SMS API

Nexmo's SMS API enables you to send and receive text messages to and from users worldwide, using simple REST APIs.

Getting Started

Send an SMS

This example shows you how to send an SMS to your chosen number.

First, sign up for a Nexmo account if you don't already have one, and make a note of your API key and secret on the dashboard getting started page.

Replace the following placeholder values in the sample code:

Key Description
NEXMO_API_KEY Your Nexmo API key.
NEXMO_API_SECRET Your Nexmo API secret.
  • cURL
  • Node
  • Java
  • .NET
  • PHP
  • Python
  • Ruby

    • Write the code

    Add the following to send-sms.sh:

    Copy to Clipboard 
    curl -X "POST" "https://rest.nexmo.com/sms/json" \
  -d "from=AcmeInc" \
  -d "text=A text message sent using the Nexmo SMS API" \
  -d "to=$TO_NUMBER" \
  -d "api_key=$NEXMO_API_KEY" \
  -d "api_secret=$NEXMO_API_SECRET"

    View full source

    Run your code

    Save this file to your machine and run it: 

    sh send-sms.sh

    Prerequisites

    Install dependencies

    npm install nexmo
    Initialize your dependencies

    Create a file named send.js and add the following code:

    Copy to Clipboard 
    const Nexmo = require('nexmo')

const nexmo = new Nexmo({
  apiKey: NEXMO_API_KEY,
  apiSecret: NEXMO_API_SECRET
})

    View full source

    Write the code

    Add the following to send.js:

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    const from = FROM_NUMBER
const to = TO_NUMBER
const text = 'A text message sent using the Nexmo SMS API'

nexmo.message.sendSms(from, to, text, (err, responseData) => {
    if (err) {
        console.log(err);
    } else {
        if(responseData.messages[0]['status'] === "0") {
            console.log("Message sent successfully.");
        } else {
            console.log(`Message failed with error: ${responseData.messages[0]['error-text']}`);
        }
    }
})

    View full source

    Run your code

    Save this file to your machine and run it: 

    node send.js

    Prerequisites

    Install dependencies

    Add the following to build.gradle:

    compile 'com.nexmo:client:4.1.0'
    Initialize your dependencies

    Create a class named SendMessage and add the following code to the main method:

    Copy to Clipboard

    View full source

    Write the code

    Add the following to the main method of the SendMessage class:

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TextMessage message = new TextMessage(NEXMO_BRAND_NAME,
        TO_NUMBER,
        "A text message sent using the Nexmo SMS API"
);

SmsSubmissionResponse response = client.getSmsClient().submitMessage(message);

    View full source

    Run your code

    We can use the application plugin for Gradle to simplify the running of our application. Update your build.gradle with the following:

    apply plugin: 'application'
mainClassName = project.hasProperty('main') ? project.getProperty('main') : ''

    Run the following gradle command to execute your application, replacing com.nexmo.quickstart.sms with the package containing SendMessage:

    gradle run -Pmain=com.nexmo.quickstart.sms.SendMessage

    Prerequisites

    Install dependencies

    Install-Package Nexmo.Csharp.Client
    Initialize your dependencies

    Create a file named SMSController.cs and add the following code:

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    var client = new Client(creds: new Nexmo.Api.Request.Credentials
{
    ApiKey = "NEXMO_API_KEY",
    ApiSecret = "NEXMO_API_SECRET"
});

    View full source

    Write the code

    Add the following to SMSController.cs:

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    var results = Client.SMS.Send(request: new SMS.SMSRequest
{
    from = "Acme Inc",
    to = TO_NUMBER,
    text = "A test SMS sent using the Nexmo SMS API"
});

if (results.messages.Count >= 1)
{
    if (results.messages[0].status == "0")
        Debug.WriteLine("Message sent successfully.");
    else 
        Debug.WriteLine($"Message failed with error: {results.messages[0].error_text}");
}

    View full source

    Prerequisites

    Install dependencies

    composer require nexmo/client
    Initialize your dependencies

    Create a file named send-sms.php and add the following code:

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    $basic  = new \Nexmo\Client\Credentials\Basic(NEXMO_API_KEY, NEXMO_API_SECRET);
$client = new \Nexmo\Client($basic);

    View full source

    Write the code

    Add the following to send-sms.php:

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    try {
    $message = $client->message()->send([
        'to' => TO_NUMBER,
        'from' => 'Acme Inc',
        'text' => 'A text message sent using the Nexmo SMS API'
    ]);
    $response = $message->getResponseData();

    if($response['messages'][0]['status'] == 0) {
        echo "The message was sent successfully\n";
    } else {
        echo "The message failed with status: " . $response['messages'][0]['status'] . "\n";
    }
} catch (Exception $e) {
    echo "The message was not sent. Error: " . $e->getMessage() . "\n";
}

    View full source

    Run your code

    Save this file to your machine and run it: 

    php send-sms.php

    Prerequisites

    Install dependencies

    pip install nexmo
    Initialize your dependencies

    Create a file named send-an-sms.py and add the following code:

    Copy to Clipboard 
    import nexmo

client = nexmo.Client(key=NEXMO_API_KEY, secret=NEXMO_API_SECRET)

    View full source

    Write the code

    Add the following to send-an-sms.py:

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    responseData = client.send_message(
    {
        "from": "Acme Inc",
        "to": TO_NUMBER,
        "text": "A text message sent using the Nexmo SMS API",
    }
)

if responseData["messages"][0]["status"] == "0":
    print("Message sent successfully.")
else:
    print(f"Message failed with error: {responseData['messages'][0]['error-text']}")

    View full source

    Run your code

    Save this file to your machine and run it: 

    python send-an-sms.py

    Prerequisites

    Install dependencies

    gem install nexmo
    Initialize your dependencies

    Create a file named send.rb and add the following code:

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    require 'nexmo'

client = Nexmo::Client.new(
  api_key: NEXMO_API_KEY,
  api_secret: NEXMO_API_SECRET
)

    View full source

    Write the code

    Add the following to send.rb:

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    client.sms.send(
  from: 'Acme Inc',
  to: RECIPIENT_NUMBER,
  text: 'A text message sent using the Nexmo SMS API'
)

    View full source

    Run your code

    Save this file to your machine and run it: 

    ruby send.rb

    Contents

    The rest of this document contains the following information:

    Concepts

    Before using the Nexmo SMS API, familiarise yourself with the following:

    Guides

    Code Snippets

    Tutorials

    Reference