Getting started with SMS

Send your first test SMS and prepare your senders for production.

Generate a regional API key, enable the destination countries your app serves, and test delivery webhooks using Bird's sandbox recipient or your own phone before rolling out registered 10DLC, toll-free, short-code, or alphanumeric senders to customers.

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Three steps from your first test message to carrier-compliant sending.

Enable your target destinations and sender identity first, then verify webhook signatures and delivery status handling before messaging live customers.

01
Create a regional API key and fund your wallet.
Sign up for Bird, top up your organization's prepaid wallet, and issue a US or EU API key with SMS permissions. Store the key in your backend environment variables so the Bird SDK can route requests to the matching regional host.
02
Enable destination countries and prepare your sender.
Turn on the destination countries your application needs in the dashboard or CLI so unapproved markets stay blocked by default. For a quick first test to your own phone, you can send a built-in verification template over a shared sender; for ongoing customer traffic, lease a number or configure an alphanumeric sender ID and complete the country's registration requirements (holding a number and carrier approval to send from it are separate checks). Read the sender guide →
03
Verify delivery events and error handling.
Send to Bird's documented US sandbox recipient (with an enabled US destination and eligible US sender) to exercise the message lifecycle without texting a real handset, or send a live test to your own mobile number. Verify signed webhook payloads and inspect carrier delivery statuses before opening traffic to customers. Sending and testing guide →

Put it into practice.

Continue with the documentation, guides and examples for this topic.

Watch the guideSending your first SMS Understand the conceptWhat does SMS mean?Follow the learning pathBuild your first integration

Try the practice and get an implementation brief

Questions before your first send

How do I test my SMS integration?

Follow the sending guide with a regional API key, an enabled US destination and a suitable US sender. Send to the documented sandbox recipient +15005550006 to exercise delivery events without contacting a real recipient. A message to your own phone is a real send.

What does Bird SMS include?

Send messages, receive replies, manage senders and destinations, and inspect delivery outcomes. The product hub connects number types, registration, campaigns, analytics and the corresponding setup guides.

Which countries can I send to?

Use the destination catalogue to check current coverage, sender types and registration requirements. Enable the destination in your workspace before sending; coverage alone does not complete your sender setup.

When do I need 10DLC registration?

US application-to-person messaging from local ten-digit numbers uses 10DLC brand and campaign registration. Toll-free and short-code programs have their own requirements. Choose the sender type first and follow its registration guide.

Choose your next step

Explore the SMS platformDeliver transactional alerts, handle two-way customer replies, and manage country-specific sender compliance from one platform.Prepare an audience campaignTarget opted-in audience segments, preview GSM-7 and Unicode segment counts, and schedule compliant promotional broadcasts.Find a guide or answerBrowse country regulations, 10DLC and sender registration guides, and the interactive SMS segment calculator.

Send your first test SMS and prepare your senders for production.

Three steps from your first test message to carrier-compliant sending.

Put it into practice.

Questions before your first send

Choose your next step

Send your first SMS in minutes.

Start building with Bird in minutes.