Source: https://fyno.docs.pageloop.ai/documentation/core-features/templates/external-templates/sms-templates/create-and-configure-sms-external-template

# Create and Configure SMS Template

## Navigation

Go to → **Templates → External → SMS → Create**
![](/images/create-sms-external-template.png)

## Configure Template Content

### Basic Details

| Field               | Description                                                                                            |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Template Name**   | Unique name for internal identification.                                                               |
| **DLT Integration** | DLT account where the template will be registered.                                                     |
| **Category**        | Defines the SMS use case (e.g., service, promotional, transactional) as specified on the DLT platform. |
| **Template Type**   | The classification of the template as defined by the DLT provider.                                     |

## SMS Preview

The preview panel shows how the SMS will appear on a mobile device. You can:

- Validate formatting
- Check variable placement
- Review message length

The system automatically calculates:

- Character count
- Number of SMS credits

## Encoding and Credits

### GSM-7 Encoding

- **1 credit = 160 characters**

| No. of Messages | Text Characters | Unicode Characters |
| --------------- | --------------- | ------------------ |
| 1 SMS           | 160             | 70                 |
| 2 SMS           | 306             | 134                |
| 3 SMS           | 459             | 201                |
| 4 SMS           | 612             | 268                |
| 5 SMS           | 765             | —                  |

## Unicode Encoding

Unicode is automatically enabled when the message contains non-GSM characters.

### Enable Unicode Message When:

- Using regional languages.
- Variables may contain Unicode text.