Messaging Provider Setup

Clear setup guide for the message channels Holy Resource uses for reminders, updates, and replacement offers.

This page is written for first-time setup and everyday handoff.

Most standard setups on this screen are straightforward. If your church uses the Custom SMS API option, you may need help from the person who manages that provider because the setup includes request mapping details.

What this page configures

Holy Resource uses this screen to control outgoing communication for email and SMS. This supports the everyday messages your church sends through the app, including reminders, updates, notices, and other outbound communication.

The screen lets your team choose a primary sending path for each channel, with optional routing choices based on your region and delivery preferences.

Holy Resource uses one primary provider per channel, with optional routing preferences:

Primary email sender: ZeptoMail
Primary SMS sender: choose one of Telnyx, Twilio, Plivo, Africa's Talking, or Custom SMS API
Optional Africa routing preference: Africa's Talking for selected countries when enabled
Optional email fallback: Custom SMTP

If a fallback or route preference is turned off, Holy Resource simply uses the main path you configured.

Why this page matters

If your messaging setup is incomplete, Holy Resource may still create messages inside the app, but they may not reach people through email or SMS. It is worth testing this screen before your team depends on it for real communication.

Open the screen

In the app, go to Settings -> General -> Messaging Providers.

Setup Flow At A Glance

Gather Your Sending Details

Before you open the page, collect the email and SMS account details your church plans to use.

Set Up Email And SMS

Enter the main sending details for each channel and test both of them before moving on.

Add Optional Routing Or Backup Paths

If your church needs a regional route or backup email path, turn those on and fill them in.

Save And Run Real Tests

Finish by saving the screen and sending real test messages to devices your team controls.

Before you start

Before opening the setup screen, gather the account details for the providers your church plans to use. If one person handles church email and another handles SMS, collect both sets of details before you begin so you can complete the screen in one pass.

You will usually need:

ZeptoMail API key
ZeptoMail verified sender email
one SMS provider setup from this list:
- Telnyx API key and sender number in international format, for example +15551234567
- Twilio Account SID, Auth Token, and verified sender number in E.164 format
- Plivo Auth ID, Auth Token, and sender number
- Africa's Talking username, API key, and optional sender ID
- Custom SMS API request details such as endpoint URL, sign-in method, headers, and body mapping

If your team wants an email backup path, also collect:

SMTP host
SMTP port (usually 587 or 465)
SMTP username
SMTP password
SMTP from email

What the fields mean

UI label	What to enter	Example
ZeptoMail API Key	API key from ZeptoMail dashboard	`zmail_xxx`
From Email	Verified sender email	`noreply@yourchurch.org`
Primary SMS Provider	The SMS service your church wants to send from most often	`telnyx`
Telnyx API Key	API key from Telnyx dashboard	`KEYxxxx`
Telnyx Sender Number	Full international SMS number	`+15551234567`
Twilio Account SID	Account SID from Twilio	`ACxxxx`
Twilio Auth Token	Auth token from Twilio	`********`
Twilio Sender Number	Verified Twilio sender number	`+15551234567`
Plivo Auth ID	Auth ID from Plivo	`MAXXXXX`
Plivo Auth Token	Auth token from Plivo	`********`
Plivo Sender Number	Sender number from your Plivo account	`+15551234567`
Africa's Talking Username	Account username	`sandbox`
Africa's Talking API Key	API key from Africa's Talking dashboard	`ATxxxx`
Africa Sender ID	Optional branded sender ID	`HOLYRES`
Custom SMS URL	Provider endpoint Holy Resource should call	`https://api.your-sms-provider.com/send`
Custom SMS Auth Mode	How the provider expects sign-in details	`bearer`
Custom SMS Headers / Body Mapping	Extra headers and request body details for a custom API	`Authorization: Bearer ...`
Africa Route Countries	Countries that should prefer Africa's Talking	`NG`, `KE`, `UG`
Enable Africa route preference	Turn Africa routing on/off	`on`
Routing Preference	Choose the sending style that best fits your church	`cost_first`
Advanced Email Fallback	Turn SMTP fallback on/off	`off`
Custom SMTP Host	SMTP server hostname	`smtp.hostinger.com`
SMTP Port	Numeric SMTP port	`587`
SMTP Username	SMTP login username	`mailer@yourchurch.org`
SMTP Password	SMTP login password/app password	`********`
SMTP From Email	Sender email for fallback path	`noreply@yourchurch.org`

First-time setup (recommended order)

Step 1: Configure primary email (ZeptoMail)

Start with email first. Enter the sending details for the church email account you want Holy Resource to use, then run the built-in email test.

Continue only after test success.

Step 2: Configure primary SMS provider

Next, choose the SMS provider your church wants to send from most often, enter that provider's details, and run the built-in SMS test.

If the test fails, credential format or sender-number format is the most common cause on the standard provider options.

If your church uses Custom SMS API, use the guided request builder to set the endpoint, sign-in method, headers, and body mapping, then review the generated cURL preview before running the test.

Step 3: Configure optional Africa routing

If your church serves countries where you want a different SMS route, fill in the optional Africa routing section and switch it on.

If this switch is off, selected countries are ignored.

Step 4: Choose delivery strategy

Choose the sending style that best fits your ministry needs. Use cost_first if keeping message costs low matters most. Use reliability_first if stable delivery is more important than cost.

Step 5: Configure optional SMTP fallback

If you want a backup email route, turn on the fallback section, enter the SMTP details, and run the fallback test.

Important behavior:

Advanced Email Fallback = ON: SMTP fallback is enabled and used when needed.
Advanced Email Fallback = OFF: SMTP fallback is disabled, even if old SMTP values are still filled.

Security mode is automatic:

Port 465 uses secure TLS.
Port 587 uses STARTTLS.

Step 6: Save all settings

Click Save Messaging Settings and wait for the success message before closing the page.

What Good Setup Looks Like

A healthy messaging setup usually has these qualities:

Email tests send successfully.
SMS tests send successfully.
The sender identity looks correct to the recipient.
The church knows whether it prefers lower cost or stronger delivery reliability.
Optional backup settings are turned on only when the church actually intends to use them.

Routing behavior summary

`cost_first`

Use this when you want Holy Resource to prefer the lower-cost path where appropriate.

`reliability_first`

Use this when your church would rather favor the most dependable path, especially for important reminders and replacement requests.

How To Test Before Go-Live

Do not stop at a green setup screen. Run one real-world email test and one real-world SMS test using devices and inboxes your team actually controls. Then read the message the way a normal church recipient would. Check the sender name, tone, delivery speed, and whether the message feels trustworthy.

It is better to catch a confusing sender name or missing delivery path during setup than during a live church moment.

Final go-live checklist

Confirm all of the following:

All provider tests show success.
One real test email arrives in an inbox you control.
One real test SMS arrives on a phone you control.
Sender identity is correct for both email and SMS.
Routing Preference is set to your team preference.
Advanced Email Fallback is intentionally set (ON to enable SMTP backup, OFF to disable).
Settings were saved successfully.

Need help with a failed test?

Check out the Troubleshooting Guide for common issues and solutions.

Ongoing monitoring

From the same screen, review:

provider test status
month-to-date usage by channel (EMAIL, SMS)
overage units and overage amount

Run provider tests whenever credentials are changed.

Escalation handoff template

If you need help from a technical lead or support, share:

what provider failed (ZeptoMail, Telnyx, Twilio, Plivo, Africa's Talking, Custom SMS API, or SMTP)
exact step where it failed
exact field values format used (do not share raw secrets)
screenshot of the error message
whether email, SMS, or both are affected

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Messaging Provider Setup

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