Setting Up Twilio SMS for Your Shop + Compliance

Setting up Twilio SMS on your Selldone store can help you engage customers with text messages – from login verification codes to order updates. In this guide, we’ll walk through the process in a friendly, step-by-step manner. Before we dive into the technical steps, we’ll cover important SMS compliance basics to ensure everything runs smoothly and legally. Let’s get started!

I. Introduction to SMS Compliance

Every country has its own rules and regulations for SMS messaging. SMS regulations vary by country, meaning what’s acceptable in one region might be restricted in another. For example, some countries require businesses to register sender IDs or obtain user consent in specific ways, and others have strict do-not-disturb hours. Twilio emphasizes that both they and their users must follow local laws – in fact, ​. This means before setting up Twilio (or any SMS service), it’s crucial to check your local compliance rules.

What should you look for? At minimum, ensure you understand requirements for: obtaining user consent (opt-ins), providing opt-out methods, any necessary disclaimers (like “Msg & data rates may apply”), and permitted use cases (e.g. transactional vs. marketing messages). Twilio provides a handy country-by-country guideline on their website, so you can refer to that for specifics. Ultimately, staying compliant isn’t just about avoiding penalties – it helps you maintain customer trust by respecting their communication preferences.

Tip: Regulations often require you to disclose certain information when users sign up for SMS. For instance, in the US you must clearly state the purpose of messages, frequency, and how to stop them​. Selldone and Twilio make compliance easier (as you’ll see when enabling SMS login), but it’s still your responsibility to be aware of your region’s rules.

II. Registering on Twilio & Getting API Keys

To integrate Twilio with Selldone, you first need a Twilio account and your API credentials. Don’t worry – getting started with Twilio is straightforward:

1. Sign Up for a Twilio Account: Visit the Twilio website and click on “Start for free” (or a similar sign-up button). You’ll be guided to create an account with your email and a password. Twilio may also ask for a verification code sent to your phone, since they deal with phone numbers. Follow the on-screen steps to complete your registration.

2. Find Your API Keys (Account SID and Auth Token): Once you’re logged in to the Twilio Console (dashboard), you’ll see your Account SID and Auth Token listed in the Account Info section of the dashboard​. The Account SID is a 34-character string starting with “AC” – it’s like your Twilio username. The Auth Token is essentially your password for the API (usually hidden by dots – click “Show” to reveal it). Copy both the Account SID and Auth Token – you’ll need to paste these into Selldone in the next steps.

3. (Optional) Buy a Twilio Phone Number: Twilio gives trial users a free phone number to test with. If you’re on a trial, you’ll have a phone number assigned that can send SMS (to verified numbers). For production, you’ll eventually want to buy a Twilio phone number or use an existing one. You can do this in the Twilio Console under Phone Numbers > Buy a Number. Make sure the number you get is SMS-capable in the country you need. This step isn’t strictly required just to set up the integration, but you will need a sending number when you actually start using SMS (for login OTPs or notifications).

4. Keep Your Credentials Safe: Treat your Twilio Account SID and Auth Token like a password. Don’t share them publicly or commit them to code repositories. If you suspect they’re compromised, regenerate the Auth Token from the Twilio Console. Now, with your Twilio API credentials in hand, we’re ready to plug them into Selldone!

III. Setting Up Twilio SMS in Selldone

Now that you have your Twilio account ready, the next step is to configure Twilio as the SMS provider in your Selldone shop’s settings. This will connect your store to Twilio so it can send SMS (like verification codes or order alerts) through your Twilio account.

Follow these steps in your Selldone admin dashboard:

1. Navigate to SMS Provider Settings: In your Selldone back office, go to Shop > Settings > SMS > Provider. This is where you manage which service sends out your shop’s SMS messages.
2. Select Twilio as Provider: In the SMS Provider section, you should see a list or dropdown of SMS gateways/providers. Choose Twilio from the list. Once selected, you’ll see input fields to enter your Twilio credentials (the Account SID, Auth Token, and possibly a From phone number or messaging service ID if required).
3. Enter Your Twilio API Keys: Paste the Account SID and Auth Token that you copied from the Twilio Console into the corresponding fields in Selldone. Double-check there are no extra spaces and that each field is correctly filled. Selldone will use these keys to authenticate with Twilio.
4. Save Settings: Click Save or Update after selecting Twilio and inputting the keys. Selldone will typically validate the credentials (if set it as Enabled). If there’s an error (e.g., wrong Auth Token), you’ll want to fix that before proceeding. If everything is correct, you now have Twilio configured as your SMS gateway in a disabled state.

At this point, Selldone knows about Twilio and has your API keys. Next, we’ll enable a feature that uses this SMS capability: allowing customers to log in with a code sent via SMS.

IV. Enabling SMS Login in Selldone

Selldone supports letting your customers log in or sign up using a one-time SMS code (instead of email or password). This is super handy – it’s essentially passwordless login via phone verification. Let’s turn that feature on and see how Twilio comes into play.

1. Go to Login Method Settings: In your Selldone admin, navigate to Shop > Settings > Flow > Login Methods. This section controls how customers can register or log in to your storefront (for example, via email/password, Google OAuth, etc.).

2. Enable “Login with SMS”: You should see a list of login options with toggles. Find Login with SMS (it might be labeled as “SMS OTP login” or similar) and switch it to Enabled. Once enabled, this allows customers to request a verification code to their phone when logging in or signing up.

How Customers Use It: With SMS login enabled, customers visiting your store will see an option like “Login with SMS” alongside the usual login methods. When they select that, they’ll be prompted to enter their phone number. The system will then send a one-time passcode (OTP) via SMS to that phone number for verification. Once they receive the text, they enter the code on the site to complete login. This flow is all powered by Twilio in the background – Twilio will deliver the OTP message to the customer’s phone.

Compliance Info in the Login Window: You might notice that when the SMS login prompt appears for customers, it includes some extra text about terms or opt-out. Twilio’s compliance requirements mandate that you inform users about terms of service and how to stop messages. Selldone takes care of this by displaying a brief terms-of-use and opt-out notice in the SMS login modal/window. For example, it may say something like This is there to keep you compliant with regulations and carrier rules (users need to know how to opt out of messages if they change their mind). Twilio and industry guidelines require clear opt-in consent and opt-out instructions​, so Selldone has your back by including that message automatically.

Test the SMS Login (Optional): It’s a good idea to test the experience yourself. Go to your store’s customer-facing login page, choose the SMS login option, and try logging in with a phone number you have access to. Within a few seconds, you should receive an SMS code from Twilio on that phone. Ensure the message arrives and the content looks okay (it will likely be a default template saying “Your verification code is 123456” or similar). Enter the code to confirm you can log in. Successful test? Great! This means Twilio is correctly set up and sending texts.

V. Customizing SMS Templates in Selldone

Beyond login OTPs, you likely want to send other SMS notifications to your customers (and maybe to your team or vendors). Common examples include order confirmations, shipping updates, low-stock alerts to admin, etc. Selldone allows you to create custom SMS templates for various scenarios. These templates are the messages that will be sent via Twilio when certain events happen. Let’s set some up!

1. Go to SMS Templates: In your Selldone dashboard, navigate to Shop > Settings > SMS > Templates. Here you’ll manage all the text message templates for different audiences and triggers.

2. Choose the Message Category: Selldone separates SMS templates by recipient type or purpose. You might see sections for Customer, Store Staff, Vendor, etc. Select the category you want to create a template for. For instance, if you want to send customers a text when they place an order, go to the Customer section.

3. Verify Twilio is Configured: Before adding a new template, ensure that your Twilio SMS provider setup is complete and enabled (from step 3 above). If Twilio isn’t properly configured or still disabled, your templates won’t be able to send messages. Assuming you followed earlier steps, you should be good to go now – you can flip the Twilio provider to Enabled/Active if you haven’t already.

4. Add a New Template: Click on the “ADD NEW” button to create a new SMS template. A form or dialog will appear for composing the template.

5. Select Language and Format: Choose the language for this message (e.g., English). Selldone might allow multiple language versions of templates, so you can send SMS in the customer’s language. Also, set the format to Plain Text. (Twilio requires SMS content to be plain text — no HTML or special styling — which is standard for SMS. Keeping it plain also avoids any encoding issues or carrier filtering.)

6. Compose the Message Content: This is where you write the text that will be sent. You can type a friendly message and include dynamic placeholders that Selldone will replace with actual data when sending. The dynamic variables available in Selldone’s SMS templates include:

• :param1
– typically the Order ID (or relevant identifier for the context).
• :param2
– usually the Order Cost (or an amount, if applicable to the message).
• :param3
– the Shop Name (your store’s name, so the customer knows who it’s from).

When the SMS is sent, those placeholders will be replaced with the real info. For example, a template might look like:
"Thank you for your purchase! Order #:param1 of :param3 totaling :param2 has been received."
If a customer just bought “Awesome T-Shirt” for $50 on order 12345 from “MyStore”, they would get: “Thank you for your purchase! Order #12345 of MyStore totaling $50 has been received.” Pretty neat, right?

Write your message in a concise way (SMS should ideally be under 160 characters to send as one message, though Twilio can handle longer by splitting it). Make sure it’s clear and includes any necessary info the customer or staff needs.

7. Save the Template: After writing your SMS content, save the new template. It should now appear in the list of templates for that category, possibly with an identifier like “Order Confirmation SMS – English” or whichever event you set it for.

8. Repeat for Other Templates: You can add more templates for different events. For instance, you might add an “Order Shipped” SMS template to notify customers when their order is on the way, or an “OTP for Staff Login” if your staff use SMS to log into the admin, etc. Selldone will use these templates whenever the corresponding event occurs, sending the SMS through Twilio to the right person.


A couple of things to remember while customizing templates:

• Keep it transactional: If you’re sending marketing/promotional SMS, make sure you have proper consent from recipients. The templates we’re creating here are typically transactional (related to an action the user took, like an order), which usually have more leeway under regulations. Still, always good to be mindful of tone and frequency.
• Test your templates: Just like we tested the login OTP, you can simulate an order (perhaps place a test order) to see if the SMS notification sends correctly and the placeholders are filled in. Twilio’s logs (in their console under “Messaging -> Logs”) can also show you if messages were sent and if any errors occurred.

By completing this setup, your Selldone store is now capable of sending various automated SMS notifications via Twilio. This enhances the customer experience (they get real-time updates) and can improve engagement.

Always check regulation for the country; for example for the US:

Always ensure that your SMS communications follow Twilio's guidelines and local laws in the U.S. Non-compliance can lead to significant fees, blocked messages, or even suspension of your SMS capabilities.

VI. Conclusion & Support

Congratulations – you’ve successfully set up Twilio SMS integration in Selldone, focusing on doing it the right way with compliance in mind! 🎉 Your store can now send SMS for logins and notifications, leveraging Twilio’s reliable messaging platform.

Before we wrap up, let’s recap a few key points and next steps:

• Always keep compliance in mind: We started with compliance for a reason. Laws and carrier rules can change, so it’s wise to stay updated. This guide (and your setup) will be updated as needed to reflect new rules or features. When in doubt, check Twilio’s docs or reach out for guidance.
• Test periodically: It’s good practice to test your SMS flows (login, order messages, etc.) from time to time, especially after making changes, to ensure everything still works and looks good to users.
• Need more dynamic parameters or custom behavior? Selldone provides the basics like :param1, :param2 , :param3 for templates. If you find yourself needing more dynamic info in messages (say, a delivery ETA or a unique coupon code), you might need additional support or features. Don’t hesitate to reach out to Selldone’s support or community – they can assist with compliance questions or consider adding more dynamic parameters if many users need them.
• Twilio Dashboard: Remember that Twilio’s console can give you insight into your messages (delivery status, errors). If a customer says “I didn’t get the SMS,” you can check Twilio logs to troubleshoot. It’s a useful tool in your arsenal now that you’re integrated.

We hope this step-by-step guide was easy to follow and got you all set up without a hitch. If you have any questions or run into any issues, we’re here to help! Setting up SMS might seem technical, but you’ve seen that with Selldone and Twilio, it’s quite manageable – and the end result is a more connected experience for your customers.🚀📱