Prerequisite You should have an API key from Twilio and have it stored in a .env file.

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Introduction

This guide demonstrates how to send a basic text message using the Twilio API. You’ll learn how to set up your environment, configure your API credentials, and send a text message.

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Setup

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Step 1: Install Required Packages

First, install the necessary packages using pip: 
pip install python-dotenv twilio

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Step 2: Create a .env File

Create a .env file in the project root with your Twilio credentials and phone numbers: 
TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID=your_twilio_account_sid
TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN=your_twilio_auth_token
TWILIO_PHONE_FROM=your_twilio_phone_number
TWILIO_PHONE_TO=recipient_phone_number

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Sending a Text Message

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Step 3: Create the Python Script

Create a Python script named twilio-sms-example.py with the following content:
twilio-sms-example.py
import os
from dotenv import load_dotenv
from twilio.rest import Client

# Load environment variables from .env file
load_dotenv()

# Get Twilio credentials and phone numbers from environment variables
account_sid = os.getenv('TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID')
auth_token = os.getenv('TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN')
phone_from = os.getenv('TWILIO_PHONE_FROM')
phone_to = os.getenv('TWILIO_PHONE_TO')

# Initialize Twilio client with account SID and auth token
client = Client(account_sid, auth_token)

try:
    # Send a text message using Twilio API
    message = client.messages.create(
        body="Hello, World!",
        from_=phone_from,
        to=phone_to
    )
    # Print success response
    print(f"Message sent to {phone_to}. SID: {message.sid}")
except Exception as e:
    # Print error response
    print(f"Failed to send message. Error: {e}")

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Step 4: Run the Script

Ensure you have the .env file in the same directory as the script. Then, execute the script: 
python twilio-sms-example.py

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Conclusion

You have successfully sent a text message using the Twilio API! This guide provided a basic example to get you started. You can now expand on this by customizing the message content and handling different phone numbers.