Send Sms

Provided by TippyEntertainment

Send SMS

Send SMS text messages programmatically through Twilio, Vonage, TextBelt, or custom HTTP endpoints. Supports single messages, bulk sending, media attachments (MMS), and delivery tracking.

Setup

Twilio Setup

1. Create a Twilio account at https://www.twilio.com
2. Get your Account SID and Auth Token from the Console Dashboard
3. Purchase a Twilio phone number or use a verified caller ID
4. Save credentials in Settings → Integrations:
   • TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID
   • TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN
   • TWILIO_PHONE_NUMBER

Vonage Setup

1. Create a Vonage account at https://www.vonage.com
2. Get your API Key and API Secret from the Dashboard
3. Save credentials:
   • VONAGE_API_KEY
   • VONAGE_API_SECRET
   • VONAGE_FROM_NUMBER (optional)

TextBelt Setup (Free Tier Available)

1. Get a free API key at https://textbelt.com
2. Free tier: 1 text per day
3. Save credential: TEXTBELT_API_KEY

Custom Provider Setup

For custom HTTP endpoints, provide:

• URL endpoint
• Authentication method (bearer, basic, api_key_header)
• Required headers

Parameters

Returns

{
  "success": true,
  "message_id": "SMxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
  "status": "queued",
  "segments": 1,
  "cost": 0.0075
}

Usage Examples

Example 1: Send SMS via Twilio (using stored credentials)

// Prerequisites: TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID, TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN, TWILIO_PHONE_NUMBER saved in Settings

// Send a simple SMS
send_sms({
  to: "+15551234567",
  message: "Your verification code is 123456. Valid for 5 minutes."
});

Example 2: Send SMS with explicit credentials

send_sms({
  to: "+15551234567",
  message: "Hello from TaskingBot!",
  from: "+15559876543",
  provider: "twilio",
  provider_config: {
    account_sid: "ACxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
    auth_token: "your_auth_token_here"
  }
});

Example 3: Send MMS with image attachment

send_sms({
  to: "+15551234567",
  message: "Check out this photo!",
  from: "+15559876543",
  provider: "twilio",
  options: {
    media_url: "https://example.com/image.jpg"
  }
});

Example 4: Bulk SMS to multiple recipients

send_sms({
  to: "+15551111111,+15552222222,+15553333333",
  message: "Flash sale! 50% off all items today only!",
  from: "+15559876543",
  provider: "twilio"
});

Example 5: Send via Vonage

send_sms({
  to: "+15551234567",
  message: "Your order has shipped!",
  from: "MyBrand", // Alphanumeric sender ID
  provider: "vonage",
  provider_config: {
    api_key: "your_api_key",
    api_secret: "your_api_secret"
  }
});

Example 6: Send via TextBelt (free tier)

send_sms({
  to: "+15551234567",
  message: "Test message from TextBelt",
  provider: "textbelt",
  provider_config: {
    api_key: "textbelt" // Free tier key
  }
});

Example 7: Custom HTTP endpoint

send_sms({
  to: "+15551234567",
  message: "Custom provider test",
  provider: "custom",
  provider_config: {
    url: "https://api.example.com/sms/send",
    auth_type: "bearer",
    headers: {
      "X-Custom-Header": "value"
    }
  }
});

Example 8: With delivery status callback

send_sms({
  to: "+15551234567",
  message: "Important notification",
  from: "+15559876543",
  provider: "twilio",
  options: {
    status_callback: "https://yourserver.com/sms/status"
  }
});

Step-by-Step Implementation

Step 1: Validate Input

• Check that to is a valid phone number format (E.164 recommended)
• Validate message length (max 1600 characters)
• Ensure provider is specified or default to 'twilio'

Step 2: Resolve Credentials

• If provider_config provided, use those credentials
• Otherwise, load from stored secrets:
  • Twilio: TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID, TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN, TWILIO_PHONE_NUMBER
  • Vonage: VONAGE_API_KEY, VONAGE_API_SECRET
  • TextBelt: TEXTBELT_API_KEY

Step 3: Format Request

Format the API request based on provider:

Twilio:

POST https://api.twilio.com/2010-04-01/Accounts/{AccountSid}/Messages.json
Authorization: Basic (base64 of account_sid:auth_token)
Body: To=+15551234567&From=+15559876543&Body=Hello

Vonage:

POST https://rest.nexmo.com/sms/json
Body: api_key=xxx&api_secret=xxx&to=+15551234567&from=MyBrand&text=Hello

TextBelt:

POST https://textbelt.com/text
Body: phone=+15551234567&message=Hello&key=xxx

Step 4: Send Request

• Make HTTP POST request to provider endpoint
• Include authentication headers
• Handle rate limiting (retry with backoff)

Step 5: Parse Response

• Extract message_id, status, and cost from response
• Handle errors gracefully with descriptive messages

Step 6: Return Result

{
  "success": true,
  "message_id": "SMxxx",
  "status": "queued",
  "segments": 1,
  "cost": 0.0075
}

Error Handling

Best Practices

1. Phone Number Format: Always use E.164 format (+countrycode) for international compatibility
2. Message Length: Keep messages under 160 chars when possible to avoid segmentation
3. Opt-Out Compliance: Include opt-out instructions for marketing messages
4. Rate Limiting: Respect provider rate limits (Twilio: 100/sec, Vonage: varies by plan)
5. Status Callbacks: Use status_callback for delivery tracking on critical messages
6. Cost Management: Monitor segments and costs, especially for bulk campaigns
7. Testing: Use provider test modes or free tiers for development
8. Security: Never hardcode credentials; use stored secrets

Cost Estimates

Security Notes

• Credentials are stored encrypted and never logged
• Use Settings → Integrations to configure API keys securely
• Phone numbers are validated before sending
• Message content is not stored after transmission

Related Skills

• send_email - Send email notifications
• discord_webhook - Send Discord messages
• http_post - Generic HTTP POST for custom integrations