Node.js Express Guide: Real-time SMS Delivery Status with MessageBird - code-examples -

Frequently Asked Questions

Use the MessageBird Node.js SDK and Express.js to create a POST route that handles sending SMS messages. This route should extract recipient and message details from the request body, construct the necessary parameters for the MessageBird API, and use the SDK's `messages.create()` method to send the SMS. Remember to store the returned message ID for tracking delivery status.
A webhook is a mechanism for receiving real-time updates from MessageBird about the status of your sent messages (like 'delivered', 'sent', or 'failed'). MessageBird sends an HTTP POST request to a URL you specify, containing the status details. In your application, create an Express route to handle these incoming requests.
Dotenv loads environment variables from a `.env` file. This is essential for securely storing sensitive information, like your MessageBird API key, and preventing it from being exposed in your source code or version control systems like Git. Add your API key to the `.env` file with `MESSAGEBIRD_API_KEY=YOUR_API_KEY`.
ngrok is useful during development to expose your local server to the internet, allowing you to receive MessageBird webhooks. Since webhooks require a publicly accessible URL, ngrok creates a secure tunnel. It's a development tool; in production, you would use your deployed server's public URL.
Yes, the MessageBird API supports sending SMS messages to multiple recipients. In the `recipients` parameter of your `messagebird.messages.create` request, provide an array of phone numbers in E.164 format. Ensure you handle responses and status updates for each recipient individually if needed.
Implement a webhook handler in your Express app as a POST route (e.g., `/messagebird-status`). This route will receive status updates from MessageBird. Extract the message ID from the request body to correlate it with the original message you sent. Store status updates in a database for persistent tracking.
The message ID is a unique identifier assigned by MessageBird to each SMS message you send. It's crucial for correlating delivery status updates received via webhooks with the original message. You'll use this ID to look up and update the message status in your database.
Acknowledge the webhook by responding with a 2xx HTTP status (e.g., 200 OK) even if errors occur in your processing logic. This prevents MessageBird from retrying the webhook unnecessarily. Log internal errors thoroughly for investigation and implement retry mechanisms or queueing where applicable.
You should use a persistent database for production applications. The tutorial demonstrates setting up MongoDB (install `mongodb` driver, connect, insert, update). Other suitable databases include PostgreSQL, MySQL, or cloud-based solutions like MongoDB Atlas or Google Cloud Firestore.
In the MessageBird dashboard, go to Developers > API access or Flow Builder, then configure the URL for your webhook handler. This URL should be publicly accessible, so you may use ngrok for local development. In production, use your server's domain/IP + route path. The webhook receives POST requests from MessageBird.
E.164 is an international standard phone number format (+[country code][number]). It's essential for ensuring compatibility and proper delivery of SMS messages globally. Always format numbers in E.164 before sending them to the MessageBird API.
Use a test API key during development to integrate with MessageBird's platform without incurring real SMS costs. Test keys help verify that API requests are structured correctly and that webhook setups are working as expected. Switch to your live API key once you're ready to send actual messages.
Use npm or yarn to install the required packages. The article outlines these: `npm install express messagebird dotenv` for the main dependencies and `npm install --save-dev nodemon` for development tools (nodemon auto-restarts your server during coding).
Nodemon automatically restarts your Node.js server whenever you make changes to your code. It's a development convenience tool that saves you from manually restarting the server every time you edit a file, speeding up development considerably. Install with npm as dev dependency.