What is the Port-in API?
If you'd like to keep your own phone number and move its messaging and voice capabilities to Twilio, you can port your number to Twilio. In this case, Twilio will be the new carrier of the phone number.
With this API, you can create a new port in request for US non-toll free phone numbers (up to 1,000 numbers per request). It is recommended that you check the portability status of all phone numbers using the Portability API prior to submitting a port-in request for those numbers.
The public-beta of this API does not support email notifications, you will need to configure webhooks to receive updates about your port-in request.
An important improvement from the previous port in process, is that you won’t need to manually create a PDF document with the Letter of Authorization (LOA) to port a number. An electronic LOA will be generated with the information provided in the Port in Request and it will be sent to the authorized representative so it can be signed digitally.
Remember that once a Port in Request is completed, you need to fulfill all messaging and voice compliance requirements before starting using a phone number for Twilio services. Additional details can be found here.
For a step-by-step guidelines see our Port-In api documentation
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: What is the limit of the Portability API?
The API accepts one phone number at a time but it is performant enough so that you can send multiple requests at the same time.
Q: What if a number is not portable?
The API will answer with a reason of why the number is not portable and potential next steps. Those next steps are explained in the documentation link.
Q: What is the next step if a number is portable?
First you need to add a document with the Utility Bill to prove ownership of the phone number. Then you can create a Port In Request using the new API.
Q: What should my utility bill include?
The Utility Bill should be the most recent bill you have, within the last 30 days, that includes the account, owner/authorized user name, and address information for all the numbers you'd like to port.
Q: What is the limit of the Port In Request API?
With this API, you can create a new port in request for US non-toll free phone numbers, the request can have up to 1,000 specific numbers per request. We recommend using the Portability API prior to this API to ensure all phone numbers are portable.
Q: How should I test my integration?
We recommend testing the integrations with numbers that have minimum to no traffic so that there is no disruption. If you have test numbers with another provider those would be ideal, if not you can purchase a new number with a provider of your choice and port it to Twilio.
Q: What is the difference between the Port In Request API and the Port In Phone Numbers API?
The Port In Request can hold multiple phone numbers in just one request (up to 1,000) and you will have a status for the overall request. Inside the request you will have specific phone numbers that are independent of each other and you can perform actions like fetching or deleting them using the API.
Q: How do I investigate if my customer may be eligible to participate in the Public Beta?
All customers can participate in the Public Beta, the documentation has been officially launched.
Q: Will there be a Console experience in parity with the API for Public Beta?
Yes, the console will use the new API. A console roll out will happen in early 2025.
Q: Who is able to provide assistance if there are issues with LOA signature?
A Letter of Authorization (LOA) will be created with all portable numbers from the port-in request and it will be sent to the authorized representative's email (added in the API) for signature.
Q: Will the response webhooks API send an automatic email status update email when the status of the Port In request changes?
No, there are no email notifications. But you can use the webhooks API to learn about status updates, here is the documentation.