Do you want to send text messages from your PHP application? Using the Twilio PHP SDK makes it easy to connect to the Twilio SMS API. This guide will show you how to

set up the Twilio PHP SDK and send your first SMS.



What You'll Need



  • A Twilio account.
  • PHP installed on your computer.
  • A local web server, like XAMPP.


Set Up Your PHP Environment



  1. Install XAMPP: XAMPP lets you create a local PHP development environment on Windows.
  2. Find the Twilio PHP SDK: Search Google for "Twilio PHP SDK". Look for the official Twilio link. This page explains how to set up a PHP development environment.
  3. Go to the Twilio PHP SDK GitHub Repository: On the setup page, click the link to the Twilio PHP SDK. This link takes you to a GitHub repository. The repository has the

    PHP library you need to connect to the Twilio REST API. You can also create TwiML for voice messages and other tasks.
  4. Download the SDK: On the GitHub page, click "Code" and then "Download ZIP".



Install the Twilio PHP SDK



  1. Find your htdocs Folder: This folder is usually in your XAMPP installation directory. It's where you put your website files.
  2. Extract the ZIP File: Move the ZIP file you downloaded into the htdocs folder. Right-click the file and choose "Extract Here".
  3. Delete the ZIP File: After extracting, delete the original ZIP file.


Write Your PHP Code



  1. Create a PHP File: Make a new PHP file in your htdocs folder (e.g., sms.php).
  2. Copy the Code: Go back to the Twilio PHP SDK GitHub repository. Find the code example for sending a text message. Copy this code.
  3. Paste the Code: Paste the code into your new PHP file.
  4. Update the Autoload Path: In the code, find the line that needs the path to the autoload.php file.
    • Go to the folder where you extracted the Twilio SDK.
    • Open the src folder, then the Twilio folder.
    • You'll find the autoload.php file there.
    • Copy the file path from the top bar of the window.
    • Paste the path into the code. The line should look something like this:

require_once '/path/to/twilio-php/src/Twilio/autoload.php';

  1. Add Your Twilio Credentials:
    • Account SID: Find your Account SID in your Twilio account dashboard.
    • Auth Token: Find your Auth Token in your Twilio account dashboard.
    • Your Phone Number: Enter the phone number where you want to receive the SMS.
    • Twilio Phone Number: Enter the Twilio phone number you bought from Twilio. This is the number that will send the SMS.
  2. Change the Message: Change the message body if you want.
  3. Save the File: Save the PHP file.


Run Your Code



  1. Open Your Browser: Go to your localhost in your browser, followed by the name of your PHP file (e.g., localhost/sms.php).
  2. Send the SMS: When you open the file in your browser, the code will run and send an SMS to your phone number.
  3. Check Your Phone: You should receive a text message from your Twilio phone number.


Example Code



Here is an example of what your PHP code might look like:

<?php

// Required if your environment does not handle autoloading

require_once '/path/to/twilio-php/src/Twilio/autoload.php';

// Use the REST API client for sending messages

use Twilio\Rest\Client;

// Your Account SID and Auth Token from twilio.com/console

$sid = "ACxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"; // Replace with your Account SID

$token = "your_auth_token"; // Replace with your Auth Token

// A Twilio number you purchased at twilio.com/console

$twilio_number = "+1234567890"; // Replace with your Twilio number

// Where to send a text message (your cell phone number)

$to_number = "+11234567890"; // Replace with your phone number

try {

    // Initialize the Twilio client

    $client = new Client($sid, $token);

    // Send a message

    $message = $client->messages->create(

        $to_number,

        [

            'from' => $twilio_number,

            'body' => 'Hello from Twilio!'

        ]

    );

    echo "Message sent successfully!";

} catch (Exception $e) {

    echo "Error: " . $e->getMessage();

}

Important: Replace the placeholder values with your actual Twilio credentials and phone numbers.



Conclusion



You now know how to send SMS messages using the Twilio PHP SDK. This is a simple way to add text messaging to your PHP applications. Try sending different messages or

using other features of the Twilio API.