post
https://api.airtexts.com/sms/send-message
Send SMS messages to one or multiple recipients through our reliable SMS API. Support for multiple phone numbers separated by comma (,) or semicolon (;) allows you to reach multiple recipients with a single API call. ##
Quick Start
Single Recipient
curl -X POST "https://api.airtexts.com/sms/send" \
-H "X-API-Key: your_api_key" \
-H "X-API-Secret: your_api_secret" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d
'
{
"to": "+25884000000",
"from": "YourApp",
"message": "Hello! This is a test message from AirTexts."
}
'
Multiple Recipients (Comma Separated/Semicolon Separated)
curl -X POST "https://api.airtexts.com/sms/send" \
-H "X-API-Key: your_api_key" \
-H "X-API-Secret: your_api_secret" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d
'
{
"to": "+25884000000,+25884000001,+25884000002;25884000002",
"from": "YourApp",
"message": "Group message sent to multiple recipients!"
}
'
Request Parameters
Required Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
to | string | Phone number(s) in international format | "+258845888195" |
message | string | SMS message content (up to 1600 characters) | "Hello World!" |
Optional Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Description | Default | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
from | string | Sender ID or phone number | "SMS" | "YourApp" |
route | string | SMS route for delivery | "auto" | "premium" |
scheduled_time | string | Schedule message for later (ISO 8601) | null | "2025-08-20T10:00:00Z" |
reference | string | Your internal reference ID | null | "order_12345" |
webhook_url | string | URL for delivery notifications | null | "https://yourapp.com/webhook" |
Multiple Recipients Format
You can send to multiple recipients using these separators:
- Comma (,):
"+2588400000,+2588400004;+2588400009" - Mixed format:
"+25884000007, +25884000008; +2588400009"(spaces are ignored)
Alternative Parameter Names
tocan also be sent asphone,recipient, orrecipientsfromcan also be sent assenderorsender_idmessagecan also be sent astextorbody
Message Types
Standard SMS (160 characters)
{
"to": "+25884000007",
"from": "YourApp",
"message": "Short message within 160 characters limit for single SMS cost."
}Long SMS (Concatenated)
{
"to": "+25884000007",
"from": "YourApp",
"message": "This is a longer message that exceeds 160 characters and will be automatically split into multiple SMS parts. Each part will be charged separately but will be displayed as a single message on the recipient's device."
}Success Response
Single Recipient
{
"status": "success",
"message": "SMS sent successfully",
"data": {
"message_id": "msg_67890abcdef12345",
"to": "+25884000007",
"from": "YourApp",
"message": "Hello! This is a test message.",
"parts": 1,
"cost": 0.05,
"balance": 45.50,
"status": "sent",
"reference": null
}
}Multiple Recipients
{
"status": "success",
"message": "SMS sent to multiple recipients",
"data": {
"total_recipients": 3,
"successful": 3,
"failed": 0,
"total_cost": 0.15,
"balance": 45.35,
"messages": [
{
"message_id": "msg_67890abcdef12345",
"to": "+25884000007",
"status": "sent",
"cost": 0.05
},
{
"message_id": "msg_67890abcdef12346",
"to": "+25884000007",
"status": "sent",
"cost": 0.05
},
{
"message_id": "msg_67890abcdef12347",
"to": "+25884000007",
"status": "sent",
"cost": 0.05
}
]
}
}Best Practices
Phone Number Formatting
- Always use international format: +[country_code][number]
- Remove spaces and special characters: +25884000007
- Validate before sending: Check format and country codes
Multiple Recipients
- Batch wisely: Don't exceed 1000 recipients per request
- Handle failures gracefully: Check individual message status
- Use appropriate separators: Comma (,) or semicolon (;)
- Monitor costs: Calculate total cost before sending