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

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.

Setup

Step 1: Install Required Packages

First, install the necessary packages using pip:

pip install python-dotenv twilio

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

Sending a Text Message

Step 3: Create the Python Script

Create a Python script named twilio-sms-example.py with the following content:

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

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.