A number your customers can text back
A shortcode turns a billboard, a poster or a radio ad into a conversation. Each keyword gets its own auto-reply and its own destination, so SHINDA enters people into a draw, NYUMBA captures a sales lead and MSAADA opens a support ticket. Every text lands in your portal inbox and, if you want, on your webhook.
- Dedicated or shared
- 2 waysDedicated or shared
- To launch a keyword
- DaysTo launch a keyword
- Auto-replies
- InstantAuto-replies
SHINDA → 23358
Karibu! You are entered in the SUPA Mega Draw. Winners are announced every Friday at 8pm. Text SHINDA again after each purchase for more entries.
NYUMBA → 23358
Karibu Makao Homes. 2-bedroom units from KES 4.2M. Our sales team will call you within the hour. Reply STOP to opt out.
Print the keyword on a billboard, a poster or a radio ad. Every text is answered in under a second and lands in your inbox.
Receive, route, reply, forward
Everything that happens after a customer presses send: the keyword is matched, the auto-reply goes out, and the message lands in your inbox and on your webhook.
- Dedicated shortcodes
- Your own number, registered to you alone. Short enough for a billboard, with nobody else's keywords on it.
- Shared-code keywords
- Rent a keyword like NYUMBA or SHINDA on our shared shortcode and go live in days for a fraction of a dedicated code's cost.
- Keyword routing
- Each keyword on the number is its own channel, with its own auto-reply, its own destination and its own campaign.
- Instant auto-replies
- The reply goes out within a second of the text arriving, at 2 p.m. or 2 a.m. Confirmations, price lists, entry receipts.
- Portal inbox
- Every inbound message lands in a searchable inbox in your dashboard, grouped by keyword and timestamped.
- Webhooks to your systems
- Forward each inbound text to your own endpoint as it arrives, with the sender, keyword and full message, and let your CRM, ERP or bot take it from there.
- Opt-in & STOP compliance
- Each keyword text is recorded as an opt-in. A STOP puts the number on your blacklist and every later send skips it.
- Competitions & promotions
- Collect entries by keyword, keep the details typed in each text, and export the entry list when it is time to draw.
- Feeds your other channels
- Keyword opt-ins can drop straight into a contact group, ready for campaigns, surveys and WhatsApp follow-ups.
Keywords
One number, a keyword for every campaign
Keywords split one shortcode into many channels. Sales leads text NYUMBA, competition entries text SHINDA, support texts MSAADA. Each keyword has its own reply and its own routing.
- Unlimited campaigns on one number
- Per-keyword auto-replies and destinations
- Rent on the shared code or run your own
- Add and retire keywords from the portal
Keywords on 40770
Shared shortcode
| NYUMBA | Lead capture, sent to the sales team |
| BEI | Price list, answered automatically |
| SHINDA | Competition entries |
| MSAADA | Support inbox and your webhook |
Rent a keyword on our shared code and be live in days, or run a dedicated code of your own.
Two-way
See every message. Act on every message.
Inbound texts appear in your portal inbox as they arrive. Turn on the webhook and they hit your endpoint at the same time. Reply from the portal, or let your system respond.
- Real-time inbox with search and export
- Webhook forwarding with keyword and sender details
- Reply directly or automate the response
- 0712 XXX 4312 min ago
NYUMBA
- 0733 XXX 9089 min ago
SHINDA Mary Wanjiku Nakuru
- 0700 XXX 22414 min ago
BEI
POST https://your-app.co.ke/inbound
{ "shortcode": "40770", "keyword": "NYUMBA", ... }Compliance
Opt-in on record, STOP enforced
Kenya's data protection rules expect provable opt-in and an honoured opt-out. A shortcode gives you both: the keyword text is the consent record, and STOP is enforced across the whole platform.
- Timestamped opt-in trail for every subscriber
- STOP blacklists the number and every send skips it
- One consent list shared across campaigns, quick sends and the API
- Opt-in on record
- Every keyword text is a timestamped opt-in. The consent trail builds itself as your list grows.
- STOP handled for you
- An opt-out puts the number on your blacklist at once. Every later send, campaign or API, skips it.
- Two-way, one thread
- Replies to your campaigns and keyword traffic sit in one inbox, so a conversation never falls between systems.
Live in four steps
- 01
Choose your number
Rent a keyword on our shared shortcode, or apply for a dedicated code of your own.
- 02
Set up keywords
Give each keyword its auto-reply and choose where its traffic goes.
- 03
Tell the world
Put “Text NYUMBA to 40770” on your ads, posters, packaging and radio spots.
- 04
Capture and respond
Entries and leads stream into your inbox, your webhook and your contact groups.
What teams use it for
Draws, raffles & competitions · Billboard & poster campaigns · Real-estate lead capture · Radio & TV interaction · Customer support lines · Church & school info lines · Content & alerts subscriptions · Opt-in list building
Questions people ask
Should I get a dedicated shortcode or a shared keyword?
Start with a keyword on our shared shortcode if you want to be live this week at a low monthly cost. For your keyword it does everything a dedicated code does. Choose a dedicated code when you want the number itself to be your brand, or when you need every keyword on it for yourself.
How fast are auto-replies?
The reply is dispatched the moment the inbound message reaches the platform, typically within a second. The customer gets the confirmation while the phone is still in their hand.
Can inbound messages reach my own system?
Yes. Configure a webhook and every inbound message is forwarded to your endpoint as it arrives, with the sender, keyword and full text. CRMs, loyalty systems and custom bots plug in this way.
How do opt-outs work?
When someone texts STOP, the number is blacklisted immediately and left out of all future sends across the platform: campaigns, portal sends and API alike. You do not maintain a separate suppression list.
Can I run a competition on a shortcode?
Yes, and it is one of the most common uses. Entries arrive by keyword, the details typed in each text are saved with the entry, everyone gets a confirmation within a second, and you export the entry list when it is time to pick winners.
Works well with
Message the list your keywords build, from your own sender ID.
Follow the keyword opt-in with a structured poll or questionnaire.
Offer a dialled menu when a conversation needs more structure than texts.
Put a number on your next campaign
Reserve a keyword this week and start capturing the audience your advertising already reaches. We will help you pick the right setup.