---
schema_version: "1"
id: c82db73aa3924cafbb25610cf35656fb5b4205acd0eee4b47457d7c681dd5419
title: Enable Custom SMS Messages
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/mktg/264-0-0/mc_dm_enable_custom_sms_messages.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_dm_enable_custom_sms_messages.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: ef3e2ea03e1d56c3832850142e5b837826948aa97ba59952d3090c82c3a263d5
description: Add AMPscript to SMS messages to allow a user to write and send a custom SMS message through Distributed Marketing. SMS messages are sent through journeys using the MobileConnect SMS message activity.
products:
  - Marketing
  - Cross Cloud
release: "264"
---
# Enable Custom SMS Messages

Add AMPscript to SMS messages to allow a user to write and send a custom SMS message through Distributed Marketing. SMS messages are sent through journeys using the MobileConnect SMS message activity.

### Required Editions

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small permission">
        <colgroup>
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            <th scope="colgroup" class="slds-cell-wrap" colspan="2" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:top;" id="d29471e38">User Permissions Needed</th>
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        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="User Permissions Needed" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d29471e38 ">To enable a custom SMS message:</td>

            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d29471e38 ">Access to App Builder or Experience Builder</td>

          </tr>
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      </table>

Considerations:

- Custom SMS messages are available in all Quick Send workflows except Quick Send Bulk Send where SMS isn’t supported.
- The default maximum character limit is 160. You can configure this limit to up to 500 characters in [Settings](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_dm_manage_settings.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Distributed Marketing allows you to enhance your CRM with Marketing Cloud Engagement content to send relevant, on-brand content at every touchpoint. With administrator access, typically granted to marketers, connect a Marketing Cloud Engagement journey to a campaign, enable Quick Send, and customize Distributed Marketing to fit your needs.").
- Distributed Marketing is optimized for GSM characters only. Distributed Marketing doesn’t programmatically prevent users from entering or sending non-GSM characters. However, the maximum character count doesn’t automatically update to reflect new character limits per message. If a user includes non-GSM characters, up to three messages can be sent.

To enable a custom SMS message, configure an SMS message activity with the following settings in Journey Builder:

1. In Message Definition, enter this AMPscript in the message:
    
    ```
    %%[Set @smsValue = AttributeValue("smsValue")]%%%%=v(@smsValue)=%%
    ```
2. In Delivery Options, select the **Send only to contacts who are subscribed currently** subscriber option-in option.
3. Finish creating the SMS activity.
    
    ![Note](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-mktg-mc_cross-cloud_products-264-0-0-production-enus/bd617332-480f-48e8-b283-3477883c1320/images/icon_note.png)
    
    Note smsValue must be included in the journey’s entry event data extension.

#### See Also

- [Create Entry Event Data Extension](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_dm_create_entry_event_data_extension.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Create a standard, sendable data extension that captures information from the approved contacts that you use for journey messaging. For example, capture the sender email address and ID.")
- [Create the SMS Activity in Journey Builder](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_configure_sms_in_journey_builder.htm&language=en_US)