Step 1: Get a phone number
To send SMS messages, you need an origination identity. For SMS, an origination identity is either a phone number or a sender ID. The types available to you depend on the destination country and the regulations that apply there:
Type |
Description |
|---|---|
Long codes (10DLC) |
Standard local phone numbers. In the United States, 10DLC is the standard local number type and requires registration before you can send. |
Toll-free numbers |
Toll-free numbers available in the United States and Canada. Requires registration before you can send. |
Short codes |
High-throughput numbers for high-volume sending. Requires registration and carrier approval. |
Sender IDs |
An alphanumeric name that identifies you as the sender, supported in many countries. Some countries require sender ID registration, and others allow unregistered sender IDs. |
Simulator numbers |
Test numbers that generate realistic events without sending over the carrier network, with no registration required. Simulator numbers can only send to other simulator destination numbers in the same country. |
The types available to you, and which ones require registration, depend on the destination country. To confirm what each country supports, see Launch in a country.
Tip
How you start testing depends on your destination country. If the country has simulator support, request a simulator number and begin sending test messages right away, without waiting for registration. If you are sending to a country that allows unregistered sender IDs, you can use a sender ID to start sending without the registration and carrier approval that number types require. For more information about requesting and managing phone numbers, see Phone numbers; for sender IDs, see Sender IDs.
To request a number from the console or the AWS CLI, choose the tab that matches how you want to work.
