# "How to Connect Twilio SMS to On-Chat"

> "On-Chat integrates with Twilio SMS so your team can receive and respond to SMS messages from customers worldwide in a unified shared inbox."

URL: https://on-chat.live/guides/how-to-connect-twilio-sms-to-on-chat/
Last updated: 2026-11-14

## Introduction
Twilio is the world's leading cloud communications platform used by over 10 million developers and businesses globally. With Twilio SMS integrated into On-Chat, your support team can send and receive SMS messages, manage two-way conversations, and automate SMS workflows — all from a single inbox.

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## Prerequisites
- An active Twilio account with a purchased phone number
- Twilio Account SID and Auth Token (from Twilio Console)
- On-Chat account with admin access
- Twilio phone number with SMS capability enabled
- Webhook configuration access in Twilio Console

## Step 1: Get Your Twilio Credentials
Log in to console.twilio.com and navigate to **Account** → **API Keys & Tokens**. Copy your **Account SID** and **Auth Token**. These credentials authenticate On-Chat's connection to your Twilio account for sending and receiving SMS.

## Step 2: Purchase or Use an Existing Twilio Phone Number
In the Twilio Console, go to **Phone Numbers** → **Manage** → **Active Numbers**. Use an existing SMS-capable number or purchase a new one. Note the full E.164 formatted number (e.g., +12025551234) as you'll need it in On-Chat.

## Step 3: Create an SMS Inbox in On-Chat
In your On-Chat dashboard, go to **Settings** → **Inboxes** → **New Inbox** and select **SMS**. Choose **Twilio** as your provider. Enter your Account SID, Auth Token, and Twilio phone number. Click Save to generate your On-Chat webhook URL.

## Step 4: Configure Twilio Webhook
In the Twilio Console, go to your phone number's configuration page. Under **Messaging**, set the **A MESSAGE COMES IN** webhook to your On-Chat SMS webhook URL (displayed after saving the inbox). Select **HTTP POST** as the method.

## Step 5: Assign Agents to Your Twilio SMS Inbox
In On-Chat, navigate to **Settings** → **Inboxes** → select your Twilio inbox → **Collaborators**. Add the support agents who will handle SMS conversations. Configure automation rules for auto-assignment based on availability.

## Step 6: Send and Receive Test SMS
Send an SMS to your Twilio number from a mobile phone. The message should appear in your On-Chat inbox within seconds. Reply from On-Chat and confirm delivery back to the sender. Check the Twilio Console logs to verify the message flow.

## Best Practices
- Use Twilio's opt-out keywords (STOP, UNSUBSCRIBE) and honor them automatically
- Keep SMS messages concise and under 160 characters when possible
- Use On-Chat's canned responses for quick SMS replies to common questions
- Monitor Twilio SMS costs and delivery rates in On-Chat and Twilio dashboards

## Keep reading

- [How to Build a WhatsApp Chatbot Without Code](https://on-chat.live/guides/how-to-build-a-whatsapp-chatbot/): A step-by-step tutorial for building a dynamic WhatsApp chatbot in a visual flow builder, from your first message to live data and agent handoff.
- [Chatbot Flow Design: 12 Best Practices](https://on-chat.live/guides/chatbot-flow-design-best-practices/): Practical rules for designing chatbot conversation flows that customers finish: branching, fallbacks, personalisation, handoff and testing.
- [Make Your Chatbot Dynamic with Webhooks](https://on-chat.live/guides/dynamic-chatbot-webhooks/): Connect your chatbot flows to live data. Learn how webhooks, expressions and splits turn a scripted bot into one that answers with real information.