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Send SMS Message

📱 Node: Send SMS Message

This node allows you to send SMS text messages automatically from your automations. It uses the Twilio service to deliver messages to any mobile phone number worldwide.

🔧 Initial Setup: Creating a Twilio Account

Before you can use this node, you need to create a Twilio account and obtain your credentials (Account ID and Auth Token). Follow these steps:

Step 1: Sign Up for Twilio

  1. Go to the Twilio website: https://www.twilio.com/try-twilio
  2. Click on "Sign up" or "Start for free".
  3. Fill out the registration form with your information:
  4. Email address
  5. Password
  6. First and last name
  7. Verify your email address by clicking the link sent to your inbox.

Step 2: Complete Account Setup

  1. After verifying your email, Twilio will ask you to verify your phone number.
  2. Enter your phone number and verify it with the code sent via SMS.
  3. Answer a few questions about what you plan to use Twilio for (you can select "Alerts & Notifications" and "Other").

Step 3: Get a Twilio Phone Number

  1. After completing the setup, Twilio will assign you a trial phone number.
  2. This number will be used as the sender number for your SMS messages.
  3. Take note of this number (example format: +12294593674).

Note: With a trial account, you can only send messages to phone numbers you have verified in Twilio. To send to any number, you'll need to upgrade to a paid account.

Step 4: Find Your Account Credentials

  1. Log in to your Twilio Console: https://www.twilio.com/console
  2. On the main dashboard, you'll see your Account Info section with:
  3. Account SID (this is your Account ID)
  4. Auth Token (click the eye icon 👁️ to reveal it)
  5. Copy both values - you'll need them to configure the node.

Example of what you'll see: - Account SID: AC1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef - Auth Token: 1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef

⚠️ Security: Never share your Auth Token with anyone. It's like a password for your Twilio account.

⚙️ Node Configuration

Once you have your Twilio account set up, you can configure the SMS node. Below we explain each field in the form:

SMS node configuration form

📋 Form Fields

The node has five main fields that you need to fill out:

1. Phone Number (Sender) ⚠️

What is it?
The phone number from which the SMS will be sent. This must be your Twilio phone number.

What should I enter?
The phone number that Twilio assigned to you when you created your account.

Format:
- Must include the country code with the + sign at the beginning. - Example: +12294593674 (where +1 is the USA country code and 2294593674 is the phone number)

Where do I find it? 1. Log in to Twilio Console: https://www.twilio.com/console 2. Click on "Phone Numbers" in the left menu. 3. Click on "Manage" → "Active numbers". 4. You'll see your Twilio phone number listed there.

Example:

+12294593674

Note: You cannot use any other number here. It must be a number you purchased or were assigned through Twilio.

2. Phone Number (Receiver) ⚠️

What is it?
The phone number that will receive the SMS message. This is your recipient's phone number.

What should I enter?
The complete phone number of the person or device you want to send the message to.

Format:
- Must include the country code with the + sign at the beginning. - Example: +5804123590206 (where +58 is Venezuela's country code and 04123590206 is the local number)

Examples for different countries:

+13135551234  (USA)
+5215512345678  (Mexico)
+5804123590206  (Venezuela)
+34612345678  (Spain)

⚠️ Important - Trial Account Limitation:

  • If you're using a trial account, you can only send SMS to phone numbers that you have verified in Twilio.
  • To verify a number, go to: Twilio Console → "Phone Numbers" → "Manage" → "Verified Caller IDs".
  • To send to any number without verification, you'll need to upgrade to a paid Twilio account.

3. SMS Body ⚠️

What is it?
The text content of the SMS message that will be sent.

What should I enter?
The message you want to send. It can be any text up to 160 characters (standard SMS length).

Format:
Plain text string.

Example:

Alert: Motion detected at main entrance at 14:30

With variables (advanced):

Hello {{userName}}, your access code is {{accessCode}}

Note: - Standard SMS messages have a limit of 160 characters. - If your message is longer, it will be split into multiple SMS messages (and charged accordingly). - Special characters (emojis, accents) may reduce the character limit.

4. Account ID ⚠️

What is it?
Your Twilio Account SID (Security Identifier). This is a unique identifier for your Twilio account.

Where do I find it?

  1. Log in to Twilio Console: https://www.twilio.com/console
  2. On the main dashboard, look for the "Account Info" section.
  3. You'll see "Account SID" - this is your Account ID.
  4. Copy the entire string (it starts with "AC").

Format:
A string starting with "AC" followed by 32 characters (letters and numbers).

Example:

AC1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef

Security: This field is hidden by default (shown as dots •••) to protect your information. You can click the eye icon 👁️ to show or hide the text.

5. Auth Token ⚠️

What is it?
Your Twilio authentication token. This is a secret password that proves you are the owner of the Twilio account and authorizes the system to send SMS on your behalf.

Where do I find it?

  1. Log in to Twilio Console: https://www.twilio.com/console
  2. On the main dashboard, look for the "Account Info" section.
  3. You'll see "Auth Token" (it's hidden by default).
  4. Click the eye icon 👁️ next to "Auth Token" to reveal it.
  5. Copy the entire token.

Format:
A 32-character string of letters and numbers.

Example:

1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef

⚠️ Critical Security Warning:

  • Never share your Auth Token with anyone.
  • Anyone with your Account ID and Auth Token can send SMS messages using your Twilio account (and charge it to you).
  • If you suspect your token has been compromised, you can regenerate it in the Twilio Console.
  • This field is hidden by default for your protection. Click the eye icon 👁️ to show or hide it.

✅ Required Fields Summary

All fields are mandatory and must be completed for the node to work:

  • ✅ Phone Number (Sender) - Your Twilio phone number
  • ✅ Phone Number (Receiver) - Recipient's phone number
  • ✅ SMS Body - The message text
  • ✅ Account ID - Your Twilio Account SID
  • ✅ Auth Token - Your Twilio authentication token

🎯 Complete Configuration Example

Here's an example of how the node would be configured:

Form View:

  • Phone Number (Sender): +12294593674
  • Phone Number (Receiver): +5804123590206
  • SMS Body: Alert: Motion detected at main entrance
  • Account ID: AC1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef
  • Auth Token: 1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef

JSON Structure (backend):

{
  "accountId": "AC1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef",
  "authToken": "1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef",
  "body": "Alert: Motion detected at main entrance",
  "from": "+12294593674",
  "to": "+5804123590206"
}

🔍 Troubleshooting

Message is not being sent

  1. Verify your credentials:
  2. Make sure your Account ID and Auth Token are correct.
  3. You can check them in your Twilio Console.

  4. Make sure you copied the complete strings without extra spaces.

  5. Check your Twilio account status:

  6. Log in to Twilio Console and check if your account is active.

  7. If you're using a trial account, check if you have available trial credit.

  8. Verify phone number format:

  9. All phone numbers must include the + sign and country code.
  10. Correct: +12294593674

  11. Incorrect: 12294593674 or 2294593674

  12. Check the sender number:

  13. The sender number must be a valid Twilio number assigned to your account.
  14. You cannot use any random phone number as the sender.

Error: "The number is unverified" (Trial account)

Cause: You're trying to send to a phone number that hasn't been verified in your trial account.

Solution:

  1. Log in to Twilio Console: https://www.twilio.com/console
  2. Go to "Phone Numbers" → "Manage" → "Verified Caller IDs".
  3. Click "Add a new Caller ID".
  4. Enter the phone number you want to send SMS to.
  5. Twilio will call or send an SMS with a verification code.
  6. Enter the code to verify the number.

Alternative: Upgrade to a paid Twilio account to send to any number without verification.

Error: "Authenticate" or "Invalid credentials"

Cause: The Account ID or Auth Token is incorrect.

Solution:

  1. Log in to Twilio Console: https://www.twilio.com/console
  2. Double-check your Account SID and Auth Token.
  3. Make sure you're copying the complete strings.
  4. Try revealing the Auth Token (click the eye icon 👁️) and copying it again.
  5. If the problem persists, you can regenerate your Auth Token (note: this will invalidate the old one).

Error: "Insufficient funds" or "Insufficient credit"

Cause: Your Twilio account doesn't have enough credit to send the SMS.

Solution:

  • For trial accounts: You get limited free credit. If you've used it all, you'll need to upgrade to a paid account.
  • For paid accounts: Add more funds to your Twilio account through the billing section.

Message is sent but not received

  1. Check the recipient phone number:
  2. Verify that the phone number is correct.

  3. Make sure it includes the correct country code.

  4. Check the recipient's phone:

  5. Make sure the phone is turned on and has signal.
  6. Check if the phone has SMS blocking enabled.

  7. Some carriers may block automated SMS messages.

  8. Check Twilio logs:

  9. Go to Twilio Console → "Monitor" → "Logs" → "Messaging".
  10. Look for your sent message and check its delivery status.
  11. Twilio will show you if the message was delivered, failed, or is pending.

💰 Twilio Pricing Information

Trial Account

  • Free credit: Twilio gives you a small amount of free credit when you sign up.
  • Limitations:
  • Can only send to verified phone numbers.
  • Messages include "Sent from your Twilio trial account" prefix.
  • Good for: Testing and development.
  • No restrictions: Send to any phone number worldwide.
  • Pay-as-you-go: You only pay for the SMS messages you send.
  • Pricing varies by country:
  • USA/Canada: ~$0.0075 per SMS
  • Latin America: ~$0.04-$0.08 per SMS
  • Europe: ~$0.05-$0.10 per SMS
  • (Prices vary; check Twilio's official pricing page)

Tip: You can set up billing alerts in Twilio to avoid unexpected charges.

📚 Additional Information

Supported Countries

Twilio supports sending SMS to over 180 countries. You can check if a specific country is supported in the Twilio documentation.

Message Length

  • Standard SMS: 160 characters (for basic Latin alphabet).
  • Unicode SMS: 70 characters (if using special characters, emojis, or non-Latin alphabets).
  • Long messages: Automatically split into multiple SMS parts (each part is charged separately).

Delivery Reports

Twilio provides detailed delivery reports. You can check if your message was: - Delivered: Successfully received by the recipient. - Failed: Could not be delivered (wrong number, phone off, etc.). - Pending: Still being processed.

Access delivery reports at: Twilio Console → "Monitor" → "Logs" → "Messaging".

Best Practices

  1. Test first: Always test with verified numbers before going to production.
  2. Monitor usage: Keep track of your SMS usage to avoid unexpected costs.
  3. Format numbers correctly: Always use international format with country code.
  4. Keep messages concise: Shorter messages are more effective and cheaper.
  5. Respect regulations: Follow local regulations regarding automated SMS (opt-in requirements, time restrictions, etc.).

🔒 Security Best Practices

  1. Protect your credentials:
  2. Never commit your Account ID and Auth Token to version control (Git).

  3. Store them securely in environment variables or encrypted configuration files.

  4. Rotate tokens regularly:

  5. Consider regenerating your Auth Token periodically for security.

  6. Monitor your account:

  7. Regularly check your Twilio logs for any suspicious activity.

  8. Set up billing alerts to detect unauthorized usage.

  9. Limit access:

  10. Only share your Twilio credentials with trusted team members.
  11. Consider using Twilio's API Keys for better access control.

🆘 Getting Help

If you need more help: