Send SMS with Django

Send a text from Django with the TextKit Python SDK: from a management command to test, then from your views and tasks.

Prompt for your AI agent

Paste this into Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent to have it do the integration:

Add SMS sending to this Django project with TextKit.

- Docs for this stack: https://jointextkit.com/docs/send-with-django.md
- API: POST https://api.jointextkit.com/v1/messages with `Authorization: Bearer
  <key>` and a JSON body `{"to": "+1...", "body": "..."}`.
- Use the official SDK: `pip install jointextkit`, then
  `TextKit().messages.send(to=..., body=...)` from views, signals or background
  tasks.
- Read the key from the `TEXTKIT_API_KEY` environment variable. Never hardcode
  it or send it to the browser.
- Phone numbers are E.164 and US or Canada only (`+1` followed by 10 digits).
- A test key (`ssms_sk_test_`) simulates: `+15005550006` always ends `delivered`
  and no phone gets a text.
- Errors are JSON: `{"error": {"code", "message", "param"}}` with a 4xx status.
  On `429`, wait `Retry-After` seconds and retry.
- Send only from server code that runs after a real event (a signup, an order).
  Never expose an endpoint that texts any number a visitor types.

Before you start

• An API key. Create a free account and copy the test key (ssms_sk_test_...) from Home in the console. It works at once, no card.
• Python 3.8 or later and Django 4 or later.
• Put the key in an environment variable:

export TEXTKIT_API_KEY=ssms_sk_test_...

1. Install the SDK

pip install jointextkit

2. Send a test from a management command

Create yourapp/management/commands/send_test_sms.py (with empty __init__.py files in management/ and management/commands/):

from django.core.management.base import BaseCommand, CommandError
from jointextkit import TextKit, TextKitError


class Command(BaseCommand):
    help = "Send a test SMS with TextKit"

    def add_arguments(self, parser):
        parser.add_argument("to")

    def handle(self, *args, **options):
        try:
            message = TextKit().messages.send(to=options["to"], body="Hello from TextKit")
        except TextKitError as err:
            raise CommandError(f"{err.code}: {err}")
        self.stdout.write(f'{message["id"]} {message["status"]}')

python manage.py send_test_sms +15005550006

It prints the message ID (msg_...) and delivered.

3. Send from your app

Call the same line wherever something happens that deserves a text:

from jointextkit import TextKit

sms = TextKit()  # reads TEXTKIT_API_KEY


def order_shipped(order):
    sms.messages.send(to=order.phone, body=f"Order {order.number} shipped.")

Run it from a background task (Celery, Django-Q, RQ) when the request should not wait on the network.

What the test key did

+15005550006 is a sandbox number: the send comes back delivered and no phone gets a text (the response says "simulated": true). Put your own verified phone in to and the test key texts it for real. See Sandbox & test numbers.

Handle errors

The SDK raises TextKitError with the API's code and status (plus param for a bad field and retry_after on a rate limit). It retries network failures and 429s for you, with an idempotency key, so a retry never sends twice.

Every code is in Errors.

Go live

1. Add a number in the console.
2. Register your use case. We file your 10DLC registration; toll-free numbers use a guided verification form. Until carriers approve it, the number texts only your verified numbers. See Compliance & registration.
3. Swap in a live key (ssms_sk_live_...). The code stays the same.

Next steps

• Webhooks: delivery receipts and replies, pushed to your server.
• Verify: one-time codes in two calls, billed only when verified.
• Send an SMS: every field the endpoint takes.
• All quickstarts: the same guide for other languages and frameworks.