MAAC SMS Broadcast supports two message formats, SMS (plain-text message) and MMS (multimedia message), giving brands a high-reach mobile channel for engaging consumers.
SMS: Delivers information as plain text. Suitable for short messages and notifications.
MMS: Supports an image and a subject line, for more visually engaging marketing content.
Both formats work with MAAC click tracking and auto-tagging.
| Feature | SMS | MMS |
|---|---|---|
| Message format | Text only | Subject + text + image |
| Click tracking | ✅ | ✅ |
| Auto-tagging | ✅ | ✅ |
| Reporting |
Messages sent Messages sent Click rate Failed delivery report |
Messages sent Messages sent Click rate Failed delivery report |
| Google Analytics (UTM) | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
🚨 Usage restrictions
If your brand has purchased only the "MAAC SMS Broadcast" feature (without the full MAAC platform plan), only SMS-related modules are available, and some advanced features cannot be used.
Available features:
- 【Audience】Import contacts by phone number (select the SMS channel during the import flow to create SMS contacts) Use tags to categorize contacts, then create segments and send SMS broadcasts.
- 【Broadcast】Send SMS broadcasts (SMS / MMS)
There are two ways to create SMS contacts:
- Import into the SMS channel: In 【Select channel】, choose your SMS channel, then choose the import method.
- Create them while importing a list into another channel: "Phone" must already be set as a unify key in the Admin Center, and 【Auto-create SMS contacts】 must be enabled under 【Organization settings】>【Contacts】. When it is enabled, importing a contact or saving a contact profile automatically creates an SMS contact if a valid phone number (E.164 format) is provided. When it is disabled, SMS contacts can only be created manually by importing into the SMS channel.
Existing segments and scheduled SMS campaigns do not need to be recreated or adjusted. Auto-creation applies only to contacts imported or synced afterwards. For contacts already in the system, export their phone numbers and then import them into the SMS channel.
For detailed steps, see Tutorial | Creating and Managing SMS Contacts.
The complete workflow for sending an SMS broadcast is below. Complete each step in order:
Complete the SMS top-up
Create the segment conditions
Create and send the SMS broadcast
View the broadcast report
Step 1: Complete the SMS top-up
Before sending an SMS broadcast, confirm that your account has available SMS points.
Path:
Click your avatar at the top right of MAAC > go to 【Billing】> check your MAAC point balance
⚠️ Note:
- If points are > 0 but not enough to complete this send, the system still finishes the send and the balance is deducted into negative.
- While the balance is negative, no new send can be started.For the 【Top-up application process】, see 👉 Feature Description｜Account Credits and Billing Management
Step 2: Select a segment
There are three ways to build a segment before sending an SMS broadcast. Choose according to where your list comes from and what you need:
| Method | When to use | Segment creation |
|---|---|---|
| Use an existing MAAC segment | The list is already in MAAC and can be filtered by tags, interaction records, and other conditions | Create it in 【Segment】 |
| Import phone numbers and create a segment | You have a list of phone numbers and want to complete the import and the segment in one pass | Created during the import |
| Import through the SMS channel | You need to create or bulk-update SMS contacts and bring in display names, tags, and other fields | Create it in 【Segment】 after the import |
Each option is explained below:
1. Use an existing MAAC segment / create a segment from MAAC conditions
-
Path:Go to 【Segment】> 【+ Create】 to add a segment
Available conditions include tags, engagement records, and list imports.
📖 Review: Feature Guide｜LINE Broadcast
2. Import phone numbers directly and create the phone number list as a new segment
This path uses 【Phone】 as the key value, and the imported numbers also create the corresponding SMS contacts.
Path:
-
Go to MAAC 【Audience】> 【Contacts】 > click 【Import】 at the top right
-
Select: 【Import data manually】
-
Key value: select 【Phone】
-
Choose how to import the phone numbers:
- Create a segment and give it a name
⚠️ To tag the imported contacts, add tags in the 【Add tags】 field below- Upload phone numbers
- Click Next, then click 【Add】 on the right > paste the phone numbers directly to add them
- After finishing, click 【Add】 to import. The newly created segment then appears on the Segment page.
3. Import a list through the SMS channel, then create a segment
Go to 【Audience】>【Contacts】>【Import】 and select the SMS channel. This creates or bulk-updates SMS contacts and brings in display names, tags, and other fields. This path does not create a segment at the same time; after the import finishes, go to 【Segment】 and create one using tag or list-import conditions.
👉 For the import template fields, batch limits, and how failures are handled, see:Tutorial | Creating and Managing SMS Contacts
Step 3: Create and send the SMS broadcast
-
Log in to MAAC → Message Center → Broadcast → SMS Broadcast (SMS/MMS Broadcast)
-
Click 【Create】 at the top right to start a message draft. Enter a name, select a segment, choose the SMS or MMS message type under 【Channel】, then click 【Next】 to start entering the message content:
- SMS/MMS message types:
- SMS: Enter plain text content (recommended within 70 characters; short links and parameter tags can be inserted)
- MMS: Add a subject, text content, and an image (one image supported)
- You can insert a short link (maac.io/ short URL) in the content, and the system automatically tracks clicks and applies tags
- Links support GA4/SDK link tracking.
- To measure performance with GA4 or SDK, confirm that GA4 or SDK setup is complete in MAAC.
- Tagging settings (skip if not needed): choose a tag to apply automatically after a link is clicked. Contacts who click the SMS/MMS link are tagged automatically.
- Click "Preview" to check the content, then set the send time and target audience to finish the setup
- Send time: send immediately or schedule the send
After an SMS broadcast is sent, the report page shows the delivery results and engagement.
Path
- Go to 【Broadcast】 > 【SMS Broadcast SMS/MMS】 > click the broadcast record
- The report includes:
- The segment used by the broadcast, and the total sends / segment size
- Delivered count
- Delivery rate (delivered count / segment size)
- Clicks (a MAAC short link is required for tracking)
- Failed delivery count and failure report
- SMS broadcast performance: delivered count / delivery rate & link clicks / click rate
Report field definitions
Broadcast delivery status:
| Status | Status definition |
|---|---|
| Draft | The broadcast has not been scheduled. The content can still be edited. |
| Scheduled | The broadcast is scheduled. The schedule can be paused and the content can still be edited. |
| Sending | The broadcast is being sent. |
| Sent | The broadcast has finished sending. |
| Failed | The broadcast failed because of a segment calculation error, a MAAC system error, or a similar issue. |
- Estimated sends: The number of SMS messages expected to be sent. This total already excludes duplicate phone numbers and contacts without a phone number.An SMS contact is uniquely identified by its phone number, so the same number has only one record in the account.
- Pending delivery: The number of messages with no delivery status yet after sending. For details, see: FAQs｜"Pending" and "Failed" statuses in the SMS broadcast report
- Failed delivery: The number of SMS messages that were not delivered to contacts. Click "Failed delivery report" to download the report and review the failure reason for each record.
Engagement report:
Field name |
Definition |
| Click rate |
The share of sent SMS messages in which the short link was clicked, counting repeat clicks. Repeat click rate = repeat clicks ÷ delivered SMS × 100% |
| Unique click rate |
The share of sent SMS messages in which the short link received a unique click. Unique click rate = unique clicks ÷ delivered SMS × 100% Unique clicks are calculated by MAAC from the contacts' actual short-link click records. No GA4 or SDK tracking code is required. |
| Add to cart | The number of add-to-cart events tracked by the GA4 or SDK tracking code. |
| Orders | The number of purchase events tracked by the GA4 or SDK tracking code. |
| Revenue | The total revenue of purchase events tracked by the GA4 or SDK tracking code. |
Report update times
【SMS Broadcast page】
- Delivery status: updates every 5 minutes after sending.
- Message delivery rate: updates every 5 minutes after the send starts.
- Within 2 hours of sending, more than 80% of the delivery records are updated. No further updates are made more than 48 hours after sending.
- Message click rate: updates on the hour after sending.
【SMS broadcast report】
- Engagement: Click data updates hourly after a successful send.
- Performance: Performance data updates hourly after a successful send.
For every SMS broadcast, the total number of message units is shown in the Broadcast list.
SMS billing and points are explained below
| Type | Unit | Description |
|---|---|---|
| SMS | 1 unit per message (depends on the character count) | Plain text message |
| MMS |
Approx. 3–5 units per message
|
Includes image transmission and a subject field |
Sending rules and important notes
SMS content and billing rules
- If the SMS content exceeds 70 characters, the system automatically splits the message by its actual length and bills each part separately.
- Each message can contain at most 300 characters (full-width and half-width characters each count as 1).
- MAAC short link notes:
- A short link is 27 characters long, and the system automatically adds one space before and after it, occupying 29 characters in total.
- To keep a single message within 70 characters, keep the text outside the short link within 41 characters.
- International SMS is billed at 5× the Taiwan SMS rate. Note the sending cost for overseas lists.
- SMS copy that contains sensitive words may be rejected by carriers. See 👉 The reason for SMS sending failure
Tags and tagging behavior
- If the sending list contains duplicate phone numbers, the system sends only to the most recently engaged contact.
- Example: contact A last engaged at 5/20 14:00 and contact B at 5/19 19:00, so the message is sent only to contact A.
- If a tag is renamed or deleted, the change is synced to or removed from the broadcast report and the contact data.
Taiwan-specific regulations (NCC requirements)
In accordance with the latest announcement from the National Communications Commission (NCC), two additional rules apply to commercial SMS.
Prepare in advance so that your message delivery is not affected.
Whitelist application form: SMS link & brand whitelist application
👉 Brand name disclosure rule
(Effective December 1, 2025)
To help recipients identify the sender, the SMS content must clearly disclose the brand name, company name, or campaign name.
If the brand name is not disclosed, carriers may treat the message as abnormal or reject it.
Examples:
| Type | Example |
|---|---|
| ✅ Correct | 【Crescendo Lab】Thank you for registering. Click the link below for details: xxxx |
| ❌ Incorrect | Thank you for registering. Click the link below for details: xxxx (brand name not disclosed) |
👉 URL (domain) whitelist rule
(Fully effective from November 15, 2024)
All SMS messages that contain a URL must first complete the "URL (domain) whitelist application". Messages whose URLs are not registered will be rejected by carriers.
Application notes:
The URL must be a domain owned by the brand (for example, www.yourbrand.com) and must open a publicly accessible page. The URL must not require login or special permissions. Free URL shortening services (such as bit.ly, reurl.cc, and pse.is) are not accepted and will fail review. Review takes about 14–20 working days, so apply early.
Prohibited domains (including but not limited to)
facebook.com, line.me, lin.ee, liff.line.me, instagram.com, tiktok.com, youtube.com,
forms.gle, surveycake.com, tinyurl.com, pse.is, reurl.cc, bit.ly, goo.gl, is.gd,
lihi.cc, lihi1.com, lihi2.com, lihi1.me, and ppt.cc.
⚠️ If your brand uses a third-party URL shortening service, ask the provider to remove the restricted domains listed above, otherwise the SMS may be blocked or returned.
FAQ
SMS
Q: What is the maximum number of characters in an SMS?
A: A single SMS can contain up to 70 Chinese characters or 160 alphanumeric characters.
If the content exceeds 70 characters, the system splits it into multiple messages by length and bills each one separately.
Q2: Can an SMS contain a link?
A: Yes. You can use the MAAC short link.
A short link is 27 characters long, and the system automatically adds one space before and after it, for a total of 29 characters.
To keep the whole message within 70 characters as a single message, keep the text outside the short link within 41 characters.
Q: How are SMS fees calculated?
A: SMS is billed per unit, and points are deducted based on the number of messages actually sent.
For international SMS, the fee is charged at 5× the Taiwan SMS unit price.
Q: What words or content should I watch out for when sending?
A: SMS copy that contains sensitive words may be rejected by carriers.
Q: Will a duplicate phone number receive the message more than once?
A: No. If the list contains duplicate numbers, the system sends only to the most recently engaged contact.An SMS contact is uniquely identified by its phone number, so a given number has only one SMS contact in the account.
Q: Are there legal restrictions on using links in SMS?
A: Yes. Under the latest NCC announcement, every SMS that contains a URL must first pass the "URL (domain) whitelist" application, otherwise it may be rejected.
Free URL shorteners (such as bit.ly, reurl.cc, and pse.is) are prohibited. See "Taiwan-specific regulations (NCC requirements)" above.
Q: Why was my SMS not delivered?
A: A delivery failure can have several causes. Check them one by one:
- The SMS link did not pass whitelist review. If the message contains a URL that has not been approved, carriers treat it as suspected fraud or a sensitive message and reject it.
- The message content contains sensitive words. If the copy contains prohibited keywords or keywords monitored by carriers, the SMS may be intercepted or returned.
- The recipient's device or signal has a problem. If the recipient's phone is off, the signal is weak, SMS is not working, or the device temporarily cannot receive messages, the SMS shows as not delivered.
- The phone number is invalid or deactivated. If the recipient's number is unassigned or deactivated, or a carrier system error (including base station issues) prevents delivery, the send also fails.
- The recipient is blacklisted. If the recipient's number is on the carrier blacklist, the message is blocked automatically and cannot be sent.
MMS
Q: What is the difference between MMS and SMS?
A: SMS is a plain text message. MMS can include a subject, text, and an image, which makes the message more engaging.
Q: How many images can MMS include?
A: Currently only 1 image is supported, in jpg / png / gif format, with a total size of no more than 300 KB.
Q10: Can MMS include multiple links?
A: Yes, but we recommend including only 1 main CTA link to improve the click rate and tracking accuracy.
Q: Does MMS support Google Analytics (GA)?
A: No. MMS click tracking uses MAAC's built-in short link mechanism, and tags can be used at the same time.
Q: Does MMS look the same on every phone?
A: Not exactly. The display order of the image, subject, and body text can differ slightly between devices.
Q: Which industries are a good fit for MMS?
A: Retail, beauty, department stores, food and beverage, and e-commerce — industries that rely on visual appeal — are especially well suited to MMS for improving click and conversion rates.