# Set Up Your Provider (Twillo)

In this article, you will create a Twilio account, get a phone number, and save the credentials you will need when writing your App Function. Twilio is used here as a concrete example; the same pattern applies to any provider (SendGrid, 360dialog, Unifonic, or others).

By the end of this article, you will have your Account SID, Auth Token, phone number, and a working WhatsApp sandbox ready for testing.

## Create a Twilio account

Go to [Twillo](https://login.twilio.com/u/signup) and sign up for a free trial account.

![SCR-20260413-kxyc.jpeg](https://api.apidog.com/api/v1/projects/451700/resources/375453/image-preview)

The trial gives you **$15 USD in credit** and **one free phone number (you need to claim it)** — enough to complete this guide end-to-end. Verify your email address and log in to the Twilio Console.

:::info[Using a different provider?]
Skip to [Build Your App Fucntion article]() and follow your provider's documentation to locate the equivalent values (API key, token, sender number). The structure of what you need is the same regardless of provider.
:::

## Buy a phone number


<Steps>
<Step>
In the Twilio Console, navigate to **Develop** > **Phone Numbers** > **Manage** > **Buy a Number**.


![SCR-20260413-kzgl.png](https://api.apidog.com/api/v1/projects/451700/resources/375454/image-preview)
</Step>
    
<Step>

Search for an available number. For WhatsApp testing via the sandbox, any number will work as you need to claim one number. Click **Buy** and confirm the purchase.


![image.png](https://api.apidog.com/api/v1/projects/451700/resources/375455/image-preview)

:::note
On a trial account, Twilio assigns you one number for free. You may not need to purchase an additional one. In case Twillo did not provide you with one, you are able to purchase one number for free.
:::
</Step>
    
</Steps>




## Save your credentials

<!--
You will need these three values when configuring your App Settings in Step 3. Save them somewhere accessible now. -->

From the Twilio Console homepage, locate the **Account Dashboard** panel.

| Value | Where to find it | What it's used for |
|---|---|---|
| **Account SID** | Account Info panel on the Console homepage | Identifies your Twilio account |
| **Auth Token** | Account Info panel on the Console homepage (click to reveal) | Authenticates your API requests |
| **Phone number** | Account Info panel, or Phone Numbers > Manage > Active Numbers | The sender number for your messages |

<!--
:::danger[Keep these private]
Your Auth Token is a secret. Do not commit it to source control. You will store it securely in App Settings in Step 3, which is the right place for provider credentials.
:::
-->

![SCR-20260413-lawj.png](https://api.apidog.com/api/v1/projects/451700/resources/375456/image-preview)

## Set up the WhatsApp sandbox

<Steps>
<Step>

In the Twilio Console, navigate to **Messaging** > **Try it out** > **Send a WhatsApp message**. You will see a Whatsapp sandbox number and a join code (e.g. `join <word>-<word>`).


![SCR-20260413-lurt.png](https://api.apidog.com/api/v1/projects/451700/resources/375457/image-preview)

:::note[]
Twilio's WhatsApp sandbox lets you send and receive WhatsApp messages during development without needing a verified WhatsApp Business account.
:::
</Step>
    
<Step>
Open WhatsApp on your phone and send the join code to the Whatsapp sandbox number.
</Step>
    
<Step>
Once Twilio confirms the number is connected, your sandbox is active.


![image.png](https://api.apidog.com/api/v1/projects/451700/resources/375459/image-preview)

You will also see the following image on Twillo dashboard, confirming the sandbox is active

![image.png](https://api.apidog.com/api/v1/projects/451700/resources/375522/image-preview)

</Step>
</Steps>
    
:::info[]
The Twilio sandbox number is used to send WhatsApp messages to customers. For testing, the developer will use their own verified number (the one used when setting up Twilio) to join the sandbox via the provided join code.
    
During testing, WhatsApp messages can only be sent to verified sandbox numbers. This means the same verified number will be used as the test customer’s phone number when creating orders.
:::

## What you have now

At this point you should have the following ready:

- Twilio Account SID
- Twilio Auth Token
- A Twilio phone number
- Your own WhatsApp number to conduct tests

<!--
These credentials will be entered into your App Settings in the next step, by the Merchants when activating your app, where your App Function will read them at runtime via `context.settings`. -->