Bento SMS & WhatsApp Integration

This guide covers setting up SMS and WhatsApp messaging in Bento Chat, including provider configuration, consent management, and testing.

Legal Disclaimer

Important: This documentation does not constitute legal advice. You are responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable laws and regulations regarding SMS marketing in your region. Consult with legal counsel before implementing SMS marketing campaigns. Customers predominantly use Bento for conversational marketing (such as support or sales) and not SMS broadcast marketing.

Pricing

While Bento Chat is included free in all plans, you still need an account with an SMS provider such as Twilio to send SMS messages. Costs vary depending on your provider.

Overview

Bento's conversational marketing features enable:

Two-way SMS and WhatsApp conversations
One-off SMS campaigns (BETA)
Automated messaging workflows through Flows

Setup Guide

Prerequisites

An approved Bento account
An active SMS/WhatsApp provider account (Twilio, 360Dialog, or Bandwidth)
A valid phone number for messaging
A plan for managing contact consent (through fields or tags)

Access Bento Chat

Log into your Bento account
Navigate to Bento Chat
A new web inbox will be automatically created

Create New Inbox

Click "Add New Inbox"

Choose between SMS or WhatsApp
Select your provider (Twilio recommended)

Enter the api keys from your chosen provider
Assign the user accounts "agents" you want to receive the chats

Supported Providers:

SMS: Twilio, Bandwidth
WhatsApp: Twilio, 360Dialog

International customers may need to contact provider support for local phone numbers.

Configure Provider Settings

For Twilio:

Log into Twilio Console
Navigate to Phone Numbers > Active Numbers
Select your messaging number
Configure webhook URL:

Code

https://api.bentonow.com/v1/sms/callback/{your-unique-id}

For Other Providers: Contact support for specific configuration instructions.

Requirements

Consent is absolutely required! Keep the consent on file (in Bento or elsewhere) for at least the statute of limitations under applicable SMS marketing laws (e.g., four years under the TCPA).

Explicit written consent before sending marketing messages
Clear opt-out instructions in messages
Consent records that include:
- Timestamp of consent
- Method of consent
- Terms agreed to

If you are not tracking consent, then do not use this feature.

Storing Consent

We highly suggest using custom fields in Bento to store consent. Current options:

Custom fields in Bento
External storage system

Native consent management coming soon in next Bento SMS version

Message Management

Testing Your Setup

Send test message to your configured number
Check inbox for received message
Verify two-way communication

Unsubscribe Handling

Two Unsubscribe Paths:

Global Unsubscribe (https://help.twilio.com/articles/223134027-Twilio-support-for-opt-out-keywords-SMS-STOP-filtering)

Handled by provider (e.g., Twilio)
Triggered by "STOP" or "UNSUBSCRIBE"
Blocks all future messages via Twilio directly (may not show in Bento)

Bento Subscription Status

Shared with email preferences
Checked in workflows

You can use a Flow to tag a user when they reply STOP or UNSUBSCRIBE to filter them out of future automations or campaigns.

Automation Features

Flow Integration

Navigate to Flows
Add "Send SMS" action
Configure message content
Set targeting conditions

Automated Replies

Go to Bento Chat
Go to Settings
Select Automation (Beta)
Create response rules
Set trigger conditions

Campaign Management

One-off Campaigns (BETA - NOT RECOMMENDED FOR LARGE CAMPAIGNS OVER 1000 RECIPIENTS)

Import contacts to Bento Chat

Requires email and phone number
Tag contacts for targeting

Navigate to Campaigns
Create new campaign
Select target audience
Schedule delivery

Simultaneous delivery for all recipients. Test thoroughly with small groups first.