Twilio Integration

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Overview

• SMS messaging via Twilio
• WhatsApp messaging via Twilio
• AI-powered responses to customer messages
• Bidirectional communication (send and receive)
• Multi-channel support alongside other channels

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Setup

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Step 1: Create Twilio Account

1. Go to twilio.com and sign up
2. Complete account verification
3. Get your Account SID and Auth Token from the dashboard

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Step 2: Get Phone Numbers

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For SMS

1. In Twilio Console, go to Phone Numbers → Buy a number
2. Select a number with SMS capability
3. Purchase the number

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For WhatsApp

1. Go to Messaging → Try it out → Send a WhatsApp message
2. Use the Sandbox number for testing (starts with whatsapp:+)
3. For production, request WhatsApp approval from Twilio

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Step 3: Configure Webhooks

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SMS Webhook

1. In Twilio Console, go to your phone number
2. Under Messaging, set Webhook URL:
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   https://your-domain.com/twilio/sms/webhook/:channel_id
   
3. Set HTTP method to POST

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WhatsApp Webhook

1. Go to Messaging → Try it out → Send a WhatsApp message
2. Set When a message comes in webhook:
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   https://your-domain.com/twilio/whatsapp/webhook/:channel_id
   
3. Set HTTP method to POST

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Step 4: Configure in Support Unicorn

1. Navigate to your Support Unicorn instance
2. Go to Settings → Integrations → Twilio
3. Enter:
   • Account SID
   • Auth Token
   • From phone number (SMS)
   • WhatsApp number (if using WhatsApp)
4. Click “Save”

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How It Works

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Sending Messages

• Responding to customer inquiries on SMS or WhatsApp channels
• Following up on escalated conversations
• Executing procedures that trigger message actions

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Receiving Messages

1. Twilio sends a webhook to Support Unicorn
2. The message is processed by LiveChatService
3. If AI is enabled, the agent responds automatically
4. Response is sent back via Twilio

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AI Agent Integration

1. Create or select an Agent
2. Configure knowledge base
3. Link agent to Configuration
4. AI will respond to incoming messages

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Routes

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Configuration

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Environment Variables

TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID=your_account_sid
TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN=your_auth_token

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Channel Configuration

• Phone number (SMS or WhatsApp)
• Organization mapping
• Configuration (for AI agent)

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Troubleshooting

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Messages not sending

• Verify Account SID and Auth Token
• Check phone number is correct format (E.164)
• Verify webhook URL is accessible
• Check Twilio logs for errors

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Not receiving messages

• Verify webhook is configured in Twilio
• Check webhook URL is correct
• Ensure SSL certificate is valid (HTTPS required)
• Review Rails logs for webhook errors

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WhatsApp Sandbox

1. Join the Twilio Sandbox (send code to Twilio number)
2. Use sandbox number format: whatsapp:+14155238886
3. For production, request WhatsApp approval

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Best Practices

• Rate limiting: Be mindful of Twilio rate limits
• Message length: SMS has 160 character limit (use concatenation for longer)
• Error handling: Implement retry logic for failed sends
• Webhook security: Validate webhook signatures (future enhancement)

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Next Steps