User verification and identity

Protect your platform from fraud and keep customer accounts secure with mobile identity signals and multi factor user authentication across sign-up, login and account management.

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Protect users with multi factor user authentication

Use cases for OTP verifications and mobile intelligence signals

Implement a complete user verification solution to protect customers across the entire journey.

Fraud prevention

Intelligently route leads to the right agent or sales rep based on skills, location, and availability.
Login protection

Receive and respond to new leads over WhatsApp messages for convenient engagement.
Secure transactions

Send real-time lead alerts to one or more recipients with detailed information on the inquiry.

Signup verification

Send lead alerts through text and MMS messages that contain customized data about the lead and how they prefer to be contacted.
Account management

Deliver lead alerts with an automated outbound call when phone calls are preferred.

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How to build secure user authentication

Implement a user authentication solution in days. No need to multisource vendors.

Step 1
Create verification service

Leverage Twilio Verify to build a set of common configurations used to create and check verifications.

Step 2
Send a verification token

Next, send a token to your end user through their preferred communication channel, like SMS, voice call, email, or WhatsApp.

Step 3
Check the verification token

See if the token the user provided is correct. If it’s correct, the request is approved and if it’s incorrect, it stays pending.

Flowchart showing verification process with Verify API or Twilio and user token checking

Secure sign ups

Prevent fake account creation by checking phone number or email address ownership with Twilio Lookup and use mobile-based signals to flag suspicious activity.

Multichannel OTP delivery

Deliver verification messages quickly and reliably on the channels customers prefer to improve conversion rates.

Seamless platform protection

Deliver verification messages quickly and reliably on the channels customers prefer to improve conversion rates.

What you need to build intelligent user verification with Twilio

Easy-to-deploy APIs for user verification to prevent fraud, improve user conversion, and lower operational costs.

	Verify	Lookup
What it does	Turnkey API to verify users over any channel	Query real-time phone intelligence data to verify phone number validity
Channels	SMS, RCS, WhatsApp, voice, email, TOTP, Push, Silent Network Authentication	-
Scale	4.8 billion customer verifications per year	Verify user identities across mobile, landline, fixed and non-fixed VoIP, toll free
Reliability	94%+ global delivery rate* Route optimization on Twilio Super Network for high deliverability	Use mobile signals to confirm user identities reliably
Conversion	65%+ global conversion rate*	Filter out unwanted or unreachable phone numbers with Line Type Intelligence and Reassigned Number
Fraud prevention	100% Protection from SMS pumping fraud with Verify Fraud Guard** Geo-permissions, rate limiting	Identify potentially fraudulent numbers, SIM swapped numbers, numbers associated with SMS pumping
Templates	Carrier-approved templates that are automatically translated across 42 languages	-
Reporting	Conversion and success rates per region, and channel	-
Learn more	Explore Verify	Explore Lookup

Verify ROI

Forrester Consulting ROI calculator

A commissioned study by Forrester Consulting found Twilio Verify provided 174% ROI. Try our new calculator to estimate what your business can achieve with Verify.

Access the calculator

Build and launch a verification use case in days

Sign up for a free Twilio account to start verifying user identities today. Use quickstarts, up-to-date docs, the Twilio CLI, and CodeExchange to build a prototype quickly.

      

			// Send a SMS verification using Twilio with Python
import os 
from twilio.rest import Client

account_sid = os.environ['TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID'] 
auth_token = os.environ['TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN']
client = Client(account_sid, auth_token)
verification = client.verify \
             .v2 \
             .services('VAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX')
             .verifications \
             .create(to='+15017122661', channel='sms')
    )
print(verification.sid)
		


      

			// Install the C# / .NET helper library from twilio.com/docs/csharp/install

using System;
using Twilio;
using Twilio.Rest.Verify.V2.Service;

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Find your Account SID and Auth Token at twilio.com/console
        // and set the environment variables. See http://twil.io/secure
        string accountSid = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID");
        string authToken = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN");

        TwilioClient.Init(accountSid, authToken);

        var verification = VerificationResource.Create(
            to: "+15017122661",
            channel: "sms",
            pathServiceSid: "VAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"
        );

        Console.WriteLine(verification.Sid);
    }
}
		


      

			<?php
// Update the path below to your autoload.php,
// see https://getcomposer.org/doc/01-basic-usage.md
require_once '/path/to/vendor/autoload.php';

use Twilio\Rest\Client;

// Find your Account SID and Auth Token at twilio.com/console
// and set the environment variables. See http://twil.io/secure
$sid = getenv("TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID");
$token = getenv("TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN");
$twilio = new Client($sid, $token);

$verification = $twilio->verify->v2->services("VAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX")
                                   ->verifications
                                   ->create("+15017122661", "sms");

print($verification->sid);
		


      

			# Download the helper library from https://www.twilio.com/docs/ruby/install
require 'rubygems'
require 'twilio-ruby'

# Find your Account SID and Auth Token at twilio.com/console
# and set the environment variables. See http://twil.io/secure
account_sid = ENV['TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID']
auth_token = ENV['TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN']
@client = Twilio::REST::Client.new(account_sid, auth_token)

verification = @client.verify
                      .v2
                      .services('VAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX')
                      .verifications
                      .create(to: '+15017122661', channel: 'sms')

puts verification.sid
		


      

			// Download the helper library from https://www.twilio.com/docs/node/install
// Find your Account SID and Auth Token at twilio.com/console
// and set the environment variables. See http://twil.io/secure
const accountSid = process.env.TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID;
const authToken = process.env.TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN;
const client = require('twilio')(accountSid, authToken);

client.verify.v2.services('VAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX')
                .verifications
                .create({to: '+15017122661', channel: 'sms'})
                .then(verification => console.log(verification.sid));
		


      

			// Install the Java helper library from twilio.com/docs/java/install

import com.twilio.Twilio;
import com.twilio.rest.verify.v2.service.Verification;

public class Example {
    // Find your Account SID and Auth Token at twilio.com/console
    // and set the environment variables. See http://twil.io/secure
    public static final String ACCOUNT_SID = System.getenv("TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID");
    public static final String AUTH_TOKEN = System.getenv("TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN");

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Twilio.init(ACCOUNT_SID, AUTH_TOKEN);
        Verification verification = Verification.creator(
                "VAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
                "+15017122661",
                "sms")
            .create();

        System.out.println(verification.getSid());
    }
}
		


      

			curl -X POST "https://verify.twilio.com/v2/Services/VAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Verifications" \
--data-urlencode "To=+15017122661" \
--data-urlencode "Channel=sms" \
-u $TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID:$TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN
		

Verify quickstart documentation

Get set up with a Twilio account, set up your development environment, validate phone numbers with Lookup, send your first phone verification token with Verify, and validate the token.

Lookup quickstart documentation

Get set up with a Twilio account, set up your development environment, validate phone numbers with Lookup, send your first phone verification token with Verify, and validate the token.

Why Verify over Programmable Messaging

Get set up with a Twilio account, set up your development environment, validate phone numbers with Lookup, send your first phone verification token with Verify, and validate the token.

Start for free View docs

Prefer not to code? No problem.

Work with one of our trusted partners to get coding support or explore a pre-built user authentication solution.

Find a partner

Work with Twilio Professional Services to set up global call tracking for your company

The Twilio difference

Fast and reliable delivery for user verification messages to keep your platform protected.

Verify Fraud Guard automatically blocks SMS pumping fraud. Geo-permissions prevent traffic in countries where you don't do business. And you also get protection against SIM swap and non-fixed VoIP (or fraudulent virtual numbers) with Lookup.

175+ million
fraud attempts blocked by Verify Fraud Guard

Twilio handles the complexities of carrier and government rules, so you can expand coverage quickly. Verify works in 200+ regions and translates messages automatically to match local languages.

42+ languages
translated within templates

Verify comes fully featured out-of-the-box, but it isn’t one-size-fits-all. You can choose your message template, delivery methods, and routing preferences—or write your own code.

4.5B+ verifications
through Verify annually

You only pay for each successful verification—vs paying per user, which makes it easy to scale up or down on demand.

$0.05 base price
for each successful verification

Start for free See pricing

FAQs

Twilio Verify supports common authentication methods, including:

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) / Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Verify uses OTP, TOTP, Push, or Silent Network Auth as a second factor to a password, or to combine multiple Verify factors.
Passwordless Authentication: Verify conducts passwordless authentication via Push approval, Silent Network Auth, or OTP-only login flows.
Token-Based Authentication: Verify delivers OTP (SMS/Voice/WhatsApp/Email) and TOTP, and Push uses asymmetric keys on a device.
Biometric Authentication: Verify conducts biometric authentication indirectly via device biometrics for approving Push (though there is no server-side biometric processing).

TL;DR: Twilio Verify specializes in possession-based factors (OTP, TOTP, Push, Silent Network Auth), it can optionally include on-device biometrics for Push, supports 2FA/MFA and passwordless flows, but does not provide knowledge, pure biometric, certificate-based, or location-based authentication as standalone offerings.

Twilio Verify supports passwordless authentication via possession-based factors like Push authentication, OTP (SMS, voice, WhatsApp, and email), TOTP, and Silent Network Authentication.

Twilio Verify will also have support for passkeys (WebAuthn/FIDO2) in Private Beta (coming September 2025). This will provide a managed WebAuthn backend so you don’t need a separate FIDO2 server. That means Verify can support phishing-resistant, passwordless authentication natively, alongside existing OTP, TOTP, Push, and Silent Network Authentication factors.

You can build and test a verification solution today with Verify. In this article, we show you how to send an SMS verification code in 5 minutes.

Twilio Verify is fully managed, so there is no need for lengthy hardware installation or maintenance, which significantly reduces implementation time.

The typical deployment time depends on the complexity of your use case. Simple use cases can be rolled out in days, whereas complex use cases may take a week to a few weeks to fully deploy.

Twilio provides MFA options including SMS, voice call verification, TOTP authenticator apps, and Push.

You can configure the Twilio platform to adjust authentication requirements based on risk signals. For example, you may set up controls to require additional verification for logins from new devices or locations. By applying adaptive, risk-based controls, you can provide additional security layers where they’re needed to reduce fraud, while reducing the hassle for users.

Yes. By design, Twilio’s products are built to help you meet regulatory requirements and security standards, like GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI DSS.

Twilio provides privacy and security controls, features like data minimization, user consent management, and secure data storage. Some products are HIPAA-eligible and customers can configure their Twilio usage according to HIPAA guidelines. The platform is PCI DSS compliant for handling payment card data.

Visit our Trust Center to learn more about Twilio’s privacy, security, and compliance.

Twilio’s cloud infrastructure is built for scale, supporting 5.1 billion validations annually across 180+ countries. The platform elastically adjusts to traffic spikes, ensuring reliable performance even during peak demand.

Twilio has global data centers and meets local compliance adherence so businesses can serve customers anywhere, without sacrificing speed or security.

If a user fails verification, Twilio Verify does not “approve” the attempt and your business should deny access or the action gated by verification. Twilio returns a non-approved/failed result. You control retries, lockouts, and fallbacks.

Twilio provides detailed dashboards, logs, and monitoring tools through the Console and APIs. Twilio customers can view metrics such as verification success rates, latency, geographic distribution, and potential fraud signals:

Verifications created, delivered, approved/denied/expired
Approval or conversion rate, average time-to-verify, retries per user
Breakdowns by channel, country, and carrier
Error code and failure reason distribution
Service-level filtering and time-range filtering

You also have the freedom to integrate with third-party tools and analytics platforms for advanced security monitoring to fine-tune your verification flows and maintain compliance.

Twilio Verify pieces are based on usage, with a list price of $0.05 per successful verification. You pay per verification or authentication event, plus any underlying channel and telecom costs (enterprise and committed-use discounts are available). The exact rates vary by country, channel, and volume.

Channel fees vary per channel:

SMS: Message attempts are always charged and not subject to delivery ($0.05 per successful verification + $0.0083 per SMS (US prices*)).
Voice: Voice attempts are always charged and not subject to delivery ($0.05 per successful verification).
Email: $0.05 per successful verification.
WhatsApp: Only billed when delivery is confirmed ($0.05 per successful verification + $0.0147 per authentication template message (US prices*)).
Passkeys: Pilot program.
Silent Network Auth: $0.05 per successful verification plus per-country channel fee. You will not be billed if we are unable to complete the SNA flow with the carrier.
TOTP (authenticator apps like Authy and Google Authenticator): TOTP channel fee is included in the verification fee. It’s charged when a request is approved.
Push and Silent Device Approval: Push channel fee is included in the verification fee. It’s charged when a request is approved or denied.

* You can find more detailed rates, international pricing, and links to channel-specific rates on the Verify pricing page.

* Based on those customers who provide conversion data 
** Terms and conditions apply

User verification and identity

Use cases for OTP verifications and mobile intelligence signals

How to build secure user authentication

What you need to build intelligent user verification with Twilio

Forrester Consulting ROI calculator

Build and launch a verification use case in days

Verify quickstart documentation

Lookup quickstart documentation

Why Verify over Programmable Messaging

Prefer not to code? No problem.

Intuit implemented global verification in just 3 months

Stripe can reliably verify millions of users without friction

Duolingo verifies users for secure social learning experiences

The Twilio difference

Guaranteed fraud protection

Global coverage

Highly customizable

Only pay for what you use

FAQs

What types of user authentication and verification methods does Twilio support?

Does Twilio use WebAuthn and support passwordless authentication?

What is the typical deployment timeframe for Twilio’s verification solutions?

How does Twilio handle multi-factor authentication (MFA) and risk-based authentication?

Is Twilio’s user verification solution compliant with GDPR, HIPAA, PCI, and other regulations?

How scalable is Twilio’s user verification platform for global businesses?

What happens if a user fails verification, and how can my business handle these cases?

What analytics and monitoring tools are available to track verification performance and security?

What are the pricing models for Twilio’s user authentication and verification services?