# Adding SMS Channel (/platform/integrations/sms/adding-sms)

Learn how to add the SMS channel to your application

import { Card } from 'fumadocs-ui/components/card';

import { CodeIcon } from '@/components/icons/overview';
import { Tab, Tabs } from 'fumadocs-ui/components/tabs';

<Steps>
  <Step title="Enable SMS channel in Novu Dashboard">
    <Callout type="info">
      The SMS channel is not enabled by default. To use it, configure a provider like Twilio, Nexmo, or
      others, and ensure compliance with country-specific restrictions for sender IDs (`from`).
    </Callout>

    1. Go to the Novu Dashboard and click **"Integrations"** on the left sidebar
    2. Click **"Add a provider"**
    3. Locate the **SMS** channel and select the provider you want to use and click **"Next"**
    4. Select for which environment you want to add the Provider
    5. (Optional) Add Conditions to activate the provider only under certain conditions, **useful for tenant-based providers**
    6. Click **"Create"**
    7. Add your SMS provider credentials:
       * **From**: Displayed as the sender of the SMS (ensure compliance with local regulations)
       * Provider-specific credentials such as API key / Auth token, Account SID, username, or password
    8. Save the configuration by clicking **"Update"**
  </Step>

  <Step title="Setup workflow with SMS channel in Novu Dashboard">
    1. Go to the Novu Dashboard and click **"Workflows"** on the left sidebar.
    2. Click the **"Add a Workflow"** button.
    3. Add a step and select **"SMS"** as the channel.
    4. Configure the SMS content:
       * Message body (e.g., `{{userName}}, your order {{orderId}} has shipped.`).
       * Dynamic placeholders for personalized content.
    5. Optionally, set fallback channels to ensure reliable delivery if SMS fails.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a workflow trigger to your backend">
    Novu's server-side SDKs make integrating Novu's REST APIs straightforward, letting you focus on implementing workflows without dealing with repetitive code.

    <Card title="Server-side SDKs" icon={<CodeIcon />} href="/platform/sdks/server" />
  </Step>

  <Step title="Test and verify SMS channel">
    Ensure your SMS configuration is working correctly by testing the setup.

    1. Go to the Novu Dashboard, navigate to the **"Workflows"** section, and locate your configured workflow.
    2. Click **"Test Workflow"** and provide sample data, such as a phone number or dynamic variables.
    3. Verify delivery in the Novu Logs or your SMS provider's dashboard.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Callout type="info">
  Some countries have strict restriction of using verified `from` sender id (name). Kindly check
  country and provider specific requirements first.
</Callout>