Our ActiveCampaign integration allows you to automate SMS, MMS, letters, and postcards — making your campaigns more impactful and timely.
Here are some common ways it's used:
Appointment Reminders: Send an SMS the day before a scheduled event.
Abandoned Deals: Send a follow-up SMS when a deal is stalled.
Welcome Mail: Send a postcard to new subscribers.
Opt-Out Handling: Use inbound triggers to manage opt-out keywords.
Connect ClickSend to ActiveCampaign
Before you start, you'll need active accounts with ClickSend and ActiveCampaign.
You only need to connect once — the connection will be saved and used across all of your automations.
You'll need your ClickSend API Key. Find this in the ClickSend Dashboard under Developers > API Credentials or via the key icon in the top-right.
Log in to your ActiveCampaign account.
From the left-hand menu, go to Apps.
Search for ClickSend and select the integration.
When prompted, enter your ClickSend API key.
Click Connect.
Sending SMS with ActiveCampaign
Go to Automations in ActiveCampaign.
Open an existing automation, or create a new one.
Add a new action step and select CX App > ClickSend SMS.
Configure the SMS action:
Select your Sender ID.
Write your message and personalise it with merge tags such as
%FIRSTNAME%.Shorten any URL's you've included in your message text to save character space.
Choose whether you'd like to log the message in the contact's activity stream.
Save your changes.
Visit SMS > Sent in the ClickSend Dashboard to view your sent messages.
Sending MMS with ActiveCampaign (New Feature)
ClickSend’s Send an MMS action can be performed in ActiveCampaign CX Apps. With this feature, you can:
Send MMS by adding an Image URL field.
Automate MMS messages using shared or dedicated Sender IDs.
Send MMS to supported countries: United States, Canada, Australia, and Puerto Rico.
How to Set Up MMS Sending
Go to Automations in ActiveCampaign.
Add a new action step and select CX App > ClickSend - Send an MMS.
Connect your ClickSend account with your Username + API Key (if not already connected).
Configure your MMS action:
Sender ID: Choose a Shared or Dedicated number. If left blank, a shared number will be used.
Opt-out list (optional): Select an opt-out list to automatically capture unsubscribes.
Image URL: Use the ClickSend MMS Upload Portal to upload your image and generate a URL (supports .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .gif).
Message Content: Add a subject and message (up to 1,500 characters).
Click Finish to save your MMS action.
Testing Your MMS Automation
Go to Contacts in ActiveCampaign.
Add the trigger tag (e.g., Join) to a test contact.
Check the Activity section of the contact page to verify the MMS was sent.
Opt-out Automation for ActiveCampaign (Inbound SMS)
Overview
Opt-out automation for ActiveCampaign is handled through ClickSend inbound SMS rules. When a contact replies with an opt-out keyword (such as STOP), ClickSend adds the number to an opt-out list and prevents future messages from being sent to that recipient.
Opt-out status is not synced back to ActiveCampaign, but ClickSend will always check the opt-out list before sending any SMS.
How opt-out works
An inbound opt-out rule is created and enabled in ClickSend Messaging Settings.
An automated SMS is triggered from an ActiveCampaign workflow.
Before sending, ClickSend checks whether the recipient’s number exists in the ClickSend opt-out list.
If the contact replies with STOP:
ClickSend receives the inbound message.
The contact is created or moved into the selected opt-out list.
Because there is no bi-directional sync, the contact’s status in ActiveCampaign does not change.
Even if a contact appears active in ActiveCampaign, ClickSend will block SMS delivery if the number is opted out in ClickSend.
Before you start
Make sure the following are true:
At least one inbound opt-out rule is enabled
(either Create Contact or Move Contact)The same contact list is selected in:
Your ActiveCampaign automation, and
Your ClickSend inbound opt-out rule
If different contact lists are selected, the recipient may still receive messages after replying STOP.
Choosing the correct inbound rule
Move Contact
Use this option if contacts are saved in both ClickSend and ActiveCampaign.
What happens:
When a contact replies STOP, ClickSend finds the existing contact and moves them into the Opt-out List.
Create Contact
Use this option if contacts exist only in ActiveCampaign and are not stored in ClickSend.
What happens:
When a contact replies STOP, ClickSend creates a new contact and saves them directly into the Opt-out List.
✅ Only one of these rules needs to be enabled for opt-out to work.
Set up the opt-out inbound rule
Step 1: Open Messaging Settings
Log in to your ClickSend Dashboard
Click your profile icon (top right)
Select Messaging Settings
Step 2: Create the inbound rule
Click Add New Rule
Under Match For, select Message contains
In Search Term, enter: STOP
Step 3: Configure the action
Choose one action based on your setup:
Move Contact
Action: Move Contact
Contact List: Opt-out List
or
Create Contact
Action: Create Contact
Contact List: Opt-out List
Click Add to save the rule.
Step 4: Confirm the rule is enabled
Go to SMS & MMS under Messaging Settings
Confirm the opt-out rule appears in the inbound rules list
Ensure the rule status is Enabled
What happens next
Contacts who reply STOP are added to your ClickSend Opt-out List
ClickSend automatically blocks future SMS sends to those numbers
No manual updates are required in ActiveCampaign
Tips and best practices
Always test your automation with your own number before sending to contacts.
Make sure contacts have opted-in to receive SMS messages.
Monitor your SMS usage to avoid unexpected charges.
How to Use 2-Way SMS (New!)
Overview
2-Way SMS Messaging lets you send and receive SMS messages directly from an ActiveCampaign contact record, creating a Messenger-style conversation experience.
Inbound replies are automatically logged alongside outbound messages, making it easy to track conversations, respond in real time, and manage all SMS interactions without leaving ActiveCampaign.
Accessing 2-Way Messaging
For existing ClickSend users:
The new ClickSend SMS connector is automatically applied. After the update, the 2-Way Messaging panel will appear in every contact record — no setup needed.
For new ClickSend users:
Go to Apps in ActiveCampaign.
Search for ClickSend Messaging and click Install.
Log in using your ClickSend credentials.
Once connected, the panel will appear in every contact record.
Sending an SMS
Open a contact record.
Click the ClickSend 2-Way Messaging panel.
Compose your message.
(Optional) Apply personalization tags: First Name, Last Name, Email, Phone.
(Optional) Apply SMS template to your message.
Select a Sender ID from the available numbers or Alpha tags.
Click Send.
A standard SMS contains 160 characters. Longer messages may be sent as multiple SMS segments.
Receiving Replies
Inbound messages appear in the same conversation thread.
Replies can trigger ActiveCampaign workflows if configured.
Scroll to see full conversation history (up to 4 months).
Managing Multiple ClickSend Accounts
If connected to multiple ClickSend accounts, use the sub-account selector to view messages per account.
Each account’s threads remain separate to avoid mixing conversations.
Handling Failed Messages
If a message fails to send, an error message will appear. Common issues include:
Incorrect credentials
Insufficient account balance
Invalid mobile number format
Sending to a disabled country
Invalid sender ID
You can update the message or sender details and click Send again to retry.
Troubleshooting
2-Way Messaging panel not appearing
Ensure you have selected the ClickSend Messaging connector from the App Marketplace and connected it to your ClickSend account.
Refresh the contact record page. (Press F5 or reload the page.)
Message fails to send
Check that the Sender ID is valid and SMS-enabled. (Quick Fix: Verify in ClickSend under Sender IDs.)
Ensure the contact’s phone number is correctly formatted. (Quick Fix: Use international format, e.g., +1XXXXXXXXXX.)
Verify your ClickSend account has sufficient balance. (Quick Fix: Top up account balance if low.)
Unable to receive inbound messages
Confirm your number is enabled for 2-way messaging. This works for both shared and dedicated numbers. (Quick Fix: Check number settings in ClickSend. Ensure you haven’t selected an alpha tag and that the receiving country supports replies.)
Make sure ActiveCampaign workflows aren’t filtering messages incorrectly. (Quick Fix: Review workflow filters or disable temporarily.)
Webhooks after API key regeneration
Old webhooks remain active. (Quick Fix: Manually delete old webhooks in ClickSend and ensure only the new one is active.
Need help?
If you run into any issues, contact ClickSend support. You can also refer to the ClickSend Developer Docs for more detailed API information.
FAQs
Do I need to install the ClickSend Messaging connector if I’m an existing user?
Do I need to install the ClickSend Messaging connector if I’m an existing user?
Yes. All users should install the new app. Once installed, the 2-way messaging panel will automatically appear in all contact records.
Can I send SMS to multiple contacts at once?
Can I send SMS to multiple contacts at once?
2-Way Messaging is designed for 1:1 conversations. For bulk messages, use ActiveCampaign workflows with ClickSend automation.
How long is conversation history stored?
How long is conversation history stored?
Message history is stored for up to 4 months.
Can I merge workflow messages and 1:1 messages?
Can I merge workflow messages and 1:1 messages?
All messages appear in the same conversation modal, so you can view them together. Inline tags indicate whether a message came from a workflow or a manual 1:1 reply. No additional merging is needed.
What if I have multiple ClickSend accounts?
What if I have multiple ClickSend accounts?
Use the sub-account selector to view messages for each account separately. Threads remain separate per account.