Twilio SMS MCP server

This MCP server integrates Twilio's SMS and MMS capabilities with Claude and other AI assistants, allowing them to send text messages directly through natural language requests.

Installation Requirements

Before you begin, ensure you have:

• Node.js version 18 or higher installed
• A Twilio account with:
  • Account SID
  • Auth token
  • A Twilio phone number

Updating Node.js (if needed)

If you need to update your Node.js version, you can use Node Version Manager:

nvm install 18.14.2
nvm alias default 18.14.2

Quick Verification

To verify that the MCP server can run properly:

npx -y @yiyang.1i/sms-mcp-server

Setting Up with Claude Desktop

Step 1: Prepare Your Twilio Information

You'll need three pieces of information from your Twilio account:

• Account SID (found in your Twilio console)
• Auth Token (found in your Twilio console)
• Your Twilio phone number in E.164 format (e.g., +11234567890)

Step 2: Configure Claude Desktop

Add the MCP server configuration to your Claude Desktop config file:

On macOS: Edit the file at ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

On Windows: Edit the file at %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Add the following JSON configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "twilio": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@yiyang.1i/sms-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ACCOUNT_SID": "your_account_sid",
        "AUTH_TOKEN": "your_auth_token",
        "FROM_NUMBER": "your_twilio_number"
      }
    }
  }
}

Step 3: Restart Claude Desktop

After saving the configuration file, restart Claude Desktop to apply the changes. If configured correctly, you should see Twilio listed under the 🔨 menu.

Using the SMS Service

You can interact with the SMS service by making natural language requests to Claude. Here are some examples:

Basic SMS Sending

Simply ask Claude to send a message with the recipient's number:

Send a text message to the number +11234567890 saying "Don't forget about dinner tonight!"

Creative Message Composition

You can also ask Claude to compose and send more creative messages:

Write a haiku about autumn and send it to my number +11234567890

Troubleshooting

Common Errors

1. Phone Number Format Error

   • Ensure all phone numbers use the E.164 format (starting with "+" followed by country code and number)
   • Example: +11234567890

2. Authentication Issues

   • If you see "Invalid credentials" errors, verify your ACCOUNT_SID and AUTH_TOKEN are correctly copied from the Twilio Console

3. Server Connection Issues

   • If the MCP server doesn't appear in Claude, check that:
     • Your configuration file is properly formatted
     • You've restarted Claude Desktop after making changes
     • Node.js is properly installed

Important Usage Notes

• All phone numbers must be in E.164 format (e.g., +11234567890)
• Be mindful of your Twilio account's rate limits and pricing
• Never share your Twilio credentials in unsecured communications

How to install this MCP server

For Claude Code

To add this MCP server to Claude Code, run this command in your terminal:

claude mcp add-json "twilio" '{"command":"npx","args":["-y","@yiyang.1i/sms-mcp-server"],"env":{"ACCOUNT_SID":"your_account_sid","AUTH_TOKEN":"your_auth_token","FROM_NUMBER":"your_twilio_number"}}'

See the official Claude Code MCP documentation for more details.

For Cursor

There are two ways to add an MCP server to Cursor. The most common way is to add the server globally in the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file so that it is available in all of your projects.

If you only need the server in a single project, you can add it to the project instead by creating or adding it to the .cursor/mcp.json file.

Adding an MCP server to Cursor globally

To add a global MCP server go to Cursor Settings > Tools & Integrations and click "New MCP Server".

When you click that button the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file will be opened and you can add your server like this:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "twilio": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "@yiyang.1i/sms-mcp-server"
            ],
            "env": {
                "ACCOUNT_SID": "your_account_sid",
                "AUTH_TOKEN": "your_auth_token",
                "FROM_NUMBER": "your_twilio_number"
            }
        }
    }
}

Adding an MCP server to a project

To add an MCP server to a project you can create a new .cursor/mcp.json file or add it to the existing one. This will look exactly the same as the global MCP server example above.

How to use the MCP server

Once the server is installed, you might need to head back to Settings > MCP and click the refresh button.

The Cursor agent will then be able to see the available tools the added MCP server has available and will call them when it needs to.

You can also explicitly ask the agent to use the tool by mentioning the tool name and describing what the function does.

For Claude Desktop

To add this MCP server to Claude Desktop:

1. Find your configuration file:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
• Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

2. Add this to your configuration file:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "twilio": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "@yiyang.1i/sms-mcp-server"
            ],
            "env": {
                "ACCOUNT_SID": "your_account_sid",
                "AUTH_TOKEN": "your_auth_token",
                "FROM_NUMBER": "your_twilio_number"
            }
        }
    }
}

3. Restart Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect