Email & SMS Setup

Overview

MartialFlow includes a built-in Communications module for messaging students, parents, and instructors by Email or SMS. There is nothing to install or configure with an outside provider — no SMTP servers, API keys, or phone number setup. Email sending is included with your subscription, and SMS works on a simple prepaid credit system.

This guide explains how the two channels work and how to get ready to send your first message.

The Communications Module

Open Communications from the main menu. The page has three tabs:

1. Send — compose and send a message to a filtered group of recipients
2. History — review previously sent messages and their delivery status
3. Templates — create and manage reusable message templates

That's the whole system — everything you need to communicate with your school community lives in these three tabs.

Email Messaging

How Email Works

• Included and ready to use — email sending is built into MartialFlow, with no server configuration required
• Rich content — compose formatted messages with the rich-text editor
• Personalization — insert variables such as {{Customer.FirstName}} that are filled in per recipient (see Message Templates)
• No per-message cost — email does not consume credits

When to Use Email

• Newsletters and school announcements
• Schedule changes and holiday closures
• Payment reminders with detail and context
• Anything longer than a couple of sentences

SMS Messaging

How SMS Works

SMS messages are sent using prepaid SMS credits:

• 1 credit = 160 characters — longer messages use multiple credits
• Your current credit balance is shown on the Send tab when SMS is selected
• The composer shows a live character count and how many credits your message will use per recipient

Buying SMS Credits

1. Go to Communications → Send
2. Select SMS as the channel
3. Your available balance is displayed — click "Buy Credits"
4. Choose a credit package in the dialog and complete the purchase
5. Credits are added to your balance immediately and never require a separate SMS provider account

When to Use SMS

• Time-sensitive alerts (class cancellations, urgent schedule changes)
• Short reminders that need to be seen quickly
• Families who don't check email regularly

SMS Tips

• Keep messages under 160 characters where possible to use a single credit per recipient
• Remember credits are consumed per recipient — a 2-credit message to 50 recipients uses 100 credits
• Send during reasonable hours and keep content essential

Choosing Between Email and SMS

A common pattern: send the full announcement by email, and reserve SMS for anything urgent or time-critical.

What MartialFlow Does Not Require

Because messaging is fully built in, you can ignore anything you may have configured with other systems:

• ❌ No SMTP/IMAP server settings, ports, or authentication
• ❌ No third-party SMS provider account (Twilio, etc.) or API keys
• ❌ No sender ID registration or phone number provisioning

If you're migrating from a system that needed these, you can skip straight to sending.

Good Practices

1. Respect contact details — keep customer email addresses and phone numbers up to date in their profiles
2. Use templates — save recurring messages as templates to stay consistent and fast
3. Target your audience — use the Send tab's filters so people only receive messages relevant to them
4. Check History — confirm delivery status after important sends
5. Follow local regulations — get appropriate consent for marketing messages and honor opt-out requests

Troubleshooting

Issue: SMS option won't send
Solution: Check your credit balance on the Send tab — buy more credits if the balance is too low for your recipient count.

Issue: A customer isn't receiving messages
Solution: Verify their email address / phone number on their customer record, and ask them to check spam folders for email.

Next Steps

1. Message Templates - Create reusable messages with personalization variables
2. Bulk Messaging - Target groups of recipients with the filter builder
3. Communication History - Review what was sent and its status

With email included and SMS credits topped up, you're ready to communicate with your whole school from one place.