Frequently Asked Questions
Set up a Fastify server to receive incoming SMS messages via Infobip webhooks and send replies using the Infobip API. This involves configuring routes, installing necessary dependencies like `fastify`, `@infobip-api/sdk`, and `dotenv`, and setting up environment variables for your Infobip credentials and server configuration. The server will listen for incoming messages and trigger actions or automated replies.
The Infobip webhook URL is the endpoint on your Fastify server that Infobip will send incoming SMS message data to. It's crucial to configure this correctly in your Infobip account portal and ensure your server is publicly accessible. Using a tool like ngrok during development can expose your local server temporarily for testing.
Integrate the Infobip Node.js SDK (`@infobip-api/sdk`) into your Fastify application to send automated replies to incoming SMS messages. Instantiate the Infobip client with your API key and base URL, then use the `channels.sms.send()` method to send replies via the Infobip API. Make sure to handle potential errors during the API call.
Webhooks provide a way for Infobip to push real-time notifications to your application whenever an SMS message is received. This eliminates the need for constant polling and enables immediate responses, making it ideal for implementing two-way communication. The webhook acts as a listener for incoming messages.
Secure your webhook endpoint by implementing a validation mechanism, such as checking a secret header or utilizing Basic Authentication if Infobip supports it. Consult the Infobip documentation for their specific security recommendations. Additionally, always use HTTPS for all communication and implement input validation to prevent attacks.
Fastify serves as the lightweight, high-performance web framework for building your Node.js application. It handles incoming webhook requests from Infobip containing SMS messages and enables routing, logging, and processing of the data. It also manages outgoing reply requests to the Infobip API via the SDK.
After receiving a webhook request, use the Infobip Node.js SDK to send automated SMS replies. Extract the sender's phone number from the message data and use `infobipClient.channels.sms.send()` to send a reply. Ensure the 'from' parameter is set to your Infobip number or a registered Alphanumeric Sender ID for deliverability.
Node.js provides the JavaScript runtime environment for the entire two-way SMS application. It allows you to execute JavaScript code on the server-side, handling the webhook requests, interacting with the Infobip API, and managing the logic for automated replies.
Add rate limiting using `@fastify/rate-limit` as a security measure in production to protect your application from denial-of-service (DoS) attacks or abuse. Configure limits appropriate to your expected traffic, and adjust as needed. Rate limiting helps prevent overload by restricting excessive requests.
If your Infobip webhook isn't working, double-check the webhook URL configured in your Infobip account matches your server's public URL. Verify your server is running and publicly accessible, check firewall settings, and ensure `ngrok` is still active if using it for local development. Inspect logs for errors.
Infobip might retry sending webhooks if your server returns non-2xx HTTP status codes. Ensure your application is idempotent, meaning it can handle duplicate webhook requests without causing unintended side effects. Check message IDs to avoid processing the same message twice.
Yes, you can containerize your application with Docker for consistent deployments. Create a Dockerfile that includes the necessary instructions to build and run your Fastify application. Use `docker build` to create an image, then use `docker run` to launch the container. This also simplifies scaling with Kubernetes or other container orchestrators.
Use a tool like `ngrok` to temporarily create a public URL that tunnels to your local server during development. This allows Infobip to send webhook requests to your local application. Download, install, and authenticate `ngrok`, then run `ngrok http ` to create the tunnel.
Environment variables store sensitive information like your Infobip API key, base URL, and webhook secret. These are loaded from a `.env` file during development using the `dotenv` package. In production, use secure environment management provided by your hosting platform. Never commit `.env` to version control.
Project Overview and Goals
This guide details how to build a robust Node.js application using the Fastify framework to handle inbound SMS messages via Infobip webhooks and enable automated replies, creating a functional two-way messaging system.
What We'll Build:
A Fastify server that:
Problem Solved:
Many applications need to react to SMS messages sent by users – for customer support, automated information retrieval, receiving commands, or triggering workflows. This guide provides the foundation for building such systems, enabling programmatic interaction via SMS.
Technologies Used:
@infobip-api/sdk
) for outbound replies.dotenv
: A zero-dependency module to load environment variables from a.env
file intoprocess.env
.System Architecture:
Note: This diagram relies on monospace fonts. For optimal display across all platforms, consider replacing this with an actual image diagram and providing descriptive alt text.
Prerequisites:
ngrok
).Final Outcome:
A running Fastify application capable of receiving SMS messages sent to your Infobip number and logging them. Optionally, it can send an automated reply.
1. Setting Up the Project
Let's initialize our Node.js project and install the necessary dependencies.
1.1 Create Project Directory:
Open your terminal and create a new directory for the project.
1.2 Initialize Node.js Project:
Initialize the project using npm. You can accept the defaults or customize as needed.
This creates a
package.json
file.1.3 Install Dependencies:
We need Fastify for the web server, the Infobip SDK for interacting with their API, and
dotenv
for managing environment variables.1.4 Install Development Dependencies (Optional but Recommended):
For a better development experience, install
nodemon
to automatically restart the server on file changes.1.5 Configure
package.json
Scripts:Add scripts to your
package.json
for running the server easily.Note: The
"main": "src/server.js"
line points to a file (src/server.js
) that we create in the next step. This is standard practice but be aware the file doesn't exist immediately after thispackage.json
edit.1.6 Create Project Structure:
Organize your code for better maintainability.
src/
: Contains all source code.src/routes/
: Holds route handlers.src/config/
: For configuration files.src/server.js
: The main application entry point..env
: Stores sensitive credentials (API keys, etc.). Never commit this file..env.example
: A template showing required environment variables. Commit this file..gitignore
: Specifies intentionally untracked files that Git should ignore.1.7 Configure
.gitignore
:Add
node_modules
and.env
to your.gitignore
file to prevent committing them.1.8 Set Up Environment Variables:
Define the necessary environment variables in
.env.example
and.env
.Important: Copy
.env.example
to.env
and fill in your actual Infobip API Key and Base URL in the.env
file. You can find these in your Infobip account dashboard (usually under API Keys). TheINFOBIP_WEBHOOK_SECRET
is optional; use it only if you configure a corresponding mechanism in Infobip (see Section 6).1.9 Load Environment Variables:
Create a simple module to load and export environment variables.
1.10 Basic Fastify Server Setup:
Initialize the Fastify server in
src/server.js
.Now you have a basic Fastify server structure ready. You can test it by running
npm run dev
. You should see log output indicating the server has started. Accessinghttp://localhost:3000/
in your browser should return{"status":"ok", ...}
.2. Implementing the Inbound Webhook
The core of receiving SMS messages is handling the HTTP POST request Infobip sends to your application (the webhook).
2.1 Define the Webhook Route Handler:
In
src/routes/infobipWebhook.js
, create the Fastify route handler that will listen for POST requests at/webhook/infobip
.Explanation:
POST
route at/infobip
(prefixed with/webhook
, making the full path/webhook/infobip
).info
,debug
) as needed.results
array. Adds strong emphasis (multiple bolded notes) that the payload structure and field names (results
,messageId
,from
,text
,receivedAt
) MUST be verified against the specific Infobip configuration and documentation.TODO
marks where application-specific logic goes.200 OK
promptly.try...catch
logs errors and sends500
.3. Integrating with Infobip
Now, we need to tell Infobip where to send the incoming SMS messages.
3.1 Expose Your Local Server (Development Only):
Infobip needs a publicly accessible URL to send webhooks. During development, you can use
ngrok
.Download and install ngrok: https://ngrok.com/download
Authenticate ngrok if you haven't already (follow their instructions).
Start your Fastify server:
npm run dev
(it should be running on port 3000).In a new terminal window, run:
ngrok
will display output similar to this:Copy the
https://<unique-id>.ngrok-free.app
URL. This is your public URL. Remember that freengrok
URLs are temporary and change every time you restartngrok
. For stable testing or production, you need a permanent URL (see Section 8).3.2 Configure Infobip Webhook:
https://<unique-id>.ngrok-free.app/webhook/infobip
(use your actual ngrok URL).3.3 Verify API Key and Base URL:
Double-check that the
INFOBIP_API_KEY
andINFOBIP_BASE_URL
in your.env
file are correct. These are needed for sending replies (Section 4).yoursubdomain.api.infobip.com
), usually shown near the API key.4. Adding Two-Way Reply Functionality
Let's make the application reply to incoming messages.
4.1 Instantiate Infobip SDK Client and Send Reply:
Update
src/routes/infobipWebhook.js
to use the SDK.Explanation:
Infobip
,AuthType
and createsinfobipClient
.infobipClient.channels.sms.send()
.destinations
: Setto
the original sender (from
).from
: Updated explanation: Emphasizes that specifyingfrom
(your Infobip number or Alphanumeric Sender ID) is highly recommended or required. Notes Alphanumeric Sender ID rules are country-specific and require checking docs.text
: Reply content.infobipResponse.data
. Adds a note advising verification of thedata
property based on the SDK version.try...catch
for sending, logging errors but generally still returning200 OK
for the webhook receipt.5. Error Handling and Logging
Robust error handling and clear logging are crucial for production systems.
Error Handling Strategy:
try...catch
. Log errors (fastify.log.error
). Return appropriate HTTP status codes (500
,400
,401
).try...catch
. Log send errors specifically. Usually return200
to the webhook even if the reply fails, handling reply failures asynchronously if needed.fastify.setErrorHandler()
) for advanced scenarios.Logging:
logger: true
) for structured JSON logging.info
,warn
,error
,debug
appropriately. Control level via environment variables in production.Retry Mechanisms:
2xx
responses. Your app should respond quickly and be idempotent (handle duplicate messages safely, e.g., by checkingmessageId
against recent history).6. Security Considerations
Securing your webhook endpoint is vital.
ngrok
provides this locally. Production requires TLS termination (hosting, load balancer).text
content if used in databases, commands, or displayed elsewhere to prevent injection attacks (XSS, SQLi).@fastify/rate-limit
.npm install @fastify/rate-limit
server.js
:npm audit
).7. Troubleshooting and Caveats
Common issues and things to watch out for:
ngrok
status (temporary URLs!)..env
/app validation).request.body
.fastify.log.error
) for exceptions.8. Deployment Strategies
Moving from local development to production.
8.1 Obtain a Stable Public URL: Use cloud hosting (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, Heroku, DigitalOcean, Render, Railway), load balancers, or API gateways for a permanent HTTPS endpoint.
8.2 Environment Configuration: Use secure environment variable management provided by your host (NOT
.env
files in production). SetNODE_ENV=production
.8.3 Process Management: Use
pm2
or container orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes) for process management, restarts, and clustering (pm2 start src/server.js -i max
).8.4 Dockerization (Optional): Containerize for consistency.
Dockerfile
:.dockerignore
: Include.git
,.env
,node_modules/
.docker build
,docker run
(pass environment variables securely).8.5 CI/CD Pipeline: Automate testing and deployment using GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins, etc. (Lint, Test, Build, Deploy).
8.6 Rollback Procedures: Plan for reverting failed deployments (previous Docker image, Git tag).
9. Verification and Testing
Ensure your application works correctly.
9.1 Manual Verification:
ngrok
or deployed).9.2 Automated Testing (Recommended):
Implement unit and integration tests.
Install Testing Tools:
npm install --save-dev tap
(orjest
,supertest
).Unit Tests: Test functions in isolation.
Integration Tests (Webhook): Simulate webhook requests using Fastify's
inject
orsupertest
.inject
. This typically works best ifserver.js
is refactored to export an asynchronousbuild
function that creates and returns the Fastify instance, rather than starting the server immediately. You would then import and call thisbuild
function in your test file. See Fastify's documentation on testing for details.Test Coverage: Use tools like
c8
or Istanbul (nyc
) to measure coverage.Verification Checklist:
200 OK
sent to Infobip.Complete Code Repository
A complete, working example of the code described in this guide can be found on GitHub.
This repository includes the project structure,
package.json
, example.env.example
,.gitignore
, and the source code files.This guide provides a solid foundation for building a production-ready two-way SMS system using Fastify and Infobip. Remember to consult the official Infobip API documentation for the most up-to-date details on payload formats, authentication methods, and API capabilities. Happy coding!