SMS Send

The SMS Send node sends text messages via SMS. Use it for urgent notifications, time-sensitive alerts, or reaching people who may not be checking email or Slack.

Overview

Prerequisites

• Recipient phone numbers in E.164 format
• Optional: Verify your phone number in Settings for sender ID

Configuration

To Parameter

Phone number in E.164 format:

From upstream data:

json.contact.phone

Static number:

"+15551234567"

Phone Number Format (E.164)

The E.164 format is:

• Starts with +
• Country code
• Area code (no leading zero)
• Local number
• No spaces or dashes

Examples:

Body Parameter

SMS content using Liquid template:

Urgent: Meeting "{{ json.meeting.title }}" needs follow-up. Check Slack for details.

Input Schema

Accepts any data from upstream. Access via json in templates.

Output Schema

Success Output

{
  "success": true,
  "messageId": "SM1234567890abcdef",
  "to": "+15551234567",
  "body": "Urgent: Meeting needs follow-up...",
  "sentAt": "2024-01-15T14:30:00Z"
}

Error Output

{
  "error": "INVALID_PHONE_NUMBER",
  "message": "Phone number must be in E.164 format",
  "to": "555-123-4567"
}

Examples

Basic Example: Urgent Alert

Send an urgent notification.

Configuration:

To: json.recipientPhone

Body:

URGENT: {{ json.alertMessage }}. Check Slack immediately.

Example: Meeting Alert

Alert about a meeting that needs attention.

To: json.manager.phone

Body:

Meeting Alert: "{{ json.meeting.title }}" flagged as {{ json.riskLevel }}.
Action needed: {{ json.recommendedAction | truncate: 80 }}

Example: Time-Sensitive Follow-up

Send reminder for time-sensitive items.

To: json.assignee.phone

Body:

Reminder: Follow up with {{ json.contact.name }} by {{ json.deadline | date: "%I:%M %p" }} today. Topic: {{ json.topic }}

Example: Conditional SMS

Only send SMS for truly urgent situations.

Workflow:

[AI: Classify urgency]
         │
         ▼
[If: json.urgency == "critical"]
    ├── Yes ──▶ [SMS Send]
    └── No ───▶ [Slack Post] (less intrusive)

Best Practices

1. Reserve for Urgent Messages

SMS is intrusive—use sparingly:

• Critical alerts that need immediate action
• Time-sensitive information
• When other channels have failed

2. Keep Messages Short

SMS has character limits:

• Standard SMS: 160 characters
• Longer messages split into multiple SMS

{{ json.message | truncate: 150 }}

3. Include Action

Tell recipient what to do:

✅ Good:

Deal risk alert: {{ json.dealName }}. Check Slack #deals for details.

❌ Bad:

There's an issue with a deal.

4. Validate Phone Numbers

Before sending, validate format:

json.phone matches "^\\+[1-9]\\d{1,14}$"

Or use If node to check:

[If: phone is valid?]
    ├── Yes ──▶ [SMS Send]
    └── No ───▶ [Log error] ──▶ [Sink]

5. Consider Time Zones

Don't send SMS at inappropriate hours:

• Use scheduled triggers for business hours
• Consider recipient's time zone
• Save urgent-only for true emergencies

Common Issues

"Invalid phone number" error

Causes:

• Missing + prefix
• Invalid country code
• Non-numeric characters

Solutions:

1. Ensure E.164 format (+15551234567)
2. Remove spaces, dashes, parentheses
3. Include country code

SMS not delivered

Causes:

• Invalid number
• Carrier blocking
• Recipient phone issues

Solutions:

1. Verify number is correct
2. Check execution logs for delivery status
3. Contact support if issues persist

Message truncated

Cause: Content exceeds SMS limits

Solution: Keep under 160 characters or handle multi-part:

{{ json.message | truncate: 155, "..." }}

High costs

Cause: Sending too many SMS

Solutions:

1. Use SMS only for critical alerts
2. Implement proper filtering
3. Use Slack/email for non-urgent

Related Nodes

• If - Filter to only urgent items
• Slack Post - Less intrusive alternative
• Email Send - Another alternative

Technical Details

Character Limits

Emojis use Unicode and reduce character count.

Idempotency

SMS Send uses idempotency keys to prevent duplicate messages during retries.

Delivery Status

The success output indicates the message was accepted by Twilio. Final delivery depends on:

• Carrier networks
• Recipient phone status
• Number validity

Check delivery status in the execution logs.