What You'll Need

📧

Business email address Used for your account and sender verification

📱

Australian phone number Mobile or landline to verify as your sender number

📋

Opted-in contact list A CSV of customers who've consented to receive SMS from you

Jump to: 1 · Sign Up 2 · Verify Number 3 · Send SMS 4 · AI Auto-Reply 5 · First Campaign

Sign
Up

1 min

Verify
Number

1 min

Send
SMS

2 mins

AI
Agent

5 mins

First
Campaign

5 mins

Step One

Create Your Free Account

⏱ About 1 minute

Head to app.monstersms.ai/register and sign up in under a minute. The Free plan gives you 100 messages (one-off sign-up bonus) - no credit card required.

app.monstersms.ai/register

💬 Create your MonsterSMS account

Free to start - 100 messages (one-off) included

Full Name

Sarah Johnson

Business Email

[email protected]

Business Name

Bloom Florist

Password

••••••••••

Create Free Account →

✓ Enter your name, email address, and a secure password
✓ Confirm your email via the verification link we send you
✓ Enter your business name - this displays as your sender ID
✓ Select your industry to get personalised templates

💡 Tip: Use your business email address (not Gmail or Hotmail). It helps with sender verification and builds trust with recipients who check who the message came from.

Create Free Account →

Step Two

Verify Your Phone Number

⏱ About 1 minute

Verifying your number confirms you own the sender identity you'll be messaging from. This satisfies Australian Spam Act requirements and protects your sender reputation.

app.monstersms.ai/settings/phone-numbers

Settings → Phone Numbers

Add and verify your sender number

Australian Phone Number

+61 412 345 678

6-Digit Verification Code

4 · 7 · 2 · 1 · 8 · 5

Verify Number ✓

✓ Go to Settings → Phone Numbers in your dashboard
✓ Click Add Number and enter your Australian mobile or business number
✓ We'll send a 6-digit code via SMS within seconds
✓ Enter the code - your number is now verified ✅

💡 Already on Twilio? You can import your existing Twilio number directly. Go to Settings → Phone Numbers → Import from Twilio and enter your Twilio Account SID and Auth Token. Your number and history transfer immediately.

📋 What is a Sender ID? Your verified number (or business name, where supported) is what recipients see when they receive your SMS. A consistent, recognisable sender ID builds trust and reduces opt-outs.

Step Three

Send Your First SMS

⏱ About 2 minutes

Time to send your first message. Start with a test to yourself so you can see exactly what recipients experience before you reach out to customers.

app.monstersms.ai/messages/new

New Message

+61 412 345 678

Message (142 / 160 chars · 1 SMS credit)

Hi Sarah, thanks for joining Bloom Florist! Show this SMS for 10% off your next order. Reply STOP to opt out.

Send Now

✓ Compliant template

✓ Click New Message in the left sidebar
✓ Enter a recipient number - start with your own mobile to test
✓ Type your message in the composer (160 chars = 1 SMS credit)
✓ Review the character counter - messages over 160 chars send as 2 credits
✓ Hit Send - delivery typically takes 2–5 seconds

Example compliant test messageHi [Name], welcome to [Business]! Exclusive offer inside - reply STOP to opt out.

⚖️ Australian compliance: Under the Spam Act 2003, every commercial SMS must (1) identify your business, (2) include a functional unsubscribe mechanism, and (3) only be sent to recipients who've consented. Monster SMS automates the opt-out handling for you.

Step Four

Set Up Your AI Auto-Reply Agent

⏱ About 5 minutes

The AI auto-reply agent handles inbound SMS 24/7 - so you never miss a customer enquiry, even at 2am. Powered by Microsoft Azure AI. No coding required.

app.monstersms.ai/ai-agents

Live Preview - Bloom Florist AI Agent

Customer · 11:42pm

Hey do you do same-day delivery?

AI Agent · 11:42pm (instant)

Hi! Yes, Bloom Florist offers same-day delivery for orders placed before 2pm. Order at bloomflorist.com.au or reply with what you need 🌸

✓ Navigate to AI Agents in the sidebar
✓ Click Create New Agent
✓ Write your system prompt - describe your business, tone, and what the AI should handle
✓ Optionally add FAQs or product details to the knowledge base
✓ Configure operating hours (e.g. only handle replies after 6pm on weekdays)
✓ Assign the agent to your verified number and toggle to Active

Example system prompt - copy and customiseYou are the customer service assistant for Bloom Florist in Brisbane. Be friendly, warm, and keep responses under 160 characters. You can help with: same-day delivery (orders before 2pm), opening hours (Mon–Sat 8am–6pm), order status, and general flower enquiries. Always end with a helpful next step. If unsure, say: "Great question - call us on 07 XXXX XXXX during business hours."

💡 System prompt tips: Be specific about your business, tone, and limitations. The more context you give, the more accurate and on-brand the responses. Test by sending a few inbound messages to your number after activating.

✅ 24/7 coverage: Once active, the AI handles all inbound messages outside your business hours automatically - reducing missed leads without any extra staffing cost.

Step Five - 🎉 Final Step

Launch Your First Campaign

⏱ About 10 minutes (including contact import)

Now for the main event - sending a bulk SMS campaign to your contact list. Whether it's a promotion, appointment reminder, or announcement, here's how to launch it.

app.monstersms.ai/campaigns/new

New Campaign

Campaign Name

October Sale - Bloom Florist

Contact List

All Customers (1,247 contacts)

Message

Hi {{first_name}}, 🌸 20% off all bouquets this week only. Shop: bloomflorist.com.au - STOP to opt out

Schedule Campaign →

✓ Go to Contacts → Import and upload a CSV of your opted-in contacts (name + phone number columns) — don't have a list yet? See our recommended sources for verified mobile leads
✓ Navigate to Campaigns → New Campaign
✓ Name your campaign and select your contact list or segment
✓ Write your message - use {{first_name}} to personalise at scale
✓ Review the character counter - keep under 160 chars to use 1 credit per send
✓ Choose Send Now or schedule for a future date and time
✓ Review the summary (total recipients, estimated credits) and confirm launch 🚀

📅 Best time to send: SMS campaigns perform best on weekday mornings between 9am–11am AEST. Avoid sending after 8pm or before 8am - this is also an ACMA requirement for marketing messages in Australia.

📊 Track results live: After sending, go to Campaigns → Reports to see delivery rates, opt-out counts, reply volumes, and cost breakdown in real time.

💰 Credit tip: The Starter plan ($50/month) includes 1,000 messages - enough to run a solid campaign to your first contact list. Need more? Top-up at just 5.5c per message.

Start Your First Campaign Free →

🎉

You're all set!

That's everything you need to start using Monster SMS like a pro. If you get stuck at any point, our support team is here to help.

Create Your Free Account Get Support

Common questions

Do I need a credit card to sign up? +

No. The Free plan is genuinely free - no credit card required. You get 100 messages (one-off sign-up bonus) to test the platform before deciding to upgrade.

Can I use a Twilio number I already have? +

Yes. You can import your existing Twilio number into Monster SMS from Settings → Phone Numbers → Import from Twilio. Enter your Twilio credentials and your number transfers across immediately, including its history.

Is Monster SMS compliant with Australian spam laws? +

Yes. Monster SMS is built for Australian compliance. The platform automatically handles opt-out (STOP) requests, enforces sender identification requirements, and helps you maintain consent records - all in line with the Spam Act 2003 and Privacy Act 1988.

How quickly do messages get delivered? +

Most messages are delivered within 2–5 seconds. Bulk campaigns may take a few minutes depending on list size, but you'll see real-time delivery progress in the Campaign Reports dashboard.

What's the difference between a campaign and a one-to-one message? +

A campaign sends one message to a list of contacts simultaneously (bulk send). A one-to-one message is a direct conversation between you and a single contact - ideal for follow-ups, support, and two-way conversations. Both are available from your dashboard.

Do AI agent replies count as message credits? +

Yes - each AI-generated reply uses one message credit, the same as a manual message. You can set operating hours for your AI agent so it only activates during certain times (e.g. after-hours only), helping you manage credit usage.

Can I upgrade or downgrade my plan at any time? +

Yes. Plans are month-to-month with no lock-in contracts. You can upgrade to access more messages or downgrade if your needs change. Unused credits don't roll over, so we recommend choosing a plan that matches your average monthly send volume.

Up and running inunder 10 minutes

You're all set!

Common questions

Up and running in
under 10 minutes