SMS API

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

• Programmatically send and receive high volumes of SMS globally.
• Send SMS with low latency and high delivery rates.
• Receive SMS using local numbers.
• Scale your applications with familiar web technologies.
• Pay only for what you use, nothing more.

Contents

This topic contains the following information:

• Getting Started - Information on how to get started quickly
• Troubleshooting - Message object status field and error code information
• Concepts - Introductory concepts
• Guides - Learn how to use the SMS API
• Code Snippets - Code snippets to help with specific tasks
• Use Cases - Use cases with code examples
• Reference - REST API documentation

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:

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"

sh send-sms.sh

npm install nexmo

const Nexmo = require('nexmo')

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

const from = NEXMO_BRAND_NAME
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']}`);
        }
    }
})

node send.js

compile 'com.nexmo:client:5.2.1'

NexmoClient client = NexmoClient.builder().apiKey(NEXMO_API_KEY).apiSecret(NEXMO_API_SECRET).build();

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

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

if (response.getMessages().get(0).getStatus() == MessageStatus.OK) {
    System.out.println("Message sent successfully.");
} else {
    System.out.println("Message failed with error: " + response.getMessages().get(0).getErrorText());
}

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

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

Install-Package Nexmo.Csharp.Client

const string API_KEY = "NEXMO_API_KEY";
const string API_SECRET = "NEXMO_API_SECRET";

var client = new Client(creds: new Nexmo.Api.Request.Credentials(
    nexmoApiKey: API_KEY, nexmoApiSecret: API_SECRET));

var results = client.SMS.Send(new SMS.SMSRequest
{
    from = NEXMO_BRAND_NAME,
    to = TO_NUMBER,
    text = message
});

composer require nexmo/client

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

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";
}

php send-sms.php

pip install nexmo

import nexmo

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

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']}")

python send-an-sms.py

gem install nexmo

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

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

ruby send.rb

Troubleshooting

If you have problems when making API calls be sure to check the returned status field for specific error codes.

Concepts

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

• Number format - The SMS API requires phone numbers in E.164 format.

• Authentication - The SMS API authenticates using your account API key and secret.

• Webhooks - The SMS API makes HTTP requests to your application web server so that you can act upon them. For example: inbound SMS and delivery receipts.

Guides

• Sender identity: How to change where your SMS appears to come from.
• Concatenation and encoding: Determining whether the byte length of a message results in it being sent as multiple SMS.
• Country specific features: How different countries' SMS sending rules can affect your campaign.
• Delivery receipts: How to request a delivery receipt (DLR) from the carrier.
• Inbound SMS: How to receive SMS on your Nexmo virtual numbers.
• Troubleshooting: What to do if your SMS delivery fails.
• SMPP access: Using SMPP instead of REST to access the SMS API.

Code Snippets

• Before you begin
• Send an SMS
• Send an SMS with Unicode
• Delivery Receipts
• Receive an SMS

Use Cases

• Receiving Concatenated SMS
• Private SMS communication
• SMS Customer Support
• Mobile app invites
• Two-way SMS for customer engagement

Reference

• SMS API Reference
• Response object status field
• Error codes