The send SMS block is part of Airtable Blocks, a Pro plan feature. Blocks let you extend the functionality of your bases: you can use blocks to bring new information into Airtable, visualize and summarize your records in colorful ways, and even directly integrate your Airtable bases with your favorite apps.
With the send SMS block, you can send a list of phone contacts in an Airtable base mass text messages, using the Twilio API. Please note that you need a working Twilio API key to use this block.
If you intend to use this block for the purposes of marketing or solicitation, please ensure that you are abiding by all relevant local regulations related to SMS communications.
Watch this video to learn more about how to set up and use a send SMS block, or read on for further information.
When you first install a batch update block, you'll be prompted to enter your Twilio phone number, Twilio Account SID, and Twilio Auth token.
Once you do this, you can configure the block settings. First, pick a table containing the phone numbers of the people to whom you'd like to send your messages; next, pick the specific field containing the phone numbers. Lastly, you'll need to pick a view within the selected table—messages will only be sent to records visible in that view.
When writing your message, you can add values from the fields associated with each recipient by surrounding field names in curly brackets. You can use this to send each recipient a personalized message containing their own name, a date specific to an appointment they have, or other personalized data.
Select Review to see how the message will appear to each of your recipients. If you want to edit your message, select back. When you're ready to send, select the Send button and the bottom of the modal.
