This guide explains how to set up SMS marketing using Bird through the Grafterr Admin Panel. By integrating Bird as your SMS provider, businesses can send targeted marketing messages, promotions, and notifications to customers who have opted in to receive communications.
Whether you are creating a new Bird account or planning to connect an existing one, this guide will help you understand the process of setting up the platform so that you can start using SMS marketing effectively.
Important: Bird is the new platform replacing the legacy MessageBird service. If you already have an account on the older MessageBird platform, you will need to follow a different integration guide available in the Grafterr Admin Panel.
Creating an account with Bird:
To begin using Bird for SMS marketing, you must first create a Bird account. Follow the steps below to set up your account:
Start by creating an account through the official sign-up page of Bird:
https://app.bird.com/auth/sign-upOnce you open the link, you will be directed to the Bird sign-up page. Here, you can create your account using either your email address or your Google account. After entering your details, tick the checkbox to accept the terms and conditions, and then click “Sign Up.”
Post sign-up, the platform will ask you to enter your name and mobile number. Bird will send a one-time verification code (OTP) to your phone via SMS. Enter this code in the required field to confirm your mobile number and continue with the setup.
Next, you will be prompted to enter your business name and website domain. This helps Bird identify your business and configure your account correctly.
On the following screen, you will be asked to provide some additional details about your organisation.
This includes selecting your business industry, approximate company size, and the region where your data should be stored.
It is recommended to select Europe as the data storage location, as this helps meet both local and international compliance requirements.
Bird will then ask what brought you to their platform. For this setup, select Marketing Automation as the primary purpose. After that, choose the type of business you operate and select SMS when asked how you want to reach your customers. This ensures that your account is configured with the correct messaging tools needed to run SMS marketing campaigns.
Once these steps are completed, your Bird workspace will be ready. You can then follow the guided onboarding tour provided by the platform to familiarise yourself with the dashboard and add funds to your account.
During this process, you may notice a yellow notification bar at the top of the Bird dashboard prompting you to add funds to your account. You can click on this notification or navigate to the Billing section within the Settings menu to add credits. Select the amount you wish to add and complete the payment process.
It is important to note that SMS campaigns will not be sent unless your Bird account has sufficient credits. Therefore, make sure your account is topped up before attempting to send marketing messages.
Now in order to connect your Bird account with the Grafterr Admin Panel, you must collect three essential credentials from Bird platform. These include the Workspace ID, Channel ID, and Access Key. These values are required for authentication and message routing so that SMS campaigns can be sent successfully through the integration.
Navigating to your Workspace ID:
In order to locate your Workspace ID in Bird, follow the steps below:
Once you are logged in, look at the navigation panel on the left side of the screen and scroll down to the bottom. Click on “Settings.” Within the settings page, locate the “Workspaces” option under the General section and click on it.
When you open this section, you should see a workspace that is automatically created by default when your Bird account is set up.
If a workspace is not already available, you can create a new one by selecting the option to add a workspace.
Click on Edit for the workspace to view and manage its details. In the workspace settings, ensure that the Default Country is set to the United Kingdom and that the Timezone is configured as UK/London. These settings help ensure that messaging operations and scheduling align with the correct regional configuration.
You may also add a short description for the workspace, such as your restaurant name or brand name, to make it easier to identify later. After confirming the settings, save the changes.
At the top of the workspace settings page, you will see the Workspace ID. Copy this value and store it securely, as it will be required when configuring the Bird integration inside the Grafterr Admin Panel.
Setting up your SMS Sender ID:
Once you have located your Workspace ID, the next step is to configure your SMS Sender ID and obtain the Channel ID required for sending messages:
From the left-hand navigation menu in Bird, go to the "Developer" section and select “Set up an originator.” This option allows you to create a sender identity that will appear when your SMS messages are delivered to customers.
Next, click on “Request” under the Alphanumeric block, and then select “Request Alphanumeric Sender.” This will open a request form where you can configure your Sender ID.
In the Sender Name field, enter your business or restaurant name. This is the name that customers will see as the sender of your SMS messages.
For the Country, select United Kingdom. In the Subject field, you can enter a short description such as “Creating my sender ID for my business.” In the description section, briefly explain your business or restaurant and how you plan to use SMS messaging.
To help speed up the approval process, you may optionally attach supporting documents such as business registration details or proof of business ownership. Once the request is submitted, it will be logged as a support ticket, and the Bird team will review it for approval.
After your Sender ID is approved, navigate back to the "Developer" section and select "SMS Channel", then open "SMS Setup". Here you will be able to see your Sender ID along with the corresponding Channel ID.
If a channel is not already available, click on “Set SMS Channel” in the top-right corner. You will then be guided through a short configuration process where you will need to select:
Your country of operation
The sender type
The use case (such as marketing messages)
The estimated number of messages
The number type and sender format
Once the setup is completed, review the configuration and proceed with the purchase if required.
After this process is finished, the Channel ID will be generated. Copy this value and store it safely together with your Workspace ID.
Creating your Access Key:
The final step is to create an Access Key, which will allow Grafterr to securely communicate with your Bird account:
While still in the Developer section of the Bird dashboard, locate the option “Send your first SMS.” Inside this section, you will find the option to "Create a New Access Key".
Click on “Create New Access Key.” You will then be asked to enter a few details such as:
Key Name
Description
Role or permission level
Fill in the required information and click Save to generate the key.
Once the Access Key is created, it will be displayed on the screen. Make sure to copy and store this key securely, as it will be required when connecting Bird to the Grafterr Admin Panel.
At this stage, you should have collected the following three credentials - Workspace ID, Channel ID and Access Key. Once these values are ready, you can proceed to integrate Bird with your Grafterr account.
Setting Up SMS Marketing in the Grafterr Admin Panel:
In order to integrate Bird and set up SMS Marketing via the Grafterr Admin Panel, follow the steps below:
Start by logging in to your Grafterr Admin Panel through the Grafterr website using your account credentials. After successfully logging in, look at the navigation menu on the left-hand side of the screen.
Scroll down until you locate the module called “Marketing and Engagement.” Under this section, click on the sub-module “Marketing Suite.”
Inside the Marketing Suite, you will see several options related to marketing tools, integrations, and promotional features available within Grafterr. Locate the option labeled “SMS Marketing.” Next to this option, click on “Integrate” to begin the setup process.
A setup screen will appear where you will be required to enter the credentials collected earlier from your Bird account. You will see three input fields where you need to paste the following details:
Workspace ID
Channel ID
Access Key
Carefully paste each value into the corresponding field. These credentials allow Grafterr to authenticate your Bird account and route SMS messages through the correct workspace and channel.
Once all the details have been entered, click on the “Connect to Bird” button.
If the credentials are correct, the system will successfully establish the connection between Grafterr and Bird. Once connected, you can create and send SMS marketing campaigns to your customers.
That’s it! You have successfully learned how to set up Bird account and integrate SMS Marketing through the Grafterr Admin Panel. If you face any issues along the way, feel free to reach out to our support team.