Twilio

1. Overview

Twilio is a cloud communications platform that enables developers to build voice, messaging, video, and authentication applications through APIs. It provides programmable communication tools for SMS, voice calls, WhatsApp, and other communication channels.

Through GoInsight's Twilio node, you can seamlessly integrate communication capabilities into your automated workflows. You can implement voice calling and messaging operations to enhance your business communications, including:

• Voice communications with programmable phone calls using TwiML instructions
• Multi-channel messaging supporting SMS, MMS, and WhatsApp messages with media attachments

2. Prerequisites

Before using this node, you need to have a valid Twilio account. You may need administrator or specific permissions to create and manage API credentials and obtain Twilio phone numbers for communication services.

3. Credentials

For detailed guidance on how to obtain and configure credentials, please refer to our official documentation: Credentials Configuration Guide.

4. Supported Operations

This node primarily operates around two core resources: Call and Message. Each resource supports specific communication operations for voice calls and text-based messaging.

Summary

Operation Details

Twilio Call Auth Token

Twilio Make a Call By Auth Token

Input Parameters:

• ToNumber: The phone number to call
• FromNumber: The Twilio phone number to call from
• Twiml: The TwiML instructions for the call

Output:

• CallSid (string): A unique identifier for the call
• CallStatus (string): The current status of the call (queued, ringing, in-progress, completed, busy, failed, no-answer, canceled)
• StatusCode (number): HTTP status code indicating the success or failure of the API request (200 for success, negative values for validation errors, 500 for server errors)
• ErrorMessage (string): Descriptive error message explaining why the request failed (empty string if successful)

Twilio Message Auth Token

Twilio Send an SMS MMS WhatsApp Message By Auth Token

Input Parameters:

• ToNumber: The phone number to send the message to eg:+86xxxxx / whatsapp:+86xxxxx
• FromNumber: The Twilio phone number or messaging service SID to send from
• Body: The body of the message

Options:

• MediaUrl: The URL of the media to send with the message (optional)

Output:

• MessageSid (string): A unique identifier for the message
• MessageStatus (string): The current status of the message (queued, sending, sent, failed, delivered, undelivered, receiving, received)
• StatusCode (number): HTTP status code indicating the success or failure of the API request (200 for success, negative values for validation errors, 500 for server errors)
• ErrorMessage (string): Descriptive error message explaining why the request failed (empty string if successful)

5. Example Usage

This section will guide you to create a simple workflow for sending an SMS message through your Twilio account. This workflow demonstrates how to use the messaging capabilities to send automated text notifications.

The workflow consists of three main components: Start -> Twilio -> Answer, where the Twilio node will send an SMS message to a specified phone number.

Step-by-step Guide:

1. Add Tool Node:
   • In the workflow canvas, click the "+" button to add a new node.
   • In the popup panel, select the "Tools" tab.
   • Find and select Twilio from the tools list.
   • In the list of Twilio supported operations, click to select Twilio Message Auth Token, which will add the corresponding node to the canvas.
2. Configure Node:
   • Click the newly added Twilio Message Auth Token node, and the configuration panel will expand on the right side.
   • Credentials Configuration: At the top of the panel, find the credentials field. Click the dropdown menu and select your pre-configured Twilio credentials.
   • Parameter Configuration: Fill in the input parameters with detailed information:
   • For ToNumber parameter: Enter the recipient's phone number in international format, such as "+1234567890" for SMS or "whatsapp:+1234567890" for WhatsApp messages.
   • For FromNumber parameter: Enter your Twilio phone number or messaging service SID that you want to send from.
   • For Body parameter: Enter the message content, such as "Hello from GoInsight! This is an automated message."
   • For MediaUrl parameter (optional): If sending an MMS, provide the URL of the media file you want to include.
3. Run and Validate:
   • Once all required parameters are correctly filled, the error indicators in the top-right corner of the workflow canvas will disappear.
   • Click the "Test Run" button in the top-right corner of the canvas to execute the workflow.
   • After successful execution, you can click the log icon in the top-right corner to view the detailed input and output of the node, verifying that the message was successfully sent.

After completing these steps, your entire workflow will be configured and ready. Click "Test Run" to send the SMS message through your Twilio account to the specified recipient.

6. FAQs

Q: Why am I getting authentication errors when trying to use Twilio services?

A: Authentication errors typically indicate credential issues. Please check the following:

• Ensure your Twilio Account SID and Auth Token are properly configured
• Verify that your credentials haven't expired or been rotated
• Check if your account has sufficient balance for messaging or calling

Q: My phone number format is being rejected. What's the correct format?

A: Phone numbers should be in E.164 format:

• Use international format starting with "+" followed by country code
• For SMS: "+1234567890" (regular phone number)
• For WhatsApp: "whatsapp:+1234567890" (with whatsapp: prefix)
• Ensure no spaces, dashes, or parentheses in the number

Q: Why are my calls or messages failing to send?

A: Common issues include:

• Invalid or unverified phone numbers (check if the number is verified in your Twilio account)
• Insufficient account balance for the operation
• Geographic restrictions or carrier filtering
• Invalid TwiML syntax for calls

Q: How do I handle TwiML for voice calls?

A: TwiML (Twilio Markup Language) is XML-based instructions for calls:

• Use simple TwiML like Hello World for text-to-speech
• For more complex scenarios, you can play recordings, gather input, or redirect calls
• Ensure your TwiML is properly formatted XML

7. Official Documentation

Twilio Official API Documentation