How to Send SMS Notifications from Your Cursor App
Send text message notifications to users from your Cursor-built app using the Twilio API. Order confirmations, alerts, and verification codes.
Before you start
- ✓Cursor IDE with a Next.js or Node.js project
- ✓A Twilio account with a phone number
- ✓Your Twilio Account SID, Auth Token, and phone number
Step by step
Install the Twilio SDK
Add the Twilio Node.js library to your project.
npm install twilio
Add your Twilio credentials
Store your Twilio credentials in environment variables.
TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID=ACxxxxxxxxxxxx TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN=your_auth_token TWILIO_PHONE_NUMBER=+1234567890
Create the SMS utility
Build a reusable function for sending SMS messages.
Paste this into Cursor:
Create a lib/sms.ts file that: 1. Imports twilio and creates a client using TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID and TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN 2. Exports a sendSMS function that accepts 'to' phone number and 'body' message 3. Sends from TWILIO_PHONE_NUMBER 4. Returns the message SID on success 5. Handles errors and logs them
Create an API route for sending SMS
Build an endpoint that triggers SMS notifications.
Paste this into Cursor:
Create an API route at /api/send-sms that: 1. Accepts 'to' and 'message' in the request body 2. Validates the phone number format 3. Calls the sendSMS function 4. Requires authentication (check for logged-in user) 5. Returns the message SID
Send SMS on important events
Trigger text messages for order confirmations, alerts, or verification codes.
// Example: Send order confirmation
import { sendSMS } from '@/lib/sms'
await sendSMS({
to: customer.phone,
body: `Order #${order.id} confirmed! We'll notify you when it ships.`
})Common errors
Twilio error 21608: unverified number
On trial accounts, you can only send to verified numbers.
Fix: Verify the recipient's number in Twilio Console → Verified Caller IDs, or upgrade to a paid account.
Invalid phone number format
Twilio requires E.164 format for phone numbers.
Fix: Format numbers as +[country code][number], e.g., +14155551234.
Rate limit exceeded
You're sending too many messages too quickly.
Fix: Add queuing with a delay between messages. Twilio allows 1 message per second per number.