Twilio SMS Integration with Novu

You can utilize the Twilio API to communicate with your customers using SMS messaging. Let’s look at how you can do that:

Setting up Twilio

Create a Twilio Account

Go to Twilio and create an account, starting with their free trial.
You’ll be asked to verify your email and your phone number. Get them verified.

Get a Twilio Phone Number

Once verified, you’ll get an option to ‘get a Twilio phone number’ from your Twilio console.
Click on it to get your Twilio phone number.

When first using Twilio there should be an option to get a Twilio phone number in the main console. Otherwise, you may have to Buy a number to begin using it. For first-time users, utilize the free number provided.

For more detailed instructions, follow one of their many Tutorials within their docs.

Understand the Key Components

Irrespective of the language you use, the process requires:

Account SID and Auth token loaded into the code using secure environment variables
A Twilio client object that takes the SID and Token as variables
A message object containing:

Your Twilio phone number
- The recipient’s phone number
- The SMS message body

Creating a Twilio integration with Novu

Connect Twilio to Novu

Visit the Integrations Store on Novu
Click the “Add a provider” button
Locate Twilio and click on the Disabled button and mark it as Active
Click on the Connect button

Configure Twilio Credentials

Go to your Console on Twilio and access the Account Info section
Enter your:
- Account SID
- Auth Token
- Twilio Phone Number
Click on the Save button

Sending WhatsApp message

To send WhatsApp messages with Twilio integration, prefix the phone number of the subscriber with whatsapp: as shown below:

import { Novu } from '@novu/api';

const novu = new Novu({ secretKey: "<NOVU_SECRET_KEY>" });

await novu.trigger({
  workflowId: "workflowId",
  to: { subscriberId: "subscriberId",
    phone: "whatsapp:+14155238886", },
  payload: {},
  overrides: {
    "providers": {
        "twilio": {
            "_passthrough": {
                "body": {
                    "contentSid": "HXb5b62575e6e4ff6129ad7c8efe1f983e",
                    "contentVariables": "{\"1\":\"12/1\",\"2\":\"3pm\"}"
                }
            }
        }
    }
},
});

import os
import novu_py
from novu_py import Novu

with Novu(secret_key=os.getenv("NOVU_SECRET_KEY", "")) as novu:
    novu.trigger(trigger_event_request_dto=novu_py.TriggerEventRequestDto(
        workflow_id="workflowId",
        to={"subscriber_id": "subscriberId", "phone": "whatsapp:+14155238886"},
        payload={},
        overrides={
        "providers": {
                "twilio": {
                        "_passthrough": {
                                "body": {
                                        "contentSid": "HXb5b62575e6e4ff6129ad7c8efe1f983e",
                                        "contentVariables": "{\"1\":\"12/1\",\"2\":\"3pm\"}"
                                }
                        }
                }
        }
},
    ))

import (
    "context"
    "os"

    novugo "github.com/novuhq/novu-go"
    "github.com/novuhq/novu-go/models/components"
)

s := novugo.New(novugo.WithSecurity(os.Getenv("NOVU_SECRET_KEY")))

res, err := s.Trigger(context.Background(), components.TriggerEventRequestDto{
    WorkflowID: "workflowId",
    To: components.CreateToSubscriberPayloadDto(components.SubscriberPayloadDto{
        SubscriberID: "subscriberId",
            Phone: novugo.String("whatsapp:+14155238886"),
    }),
    Payload: map[string]any{},
    Overrides: map[string]any{
    "providers": {
        "twilio": {
            "_passthrough": {
                "body": {
                    "contentSid": "HXb5b62575e6e4ff6129ad7c8efe1f983e",
                    "contentVariables": "{\"1\":\"12/1\",\"2\":\"3pm\"}"
                }
            }
        }
    }
},
}, nil)

use novu;
use novu\Models\Components;

$sdk = novu\Novu::builder()->setSecurity('<NOVU_SECRET_KEY>')->build();

$sdk->trigger(
    triggerEventRequestDto: new Components\TriggerEventRequestDto(
        workflowId: 'workflowId',
        to: new Components\SubscriberPayloadDto(subscriberId: 'subscriberId', phone: 'whatsapp:+14155238886'),
        payload: {},
        overrides: {
        "providers": {
                "twilio": {
                        "_passthrough": {
                                "body": {
                                        "contentSid": "HXb5b62575e6e4ff6129ad7c8efe1f983e",
                                        "contentVariables": "{\"1\":\"12/1\",\"2\":\"3pm\"}"
                                }
                        }
                }
        }
},
    ),
);

using Novu;
using Novu.Models.Components;

var sdk = new NovuSDK(secretKey: "<NOVU_SECRET_KEY>");

await sdk.TriggerAsync(triggerEventRequestDto: new TriggerEventRequestDto() {
    WorkflowId = "workflowId",
    To = To.CreateSubscriberPayloadDto(new SubscriberPayloadDto() { SubscriberId = "subscriberId", Phone = "whatsapp:+14155238886" }),
    Payload = {},
    Overrides = {
    "providers": {
        "twilio": {
            "_passthrough": {
                "body": {
                    "contentSid": "HXb5b62575e6e4ff6129ad7c8efe1f983e",
                    "contentVariables": "{\"1\":\"12/1\",\"2\":\"3pm\"}"
                }
            }
        }
    }
},
});

import co.novu.Novu;
import co.novu.models.components.*;

Novu novu = Novu.builder().secretKey("<NOVU_SECRET_KEY>").build();

novu.trigger()
    .body(TriggerEventRequestDto.builder()
        .workflowId("workflowId")
        .to(To2.of(SubscriberPayloadDto.builder().subscriberId("subscriberId").phone("whatsapp:+14155238886").build()))
        .payload({})
        .overrides({
        "providers": {
                "twilio": {
                        "_passthrough": {
                                "body": {
                                        "contentSid": "HXb5b62575e6e4ff6129ad7c8efe1f983e",
                                        "contentVariables": "{\"1\":\"12/1\",\"2\":\"3pm\"}"
                                }
                        }
                }
        }
})
        .build())
    .call();

curl --location 'https://api.novu.co/v1/events/trigger' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--header 'Authorization: ApiKey <NOVU_SECRET_KEY>' \
-d '{
    "name": "workflowId",
    "to": {
        "subscriberId": "subscriberId",
        "phone": "whatsapp:+14155238886"
    },
    "payload": {},
    "overrides": {
        "providers": {
            "twilio": {
                "_passthrough": {
                    "body": {
                        "contentSid": "HXb5b62575e6e4ff6129ad7c8efe1f983e",
                        "contentVariables": "{\"1\":\"12/1\",\"2\":\"3pm\"}"
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}'

Sending WhatsApp template message

To send WhatsApp template messages with Twilio integration, you can use the template field in the overrides object.

import { Novu } from "@novu/api";

const novu = new Novu({ 
  secretKey: "<NOVU_SECRET_KEY>",
  // Required if using EU region
  // serverURL: "https://eu.api.novu.co",
});

await novu.trigger({
  workflowId: "workflowId",
  to: {
    subscriberId: "subscriberId",
    phone: "whatsapp:+14155238886",
  },
  payload: {},
  overrides: {
    providers: {
      twilio: {
        "_passthrough": {
          "body": {
            "contentSid": "HXb5b62575e6e4ff6129ad7c8efe1f983e",
            "contentVariables": "{\"1\":\"12/1\",\"2\":\"3pm\"}"
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
});

import os
import novu_py
from novu_py import Novu

with Novu(secret_key=os.getenv("NOVU_SECRET_KEY", "")) as novu:
    novu.trigger(trigger_event_request_dto=novu_py.TriggerEventRequestDto(
        workflow_id="workflowId",
        to={"subscriber_id": "subscriberId", "phone": "whatsapp:+14155238886"},
        payload={},
        overrides={
            "providers": {
                "twilio": {
                    "_passthrough": {
                        "body": {
                            "contentSid": "HXb5b62575e6e4ff6129ad7c8efe1f983e",
                            "contentVariables": "{\"1\":\"12/1\",\"2\":\"3pm\"}"
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        },
    ))

import (
    "context"
    "os"

    novugo "github.com/novuhq/novu-go"
    "github.com/novuhq/novu-go/models/components"
)

s := novugo.New(novugo.WithSecurity(os.Getenv("NOVU_SECRET_KEY")))

res, err := s.Trigger(context.Background(), components.TriggerEventRequestDto{
    WorkflowID: "workflowId",
    To: components.CreateToSubscriberPayloadDto(components.SubscriberPayloadDto{
        SubscriberID: "subscriberId",
        Phone: novugo.String("whatsapp:+14155238886"),
    }),
    Payload: map[string]any{},
    Overrides: map[string]any{
        "providers": map[string]any{
            "twilio": map[string]any{
                "_passthrough": map[string]any{
                    "body": map[string]any{
                        "contentSid": "HXb5b62575e6e4ff6129ad7c8efe1f983e",
                        "contentVariables": "{\"1\":\"12/1\",\"2\":\"3pm\"}",
                    },
                },
            },
        },
    },
}, nil)

use novu;
use novu\Models\Components;

$sdk = novu\Novu::builder()->setSecurity('<NOVU_SECRET_KEY>')->build();

$sdk->trigger(
    triggerEventRequestDto: new Components\TriggerEventRequestDto(
        workflowId: 'workflowId',
        to: new Components\SubscriberPayloadDto(subscriberId: 'subscriberId', phone: 'whatsapp:+14155238886'),
        payload: [],
        overrides: [
            'providers' => [
                'twilio' => [
                    '_passthrough' => [
                        'body' => [
                            'contentSid' => 'HXb5b62575e6e4ff6129ad7c8efe1f983e',
                            'contentVariables' => '{"1":"12/1","2":"3pm"}',
                        ],
                    ],
                ],
            ],
        ],
    ),
);

using Novu;
using Novu.Models.Components;
using System.Collections.Generic;

var sdk = new NovuSDK(secretKey: "<NOVU_SECRET_KEY>");

await sdk.TriggerAsync(triggerEventRequestDto: new TriggerEventRequestDto() {
    WorkflowId = "workflowId",
    To = To.CreateSubscriberPayloadDto(new SubscriberPayloadDto() { SubscriberId = "subscriberId", Phone = "whatsapp:+14155238886" }),
    Payload = new Dictionary<string, object>(),
    Overrides = new Overrides() {
        Providers = new Dictionary<string, Dictionary<string, object>>() {
            { "twilio", new Dictionary<string, object>() {
                { "_passthrough", new Dictionary<string, object>() {
                    { "body", new Dictionary<string, object>() {
                        { "contentSid", "HXb5b62575e6e4ff6129ad7c8efe1f983e" },
                        { "contentVariables", "{\"1\":\"12/1\",\"2\":\"3pm\"}" },
                    } },
                } },
            } },
        },
    },
});

import co.novu.Novu;
import co.novu.models.components.*;
import java.util.Map;

Novu novu = Novu.builder().secretKey("<NOVU_SECRET_KEY>").build();

novu.trigger()
    .body(TriggerEventRequestDto.builder()
        .workflowId("workflowId")
        .to(To2.of(SubscriberPayloadDto.builder().subscriberId("subscriberId").phone("whatsapp:+14155238886").build()))
        .overrides(TriggerEventRequestDtoOverrides.builder()
            .additionalProperties(Map.of("providers", Map.of("twilio", Map.of(
                "_passthrough", Map.of("body", Map.of(
                    "contentSid", "HXb5b62575e6e4ff6129ad7c8efe1f983e",
                    "contentVariables", "{\"1\":\"12/1\",\"2\":\"3pm\"}"
                ))
            ))))
            .build())
        .build())
    .call();

curl --location 'https://api.novu.co/v1/events/trigger' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--header 'Authorization: ApiKey <NOVU_SECRET_KEY>' \
-d '{
    "name": "workflowId",
    "to": {
        "subscriberId": "subscriberId",
        "phone": "whatsapp:+14155238886"
    },
    "payload": {},
    "overrides": {
        "providers": {
            "twilio": {
                "_passthrough": {
                    "body": {
                        "contentSid": "HXb5b62575e6e4ff6129ad7c8efe1f983e",
                        "contentVariables": "{\"1\":\"12/1\",\"2\":\"3pm\"}"
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}'

Getting Started

Integrate <Inbox />

Integrate <Subscription />

Build a Workflow

Integrate Channels Providers

SDKs

Developer

Account

Build with AI

Additional Resources

Twilio SMS Integration with Novu

Setting up Twilio

Creating a Twilio integration with Novu

Sending WhatsApp message

Sending WhatsApp template message

​Setting up Twilio

​Creating a Twilio integration with Novu

​Sending WhatsApp message

​Sending WhatsApp template message

Setting up Twilio

Creating a Twilio integration with Novu

Sending WhatsApp message

Sending WhatsApp template message