Send your first SMS with the API

This guide sends one SMS with the FortWave REST API. The SMS API reference covers every endpoint and field, and the WhatsApp API reference covers WhatsApp.

What you need

• An API key.
• For live SMS: an approved company, an approved sender ID and credits. To try it first, use test mode with the sender ID MiraiTest and your verified test number.

Send the request

Send a POST request to /v1/sms with your key in the Authorization header. phone_number, sender and message are all required.

curl -X POST https://rest.api.fortwave.io/v1/sms \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $FORTWAVE_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Accept: application/json" \
  -d '{"phone_number":"+25761000000","sender":"MyApp","message":"Your verification code is 123456."}'

Replace MyApp with your approved sender ID and the number with the recipient's, including + and the country code (local numbers like 61000000 are also accepted). A successful response returns the message ID with the status queued.

Get delivery updates

Rather than checking each message, add a webhook URL under SMS → Sender IDs → Webhooks. FortWave then calls your URL when a message is sent (sms.sent) or fails (sms.failed). Each request carries an X-Webhook-Signature header, an HMAC-SHA256 of the body made with your signing secret, so you can check it came from FortWave. The API reference shows how to verify it.

Common errors

• Unauthorized: the key is missing, mistyped or revoked.
• Company not approved: live SMS need an approved company. Use test mode until it is.
• Invalid sender: the sender ID isn't approved on your account.
• Insufficient credits: buy more SMS credits.