# SMS channel

> Connect your own Twilio or SignalWire account to send marketing SMS to customers.

Send marketing text messages to customers by connecting your own SMS provider. Caramel routes outbound SMS through your account — your provider bills you for usage directly.

> **Plan** SMS is available on Growth and above.

> **Important** SMS is bring-your-own-provider. Caramel does not resell SMS credits or manage phone numbers on your behalf. You need an active Twilio or SignalWire account before you can send.

## Supported providers

| Provider | Notes |
|----------|-------|
| **Twilio** | Most widely supported. Supports long codes, short codes, and toll-free numbers. |
| **SignalWire** | Twilio-compatible API. Lower per-message cost for high-volume senders. |

## Before you begin

- Have an active Twilio or SignalWire account with a verified sending number.
- Make sure your sending number supports SMS in the countries you intend to message.
- Obtain your provider's API credentials (Account SID and Auth Token for Twilio; Project ID and API Token for SignalWire).

## Connect your SMS provider

1. Go to **Settings → Messaging Channels**.
2. Under **SMS**, click **Add provider**.
3. Select **Twilio** or **SignalWire** from the provider list.
4. Enter your credentials:
   - **Twilio**: Account SID, Auth Token, and the sending phone number.
   - **SignalWire**: Project ID, API Token, Space URL, and the sending phone number.
5. Click **Save**. The badge updates to **Configured**.

<!-- screenshot: Settings → Messaging Channels, SMS card with the provider credentials dialog open -->

## Add SMS to a journey or broadcast

Once your provider is configured, you can add an SMS step to any journey or broadcast in **Omnichannel**. The channel appears in the step picker automatically.

> **Note** Customers must have a phone number recorded in **Customers** to receive SMS. Contacts without a phone number are silently skipped for SMS steps.

## Compliance notes

SMS marketing is subject to consent laws in most countries (TCPA in the United States, GDPR in Europe, CASL in Canada, and others). You are responsible for:

- Obtaining explicit opt-in consent before sending marketing SMS.
- Honoring opt-out requests (reply STOP) immediately.
- Not sending to numbers on your country's Do-Not-Call registry.

Caramel does not manage consent on your behalf. Use **Segments** to restrict SMS campaigns to customers who have explicitly opted in.

## Next steps

- [Email channel](email) — Email setup and domain verification.
- [WhatsApp channel](whatsapp) — WhatsApp marketing (add-on).
- [Journeys](../journeys) — Automate multi-step campaigns.
- [Settings — Messaging Channels](../../settings/messaging-channels)