With the send SMS app, 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 app.

The send SMS app is part of Airtable Apps, a Pro plan feature. Apps let you extend the functionality of your bases: you can use apps 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.

Video overview

Watch this video to learn more about how to set up and use a send SMS app, or read on for further information.

Enter Twilio information

When you first install the send SMS app, you'll be prompted to enter your Twilio phone number, Twilio Account SID, and Twilio Auth token.

Configure the app settings

Once you do this, you can configure the app 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 phone number 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.

Input values from fields

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.

Preview and send a message

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. 

Trigger the Send SMS app with the button field

The button field is an interactive field type that lets you trigger certain actions directly from your Airtable base. One of the available actions in the button field is "Send SMS with Twilio", which you can use to send a preconfigured SMS using the steps above. Learn more about how to use the button field to trigger the Send SMS app in this article.