SMS with Twilio

Without Twilio, the app sends no SMS: automations with the SMS channel do not deliver, and login by phone is not available, because Twilio is what sends the code.

Before you start

• Plan: any, Free included;
• A Twilio account, with a card on file to buy a number;
• Cost in two places:
  • Twilio charges for the number (monthly fee) and for each SMS, on your account, according to its price list;
  • each SMS sent by the app consumes the platform's integration credits, and SMS is the most expensive notification channel in credits. That includes every SMS login code. The charge only happens when Twilio accepts the send.

Step by step

Card fields: Account SID, Auth Token and Sender number.

1. create the account at twilio.com;
2. in the Twilio Console, the home page shows the Account SID (it starts with AC) and the Auth Token (click to reveal);
3. under Phone Numbers → Manage → Buy a number, buy a number with SMS capability. Some countries require a regulatory registration before releasing the number: Twilio itself tells you when that is the case;
4. in the app's editor, Integrations tab, Notifications category, open the SMS (Twilio) card;
5. fill in the Account SID, the Auth Token and, in Sender number, the number you bought in international format, with + and the country code (for example, +5511999999999);
6. click Save and activate.

Test account (trial)

While the Twilio account is on trial, it only sends to verified numbers and the message arrives with a test prefix. To test, register your number under Verified Caller IDs in the Console. For the app in use, the account has to leave the trial.

Login by phone

With Twilio connected, the app can offer sign-in with a phone number and a code received by SMS, and password recovery the same way. This is not switched on in the Authentication tab: the presence of Twilio is what unlocks it. The rest is in Sign-up and login in your app.

It is worth planning the balance: each SMS login attempt is a paid SMS at Twilio and a charge in integration credits. With the credit balance at zero, the code is not sent and the person cannot sign in by phone.

How to know it worked

The Twilio card does not test the credential on save: Connected means the fields were saved. The proof is a real SMS:

• if the app has login by phone, request a code with your number;
• or ask in the chat for a test button that sends you an SMS (that costs AI credits, like any building).

In the Twilio Console, under Monitor → Logs → Messaging, each attempt shows up with its status and, if it failed, the reason.

Common problems

• No SMS arrives and nothing shows up in the Twilio logs. The credential is wrong. Open the card and type the wrong field again (a blank field keeps its saved value);
• It shows up in the logs as a failure for unverified numbers. The account is on trial. Verify the destination number or leave the trial;
• The sending number is refused. It has to be a number on your Twilio account with SMS capability, written with + and the country code;
• It stopped sending out of nowhere. Check the integration credit balance, in the panel under Billing, and the balance of the Twilio account itself.