On this page: Learn how to preview, validate, and send your mobile messages in Adobe Journey Optimizer, including checking character encoding and limits and resolving alerts before delivery.
Preview your Mobile message preview-sms
Once your message content has been defined, you can preview its content using either simulation method:
- Click Simulate content to test content variations with sample input data or AI auto-generation. Learn how to simulate content variations
- Click Simulate content, then select Simulate content (AEP profiles) from the dropdown to preview with test profiles.
Detailed information on how to preview & test content is available in the Content Management section.
Character encoding and limits sms-character-limits
A character count is displayed when accessing either simulation method from Simulate content to assist in planning and managing your Mobile messages.
Journey Optimizer uses UTF-8 encoding in its SMS editor, allowing you to type or paste double-byte or Unicode characters. These characters are then transmitted to the service provider for delivery. Most SMS providers use GSM 7-bit encoding for standard messages with a 160-character limit and switch to UTF-16 (UCS-2) when non-GSM characters are detected with a 70-character limit.
Note that the character count does not reflect variations introduced by dynamic personalization or non-GSM 7-bit special characters.
Validate your content sms-validate
You must check alerts in the upper section of the editor. Some of them are simple warnings, but others can prevent you from sending the message. Two types of alerts can happen: warnings and errors.
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Warnings refer to recommendations and best practices. For example, a warning message is displayed if your Mobile message is empty or if character limits may be exceeded with dynamic content.
Character limits: 160 characters per segment (GSM 7-bit), 70 for Unicode/emojis, up to 1500 characters total.
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Errors prevent you from testing or activating the journey, or publishing the campaign, as long as they are not resolved. For example, an error message warns you when the subject line is missing.
The alert “The SMS text character limit has been exceeded” may appear even when your simulated message is shorter because validation calculates the maximum possible length by evaluating all conditional branches, personalization fields, and dynamic content at their longest.
Validation calculates maximum length for all possible profile data, while simulation shows actual output for one test profile.
Send your Mobile messages sms-send
When your Mobile message is ready, complete the configuration of your journey or campaign to send it.
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