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How do I send SMS messages to contacts in a Google Sheet?

  • 4 August 2022
  • 2 replies
  • 99 views

Hello everyone- Zapier is a great and intuitive product but I’ve run into trouble and could use the help of the community. In essence, I have 2 forms (123 forms) on my page which operates like a job board. When an employer adds a new job is added on form 1, it creates a new row in a google sheet “Jobs”. In form 2, job seekers can enter their cell number and say that they want to be contacted whenever a new job is posted with certain criteria (i.e., location, salary, etc.) and it creates a new row on a google sheet “Seekers”. I thought I can make things work (i.e., automatically text certain people) using a 2 step process of a filter by zapier and then an SMS by zapier, but…

I can’t seem to figure out who the “to” is for SMS texts

When I try to create the formula (e.g., zip code on Jobs = zip code on Applicants) it really doesn’t let me pull in data from 2 forms.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance!

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Best answer by Troy Tessalone 4 August 2022, 23:07

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Hi @EK1973 

Good question.

First, you won’t be able to use SMS by Zapier, mainly because each phone number to receive SMS needs to be verified, among other limitations.

(Make sure to review the available help articles for SMS by Zapier: https://zapier.com/apps/sms/help)

So you’ll have to use another SMS app, such as Twilio to send the SMS.

 

Next, you’ll be much better served by using Airtable instead of GSheets.

Airtable is a relational database app, meaning records can be linked.

Really you’d want 3 Tables of data:

  1. Jobs
    1. Link to Zips
  2. Zips
    1. Link to Jobs
    2. Link to Seekers
  3. Seekers
    1. Link to Zips

 

Then, once you’ve created the proper Table structure, you can achieve lookup to determine which Seekers match a new Job in a Zip.

 

Alternatively, you can use an SMS app that has Lists. (e.g. TextMagic, ClickSend, etc.)

Search SMS Zap apps here: https://zapier.com/apps/categories/phone

The idea being that Seekers get added to Lists that are organized by Zip, and an SMS blast is sent out when a new Job matches a List that has Seekers.

 

If you need help, consider hiring a Zapier Expert: https://zapier.com/experts/automation-ace

Thank you so much for your advice!