Introduction



Do you want to automate SMS messages and phone calls without writing complex code? With Twilio Studio, you can easily design workflows to handle different tasks, like

sending automatic responses, setting up call forwarding, or even running interactive voice menus.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of creating a Twilio Studio Flow from scratch—no programming skills needed!





Step 1: Set Up Your Twilio Account



Before we dive in, make sure you have a Twilio account. If you don’t have one yet, head over to Twilio’s website and sign up for a free trial. Once your account is ready, you


can start building your flow.


Step 2: Access Twilio Studio



  1. Log in to your Twilio account.

  2. In the Twilio Console, look at the left-hand menu and find Studio. Click on it.

  3. Under Studio, select Overview—this is where you’ll manage and create your flows.


Step 3: Create a New Flow



  1. Click the Create a Flow button.

  2. A pop-up window will appear. Give your flow a meaningful name—something that describes what it does.

  3. Click Next to continue.

  4. Twilio will show you a few pre-built flow templates, but we’re going to start fresh. Select Start from Scratch and click Next again.

This will take you to the flow creation screen, where the magic happens!


Step 4: Understanding the Widget Library



On the right side of the screen, you’ll see the Widget Library. These widgets are the building blocks of your Twilio Studio Flow.

  • Triggers – These are the starting points of your flow (like an incoming message or call).

  • Messaging Widgets – Used to send and receive SMS messages.

  • Voice Widgets – Used to make and handle phone calls.



Step 5: Build Your Twilio Studio Flow



To keep things simple, let’s create a basic flow that sends an automatic SMS reply and makes an outgoing call when a user sends a message.

Step 5.1: Add a "Send and Wait for Reply" Widget



  1. Find the "Send and Wait for Reply" widget in the library.

  2. Drag it onto the canvas.

  3. Click on it and type the message you want to send (e.g., “Thanks for reaching out! We’ll call you shortly.”).

  4. Click Save.

This widget will send an SMS and wait for a reply from the user.


Step 5.2: Add a "Make Outgoing Call" Widget



  1. Find the "Make Outgoing Call" widget.

  2. Drag it onto the canvas, next to the first widget.

  3. This widget will automatically call the user once they reply to your SMS.



Step 5.3: Connect the Widgets



Now, let’s link everything together!

  • Click on the red dot on the "Incoming Message" trigger and connect it to the "Send and Wait for Reply" widget.


  • Then, connect "Send and Wait for Reply" to the "Make Outgoing Call" widget.

That’s it! You’ve built a simple Twilio Studio Flow.


Step 6: Publish Your Flow



Before your flow goes live, you need to publish it:

  1. Click the Publish button at the top of the screen.


  2. Confirm by clicking Publish again.

Your flow is now active and ready to use!

Step 7: Enable Your Flow



Now, let’s connect your Twilio number to this flow:

  1. Go back to the Twilio Console.

  2. Click on Active Numbers in the left-hand menu.

  3. Select the phone number you want to use for this flow.

  4. Scroll down to the Messaging section.

  5. In the “When a message comes in” dropdown, select Studio Flow.

  6. Choose the flow you just created from the dropdown list.

  7. Click Save at the bottom of the page.

Your Twilio number is now linked to your flow!



Step 8: Test Your Twilio Studio Flow



Let’s see it in action:

  1. Send a message to your Twilio number.

  2. You should receive the automated SMS response you set up.

  3. Reply to the message.

  4. Twilio should immediately place an outgoing call to your phone number.

If everything works as expected—congratulations! 🎉 You’ve successfully built and deployed a Twilio Studio Flow.



Conclusion


With Twilio Studio, you can automate customer interactions without writing a single line of code. Whether you need to set up SMS responses, call routing, or interactive


voice menus, Studio makes it easy.

Now that you know the basics, why not experiment with more widgets and create advanced flows? You can integrate chatbots, collect user input, or even connect your flow


to external services.

What will you build next with Twilio Studio? 🚀 Let us know in the comments!