Objective

Twilio is able to send SMS messages to billions of people in 150+ countries. This guide will walk you through how to begin sending international messages, and what to look out for.

 

Product

Programmable Messaging 

 

Procedure

Are there any limitations or requirements?

SMS regulations can vary from country to country. To help you setup a successful messaging app, Twilio has compiled guidelines for each country we support: Twilio SMS Guidelines.

There you'll find the following information:

• Does this country support Alphanumeric Sender IDs?
• Does this country support Two-way SMS?
• Are there any restrictions on A2P or promotional messaging?
• Are there any special dialing requirements?
• Message throughput
• Twilio's recommended best practices
• And more!

 

Setting up your Twilio project

If you haven’t already done so, create a Twilio project. We recommend you upgrade your Twilio project for easier international SMS, but you can use your trial project by following these instructions.

Notice: Trial accounts will need to verify any destination phone numbers before messages can successfully be sent to them. This restriction is lifted once the project is upgraded.

If you are offered a Twilio phone number, please be sure to select a phone number that has global SMS capability. Phone numbers capable of global SMS will be marked No under the heading Domestic SMS Only, which indicates that they're able to send messages internationally. Some common examples are local numbers in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada.

Notice: You may not need a Twilio phone number if you plan to send messages using alphanumeric sender ID.

Lastly, you will need to enable international messaging to the country(s) you wish to message. For more information, please see How International SMS Permissions Work.

 

Send some test messages

Now that you're all setup, the next step is to test it all out. For help sending messages, please see Simple Example for Sending Programmable SMS Text or Picture Messages.

 

What should I do if something doesn’t work?

Messaging issues could be related to your request, or delivery along the way. For help identifying and resolving these issues, please see Troubleshooting Undelivered Twilio SMS Messages.