Sending SMS with Python and Twilio

In this blog post, I will demonstrate how to send an SMS using Python and Twilio. We will use the twilio library to interact with the Twilio API and the python-dotenv library to manage our credentials securely.

Prerequisites

1. Sign Up for a Twilio Account: If you don't already have a Twilio account, sign up with trial account at Twilio Console.
2. Retrieve Credentials: After signing up, log in to the Twilio Console to get the following details:
   • Account SID: Your unique account identifier.
   • Auth Token: Your authentication token for API requests.
   • Twilio Phone Number: A phone number provided by Twilio for sending messages.
3. Python Environment: Ensure you have Python installed on your machine.
4. Install Required Libraries: Install the twilio and python-dotenv libraries using pip:

pip install twilio python-dotenv

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Create a .env File: Create a .env file in your project directory and add your Twilio credentials:
2. Add Twilio Credentials: Add your Twilio credentials to the .env file. You can find these details in the Twilio Console.

TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID=your_account_sid
TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN=your_auth_token
TWILIO_PHONE_NUMBER=your_twilio_phone_number

3. Write the Python Script: Create a Python script (e.g., send_sms.py) and add the following code:

from twilio.rest import Client
from dotenv import load_dotenv
import os

# Load environment variables from .env file
load_dotenv()

# Twilio credentials
account_sid = os.getenv('TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID')
auth_token = os.getenv('TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN')
twilio_number = os.getenv('TWILIO_PHONE_NUMBER')

# Create a Twilio client
client = Client(account_sid, auth_token)

# Send an SMS
to_number = '+3197010586489'  # Replace with the recipient's phone number
message_body = 'TEST-3 SMS SENT FROM PYTHON AND TWILIO'

message = client.messages.create(
    body=message_body,
    from_=twilio_number,
    to=to_number
)

print(f"Message sent with SID: {message.sid}")

4. Run the Script: Execute the script to send the SMS:

python send_sms.py

Explanation

• Load Environment Variables: The load_dotenv() function loads the environment variables from the .env file.
• Twilio Credentials: The credentials are retrieved using os.getenv().
• Create Twilio Client: A Twilio client is created using the retrieved credentials.
• Send SMS: The client.messages.create() method sends the SMS to the specified number.

By following these steps, you can easily send SMS messages using Python and Twilio. This approach ensures that your credentials are managed securely using environment variables.