Send SMS Messages with the Webhook Play Step

In this article, we'll walk you through using the Call Webhook play step to send SMS messages to your customers using Zapier as a pass-through service. 

• NOTE: For this article, we will be using Twilio as the SMS service. Instruction will be specific to Twilio. If you use another SMS service, please refer to your service's documentation or support teams for more configuration information. 

This setup includes a number of steps between Zapier, ChurnZero, and the SMS service. Use the links below to move between the sections: 

• Configure In Zapier
• Configure in ChurnZero
• Confirm Configuration in Zapier
• Configure SMS Service Action
• Finish Configuration in ChurnZero

Configure In Zapier: 

1. Log in to Zapier, then click the Create button at the top left corner of the Zapier home screen. 
2. Click on Zaps. 
   
3. Create a new Zap in the folder of your choice. Click the Create button at the top right of the folder (in this example, we're using the Default folder), then select New Zap. 
   
4. You'll see two steps in the Zap editor: a Trigger, and an Action. These are set up by default.
   
   
   • Trigger: The event that starts your Zap.
   •  Action: The event the Zap performs as a result of the trigger. 
5. Click the Trigger, then choose Webhooks by Zapier. (For more information, see Zapier's webhook documentation.) 
   
6. Configure your Trigger. To allow ChurnZero to send webhooks to Zapier, choose Catch Hook, then click Continue. 
   
7. A new Trigger option automatically opens, but this does not apply to our process. Click Continue. 
   
8. Zapier provides a Webhook URL. Copy this URL. 
   

Configure In ChurnZero: 

1. After following the process above, log in to ChurnZero and create a new play (or edit an existing one). 
2. Add a new Call Webhook play step. 
3. In the Call Webhook section, paste the URL you copied from Zapier into the URL field. 
   
4. Click the Add Post Data button. 
5. In the Post Data fields, configure your SMS settings:
   • In this example, we're configuring two fields:
      
     1. phoneNumber: Represents the phone number you want to send the message to
     2. messageData: Represents the content of the message you want to send.
   • Merge fields and hard-coded information can be included in post data. Merge fields should be used for information known in ChurnZero (like the contact's phone number). Hard-coded data should be used for information specific to the play step (like the content of the SMS message). 
     • Required fields vary between SMS services, so be sure to follow Zapier's configuration instructions for your specific SMS service. 
6.  Click the Test Webhook button. This sends a test message to Zapier. 

Confirm in Zapier: 

1. Return to the Catch Hook step in Zapier and click the Test Trigger button. 
   
2. You should see a request from ChurnZero that looks something like this: 
   
3. Click Continue with selected record.  
   

Configure SMS Service Action: 

Once ChurnZero and Zapier are communicating, it's time to tell Zapier what to do when someone calls the webhook. Remember, we will be following the steps for sending messages through Twilio. Please refer to your SMS service's documentation or support team for specific integration instructions. 

1. In Zapier, change the action of your Zap. In the search bar of the Change action screen, search for Twilio and then select it from the list that appears. 
   
2. Using the Event dropdown, select Send SMS. Then, click Continue. 
   
3. You will be asked to sign in to your Twilio account. Sign in, authorize Zapier, then click Continue. 
4. Configure the SMS settings so that the From Number field reflects the number you want to send the message from. In the To Number field, choose the number field that was sent to Zapier from the ChurnZero Webhook play step test. 
   
5. In the Message field, select the message data sent from the ChurnZero webhook. 
   
6. Click Continue. 
7. You can test your step to make sure the action is configured properly. Then, when you're ready, publish your Zap. 
   

Finish Configuration in ChurnZero

The last thing you need to do to complete this workflow is to return to ChurnZero. Finish configuring your play as you wish. Then, when you're ready, set the play to Active.