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What is Twilio?

Twilio lets you send text messages (SMS), make phone calls, and even send WhatsApp messages from your app. It’s the most popular service for adding phone/SMS features. Perfect for:
  • SMS notifications and alerts
  • Two-factor authentication (2FA)
  • Phone verification
  • Order updates
  • Appointment reminders

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What You’ll Need

1

Twilio Account

Sign up at twilio.com - free trial available!
2

Phone Number

Get a Twilio phone number
3

API Keys

Copy your credentials
4

10 Minutes

Quick setup!

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Step 1: Get Your Twilio Credentials

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Create Account

  1. Go to twilio.com/try-twilio
  2. Sign up for free
  3. Verify your email and phone
  4. You get $15 free credit!

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Get a Phone Number

  1. In Twilio Console
  2. Go to Phone Numbers → Manage → Buy a number
  3. Select your country
  4. Check: SMS (and Voice if needed)
  5. Click Buy (uses your free credit)
  6. Copy your new phone number

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Get Your API Credentials

On the Twilio dashboard, you’ll see:

Account SID

Starts with: ACExample: ACxxxxxxxxIdentifies your account

Auth Token

Random stringSecret! Keep it safeClick to reveal it
Copy both - you’ll need them!
Trial Account Limits: You can only send to verified phone numbers. Upgrade to send to anyone.

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Step 2: Tell the Agent What You Want

Describe what you need:

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Example 1: SMS Notifications

I need to send SMS notifications to users.

Twilio credentials:
- Account SID: ACxxxxxxxx
- Auth Token: xxxxxxxx
- Phone Number: +1234567890

Features:
- Send order confirmations via SMS
- Send shipping updates
- Send account alerts

Please set this up.

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Example 2: Phone Verification (2FA)

I need phone number verification for user signup.

Twilio credentials:
- Account SID: ACxxxxxxxx
- Auth Token: xxxxxxxx  
- Phone Number: +1234567890

Flow:
1. User enters their phone number
2. Send 6-digit code via SMS
3. User enters code
4. Verify and activate account

Features:
- Code expires in 5 minutes
- Limit resend attempts
- Show countdown timer

Please build this.

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Example 3: Appointment Reminders

Send SMS reminders for appointments.

Twilio credentials:
- Account SID: ACxxxxxxxx
- Auth Token: xxxxxxxx
- Phone Number: +1234567890

Reminders:
- 24 hours before appointment
- 2 hours before appointment
- Include appointment details

Please set this up.
That’s all! The agent will set up SMS sending, verification codes, everything.

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Step 3: Test SMS Sending

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For Trial Accounts

1

Verify Your Phone

In Twilio Console → Phone Numbers → Verified Caller IDsAdd your personal phone number
2

Click Preview

In Emergent, click Preview
3

Send Test SMS

Try sending an SMS to your verified number
4

Check Phone

You should receive the text message!

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After Upgrade

Once you upgrade (add payment method), you can send to any phone number!

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Step 4: Go Live (Upgrade Account)

To send to anyone (not just verified numbers):
1

Upgrade Account

In Twilio Console → Upgrade
2

Add Payment

Add credit card
3

Complete Upgrade

Follow the steps
4

Start Sending!

Now you can send to any number

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Common Questions

Very affordable!SMS (US): ~$0.0079 per message
  • 100 messages = $0.79
  • 1,000 messages = $7.90
SMS (India): ~$0.0070 per messagePhone numbers: ~$1-2/month to keep the numberMost apps spend under $20/month.
Yes! Tell the agent:
I want to send WhatsApp messages instead of SMS.

Twilio credentials: [same as above]

Please set up WhatsApp messaging.
(Requires Twilio WhatsApp sandbox or approved business account)
Tell the agent:
Some users aren't receiving SMS. Can you:
1. Add better error handling
2. Log delivery status
3. Show if message was delivered
4. Handle international numbers properly
In some countries, yes. Tell the agent:
Instead of showing a phone number,
show "MyCompany" as the sender name.
(Availability depends on country)

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Something Not Working?

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SMS Not Sending

Tell the agent: 
SMS messages aren't sending. Error:
[paste error message]

Can you check the Twilio setup?

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“Unverified Number” Error

Tell the agent: 
Getting "unverified number" errors.

I'm on trial account - can you:
1. Add instructions for users to verify their number
2. Or remind me I need to upgrade

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Wrong Phone Format

Tell the agent: 
Users entering phone numbers wrong.

Can you:
1. Auto-format phone numbers
2. Add country code selector
3. Validate format before sending

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Real Examples

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Example 1: E-commerce Order Updates

Send SMS for order status updates.

Twilio credentials: [will provide]

Messages to send:
- Order placed confirmation
- Payment received
- Shipped (with tracking)
- Out for delivery
- Delivered

Each SMS should include:
- Customer name
- Order number
- Relevant details

Please build this.

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Example 2: Two-Factor Authentication

Add 2FA to user login.

Twilio credentials: [will provide]

Flow:
1. User logs in with password
2. Send 6-digit code via SMS
3. User enters code
4. Grant access if correct

Security:
- Code expires in 5 minutes
- Max 3 attempts
- Rate limiting

Please set this up.

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Example 3: Booking Reminders

SMS reminders for bookings.

Twilio credentials: [will provide]

Send reminders:
- When booking is confirmed
- 1 day before
- 1 hour before

Include:
- Booking details
- Date/time
- Location/link
- Cancel/reschedule option

Please build this.

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Advanced Features

Once basic SMS works:

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Delivery Tracking

Track SMS delivery status:
- Sent
- Delivered
- Failed
- Read (if available)

Show status in admin dashboard.

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Two-Way SMS

Users can reply to SMS messages.
Handle their responses in the app.

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Scheduled Messages

Schedule SMS to send later:
- Daily reminders at 9 AM
- Birthday messages
- Appointment reminders

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Quick Checklist

Before going live:
  • Tested SMS on verified number
  • Messages arrive within seconds
  • Text format looks good
  • Links work (if included)
  • Phone validation works
  • Upgraded account (if sending to all numbers)
  • Set spending limits in Twilio

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Remember

Free trial includes $15 credit - Good for ~2,000 SMS Very affordable - Most apps spend under $20/month Upgrade to reach everyone - Trial only sends to verified numbers Track delivery - Know if messages were received Set spending limits - Avoid surprise bills
Stuck? Tell the agent: “I need help with Twilio SMS” and explain what’s not working.