NetHunt CRM allows you not only to store contacts but also to automate communication with them through external services that specialize in messenger campaigns.
If you need to go beyond standard email campaigns and engage customers through messengers such as Viber, Telegram, or WhatsApp, the best approach is to use API calls within NetHunt CRM Workflow automations.
In this article, we will explain how to configure data transfer from the CRM to third-party services and review the functionality offered by popular platforms.
Using AlphaSMS as an example
First, you need to register on the AlphaSMS website or already have an existing account.
After that, generate your API key in the account settings using the instructions provided by AlphaSMS.
To send a customer’s phone number and data from NetHunt CRM to the messaging service, we use the “Make API Call” action in Workflow automation:
Create Workflow automation: select a trigger (for example, “Deal changes stage” to “Campaign” or “New record is added”).
Add the “Make API Call” action
Configure the API request details:
Select the request method: POST
URL — this is the webhook URL provided by the software you want to send the data to, in this case, AlphaSMS.
https://alphasms.net
JSON — data sent using the JavaScript Object Notation format. API documentation for sending messages via Viber.
{
"auth": "bb56a4369eb19***cfec6d1776bd25", // Your API key, available in your personal account
"data": [
{
"type": "viber", // Request type
"id": 100500, // Unique message identifier in the client system
"phone": 380971234567, // Recipient phone number
"viber_type": "text", // Viber message type
"viber_signature": "ViberTest", // Message signature
"viber_message": "Message text", // Message text to be sent via Viber
"viber_lifetime": 172800, // Lifetime of the Viber message in seconds
// Minimum value: 60 seconds
// Default: 2 days (172800 seconds)
"short_link": true, // Short and trackable links
"hook": "https://nethunt.com/service/automation/hooks/6970d1b1e78ef5f2c7097946" // URL where the message delivery status will be sent
}
]
}💡Please note: the "hook" can be used to create a separate Workflow automation for receiving message delivery statuses. You can learn more about this functionality in this article.
Headers — Content-Type: application/json.
Macros — field values selected from NetHunt CRM for sharing with external software or services.
💡Please note: All requests must include the header Content-Type: application/json. Otherwise, the request will be considered invalid, even if it contains a valid JSON body.
Overview of messaging services
We have prepared a comparison of several popular services that can be integrated with NetHunt CRM for bulk messaging campaigns in messengers.
💡Please note: Each service has its own set of features and pricing plans. Before choosing one, we recommend evaluating which option best meets your needs.
Service | Supported messengers | Technology / key features |
Chatbots: A powerful bot builder. The API allows adding a contact to a message sequence. | ||
Official Viber partner. | ||
SMS, Viber, Telegram (OTP codes only), RCS, voice. | Scalability: Ability to use alpha names (a brand name instead of a phone number). |
Which service should you choose for your tasks?
For complex funnels choose SendPulse. This platform allows not only sending messages but also tracking customer interactions with them and sending this data back to NetHunt.
For quick notifications (Viber/Telegram): TurboSMS or AlphaSMS are the best options. They provide the simplest API for fast message delivery to a phone number database.
Mass messaging or individual messages using NetHunt and a Telegram bot
If your workspace has an integration with a Telegram bot, and you create chats using record-creation Workflow automation while collecting the “External User ID,” then you already have a bot that can perform API calls to send both mass messages and individual messages to your customers:
💡Please note: This Workflow automation will only work if your customers have previously messaged your Telegram bot or pressed the “Start” button in it.
We set up the automation, but before that you need to create supporting fields that it will use:
A checkbox field, or alternatively a stage (dropdown) that represents this value.
A text field (multi-line).
We then create the Workflow automation:
Trigger: checkbox or stage field.
Filter: check whether the card contains an “External User ID”.
Action: add “Make API call”:
Select the request type — POST.
The URL is the webhook provided by the software used to identify your bot. You will also need to append your bot token to it:
https://api.telegram.org/bot<token>/sendMessage
JSON — data sent using the JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) format.
{
"chat_id": <Telegram client ID macro from the card>,
"text": "Hello!\n<Message text macro>",
"parse_mode": "HTML"
}💡Please note: In JSON, you can include text and macros, as long as the request structure is preserved.
General structure of Workflow automation:
This simple Workflow automation will allow you to send mass messages to your clients using specialized services.
💡Please note: We reviewed these settings using the AlphaSMS service as an example. Integration setup with other similar services follows the same principle, using the “API Call” action in Workflow automations.
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