Docs · Phone & SMS Setup

Telnyx setup, step by step

The full ~15-minute walkthrough for the recommended provider — account, number, messaging profile, call-control app, API key, 10DLC, caller ID, test. Start the 10DLC step FIRST; it's the only one with a multi-day wait.

Who this is for

The admin who owns the telecom account. Not a rep task on any setup shape.

Before you begin

  • About 15 minutes, plus a multi-day wait on 10DLC approval that runs in the background.
  • A payment method for Telnyx — they bill you directly, not us.
  • Your legal business details for the 10DLC registration, exactly as they appear on your IRS records.

Steps

  1. Create your Telnyx account at telnyx.com and add a payment method (Billing → Payment Methods).
  2. START 10DLC NOW, before the rest. Messaging → 10DLC: register your Brand, create a Campaign, then assign your numbers to it. Carriers approve in roughly 1–3 business days and no text delivers until they do — so this is the step that decides your go-live date.
  3. Buy a phone number — Numbers → Buy Numbers. Pick a local number with BOTH SMS and Voice enabled. At least one.
  4. Create a Messaging Profile for SMS — Messaging → Messaging Profiles → Add. Name it, assign your number(s) to it, save, then copy the Profile ID into "Messaging Profile ID (SMS)" in agency settings.
  5. Create a Call Control application for the dialer — Voice → Programmable Voice → Applications → Add (Call Control). Save, then copy the Connection ID into "Voice Connection / Call Control App ID".
  6. Create an API key — Account → Auth → API Keys → Create API Key. It starts with KEY… and is shown ONCE, so copy it immediately. Paste into "Telnyx API Key".
  7. Set your caller ID — paste your Telnyx number in E.164 format (e.g. +14155551234) into "Default Caller ID / From".
  8. Save settings, then use the SMS test to confirm it sends from your number.

Why 10DLC goes first even though it's step 6 on the screen

Every other step is something you control and can finish in minutes. 10DLC is reviewed by outside parties on their timetable, and until it clears, carriers filter your texts silently — they look sent from your side and never arrive.

So the sequence that gets you live fastest is: submit the registration, then do everything else while it's in review.

The webhook URL

The Call Control application needs a webhook URL pointing back at the CRM so inbound calls and call events reach your pipeline. The exact path is worth confirming with us rather than guessing — a wrong webhook produces a setup that dials out fine and drops everything coming back, which is a confusing way to fail.

SignalHouse as an SMS-only alternative

If you'd rather text through SignalHouse: create an account at signalhouse.io, generate a service JWT API key, provision a number, and fill the SignalHouse fields instead.

Two things to know. You'll still need Telnyx for the power dialer, because SignalHouse is SMS only. And you still complete 10DLC with SignalHouse before texting — but we can't read their per-account status, so the CRM will reflect your own confirmation rather than a live check.

How to check it worked

  • Send a test SMS from agency settings and confirm it arrives on a real handset from your number.
  • Reply to it and confirm the reply lands in the CRM — that's the webhook half, which outbound alone doesn't prove.
  • Place one call from the dialer and confirm two-way audio.

Common mistakes

  • Leaving 10DLC until last, then discovering the launch is days away.
  • Buying a number without Voice enabled, then wondering why the dialer won't use it.
  • Not copying the API key at creation — Telnyx shows it once.
  • Confusing the Messaging Profile ID with the Call Control Connection ID. They're different objects for different channels.

Related

Connecting your telecom provider (Twilio, Telnyx or SignalHouse)You bring your own carrier account.A2P 10DLC — registering so your texts actually deliverConnecting a carrier makes texting technically possible.Boost your connection rate — registering your numbers so they aren't flaggedCarriers score every number for spam.Testing the whole system before you go liveRun one lead all the way through — text, call, AI reply, booked appointment, notification — using a real phone.

Where this lives in the app

Open this screenOpens in the appA2P registrationOpens in the app

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