How to Send Text Messages With PHP

This tutorial shows you how to send SMS messages using PHP. While simple methods exist, for larger-scale messaging, consider professional solutions.

Premium Option: Smart SMS & Email Manager (SSEM)

Before diving into coding, explore SSEM on CodeCanyon. This comprehensive script offers contact management, template creation, bulk messaging, scheduling, and more.

How SMS Messaging Works

Sending an SMS involves several steps:

1. Your web application (on an HTTP server) composes the message.
2. The message is sent as an email to an SMS Gateway.
3. The Gateway converts the email to an SMS.
4. The SMS is routed by an SMSC to the recipient's mobile device.
5. The message is transmitted over the wireless network.

Most networks have SMS gateways accepting email-to-SMS messages. While generally free for developers, the recipient incurs standard SMS charges.

Email-to-SMS Method

This simple method requires:

1. The recipient's phone number.
2. The carrier's email-to-SMS domain (find a list online).

The format is usually phoneNumber@domainName.com. For example, 3855550168@vtext.com sends to 1 (385) 555-0168 on Verizon.

Sending via Gmail:

Received message:

PHP's mail() Function

PHP's mail() function can send SMS via email-to-SMS. The $to parameter specifies the recipient(s), and $message holds the text (lines under 70 characters, separated by n).

Example:

mail( '3855550168@vtext.com', '', 'Testing' );

Testing Your Setup

Test your setup using PHP. Note that email headers might be stripped and replaced by the SMS gateway.

Adding a User Interface

Let's create a simple form for easier SMS sending:

HTML:

<div id="container">
<h1>Sending SMS with PHP</h1>
<ul>
<li><label for="phoneNumber">Phone Number</label></li>
<li><label for="carrier">Carrier</label></li>
<li><label for="smsMessage">Message</label></li>
</ul>
</div>

CSS: (Styling omitted for brevity, refer to original for details)

PHP Script:

<?php
if (isset($_REQUEST) && !empty($_REQUEST)) {
    if (isset($_REQUEST['phoneNumber'], $_REQUEST['carrier'], $_REQUEST['smsMessage']) &&
        !empty($_REQUEST['phoneNumber']) && !empty($_REQUEST['carrier'])) {
        $message = wordwrap($_REQUEST['smsMessage'], 70);
        $to = $_REQUEST['phoneNumber'] . '@' . $_REQUEST['carrier'];
        $result = @mail($to, '', $message);
        print 'Message sent to ' . $to;
    } else {
        print 'Incomplete information.';
    }
}
?>

(Image of the form omitted for brevity, refer to original for details)

Troubleshooting

• Localhost Errors: Ensure a mail server is running (consider XAMPP or similar).
• PHPMailer: For more robust email sending, use PHPMailer (example code omitted for brevity, refer to original).

CodeCanyon Alternatives

CodeCanyon offers various PHP SMS scripts with advanced features:

• XeroChat: Multichannel marketing platform.
• Ultimate SMS: Bulk SMS application.
• Smart SMS and Email Manager (SSEM): SMS and email management.
• SMS Gateway: Uses your phone as a gateway.
• Nimble Messaging: SMS marketing with WhatsApp integration.

(Images of alternative scripts omitted for brevity, refer to original for details)

Conclusion

This tutorial provides a basic introduction to sending SMS via PHP. For high-volume messaging, professional SMS gateway services are recommended. Remember to consult the original article for complete code and styling details.

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