Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure you have:
A ClickSend account
Your ClickSend API credentials
The ClickSend Contact Form 7 plugin
Install the Plugin
There are two ways to install the plugin:
Recommended (via WordPress)
Log in to your WordPress Admin Dashboard
Go to Plugins > Add New
Search for “ClickSend Contact Form 7”
Click Install and then Activate
Manual Upload
Download the plugin
In WordPress, go to Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin
Upload the .zip file, install, and activate
Authenticate Your ClickSend Account
Go to Contact > Integrations
Under ClickSend, click Change Settings
Enter your ClickSend Username and API Key
Click Save Changes
Note: Use your API key — not your account password.
Set Up SMS for a Single Form
In ClickSend SMS Settings, tick the boxes to:
Enable Customer SMS
Enable Admin SMS
Write your messages:
Customer messages are sent to the form submitter
Admin messages notify you or your team
Use placeholders like
{{_name}}to personalise messagesClick Save
Note: A standard SMS is 160 characters. You can send up to 1,224 characters (8 messages). You’ll be charged per SMS segment.
Send SMS from a business name?
You can use an Alpha Tag (like your business name) as the sender instead of a number
Must be 11 characters or fewer, no spaces
[Buy a dedicated number here] to receive replies
Set Up SMS for Multiple Forms or Pages
Go to Contact > Create Messages
Select the form(s) and page(s) where you want SMS to be sent
Compose separate Customer and Admin messages
Use placeholders like
{{_name}}or{{_id}}Click Save
Note: If messages are saved both in Create Messages and ClickSend SMS Settings, the Custom Messages will be used.
Add Custom Placeholders
Want to include extra info from your form submissions?
In the form builder, find the field name (e.g., text-82)
In your message content, use
{{text-82}}as a placeholderThis will pull the actual value entered by the user
Example: If the field is for “Company Name,” using {{text-82}} will show the submitted value.
Troubleshooting
Check the following if something isn’t working:
Authentication: Use your username and API key, not your password
Balance: Check and top up your account
Required fields: Make sure the form includes both a phone number and a message body
Alpha Tag issues:
Max 11 characters, no spaces
Not all countries support Alpha Tags. [See supported countries]
FAQs
Can I send messages from a business name/Alpha Tag?
Yes — but only in countries that support it.
Make sure your Alpha Tag is 11 characters or fewer, with no spaces.
[Check supported countries here]
How can I view replies to my messages?
Go to your SMS History here to view inbound and outbound messages.