Mass texting

Build a mass texting service to make bulk messaging easier. Twilio’s reliable Programmable Messaging API can scale to handle your largest messaging use cases, globally.

Smiling woman using a smartphone with a flash sale notification for women's shoes on the screen

What is mass texting?

Bulk SMS or MMS messages, mass notifications, mass texting—it’s all a way to say that you’re sending a lot of messages to your audience or customer base at once. The occasion might be a promotional message for Black Friday, an alert about a regional weather event, or a school cancellation notification to parents. 

How to send mass texts using Twilio

Twilio APIs are easy to integrate with your current tech stack, including your Customer Data Platform (CDP) An icon of a outbound link arrow and CRM. Build and deploy your mass texting use cases quickly and at scale.

Step 1
Set up your Twilio account
Sign up for a free Twilio account, then select from our inventory of business phone numbers with SMS capabilities to engage your audience or customers.


Step 2
Create and configure a messaging service
Utilize the default messaging service that’s automatically generated for your account, or create your own through the Twilio Console or using the REST API.


Step 3
Develop your mass texting solution
Build a bulk SMS application in your choice of language including Python, Golang, PHP, Java, Ruby, C# / .NET, and Node.js, or use Twilio Notify to send messages at scale.


Step 4
Test your application
Test your queuing and sending capabilities are working correctly to ensure accurate and timely delivery of your bulk messages.


Step 5
Deploy with confidence
Now your solution is ready to roll. Launch your mass texting communications and watch your messaging program thrive.


Step 6
Leverage data
Measure and optimize delivery with Twilio’s out-of-the-box reporting from Messaging Insights or customize reporting with data from CSV downloads, webhooks, and Event Streams.

Flowchart showing how to create and deploy a mass texting solution using Twilio Notify and Twilio Console/API.

Products and key features for mass texting

The Twilio communications platform has text messaging solutions for maximum deliverability that sends and receives 167B+ messages per year.

  • Chat bubble with globe
    Messaging

    Send mass text messages across channels with options like scheduling, shortened hyperlinks, two-way conversations, custom opt-out, and data for analytics.

  • Twilio Conversations logo
    Short code phone numbers

    5-6 digit recognizable numbers that can send 100+ messages per second, with automatic picture transcoding, message assembly, and more.

  • User group network
    Traffic Optimization Engine

    Real-time routing algorithms, extensive global network of carrier connections, and capacity management for efficient delivery and measurable customer engagement.

  • Call forwarding
    Toll-free phone numbers

    10-digit phone numbers that provide your business with a universal brand identity and similar messaging throughput and deliverability as short codes.

  • User with a heart symbol
    Trust Hub

    Navigate the regulatory landscape, maintain high deliverability, and access our network of trusted senders to establish trust with their own end users.

Mass texting compliance and best practices

  • Opt-ins

    Secure explicit opt-ins for subscribers along with detailed information about what kinds of messages they will get from you—and don’t use their contact information for any other kinds of messages without additional consent.

  • Opt-outs

    Provide easy opt-out options that take recipients off your list so you can avoid sending unwanted messages to people who don’t want to get them.

  • Personalization

    Personalize your mass text messages to individual customers or audience segments so they get the most relevant information to their needs or interests.

  • Validate recipient numbers

    Use Twilio Lookup API to confirm that a phone number is legitimate and in the correct format. Then verify that the right person is in possession of the number with Twilio Reassigned Number.

  • Sender number type

    Send bulk text messages from a fully verified number that is registered for your use case. Short codes or toll-free numbers are ideal for mass text messages because they can handle high-volumes of SMS and MMS message delivery.

Get started with Twilio Messaging

Sign up for a Twilio account to start sending text messages at scale. Use our quickstart guides and up-to-date docs to get set up using your preferred programming language. 

# Download the helper library from https://www.twilio.com/docs/python/install
import os
from twilio.rest import Client

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

message = client.messages.create(
    body="Join Earth's mightiest heroes. Like Kevin Bacon.",
    from_="+15017122661",
    to="+15558675310",
)

print(message.body)
// Install the C# / .NET helper library from twilio.com/docs/csharp/install

using System;
using Twilio;
using Twilio.Rest.Api.V2010.Account;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

class Program {
    public static async Task 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 message = await MessageResource.CreateAsync(
            body: "Join Earth's mightiest heroes. Like Kevin Bacon.",
            from: new Twilio.Types.PhoneNumber("+15017122661"),
            to: new Twilio.Types.PhoneNumber("+15558675310"));

        Console.WriteLine(message.Body);
    }
}
<?php
require __DIR__ . '/vendor/autoload.php';
use Twilio\Rest\Client;

// Your Account SID and Auth Token from twilio.com/console
// To set up environmental variables, see http://twil.io/secure
$account_sid = getenv('TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID');
$auth_token = getenv('TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN');
// In production, these should be environment variables. E.g.:
// $auth_token = $_ENV["TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN"]

// A Twilio number you own with SMS capabilities
$twilio_number = "+15017122661";

$client = new Client($account_sid, $auth_token);
$client->messages->create(
    // Where to send a text message (your cell phone?)
    '+15558675310',
    array(
        'from' => $twilio_number,
        'body' => 'I sent this message in under 10 minutes!'
    )
);
# Download the twilio-ruby library from twilio.com/docs/libraries/ruby
require 'twilio-ruby'

# To set up environmental variables, see http://twil.io/secure
account_sid = ENV['TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID']
auth_token = 'yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy'
client = Twilio::REST::Client.new(account_sid, auth_token)

from = '+15551234567' # Your Twilio number
to = '+15555555555' # Your mobile phone number

client.messages.create(
from: from,
to: to,
body: "Hey friend!"
)
// Install the Java helper library from twilio.com/docs/java/install

import com.twilio.type.PhoneNumber;
import com.twilio.Twilio;
import com.twilio.rest.api.v2010.account.Message;

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);
        Message message = Message.creator(
                                         new com.twilio.type.PhoneNumber("+14159352345"),
                                         new com.twilio.type.PhoneNumber("+14158141829"),
                                         "Where's Wallace?")
                                  .create();

        System.out.println(message.getBody());
    }
}
// Download the helper library from https://www.twilio.com/docs/node/install
const twilio = require("twilio"); // Or, for ESM: import twilio from "twilio";

// 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 = twilio(accountSid, authToken);

async function createMessage() {
  const message = await client.messages.create({
    body: "This is the ship that made the Kessel Run in fourteen parsecs?",
    from: "+15017122661",
    to: "+15558675310",
  });

  console.log(message.body);
}

createMessage();
curl -X POST "https://api.twilio.com/2010-04-01/Accounts/$TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID/Messages.json" \
--data-urlencode "From=+15557122661" \
--data-urlencode "Body=Hi there" \
--data-urlencode "To=+15558675310" \
-u $TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID:$TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN

Programmable Messaging Quickstart

Get a step-by-step guide for setting up your Twilio account, and sending and receiving your first messages.

Sending bulk SMS with Twilio and Node.js

Learn how to scale from a small use case to a mass texting use case as your subscriber list grows. 

Understanding rate limits and message queues

Learn about the wireless carrier network limits for message delivery and how Twilio handles your messages requests to navigate limitations.

No coding experience? Not a problem.

You can use Twilio messaging for your mass texting solution even if you don’t have coding experience to build it yourself. Our trusted partners can help you bring your texting solution to life.

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

2024 guide to scaling your SMS messaging solution

Read up on everything you’ll need to consider for your mass texting use case to set yourself up for success.

Send SMS notifications from Google Sheets

Learn how to create a custom menu in Google Sheets to send SMS notifications to your contacts.

The ROI of Twilio Messaging

Twilio’s reliable communications APIs delivered a 3% increase in message delivery versus other providers and 132% ROI for customers(1).

Why choose Twilio’s mass texting service

Twilio is loved by 10+ million developers and was named a leader in the 2024 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS).

Two individuals riding paper airplanes with a globe in the background.

Twilio reaches over 180 countries to connect you with customers around the world. The Super Network has over 4,800 global carrier connections and monitors routes for latency and outages to optimize delivery rates. 

No-shenanigans pricing means you only pay for what you use. You can scale up or down as needed, and you’ll unlock pricing discounts as your usage increases. 

We’re here to help you meet carrier requirements for sending text message traffic. From our vetted phone number inventory of more than 200 number types to our simplified registration process, you can join the trusted messaging ecosystem and keep your communications compliant.

Related use cases


Explore other solutions you can build with Twilio

Marketing and promotions

Integrate email, SMS, MMS, WhatsApp, or Voice into your existing marketing tech stack for increased conversions and customer lifetime value.

User verification and identity

Add two-factor authentication to your onboarding and login flows to keep customer accounts secure and prevent fraud. 

IVR and self-service

Improve your customer experience with a modern IVR that offers AI-enabled customer service to handle basic queries.

FAQs


Mass Texting FAQs

Businesses can use mass texting for use cases like: sending security notifications, emergency alerts, reminders, feedback requests, or special marketing offers to a large audience at once. 

Mass texting simplifies the work of sending individual messages to separate recipients. 

Bulk messages can be targeted and personalized to the audience. We recommend segmenting your recipients and sending tailored messages to increase the effectiveness of campaigns such as for marketing and promotions.

At Twilio, the cost of a mass texting solution depends on how many messages you send. We use pay-as-you-go pricing with volume discounts available. So the more you send, the more you save. 

  • Monthly messaging costs start at:
  • $0.0079 for your first 150,000 messages
  • $0.0077 for your next 150,000 messages
  • $0.0075 for your next 200,000 messages
  • $0.0073 for your next 250,000 messages
  • $0.0071 for your next 250,000 messages
  • $0.0069 for anything above 1 million messages

View Twilio’s SMS pricing for full cost details. There may be additional carrier fees for some markets, countries, and carriers.

Group texting refers to an individual sending a message to a group of selected recipients. Some smartphone models now allow users to send a single message to up to 30 recipients, while others max out at 10.

Mass texting, on the other hand, refers to messages sent with a text messaging API or SMS service that delivers texts to a list of recipients. The list can include as many people as a group message or up to millions of recipients.

You can send mass text messages to existing customers if they have opted in to receive those specific kinds of text messages from you. 

If you do not have explicit consent from existing customers, you’ll need to get it before you can send them any text messages. You can ask for their permission through an email, over the phone, or at a point of sale with options for the types of messages they can choose to receive from you. 

Once you have a customer’s opt-in, you can add them to your mass texting list and start communicating with them via text.

In general, mass texting is legal when you have explicit opt-in consent from recipients, you send messages from a verified number, you respect opt-out requests and you adhere to legal and regulatory requirements. 

Due to the rise in spam messages and smishing scams in the past decade, there is additional scrutiny for mass texting and you need to take extra care to stay in compliance. 

Review our Guide to US SMS Compliance for more information and be sure to convene with your legal counsel for understanding and complying with any industry or regional regulations.

A mass text is sent with an SMS API or an SMS service. Through your phone, you can send group messages to 10-30 recipients. 

Learn more about Twilio’s SMS API for sending mass texts. 

You can choose the number you’ll send your text messages from. The most common number types for mass texting are: short codes, toll-free numbers, and A2P 10DLC long codes, and alphanumeric numbers. 

Twilio has a massive inventory of phone numbers to choose from for your mass texting use cases.

You can only send mass text messages to customers who have given opt-in permission. And more specifically, you can only send them the types of messages they’ve opted in to receive (such as shipping notifications). If you want to send recipients a marketing message, you need to get explicit opt-in for those types of messages as well. 

If you don’t respect recipients’ opt-in preferences, you could be flagged as a non-compliant sender and carriers may not pass through your messaging traffic.


1. Forrester Consulting’s Total Economic ImpactTM (TEI) of Twilio Messaging report

2. Gartner® Critical Capabilities for Communications Platform as a Service, Lisa Unden-Farboud, Ajit Patankar, Brian Doherty, Daniel O’Connell, 18 September 2023. GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved. This graphic was published by Gartner, Inc. as part of a larger research document and should be evaluated in the context of the entire document. 

The Gartner document is available upon request from Twilio. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. 

Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s Research & Advisory organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.