Create and send messages part 3: Delivery options and sending

Your message is written and your channels are chosen. This article covers the final layer of customization before sending: translation, emergency delivery, advanced options like sender organization and caller ID, and whether to send immediately or schedule for later.

Before you start

This article is part of our Create and send messages series. Looking for something else? Check out the full set:

• Create and send messages: Overview
• Part 1: Getting started
• Part 2: Choose your delivery methods
• Part 3: Delivery options and sending (this article)

In this article you'll learn how to:

• Select languages for the translation feature
• Send an emergency message at the highest priority
• Schedule a message or send it now
• Use advanced options: change the sender organization, message category, reply-to, custom caller ID, send to all delivery addresses, deliver to parents of included students, skip header/footer prompts for voice calls, make a message public, and add merge tags.

Translate your message

Translating school and district messages supports inclusivity, accessibility, engagement, equity, and better communication for all families. Consider the Auto-translate on Send option, which is off by default.

For full details, see "Translate your message into recipients' languages."

Advanced options

Use Advanced options to fine-tune how messages are sent, manage recipient numbers, control who can resend the message later, and more.

• Sender organization: Select a different school or building to send this message from.
• Message category: Change the category where a message is housed and located.
• Custom reply-to: Overrides the reply-to email attached to the sender's account.
• Custom Caller ID: Overrides the caller ID phone number attached to the sender's account.
• Sending options:

  • Send to all delivery addresses: Sends the message to every number available for every user.

    Important Note: 

    Only check this box for emergency messages.

  • Deliver to parents of students: Includes the parents and guardians connected to any student recipients.
  • Skip header/footer prompts for outbound calls: Checked by default so header and footer audio isn't included in calls. Clear this option if you do want the header and footer played.
  • Allow others to send this message (public): Lets other authorized users send this message publicly.
  • Use merge tags with audio: Includes merge tags in the audio portion of your message.

Send an emergency message

Set the message to Emergency when it needs to go out immediately to your district community.

• Under Commission rules, "emergency purposes" means calls made necessary in any situation affecting the health and safety of consumers.
• Toggle Emergency message on.
• Choose your emergency settings by checking or clearing each box:
  • Send message immediately
  • Ignore system blackout hours
  • Send to all recipient numbers
• Click Confirm. The message will send as an emergency, ignoring all subscription settings and preferences set by users.

Schedule or send now

Choose when your message will go out.

• Send message: Want to send immediately? Click Send message whenever you're ready.
• Now: Click the Now button to schedule your message.
  • Select a date and time when your message should be sent.
  • Click the + sign to schedule multiple staggered sends. For example, you can remind your community about an event three times on different days.

You're done!

That wraps up the message creation workflow. To revisit any step, head back to Part 1: Getting started or Part 2: Choose your delivery methods.