# Twilio SMS Provider (/platform/integrations/sms/twilio)

Learn how to use the Twilio provider to send sms notifications using Novu

import { Tab, Tabs } from 'fumadocs-ui/components/tabs';

You can utilize the [Twilio](https://www.twilio.com/) API to communicate with your customers using SMS messaging. Let's look at how you can do that:

## Setting up Twilio

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a Twilio Account">
    1. Go to [Twilio](https://www.twilio.com/) and create an account, starting with their free trial.
    2. You'll be asked to verify your email and your phone number. Get them verified.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Get a Twilio Phone Number">
    1. Once verified, you'll get an option to 'get a Twilio phone number' from your Twilio console.
    2. Click on it to get your Twilio phone number.

    <Callout type="info">
      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](https://console.twilio.com/us1/develop/phone-numbers/manage/search?frameUrl=%2Fconsole%2Fphone-numbers%2Fsearch%3Fx-target-region%3Dus1\&currentFrameUrl=%2Fconsole%2Fphone-numbers%2Fsearch%3FisoCountry%3DUS%26searchTerm%3D%26searchFilter%3Dleft%26searchType%3Dnumber%26x-target-region%3Dus1%26__override_layout__%3Dembed%26bifrost%3Dtrue)
      a number to begin using it. For first-time users, utilize the free number provided.
    </Callout>

    For more detailed instructions, follow one of their many [Tutorials](https://www.twilio.com/docs/usage/requests-to-twilio) within their docs.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Understand the Key Components">
    Irrespective of the language you use, the process requires:

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

       * Your Twilio phone number
       * The recipient's phone number
       * The SMS message body
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Creating a Twilio integration with Novu

<Steps>
  <Step title="Connect Twilio to Novu">
    1. Visit the [Integrations Store](https://dashboard.novu.co/integrations) on Novu
    2. Click the "Add a provider" button
    3. Locate **Twilio** and click on the `Disabled` button and mark it as `Active`
    4. Click on the **Connect** button
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure Twilio Credentials">
    1. Go to your [Console](https://console.twilio.com/) on Twilio and access the Account Info section
    2. Enter your:
       * `Account SID`
       * `Auth Token`
       * `Twilio Phone Number`
    3. Click on the **Save** button
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Sending WhatsApp message

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

<Tabs items={['Node.js']}>
  <Tab value="Node.js">
    ```ts
    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: {},
    });
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

### Sending WhatsApp template message

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

<Tabs items={['Node.js']}>
  <Tab value="Node.js">
    ```typescript
    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": {
                // example contentSid
                "contentSid": "HXb5b62575e6e4ff6129ad7c8efe1f983e",
                // example contentVariables
                "contentVariables": "{\"1\":\"12/1\",\"2\":\"3pm\"}"
              }
            }
          }
        }
      }
    });
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

<Callout type="info">
  Read more about [sending a Message with the Twilio API for
  WhatsApp](https://www.twilio.com/docs/whatsapp/tutorial).
</Callout>