Overview
What Azure SMS is
Azure SMS is the SMS capability of Azure Communication Services, Microsoft's cloud platform for sending SMS and other communications programmatically through Azure's infrastructure.
Courier sits in front of it as one API, so you keep Azure SMS for SMS and add push, an in-app inbox, design, and journeys on top.
You need a Courier account and your own Azure Communication Services resource (access key, endpoint, and from number).
Why Courier
What you get with Azure SMS + Courier
Add push in the same send
Reach mobile and web with push alongside SMS from one notification, no new integration in your code.
Add an in-app inbox for web and mobile
Give your app an in-product notification center (SDKs for web, React, iOS, Android, Flutter, React Native), so users see more than just texts.
Automate multi-step flows
Trigger reminders, verification, and lifecycle sequences with delays and branching, all delivered through Azure SMS.
Write once, edit without code
Compose and localize SMS copy in Courier's editor. Product and support change messaging without a deploy.
Send to lists and audiences
Broadcast a one-off or recurring text to an entire list through Azure SMS, alongside your transactional messages.
Localize a message in seconds
Pick a language and let Courier translate your message with AI, then tweak any string.
Use cases
What teams build with it
Setup
Connect it in minutes
An admin adds Azure SMS once on the Integrations page in Courier. Once connected, anyone on your team can send SMS through Azure and add push or an in-app inbox whenever they need them.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Azure Communication Services SMS with Courier?
Yes. Courier routes text messages through Azure SMS as one delivery channel behind the Send API, so the same notification can also reach email, push, and Courier Inbox without separate code paths.
Do I still need my own Azure SMS account?
Yes. You keep your own Azure Communication Services resource. Courier sends through it using your access key and endpoint, and Azure remains the carrier that owns your SMS-capable from number and handles billing.
What do I need to connect Azure SMS to Courier?
An active Azure Communication Services resource with an SMS-capable number. In Courier's integration catalog, add the Azure SMS provider and save your credentials, and Courier begins routing SMS through that resource.
What credentials do I enter for the Azure SMS provider?
Three values from your Azure Communication Services resource in the Azure portal: the access key, the resource endpoint, and the from number that messages are sent from.
How does Courier know which number to text through Azure SMS?
Store the recipient's number as phone_number on their Courier profile in international format like "+12025550156". Courier passes that value as the SMS to field when it calls Azure.
Can I override the sender number or message body per send?
Yes. Overrides let you replace config values (from, accessKey, endpoint) or body fields (to, message) on a single request, without changing the provider settings you saved in Courier.
Is Courier a replacement for Azure Communication Services SMS?
No. Azure still delivers the SMS through your resource. Courier sits in front as orchestration, adding the Send API, Design Studio, and Journeys, plus push and Courier Inbox as extra channels.
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