
- Keep login codes ASCII and off the attendance SIM.
- Optional events need STOP; emergency copy needs a human owner.
- You bring the Android and operator credit. Devices plus send volume is the platform fee.
Short bodies, guardian first
Edtech SMS templates fail when they read like newsletters. Parents delete those. Lead with the operational fact, send from a number already in their phone, keep the portal for essays.
Playbook (jobs, device pools) is the sibling article. This page is the sentences. Gateway pricing is devices plus volume. You fund the SIM.
Core templates
Absence. Schedule change. Pickup / bus delay. Fee reminder (payer). Optional event (STOP). Staff ops (internal).
“If fundraising can paste into the absence template, you will send a donation ask on a sick day. Split the strings in code, not in a shared Google Doc.”
Copy vs segment one
| Template | First segment | Leave out |
|---|---|---|
| Absence | Who/when + how to reply | Grade commentary, fees |
| Schedule change | New time, old cancelled | Long rationale |
| Bus / pickup | Delay + what to do now | Live map links |
| Fee | Amount due + portal, not a novel | Shame, extra products |
| Event opt-in | What + STOP how | Attachments, MMS by default |
Portal OTP
Code first, ASCII digits, short expiry. OTP on its own device pool. Do not concatenate the school motto onto a 2FA SMS.
Live fields: Developer Center.
Language and quiet hours
Unicode wrappers concatenate. Keep digits ASCII. Quiet hours are your scheduler — scheduled SMS does not know term dates.
STOP on optional lists: auto-reply. Two-way confirmations need a staffed inbox.
Minimize student detail in the body. UNICEF child protection. Counsel owns the regime.
Next steps
Freeze six strings, GSM-7 first, guardian MSISDN, OTP isolated. Setup: pairing. Plans: pricing.
Related product pages
Jump to the live product docs for this topic—not another long-form article.
- SMS API documentationLive endpoint reference
- device and SMS volume pricingPlans and allowances
- Android SMS gateway product guideDefinition, product, and how to buy
- download the Android gateway appGet the APK
