Frequently Asked Questions
You can send MMS messages by creating a secure API endpoint in your Next.js application using the Plivo Node.js SDK. This endpoint, protected by NextAuth.js, handles the interaction with the Plivo API to send multimedia messages after verifying user authentication and input validation. A simple frontend interface allows users to input recipient details, text, and media URL.
NextAuth.js is used for user authentication. It ensures only logged-in users can access and trigger the MMS sending functionality via the secure API endpoint. This is important for protecting your Plivo credentials and preventing unauthorized message sending.
Plivo is a cloud communications platform providing reliable messaging services. Its developer-friendly Node.js SDK simplifies the integration with your Next.js application, handling the complexities of sending MMS messages. Plivo offers various features and global reach for messaging.
The Plivo client should be initialized within the server-side API route handler that processes the MMS sending request. This ensures the client is created for each request and that API credentials are handled securely on the server.
You'll need your Plivo AUTH ID, AUTH TOKEN, and an MMS-enabled Plivo phone number. These are found in your Plivo Console dashboard. Store these securely as environment variables (`PLIVO_AUTH_ID`, `PLIVO_AUTH_TOKEN`, `PLIVO_SENDER_NUMBER`) in a `.env.local` file, which should *never* be committed to version control.
Wrap the `client.messages.create` call in a `try...catch` block within your API route handler. Log the error using `console.error` and return a 500 response with a user-friendly error message. Include details about the error from Plivo for debugging when possible.
Use NextAuth's `getServerSession` function within the API route handler (`/api/send-mms`). This function checks for a valid NextAuth session based on the JWT cookie. Return a 401 Unauthorized response if no session exists.
Prisma is used for user data management, especially when using authentication providers like Credentials. It stores user data, sessions, accounts, and other authentication-related information. Prisma isn't directly involved in the MMS sending process via Plivo but manages users for NextAuth.
The request body should be JSON with three fields: `to` (recipient's phone number in E.164 format), `text` (the message body), and `mediaUrl` (a publicly accessible URL of the media file).
You need Node.js v18+, npm or yarn, a Plivo account with an MMS-enabled number, basic understanding of React/Next.js, and a publicly accessible media URL. You will also need the Plivo Node.js SDK.
Log in to your Plivo console and navigate to "Phone Numbers" -> "Your Numbers" to check your existing numbers. If you don't have an MMS-enabled number, buy one by going to "Buy Numbers" and filtering the search options by MMS capability.
Plivo supports common image formats like JPEG, PNG, and GIF for MMS messages. Ensure the URL you provide in the `mediaUrl` parameter points to a publicly accessible file of a supported format. Plivo allows media upload through their console or API.
Create a NextAuth API route handler (`/api/auth/[...nextauth]/route.ts`) with a configuration file specifying providers, session strategy, and database adapter if needed. Use `getServerSession` in the MMS API route to check for an active session.
Yes, you can test sending MMS during development using tools like `curl` to send requests to the `POST /api/send-mms` endpoint. Ensure Plivo is configured to send to sandbox or test numbers.
This guide provides a comprehensive walkthrough for building a feature within a Next.js application that enables authenticated users to send Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) messages using the Plivo Communications Platform.
We'll leverage NextAuth.js for robust user authentication, ensuring only logged-in users can trigger MMS sending via a secure API endpoint. This approach solves the common need to integrate communication features directly into web applications while maintaining security and leveraging a reliable third-party service for message delivery.
Goal: Create a secure, server-side API endpoint in Next.js protected by NextAuth. This endpoint will accept recipient details and a media URL, then use the Plivo Node.js SDK to send an MMS message. We will also build a simple frontend interface for authenticated users to utilize this functionality.
Technologies Used:
(Note: This guide specifies target versions like Next.js 14+, NextAuth v5+, and Node.js v18+. While accurate at the time of writing, please check the official documentation for these libraries to ensure compatibility with the latest versions or confirm these remain the target versions for your project.)
System Architecture:
(Note: A visual diagram illustrating the flow would typically be placed here. The flow is: User interacts with Next.js Frontend -> Frontend sends data to Next.js Server -> Server calls
/api/send-mms
-> API Route verifies NextAuth session -> If valid, initializes Plivo Client -> Sends MMS via Plivo API -> Plivo API delivers to Recipient. Responses flow back accordingly.)Prerequisites:
Final Outcome:
By the end of this guide, you will have:
/api/send-mms
) that uses the Plivo SDK to send MMS messages.1. Setting Up the Project
Let's initialize our Next.js project and install the necessary dependencies.
Create Next.js App: Open your terminal and run the following command to create a new Next.js project using the App Router and TypeScript:
Follow the prompts, choosing your preferred settings.
Navigate to Project Directory:
Install Dependencies: We need
next-auth
for authentication andplivo
for the Plivo API interaction. We'll also addbcrypt
for password hashing if using the Credentials provider and its types.(Alternatively, use
yarn add next-auth plivo bcrypt
andyarn add -D @types/bcrypt
)Initialize Prisma (Optional but Recommended for User Management): While not strictly required just to send an MMS via Plivo triggered by an authenticated user, integrating a database is essential for managing user accounts if you use the Credentials provider or want to store user-specific data. We'll use Prisma with PostgreSQL as an example.
This creates a
prisma
directory with aschema.prisma
file and a.env
file for the database connection string.Configure Environment Variables: NextAuth requires a secret key, and Plivo needs API credentials. Create a
.env.local
file in the root of your project. Never commit this file to version control. Add your.env.local
to your.gitignore
file if it's not already there.Generate NextAuth Secret:
Copy the output.
Edit
.env.local
:How to get Plivo Credentials:
AUTH ID
andAUTH TOKEN
are displayed prominently on the main Dashboard page in the ""Account Info"" section. Click the eye icon to reveal the token.+12025550111
) intoPLIVO_SENDER_NUMBER
.Configure Prisma Schema (if using Prisma): Update
prisma/schema.prisma
to include the necessary models for NextAuth integration.Apply Prisma Migrations (if using Prisma): Run the migration command to create the database tables based on your schema.
This will also generate the Prisma Client.
2. Implementing Core Functionality (NextAuth & Plivo Client)
Now, let's set up NextAuth for authentication and configure the Plivo client.
Configure NextAuth: Create the NextAuth API route handler.
Create Prisma Client Instance (if using Prisma): Create a utility file to instantiate Prisma Client, preventing multiple instances in development.
Create NextAuth Options: It's good practice to define auth options separately.
Create API Route Handler:
Why these choices?
jwt
,session
): Customize the token and session objects to include necessary user information (like user ID) accessible in your application.Set up Session Provider: Wrap your application layout with the NextAuth
SessionProvider
to make session data available globally via hooks likeuseSession
.Create the
AuthProvider
component:Create Login Page: A simple login page using the Credentials provider.
Note on User Creation for Testing: Since we're using the
CredentialsProvider
, you need a user record in your database to log in. A production application would have a separate sign-up page and API route. For testing this guide, you can manually create a user:DATABASE_URL
in.env.local
.npx prisma studio
in your terminal. This opens a web interface to your database.User
model.test@example.com
).password
field, you need a bcrypt hash of the password you want to use. You cannot enter the plain password directly. Generate a hash using an online bcrypt generator or a simple Node.js script:node temp_hash.js
. Copy the entire output hash string (it will look something like$2b$10$...
).password
field in Prisma Studio.your_test_password
) on the login page.3. Building the MMS Sending API Layer
This is the core endpoint that interacts with Plivo.
Create the API Route:
API Endpoint Documentation:
POST /api/send-mms
400 Bad Request
: Invalid input parameters or JSON body.401 Unauthorized
: No active session or invalid session.500 Internal Server Error
: Plivo configuration error or Plivo API failure.Testing with
curl
: First, log in through the web interface to get a valid session cookie. Then, use your browser's developer tools (Network tab) to find thenext-auth.session-token
cookie value after logging in.(Remember Plivo trial accounts can only send to verified numbers added in the Plivo console under ""Sandbox Numbers"")
4. Integrating with Plivo (Recap & Details)
We've already used the Plivo SDK in the API route. Here's a recap of the integration points:
PLIVO_AUTH_ID
andPLIVO_AUTH_TOKEN
are securely stored in.env.local
and accessed viaprocess.env
. They are obtained directly from the Plivo Console Dashboard.PLIVO_SENDER_NUMBER
is also in.env.local
. This must be an MMS-enabled number from your Plivo account, found under ""Phone Numbers"" -> ""Your Numbers"". It must be in E.164 format (e.g.,+14151234567
).plivo
Node.js SDK is installed (npm install plivo
) and used within the API route (/api/send-mms/route.ts
) to instantiate the client (new Plivo.Client(...)
) and send the message (client.messages.create(...)
).media_urls
parameter inclient.messages.create
expects an array of strings, where each string is a publicly accessible URL to a media file (JPEG, PNG, GIF supported). Ensure the hosting server allows access from Plivo's servers. Alternatively, upload media to Plivo via their console (""Messaging"" -> ""MMS Media Upload"") or API and use the resultingmedia_id
in themedia_ids
parameter.5. Implementing Error Handling and Logging
Our API route includes basic error handling:
getServerSession
and returns a 401 if none exists.to
,text
, andmediaUrl
, returning a 400 if invalid. Includes basic URL format validation.client.messages.create
call in atry...catch
block. Logs the error to the console (console.error
) and returns a 500 response containing the error message from Plivo.console.log
,console.warn
, andconsole.error
for basic logging on the server side. In production, integrate a dedicated logging library (like Pino or Winston) and forward logs to a centralized logging service (like Datadog, Logtail, Sentry).Testing Error Scenarios:
curl
request without theCookie
header.curl
request with missing fields (e.g., nomediaUrl
) or malformed JSON. Send an invalid URL format.PLIVO_AUTH_TOKEN
in.env.local
to an invalid value and restart the server, then try sending. Send to an invalid/non-existent phone number format. Use an invalid/inaccessiblemediaUrl
.6. Creating a Database Schema and Data Layer (Recap)
We set up Prisma earlier for user authentication data persistence via the
PrismaAdapter
.prisma/schema.prisma
file defines theUser
,Account
,Session
, andVerificationToken
models required bynext-auth/prisma-adapter
. We added an optionalpassword
field to theUser
model for the Credentials provider.@prisma/client
) is used implicitly by thePrismaAdapter
to read/write user and session data. Theauthorize
function within the Credentials provider configuration explicitly usesprisma.user.findUnique
to look up users by email.npx prisma migrate dev
manages database schema changes based on theschema.prisma
file.