Sending bulk messages is a time-consuming process if you do it via SMS. Sending bulk SMS using the API is really easy.
This article demonstrates how to send bulk SMS using the SMS API and receive a bulk response with the help of API’s callback feature. The example in this article uses Google’s Firebase as a backend service to store data, but you can use any other backend service that supports remote storage of data.
Get the API Key for sending SMS using Firebase
First, you will have to get the API key from Google’s Firebase. You can generate an API key using the following link to get the API key. The API key is used to connect your application with the Firebase services. The API key is an important parameter while sending SMS. You will have to replace the API key with your API key while executing the API calls.
API key can be found under the API key section. You can generate an API key for sending bulk SMS on the Firebase console. As soon as you generate the API key, it will be visible under the API key section. Now, copy the API key value. You will use the API key value while sending SMS in the example below.
Create Firebase project
Before starting the bulk SMS example, create a Firebase project. Firebase console is an easy-to-use tool for creating and managing apps using the Firebase services. You can use the below steps to create a new Firebase project. Once you create the project, you will be able to add Firebase services to your app. Login to your Firebase project and go to settings.
You can see Firebase services under the Cloud section. Now, click on the add Firebase service button. You can also enable Firebase services for your app manually by going to the add app option in the menu bar above the project panel. You can add Google’s SMS APIs to the Firebase project. When you finish adding the SMS APIs, you will get a configuration screen. You can see the SMS APIs configuration screen below. You can configure the SMS services as per your needs.
Add the SMS field to your database.
You will create a new field in your database to store the message. Also, you can use the below steps to create a new field in your database. You can create a new field in your database with the help of the admin panel. Click on the database tab in the left bar and select the Create New button next to your database name. Now, on the pop-up page, select the Add Field option. You will see the add field screen. You can select the SMS field from the table. Once you select the SMS field, you will see the configuration options for the field.
Create a JavaScript file for sending bulk SMS using Firebase.
Now, you will create a JavaScript file to send bulk SMS using the API. Create a new JavaScript file under the src directory and name it bulkSMS.js. Now, create the bulkSMS.js file as below. In the bulkSMS.js file, you will create a function to make requests to the Firebase API. You will send the message in the format: From> To> Body> with the help of the function. You can use the below code to send bulk SMS using Firebase APIs. The params object is an object used to send the message parameters. The params object contains the following parameters. t=[TO] – Sender’s number. c=[CODE] – The number used to send the message. m=[MESSAGE] – The message that you want to send.
Send Bulk SMS using Firebase’s APIs and callback feature.
Now, you will send the message using the bulkSMS.js file. First, you will create an object of Firebase object. You will pass the object to the sendData function to send the message. Now, you will listen to the message in the callback function. You will get the message data and store it in the params object. The last step is to call the sendData function and pass the params object to it. The function will send the message. Now, you will have to wait for the notification that you sent the SMS. You will see the notification on the Firebase notification screen.
Receive Bulk Response using callback function in JavaScript file.
Once Google’s server receives the SMS message, the API will store the message in the Firebase database. You will receive the message data in the callback function. Once you receive the data, you will print the response in the console. Now, you will create a function to receive the message data. You will pass the message data to the function as an argument. Once you receive the data, you will print the response and get the message body from the data. You will print the message body using the response function.
Summary
Sending bulk messages is a time-consuming process if you do it via SMS. Sending bulk SMS using the API is really easy. This article demonstrates how to send bulk SMS using the API and receive a bulk response with the help of the API’s callback feature. The example in this article uses Google’s Firebase as a backend service to store data, but you can use any other backend service that supports remote storage of data. Now, you can easily send bulk SMS using Firebase’s APIs. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.
