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

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Setting up Twilio

1

Create a Twilio Account

  1. Go to Twilio 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.
2

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.
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.
3

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

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Creating a Twilio integration with WorldVisa

1

Connect Twilio to WorldVisa

  1. Visit the Integrations Store on WorldVisa
  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
2

Configure Twilio Credentials

  1. Go to your Console on Twilio and access the Account Info section
  2. Enter your:
    • Account SID
    • Authentication method — keep Auth token, or select API key to use a Twilio API key
    • Auth Token
    • Twilio Phone Number
  3. Click on the Save button

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Authenticate with an API key

Use a Twilio API key instead of your account Auth Token when you do not want to share the Auth Token with WorldVisa. You can revoke an API key at any time without affecting other apps that use your Twilio account.
1

Create an API key in Twilio

In the Twilio Console, go to Account > API keys & tokens and create an API key. A Restricted key needs only permission to create messages. Copy the key’s SID (starts with SK) and Secret. Twilio shows the secret only once.
2

Select API key in WorldVisa

In your Twilio integration, set Authentication method to API key, then enter your Account SID, API Key SID, and API Key Secret. WorldVisa removes the stored Auth Token when you save.
To configure API key authentication through the WorldVisa API, set authMethod to apiKey and send the key in apiKey (API Key SID) and secretKey (API Key Secret) inside credentials. WorldVisa does not store token in this mode. To use the Auth Token, leave authMethod out. Twilio supports processing and storing SMS data in specific regions. WorldVisa lets you choose the API region when connecting your Twilio integration.
1

Create IE1 API credentials

In the Twilio Console, create API credentials for the IE1 region. Use those credentials in your WorldVisa Twilio integration instead of your US credentials.
2

Configure senders for IE1

If you send with phone numbers, set each number’s active messaging region to IE1 in the Twilio Console under Numbers & Senders.
3

Select EU in WorldVisa

Select the matching EU region when configuring this integration in WorldVisa.

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Sending WhatsApp message

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

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Sending WhatsApp template message

To send WhatsApp template messages with Twilio integration, you can use the template field in the overrides object.
Read more about sending a Message with the Twilio API for WhatsApp.