Airtable

How to automate sending SMS from Airtable using Twilio?

Discover an easy method to automate SMS messages from Airtable by integrating with Twilio. This step-by-step guide makes your workflow smoother, ensuring messages are sent on time, every time.

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Overview

Connecting Airtable with Twilio to automate SMS messages is a powerful way to streamline communication. Airtable is a super intuitive database tool, while Twilio is a strong communication API. By linking them, you can set up workflows where any data changes or specific events in Airtable trigger Twilio to shoot out text messages. It all starts with getting your Airtable base ready with the right data fields. Then, configure Twilio to handle SMS services. To bridge Airtable and Twilio, use something like Zapier or write custom scripts. This setup ensures messages are sent out smoothly and on time.

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How to automate sending SMS from Airtable using Twilio?

Step 1: Create a Twilio Account and Get API Credentials

  1. Head over to Twilio and sign up for an account.
  2. After you verify your email and phone number, you'll land on the Twilio Console.
  3. Jot down your Account SID, Auth Token, and Twilio Phone Number from the dashboard. You'll need these later.

Step 2: Set Up an Airtable Base

  1. If you don't have an account yet, sign up at Airtable.
  2. Create a new base (think of it as a database) or open an existing one where you want to send SMS from.
  3. Ensure your table has a column for phone numbers and any other info you want to include in your messages.

Step 3: Use Airtable Scripting Block

  1. Open your Airtable base.
  2. Click on the “Apps” button in the top-right corner.
  3. Add the "Scripting" app to your base.
  4. Click on the added Scripting app to open it.

Step 4: Write a Script to Send SMS

  1. Use the following script to send SMS using Twilio. Replace ACCOUNT_SID, AUTH_TOKEN, and TWILIO_PHONE_NUMBER with your actual credentials from Step 1.
let twilio = require('twilio');

let accountSid = 'ACCOUNT_SID'; // Your Account SID from twilio.com/console
let authToken = 'AUTH_TOKEN'; // Your Auth Token from twilio.com/console

let client = new twilio(accountSid, authToken);

// Fetch the table and records
let table = base.getTable("Table Name"); // Replace with your table name
let records = await table.selectRecordsAsync();

// Loop through the records
for (let record of records.records) {
    let phoneNumber = record.getCellValue("Phone Number"); // Replace with the column name for phone numbers
    
    // Any other information you want to include in the message
    let messageText = `Hello, ${record.getCellValue('Name')}`; // Customize your message
    
    // Send the SMS
    client.messages.create({
        body: messageText,
        to: phoneNumber,  // Text this number
        from: 'TWILIO_PHONE_NUMBER' // From your Twilio number
    })
    .then((message) => console.log(message.sid))
    .catch((error) => console.error(error));
}
  1. Click "Run" to test the script.

Step 5: Automate the Script Execution

  1. Open Airtable Automations by clicking on the “Automations” tab.
  2. Create a new automation by clicking "Create automation."
  3. Set a trigger, such as "When a record is updated" or "When a record is created." Customize according to your needs.
  4. Add an "Run Script" action.
  5. Insert the script you wrote in Step 4 into this script action.
  6. Turn on the automation.

And there you go! You've now set up automated SMS sending from Airtable using Twilio.

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