TextBelt Open Source

TextBelt Open Source is a REST API that sends outgoing SMS. It uses a free mechanism for sending texts, different from the more reliable paid version available at https://textbelt.com.

This project uses carrier-specific gateways to deliver your text messages for free, and without ads. The service is fairly reliable when configured on a private server and has sent over 1 million texts.

Send a text with a simple POST request:

$ curl -X POST http://textbelt.com/text \
   -d number=5551234567 \
   -d "message=I sent this message for free with textbelt.com"

number and message parameters are required.

Success and Failure

Sample success:

{"success":true}

Note that success means that the message was sent to Textbelt's list of providers. We can't guarantee delivery on your network.

Sample failure:

{"success":false,"message":"Exceeded quota for this phone number."}

Usage as a module

Though this repository contains an express server so you may run your own instance of the web app, you may also use it to send text messages in your project. The only requirement is unix/posix sendmail, used to forward the message.

For example, to send a text using the default settings:

var text = require('textbelt');

text.send('9491234567', 'A sample text message!', undefined, function(err) {
  if (err) {
    console.log(err);
  }
});

You can also supply a region (valid choices are us, intl, or canada)

var text = require('textbelt');

// Canada
text.send('9491234567', 'A sample text message!', 'canada', function(err) {
...
});

// International
text.send('1119491234567', 'Bonjour!', 'intl', function(err) {
...
});

Usage as a standalone server

Textbelt can be run as a standalone server with: node server/app.js. Be sure to install dependencies first with npm install. This project also relies on redis. To install redis locally, please see the redis documentation. Before launching the app, ensure redis is running on port 6379 with redis-server.

Textbelt also depends on a local installation of mutt, the email client (http://www.mutt.org/). On Linux (Ubuntu), you can sudo apt-get install mutt. On macs, you can brew install mutt.

By default, the server listens on port 9090 and is configured to accept traffic from a reverse proxy or load balancer such as nginx. To enable accurate IP rate limiting, the reverse proxy should be configured to set the X-Real-IP header.

Don't forget to set fromAddress in lib/config.js to the email address you want to send from.

Canadian and International endpoints

The /text endpoint supports U.S. phone numbers (and parts of Canada).

For Canadian texts, curl http://textbelt.com/canada.

For international texts, curl http://textbelt.com/intl.

Canadian and international support may not be complete. Refer to the list of supported carriers.

Textbelt Clients

• ruby - djds23/textbelt-gem
• go - dietsche/textbelt
• python - ksdme/py-textbelt
• node.js - minond/textbelt, ajay-gandhi/textbelt, soondobu/mtextbelt
• php - ctrlaltdylan/courier, securingsincity/phpsms
• bash - cfalk/MessageMe
• html/js/mobile webpage - mLuby/SMS, daluu/textbelt-clients
• Browser extension - Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera
• Windows Phone - TextBelter
• SendSMS Mac App
• OSX dashboard widget
• Windows 7/Vista gadget

Notes and Limitations

• Some carriers are picky about which messages they deliver. A "success" response from Textbelt means that your message was given to the carrier.

• IP addresses are limited to 75 texts per day. Phone numbers are limited to 3 texts every 3 minutes. If you need increased limits, please contact admin@textbelt.com.

• Some carriers may deliver text messages from "txt@textbelt.com"

• Supported U.S. carriers: Alltel, Ameritech, AT&T Wireless, Boost, CellularOne, Cingular, Edge Wireless, Nex-Tech Wireless, Project Fi, Sprint PCS, Telus Mobility, T-Mobile, Metro PCS, Nextel, O2, Orange, Qwest, Rogers Wireless, Ting, US Cellular, Verizon, Virgin Mobile.

• Supported U.S. and Canadian carriers (/canada): 3 River Wireless, ACS Wireless, AT&T, Alltel, BPL Mobile, Bell Canada, Bell Mobility, Bell Mobility (Canada), Blue Sky Frog, Bluegrass Cellular, Boost Mobile, Carolina West Wireless, Cellular One, Cellular South, Centennial Wireless, CenturyTel, Cingular (Now AT&T), Clearnet, Comcast, Corr Wireless Communications, Dobson, Edge Wireless, Fido, Golden Telecom, Helio, Houston Cellular, Idea Cellular, Illinois Valley Cellular, Inland Cellular Telephone, MCI, MTS, Metro PCS, Metrocall, Metrocall 2-way, Microcell, Midwest Wireless, Mobilcomm, Nextel, OnlineBeep, PCS One, President's Choice, Public Service Cellular, Qwest, Republic Wireless, Rogers AT&T Wireless, Rogers Canada, Satellink, Solo Mobile, Southwestern Bell, Sprint, Sumcom, Surewest Communicaitons, T-Mobile, Telus, Tracfone, Triton, US Cellular, US West, Unicel, Verizon, Virgin Mobile, Virgin Mobile Canada, West Central Wireless, Western Wireless

• Supported international carriers (/intl): Chennai RPG Cellular, Chennai Skycell / Airtel, Comviq, DT T-Mobile, Delhi Aritel, Delhi Hutch, Dutchtone / Orange-NL, EMT, Escotel, German T-Mobile, Goa BPLMobil, Golden Telecom, Gujarat Celforce, JSM Tele-Page, Kerala Escotel, Kolkata Airtel, Kyivstar, LMT, Lauttamus Communication, Maharashtra BPL Mobile, Maharashtra Idea Cellular, Manitoba Telecom Systems, Meteor, MiWorld, Mobileone, Mobilfone, Mobility Bermuda, Mobistar Belgium, Mobitel Tanzania, Mobtel Srbija, Movistar, Mumbai BPL Mobile, Netcom, Ntelos, O2, O2 (M-mail), One Connect Austria, OnlineBeep, Optus Mobile, Orange, Orange Mumbai, Orange NL / Dutchtone, Oskar, P&T Luxembourg, Personal Communication, Pondicherry BPL Mobile, Primtel, SCS-900, SFR France, Safaricom, Satelindo GSM, Simple Freedom, Smart Telecom, Southern LINC, Sunrise Mobile, Surewest Communications, Swisscom, Telcel Mexico, T-Mobile Austria, T-Mobile Germany, T-Mobile UK, TIM, TSR Wireless, Tamil Nadu BPL Mobile, Tele2 Latvia, Telefonica Movistar, Telenor, Teletouch, Telia Denmark, UMC, Uraltel, Uttar Pradesh Escotel, Vessotel, Vodafone Italy, Vodafone Japan, Vodafone UK, Wyndtell

License (MIT)

TextBelt Copyright (C) 2012 by Ian Webster

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.