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SMS Configuration

SMS campaigns are powered by Twilio. Before any SMS campaign can be created or run, an Org Admin must configure valid Twilio credentials in Outreach Settings.

warning

Until a valid Twilio Auth Token is saved, the SMS delivery channel is disabled in the campaign wizard. Campaigners will not be able to select SMS when creating a campaign.

Prerequisites

  • Your organisation must have an active Outreach subscription (request access if not)
  • You need a Twilio account with:
    • An Account SID (found in your Twilio Console under Account Info)
    • An Auth Token (found in your Twilio Console under Account Info)
    • A Messaging Service SID (found in your Twilio Console under Messaging → Services)

How to Configure Twilio

  1. Log in to the Admin app as an Org Admin.
  2. Navigate to OutreachSettings.
  3. Select the SMS section.
  4. Click Edit on the Twilio Integration panel.

Account SID and Auth Token

  1. Enter your Twilio Account SID in the Account SID field.
  2. Enter your Twilio Auth Token in the Auth Token field.
  3. Both values are validated against the Twilio API when you save.
  4. After saving, the Auth Token is encrypted and stored securely. It is never displayed in the UI after being saved — you will see a masked placeholder instead. The Account SID is displayed as-is (it is not a secret).
warning

The Auth Token is stored securely and cannot be retrieved or viewed after saving. If you need to change it, you must enter a new value.

Messaging Service SID

  1. Enter your Messaging Service SID in the Messaging Service SID field.
  2. This is validated alongside the Account SID and Auth Token when saving.

Save and Validate

  1. Click Save.

  2. Outreach calls the Twilio API to verify the credentials are valid.

  3. If validation succeeds, credentials are saved and you can begin creating SMS campaigns.

  4. If validation fails, an error is displayed and nothing is saved. Common failure scenarios include:

    • The Auth Token is incorrect or has been rotated in Twilio.
    • The Account SID does not match the Auth Token (for example, credentials from two different Twilio accounts).
    • The Messaging Service SID does not exist on the supplied Twilio account, or the Account SID lacks permission to use it.

    Double-check the values in your Twilio Console and re-enter them.

Editing Credentials

To update your Twilio credentials after they have been saved:

  1. Navigate to OutreachSettingsSMS.
  2. Click Edit on the relevant section (Auth Token or Messaging Service SID).
  3. Enter the new value and click Save.
  4. The new credentials are validated before being applied.

What Each Credential Does

CredentialPurpose
Account SIDIdentifies the Twilio account to authenticate against
Auth TokenAuthenticates API requests to Twilio when sending messages and processing delivery updates
Messaging Service SIDIdentifies which Twilio Messaging Service to use for outbound messages. This controls the sending phone number(s) and messaging configuration

Impact on Campaigners

The table below shows what campaigners can do based on the current SMS configuration state:

Configuration stateSMS option in wizardCan create SMS campaigns?Can run SMS campaigns?
No Twilio credentials savedDisabledNoNo
Invalid credentials savedDisabledNoNo
Valid Account SID and Auth Token, no Messaging Service SIDEnabledYesNo — a Messaging Service SID is required to run
Valid Account SID, Auth Token, and Messaging Service SIDEnabledYesYes

Next Steps