Get started with the Bird extension on Firebase
Bird
1 Jun 2021
Firebase Extension
1 min read
Key Takeaways
The Bird | Firebase Extension allows developers to send messages and notifications across SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger, Google Business Messages, Telegram, LINE, Viber, and more—directly from Firestore document writes.
When a new document is added to the configured Firestore collection, the extension converts it into a readable message payload and sends it via Bird’s Conversations API, then updates the document with delivery status.
This extension removes the need for a backend integration with Bird’s API, enabling teams to ship messaging features faster with minimal code.
Firebase’s real-time and scalable infrastructure pairs with Bird’s global connectivity, ensuring reliable message delivery anywhere in the world.
A sample use case demonstrates how restaurants can automate SMS notifications to customers waiting for tables—only requiring a Firestore write.
Setup requires only a Bird API key and an SMS (or other channel) ID; configuration is done through Firebase’s extension installation wizard.
Developers define the Firestore collection the extension listens to—every new document becomes a message trigger.
After sending, the extension enriches the Firestore document with delivery data, status, and error messages if applicable.
Security best practices are essential: Firestore rules must tightly restrict read/write access to prevent abuse or unauthorized message sending.
Cloud Functions logs allow developers to inspect message failures, extension execution errors, and delivery outcomes.
The extension works seamlessly with the broader Bird ecosystem, enabling future enhancements like AI-based flows, image recognition, or CRM automation.
This integration creates a foundation for richer experiences, such as enabling customers to reply with keywords, building restaurant queue features, or connecting to external APIs via Flow Builder.
Q&A Highlights
What does the Bird Firebase extension do?
It listens to changes in a Firestore collection and sends messages through Bird’s Conversations API whenever a new document is added.
Which channels can the extension send messages through?
SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Google Business Messages, Telegram, LINE, Viber, and any other Bird-supported channels.
Do I need a backend server to send messages?
No. The extension handles all API interactions—messaging becomes as simple as writing a document to Firestore.
What information is required from my Bird account?
You’ll need your Bird API key and a channel ID (e.g., for SMS).
How do I install the extension?
Through the Firebase console → Extensions → Install “Send Messages with Bird,” and then configure your API key and collection name.
How does the extension know when to send a message?
It monitors the specified Firestore collection and triggers whenever a new document is created.
What does the message document format look like?
A simple JSON containing the destination, channel ID, and message text (or payload for other channels).
What happens after a message is sent?
The extension updates the Firestore document with delivery metadata like delivery.state, timestamps, and error details (if any).
How can I check for errors?
Errors appear in the updated Firestore document and also in the Cloud Functions logs within Firebase.
How do I secure my Firestore collection?
Use Firestore security rules to restrict read/write access only to authorized users or service accounts.
Can I use this extension for more advanced workflows?
Yes — you can pair it with Flow Builder, external APIs, or machine-learning tools like Google Vision to build interactive, automated experiences.
What’s a real-world example of using this extension?
A restaurant queue system that sends SMS notifications when a table is ready — triggered simply by adding a Firestore document.
Firebase allows you to quickly develop and deploy high-quality apps, paired with extended functionalities that enable you to continuously optimize and scale your app. Firebase also hosts pre-packaged, open-source extensions to help you automate common development tasks.
Today, we are excited to discuss the Bird | Firebase extension.
Send message and notifications with Bird
The Bird extension on Firebase connects you to the world’s largest omnichannel portfolio to deliver messages and notifications on all of your customers’ preferred channels. Powered by Bird’s global connectivity, this means you can reach your customers quickly — and anywhere in the world!
To further streamline the process, when you add a document to a specific Firebase collection, the extension will utilize Bird’s Conversations API to convert that document into readable text and update the document with the delivery status.
In this article, you will learn how you can get sending in just a few steps!
An example use case
How to get set up
In this example, we will assume you have a Firebase and Bird account.
If you don't have a Bird account, you can create one here.
To begin, it requires information from your Bird account.
First, you will need your API key to allow the Firebase extension to interact with the Bird API on your behalf. You can find your API key in the Bird API settings. Second, you will need an SMS number and an installed SMS channel. If you do not have a Channel ID already, navigate to the SMS channel setup page to get one.
Once you have both your API key and an SMS Channel ID, return to your Firebase console and navigate to the Extensions tab.
From here, install the [Send Messages with Bird] Firebase extension.
During the install wizard, you will be prompted to add your API key and a collection name to use.
The collection name will be listened to by the Firebase extension.
When a document is added to the collection, it will trigger the extension.
Under the hood, the extension is a Cloud Function, which listens to changes on the specified collection, reads the added document and interacts with the Bird API to send the message.
Once your extension installation is complete, navigate to Firestore within the Firebase console. Then, add a collection ID that matches the collection name you used when installing the extension.
Note: It is very important to restrict who can write and read to this collection. If the collection is left open, third parties may be able to read the numbers of users and even send messages with your account. We would recommend using the Firestore security rules so only specific users have these privileges and follow all the security best practices put forth by the Firebase team.
How to send messages
The messages collection that we configured during setup will store all your messages. To send an SMS message, you will need to add a document to the collection you named in the wizard using this format:
Once the document is added to the collection, the Bird extension will then interact with the Bird API and update the document with extra fields as below. The delivery.state field below depicts the different statuses the message can be in.
If sending a message results in a failure, the state field will be ERROR, and the error field will be populated with an error message string.
It is also possible to observe errors from the extension and usage via in the Cloud functions tab in the Firebase console:
The experience for you and your customers
Install the Bird Firebase extension to communicate with your customers — easier than ever before
Now, you no longer require a direct backend API integration to interact with the Bird API.
You can streamline the implementation via the Firebase extension and make sending notifications as simple as document write operations — no matter the communication channel you want to use.
This is only scratching the surface of what you can do with the extension and our API.
We offer many channels and we also have an incredibly powerful visual editor in Flow Builder that allows you to create even more dynamic experiences. For advanced use cases, you can even integrate Flow Builder with external APIs like Google Vision API and Cloud Functions to add AI-powered image recognition to your customer interactions. With Flow Builder, you can also automate CRM workflows like creating leads and cases in Salesforce directly from customer interactions.
Following the use case above, Flow Builder would allow you to add a reply feature to the notifications sent, which enables the customer to reply with a keyword or phrase to cancel their reservation. But that’s for a future article! 🙂
If you have any other use cases that you would be interested in, our solution engineers are here to help you. Please contact our team and let us know!
